Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
April 24, 2008
5. Agencies, Programs, People -
Conservation tops federation
The Acorn
Urban wetlands park to be developed in South L.A.
City Council approves project at former MTA yard. -
Colusa power plant OK'd -
Marysville appeal Democrat
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Conservation tops federation
The Acorn – 4/24/08
By Stephanie Bertholdo. Staff writer
Lester Snow, director of the California Department of Water Resources, drove home the urgent need for water conservation while speaking at the Las Virgenes Homeowners Federation installation dinner on April 18.
Snow, who was the keynote speaker at the event, pointed out the severity of the water shortage in
In 2007, U.S. District Court Judge Oliver Wanger ordered a massive reduction in water supplies from the state's two largest water delivery systems- the State Water Project and the Central Valley Project, to protect the Delta smelt, an endangered fish species.
According to Laura King Moon of the State Water Contractors, the public agencies that deliver supplies to 25 million Californians, the restriction is the largest, court-ordered water supply reduction in
Snow said the Federal Court ruling that was meant to protect Delta smelt resulted in a drastic reduction in how much water the
Snow also blamed the water disruption on climate changes. When large ice shelves melt, coastal aquifers and deltas are affected. A simple two-degree shift in temperature can destroy habitats and "change all ecosystems," he said.
"Temperatures will still continue to rise over the next 100 years," Snow said. "We can't turn back the clock."
The snowpack in the
Conditions already felt
According to the State Water Contractors, the agencies are receiving only 35 percent of their annual allocations from the State Water Project. The sanctions reportedly haven't been this severe since the drought of 1991.
Critics say the problem has been compounded by the new regulatory restrictions that are making it difficult to transport water even when it's available.
The State Water Contractors and the Central Valley Project move water through the Sacramento/San Joaquin River Delta to urban and agricultural water users in northern, central and southern
So far, 600,000 acre-feet of water have been cut. One acrefoot of water is enough to meet the needs of two typical families for a year. The amount of water cut because of the recent ruling is enough to serve 3.8 million people living in
To help cope with the reductions, but also to help save the delta habitat, urban water use must be reduced by 20 percent by 2020, Snow said.
Interim measures are being discussed, he said.
Water storage systems must be increased, and a more comprehensive, statewide emergency response plan must be implemented. Improving the quality of water and the levees that control the water is on Gov. Schwarzenegger's to-do list, he said.
Water management, Snow said, will be decentralized, so each region in the state will have to become self-reliant. Despite the urgency of the situation, there is no "silver bullet" to fix the problems, he said.
"Our system is being strangled, and there is no end in sight unless we change how we move water across the state and fix the broken Delta," Moon, said. "This untenable situation puts all Californians at risk. We are digging into our drought reserves to protect fish.
"What we need are not shortterm actions of the courts, but longterm conveyance and habitat restoration measures," Moon said.
Former Assembly member Fran Pavley of Agoura Hills told Federation members that the water shortage will be "the next big crisis" in
At the event, Assemblymember Julia Brownley swore in the 2008 Federation officers: President John Low, Vice President Kim Lamorie, Secretary Kathy Berkowitz, and Treasurer Joan Yacovone.#
http://www.theacorn.com/news/2008/0424/Front_Page/002.html
Urban wetlands park to be developed in South L.A.
City Council approves project at former MTA yard.
By Jill Leovy, staff writer
The City Council this week unanimously approved construction of an unusual urban wetland park on an old Metropolitan Transportation Authority maintenance yard in
The
The nine-acre MTA yard, which stretches from
Surrounded by homes and schools, the site will make "an ideal locale for green space," Perry said.
Under the city's agreement with the MTA, the lot will be cleaned of toxics, then handed over to be developed as a wetland.
"There is a scarcity of green space here, a lack of places to go and get in touch with nature," said the Rev. John Deron Johnson, pastor of
"It's got to be a plus for us," said Clark Coe, 46, a neighbor of the site. "It's a good start." Groundbreaking is slated for 2010.#
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-wetland24apr24,1,5439542.story
Colusa power plant OK'd
Marysville appeal Democrat – 4/23/08
By Howard Yune, staff writer
Groundbreaking for a power plant in northwest
The California Energy Commission voted 4-0 Wednesday to grant a permit for Pacific Gas & Electric Co. to build the Colusa Generating Station.
The approval comes two years after PG&E proposed the power station, which had endured criticism from nearby farmers over air pollution concerns and concern from fire agencies about the cost of protecting it.
"Personally, I've come to a conclusion with these folks that we're OK at this stage of the game," said Allen Etchepare, who originally opposed the plant as a pollution threat to his 6,000 acres of produce and wheat fields a mile away. "If I didn't think so, I would have continued the battle."
Construction of the power plant in Delevan is expected to start in May and finish in the summer of 2010, according to Jon Maring, director of power generation for PG&E.
The company needs an additional permit from the Environmental Protection Agency before starting work, which Maring said could happen by late next week.
The $673 million plant is one of four the utility has planned in the state at a total cost of more than $2 billion.
The 660-megawatt, natural gas-driven turbine station is scheduled to provide energy to some 500,000 homes and provide 25 full-time jobs.
The generating station and electrical switchyard will comprise 31 acres of a 100-acre parcel. The facility will be located near PG&E's existing 230,000-volt transmission line and natural gas transmission pipeline.
PG&E said the natural gas-fired generating station, employing dry cooling technology, will use 97 percent less water than a facility with a conventional water cooling system.
It will also have no water discharge. Compared to older plants, the new facility will yield 35 percent less carbon dioxide for every megawatt hour of power produced.
As part of the state permit, the utility agreed to pay the Maxwell Rural Fire District about $230,000 to upgrade its services before construction starts on the plant.
The permit also calls on PG&E to hire a consultant to study how much the utility should pay Maxwell Fire annually to help equip it to deal with fires or accidents at the site.
Fire officials had urged the Energy Commission to ensure a steady payout by PG&E, which the district hopes will pay for newer vehicles, more training and up to three full-time positions — not only to help protect the plant but to preserve its ISO firefighter rating, which helps set homeowners' insurance rates in Maxwell.
After the vote, Maxwell officials declared setting aside a fire chief's full salary a top priority, but held off on saying what else the fire district would pay for in the coming months.
"Probably to procure equipment and training, but we're looking forward to seeing the scope of the work first," district Commissioner Mike Riordan said after the vote.
In the end, the prospect of more than $1.5 million of annual tax revenue and more jobs in the county — including several hundred construction jobs over two years — appeared to convince would-be opponents to live with a power plant if not embrace it.
"The potential for economic gain for the community was on my mind," said Etchepare, the Delevan farmer. "I didn't want to be obstructionist unless it harmed me significantly. I think we can cohabit, let's put it that way."#
http://www.appeal-democrat.com/news/plant_63126___article.html/colusa_power.html
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