A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
April 7, 2008
2. Supply
County's deal a little different - Chico Enterprise Record
Water sales may become less attractive - Chico Enterprise Record
WATER RIGHTS:
County planning chief upset with AVEK water claim; 600,000 acre-feet of water at issue -
Snow news is good news for most Western states; Except for California, states report - Capital Ag Press
County again may face cut in water; Little rain, low level of Lake Mendocino spur talk of conservation this summer - Santa Rosa Press Democrat
Summer water shortage feared - Ukiah Daily Journal
DEVELOPMENT ISSUES:
Editorial: No water, no development; The days of supplies for almost every project must end. California must build smart - Los Angeles Times
PLANNING ISSUES:
Guest Column: Valley's water issues require thorough planning now - Desert Sun
County's deal a little different
As one of 29 State Water Contractors,
The state has said that all State Water Contractors, including
In the past, that water could only be used within the county. Only a small amount of that water is actually used locally — 2,500 acre-feet — and up until this year the county wasn't required to pay for unused water.
However, this year the state told the county it must pay for the full water allotment — a price tag of more than $800,000.
At the same time, the rules were changed to allow
Vickie Newlin, assistant director of the Butte County Department of Water and Resource Conservation, said the county is in the process of submitting documents to the Department of Water Resources for approval.
The price will be above $200 an acre-foot.
http://www.chicoer.com/advertise/ci_8827876?IADID=Search-www.chicoer.com-www.chicoer.com
Water sales may become less attractive
By Heather Hacking, staff writer
Will the rising price of rice derail or reduce water sales that were negotiated recently between local irrigation districts and water users to the south?
The local water deals involve idling mostly rice fields to make water available for sales to other parts of the state.
Growers have a lot of factors to weigh when considering selling water, including the price of rice, increasing fuel prices and whether they want to work land they don't plant.
At Western Canal Water District, many growers waited until last week to sign up for transfer deals.
Another water district manager said rice prices jumped after growers signed up to transfer water, and he wondered whether some growers would have backed out of the deal if they had known.
Here's how things stand:
· Western Canal Water District, with headquarters in Nelson, filed paperwork to go ahead with a sale to the State Water Project Contractors Authority, a group of water contractors that formed a joint powers authority for the purpose of transfers.
Originally the district was poised to offer about 30,000 acre-feet, but not enough growers signed up for the program, said general manager Ted Trimble.
Growers signed up to sell less than 25,000 acre-feet at $200 an acre-foot.
One acre-foot equals 325,851 gallons, enough water for two average households for a year.
Trimble said that deal is due to go through April 15.
· Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District is still waiting to hear if a water transfer deal will go through. The district, with headquarters in Willows, is the largest water district in
The district was up in the air as of Friday in a deal to sell water for $175 an acre-foot to the San Luis Mendota Water Authority, which delivers water to users south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta who are part of the Central Valley Project.
General manager Thad Bettner said originally more than 80,000 acre-feet was talked about, but growers only signed up for about 53,000 acre-feet with a call date of April 21.
Within that deal were plans to pump 2,500 acre-feet of groundwater as a test of underground aquifers, a proposal that has raised concerns among local environmental groups.
Bettner said he's called the Bureau of Reclamation many times, but has been unable to tell growers whether they have a deal.
The bureau owns the infrastructure through which the water would flow.
Bettner said his board of directors will meet Tuesday to decide whether to continue with the transfer process, or nix the deal.
"The Bureau of Reclamation hasn't provided any guidance on the transfer and we can't afford to make our growers wait," Bettner said Thursday.
The spokesman for the bureau, Jeff McCracken, reached Friday, said the deal was still moving forward, but there are some legal questions that remain.
"We're working hard on this. No one is planning on a denial," McCracken said.
· Richvale Irrigation District has a deal set up to sell about 17,000 acre-feet, at $200 an acre-foot, to the State Water Project Contractor's Authority, with deliveries mostly in the
Richvale general manager Brad Mattson said the call date for the water is in late April.
· Sutter Extension Water District in Yuba City should know by April 10 if the Department of Water Resources will give the go-ahead for a deal to Semitropic Rosamond Water Bank, said Lynn Phillips, general manager.
The price in that negotiation is $200 an acre-foot for up to 13,000 acre-feet of water. A $10 option payment has already been made.
Phillips said if water to the district is cut by the state, the water deal would be cut by the same amount.
· Biggs-West Gridley Water District was working on a deal that did not go through.
· Butte Water District was also working on a deal, but the status was not known Friday. #
http://www.chicoer.com/news/ci_8827875
WATER RIGHTS:
County planning chief upset with AVEK water claim; 600,000 acre-feet of water at issue
By Bill Deaver, staff writer
EAST KERN — A statement by Antelope Valley/East Kern Water Agency General Manager Russ Fuller that AVEK claims ownership of 600,000 acre-feet of water in
Ted James, the county’s planning director, told Fuller in a letter dated March 21 that he had read in a Palmdale newspaper that AVEK claimed ownership of the water “delivered to our (Kern County) farmers under an in-lieu program.) Fuller made the claim in a discussion at a recent AVEK board meeting.
“We are concerned, however, with the public statements of AVEK (in the article) that (AVEK) has a claim to over 600,000 acre feet of water in
Water rights law?
“On what facts of water right law is your agency claiming that simply by providing State Water Project water, that the water they did not pump becomes yours?,” James asked Fuller. “We would be interested in reviewing any information you can provide on this matter and will be forwarding it to
Noting that the issue came up at a discussion of water shortages in
Officials in
http://www.desertnews.com/mdn/story4.html
Snow news is good news for most Western states; Except for California, states report
Capital Ag Press – 4/4/08
By Mateusz Perkowski, staff writer
It appears Mother Nature has granted irrigators a reprieve from the weak stream flows and low reservoir levels that plagued much of the West last year.
Judging by snowpack levels in early April, when accumulation is considered to reach its peak, most of the region will have plenty of runoff this growing season.
Not all states will benefit equally, though.
At the other end of the spectrum,
For
"This is what we were hoping and praying for," said Jeff Anderson, hydrologist with the Idaho Natural Resources Conservation Service. "If we had this type of winter every year, we'd have no water shortages."
Unfortunately, the snow was not enough to stave off water problems in
Across the
However, pumping in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta will be limited to protect the delta smelt, a fish species that has experienced falling populations in recent years.
As a result, only about one-third of the water requested by irrigators and other water users in the
"The snowpack is back to normal, but a broken delta means water deliveries to millions of Californians will be far below normal this year," said Lester Snow, director of the California Department of Water Resources. "We must move ahead on the comprehensive plan outlined by Gov. (Arnold) Schwarzenegger to invest in our water systems, restore the delta and ensure clean, safe and reliable water supplies."
The state's fate could have been much worse, Gehrke said. Before storms in January and February, the overall snowpack in the
"It was really looking grim," Gehrke said, "Especially coming in on last year's (water flow and reservoir) performance, it would have been a very serious situation," he said.
Meanwhile, the Northwest was blessed with healthy storms that delivered new snow all the way through March and low temperatures that prevented it from melting, said Jon Lea, snow survey supervisor for the NRCS.
"The storm track has been more to the north, especially in the last month, it seems," he said.
"For the water year, it looks very positive," Lea said.
Staff writer Elizabeth Larson in
Last year at this time, snowpacks in basins across
"We got lucky," said Scott Pattee,
Now, irrigators just need to hope their luck holds out.
"Much still depends on how the snowpack melts off," Lea said.
If the region suddenly received a spell of high temperatures and rain, the potential for flooding does exist, he said. Also, if the snowpack runs off too quickly, it complicates the management of excess flows at reservoirs, Lea said.
"You want to leave some room in your reservoirs for all that," he said. #
http://www.capitalpress.info/main.asp?SectionID=67&SubSectionID=616&ArticleID=40549&TM=55384.71
County again may face cut in water; Little rain, low level of
Santa Rosa Press Democrat – 4/5/08
By Bob Norberg, staff writer
But the restrictions shouldn't be as harsh as last year, when residents in
"We have a little more water in the lake than we had last year, but the season is shaping up fairly similar. We have not gotten a lot of rain in the spring," said Pam Jeane, a deputy operations manager for the Sonoma County Water Agency.
The extent of conservation won't be known for another month, she said.
"Since we are seeing a dry spring, we will be asking for conservation," Jeane said. "I am not sure if it will be of the magnitude of last year."
A year ago, the Water Agency was ordered by the state Water Resources Control Board to cut diversions from the
The goal last year was to save 20,000 acre-feet of water during the period the order was in force, from July 1 to Oct. 28.
The Water Agency, in turn, ordered its contractors, the cities and water districts from
Conservation measures were largely aimed at cutting outdoor irrigation and unnecessary water use and using wells and alternative water sources to supplement water taken from the
The actual savings was 21.6 percent.
Releases into the Russian River from Lake Mendocino northeast of Ukiah are critical for the fall spawning run of chinook salmon, listed as endangered by the federal Endangered Species Act.
The
The lake now has 80,700 acre-feet, 9,000 more than last year at this time.
Jeane said that at the end of May, the Water Agency will determine whether conservation measures will be necessary.
"It will be a year where everyone will need to take conservation very seriously, and we will have to be diligent about our operations, so the water remains in
Jeane said the the district hopes to deal with the situation locally and not have to be under a state mandate again.
That will depend largely on how much rain falls this month.
"Everybody in this building is hoping for more rain," said Brad Sherwood, an agency spokesman, who is already planning a conservation campaign.
The district will report to the state water board May 6. #
http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/article/20080405/NEWS/804050315/1033/NEWS&template=kart
Summer water shortage feared
Ukiah Daily Journal – 4/5/08
The agency announced Friday that it is encouraging residents and members of the agricultural and business communities to make plans for water conservation ahead of possible shortages.
"Now is the time of year residents and businesses and the agricultural community should be planning how they will reduce their water consumption for this year," said SCWA Deputy Chief Engineer of Operations Pam Jean.
March was not a good start to the spring rain season. Just over half-an-inch of rain fell in the county, compared to the four-and-a-half inches normally expected in March. While the county has received nine more inches of rain that it had at this time last year, it is still seven inches shy of the average for this time of year.
In an attempt to avoid another dry summer like 2007, the SCWA last month asked the Army Corps of Engineers to raise the depth of
"After receiving our request to increase the water supply pool in
As of Thursday, storage in
Last year, a combination of low winter rainfall and a reduction in flows through the Potter Valley Project caused a precipitous drop in the storage at
The lake eventually dropped below 30,000 acre feet, forcing the Redwood Valley Water District board to declare a water emergency. That order was rescinded by the board when it started to rain earlier this year.
The Sonoma County Water Agency is scheduled to appear at a meeting on April 15 before the State Water Resources Control Board to discuss water challenges in the Russian River Watershed. Topics for the meeting include potential amendments to in-stream flow requirements, water rights permits, the Potter Valley Project, the Russian River Watch Rights Accounting Program, strategies related to illegal and unscheduled diversions from the
For more information about the meeting, go to http://www.sonomacountywater.org/ #
http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com//ci_8822885?IADID=Search-www.ukiahdailyjournal.com-www.ukiahdailyjournal.com
DEVELOPMENT ISSUES:
Editorial: No water, no development; The days of supplies for almost every project must end.
During the 20th century in
For the most part, if they made their claim early enough, they were right. Because the state and federal governments poured billions of dollars into dam and canal systems that carried water over vast distances, past far-flung burgs, engineers could almost always find a way to get a little more of it to thirsty towns. In tract after tract, water followed development, rather than the other way around.
In the 21st century, this ethos of expansion must come to an end.
It's a matter of common sense: It is time for development in
Countering the culture
No one really knows how much water exists to support development. Yes, the state Department of Water Resources publishes a reliability report, which gives cities an idea of how much water they can expect to receive through the State Water Project in wet, dry and "average" years. And yes,
Unfortunately, these laws don't establish a strict, uniform standard for estimating water supplies. Individual water districts generate the estimates. And some of these districts, in preparing reports for land-use planners, may rely too heavily on "paper water," flows that exist in legal allocations but aren't really on hand and may never be. As one former state legislator explains, "If people point to paper water, there's always enough for everybody."
Planning based on paper water might not have been troubling in the past, when there were fewer pressures on
Critics of building-friendly local governments frequently complain that water and land-use officials are controlled by developers, who have long been enthusiastic contributors to political campaigns. Whether that is true or not, it's almost certainly the case that California water agency culture is loath to say no to developers for a less-pernicious reason: Water districts are in the business of delivering water to local communities -- they don't see their job as determining water use policy -- and they don't like to say no to their customers. The same can-do attitude that led William Mulholland to build the Los Angeles Aqueduct guides his descendants in their determination to find new water, whether or not it exists. Even if a peripheral canal is built in the delta and supplies from the State Water Project become more predictable, there is no guarantee that more
There's another cultural tenet to overcome: Californians' devotion to the easy suburban lifestyle (or at least, the easy suburban lifestyle as we know it). Thirty-nine percent of residential water use in
Built-out areas have to do their part too. Homeowners must get used to the idea of living near higher-density, water-efficient infill. They also must accept tiered pricing for water, which would discourage outdoor use. In parts of
The good news is that water districts, entrepreneurs and developers are beginning to understand the need for change and are getting creative. Some developers already minimize yard areas and install parallel pipe systems to deliver recycled water for outdoor use. Potentially, developers also could become key partners with public agencies that want to expand the use of recycled water outdoors. Just as they front funds to install the pipes that connect new communities to public water systems, they could become a source of funding for conservation technologies and recycled water infrastructure in existing and new communities.
Even with water supplies in question,
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-ed-thirst7apr07,0,4783063.story
PLANNING ISSUES:
Guest Column: Valley's water issues require thorough planning now
Desert Sun – 4/5/08
By Jim Smith, public works director and engineer for the city of Indio and the Indio Water Authority
In less than three months, a court order is due to go into effect that will mandate that the state reduce water supply deliveries to the Coachella Valley by as much as 75 percent in order to care for the Delta Smelt, a species of small fish that live in the Sacramento River area.
As a result, more water will be removed from our local aquifer, the life-sustaining groundwater source beneath the valley floor, than can be replenished. Our aquifer has been in this condition known as "overdraft" since the 1960s. This problem must be addressed immediately if we expect to meet the needs of the growing population of the
The
Without a comprehensive regional water conservation and preservation strategy, rationing is just around the corner.
Since the 1960s, local officials and water agencies have ignored the water supply problem. While our population has ballooned and we continue to add more homes, businesses and golf courses, we have nevertheless sold off irrigation deliveries to
In 1999, a Denver Research & Consulting Firm (BBC) prepared a report for the Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) that determined a change of water availability in the
The
Local taxpayers, businesses and tenants should not be expected to pay for any assessments to state water contractors, CVWD or DWA, until we have an integrated plan. An integrated plan should rely on all users and components of the water system so that water is used optimally. Sustainable use of water in the
This is the only way to ensure that our urban water services are secure.
The Coachella Valley Water District has failed to prioritize the long-term sustainability of the Valley's water supply. CVWD's approach has been short-sighted and narrow, offering Band-Aid solutions to problems that require more attention, commitment and responsibility. Years of using more water from the aquifer than is being put back in is a failed system that has compromised the Valley's infrastructure and is causing parts of the Valley to sink. Ironically, the closer we get to a crisis, the closer we might get to a real solution. #
http://www.mydesert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2008804050306
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