A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
June 9, 2008
2. Supply –
Editorial
A drop in the bucket
Daily Breeze- 6/7/08
Drought declaration sets stage for rationing: Area residents could face fines for wasting water
IID ahead of drought curve
Imperial Valley Press- 6/6/-8
A Dry Season
Tracy Press- 6/7/08
Water shortage already costing $73m: Fresno Co.'s losses could rise dramatically as Valley farmers abandon more of their crops.
The
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Editorial
A drop in the bucket
Daily Breeze- 6/7/08
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has made official what
The very same day as the governor's announcement, which will set in motion water-conservation rules, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power adopted a plan, which goes to the City Council for approval, to enforce water conservation by way of fat fines for water-wasters - an approach that hasn't been implemented since the dry years of the 1990s.
And with good reason. Fines and a tiny team of water police cruising
gasoline) alone aren't going to create the kind of conservation the city or state needs as it heads into a dry future where everyone is competing for scarcer resources. That's just a drop in the bucket compared to the strains on water supplies that experts predict for the entire southwest in future decades.
To be sure, the fines will be an incentive - $300 for repeated offense isn't a slap on the wrist - for people not to waste water, at least not in plain sight. But most residential water-wasting goes on out of sight: running toilets, leaky faucets, broken pipes, multidaily showers, old washing machines and a general failure to use water wisely. Not even water police willing to peek into windows are likely to stop that.
Harassing excessive lawn-waterers is one way to curb excessive water use, but what would be more effective is to set clear - and reasonable - household usage limits, with clear penalties for going above them.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power knows how much water each house it serves uses, thanks to meters, and can easily set up a rate structure that allows for moderate water use. Customers who exceed these reasonable limits, either through personal decisions or because of poor plumbing, would get slapped with rates high enough to command their attention - and, presumably, spur corrective action.
This does not have to be a difficult proposition. The DWP already tiers its water rates so that people in so-called hot zones such as parts of the
But why stop there? In these tough economic times, everyone could use a financial break. If the DWP wants to start creating a city of water-savers, why not offer a very real carrot? Why not a rebate for people who use significantly less water?
The city also needs to look at its own policies of growth, which have contributed to the demand for water.
For years,
That kind of fine might have a greater impact on the future of the city's water usage than a few fines handed out to a citizenry already feeling the pinch in its recent utility bills.#
http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_9516675
Drought declaration sets stage for rationing: Area residents could face fines for wasting water
By DAVE
Southern California's primary drinking-water supplier, reacting to the governor's declaration this week that California is locked in a drought, said Friday it will declare a "water supply alert" and urge the region's cities to crack down on water-wasters.
Officials with Metropolitan Water District, which supplies river water imported from the Rockies and Sierra Nevada to 19 million people in six counties, including
If such a restriction is invoked, it would be the first time since rationing was ordered in 1991 following six years of drought.
Metropolitan's board of directors is scheduled to take up the "water supply alert" resolution on Tuesday. The resolution calls on the region's cities and water retailers to dust off drought ordinances that lay out how rationing should occur if required, to establish tiered rates that promote conservation, to fine people who let water run down the street and to set up hotlines for residents to report waste.
Metropolitan distributes water to 26 agencies, among them the San Diego County Water Authority and the Western and Eastern municipal water districts of
John Liarakos, a spokesman for the San Diego County Water Authority, said most of the San Diego-area cities are in the process of updating drought ordinances written the last time rationing was threatened in 1991 or drafting new ones, and setting the stage for fining people who waste water.
For example, the Vallecitos Water District, which provides water to more than 20,000 homes and businesses in
Mason said the penalty probably won't be put into effect unless the regional water authority calls for rationing.
In
Eastern Municipal Water District, which serves the Interstate 215 corridor between Murrieta and
"After Sept. 1, if we see that you are wasting water, we can, after two warnings, fine you $100," said Peter Odencrans, an Eastern spokesman.
And in some places, rationing is possible this year.
Tedi Jackson, a spokeswoman for Western Municipal Water District, which provides water to parts of
But for most residential customers in
"The immediate impact to us right here is probably not going to be felt by your average consumer," Liarakos said. "But the specter of a mandatory water restriction ... is right out in front of us and it could hit us as early as the beginning of 2009."
The problem is, in the wake of years of drought in the Sierra Nevada and
Typically, said General Manager Jeffrey Kightlinger, Metropolitan sells 2.2 million acre-feet of water a year, but in 2008, deliveries are expected to total 1.7 million acre-feet ---- about the same as last year.
An acre-foot is about 326,000 gallons, and by definition the amount it would take to cover an acre of land to a depth of one foot. It is roughly enough to supply two
Because of the cutback, Metropolitan has had to draw down its emergency supplies in area reservoirs, such as
"We consider those to be pretty sacred," Kightlinger said, saying the district must leave something to fall back on in the event that an earthquake paralyzes the region.
It could take six months, he said, to repair aqueducts that deliver water from the Colorado River or
Such emergency storage exceeded 3 million acre-feet a couple years ago. But it is down to 2.2 million ---- and it continues to decline, Kightlinger said.
And he said Metropolitan can't expect to replenish that storage in a wet year because a federal judge last August ordered a 30 percent reduction in deliveries from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to protect a tiny fish, the delta smelt, that has a propensity to be sucked into water pumps.
Federal biologists are in the process of examining just how severe the predicament is for the fish. And Metropolitan officials expect that the 30 percent cutback will remain in place for at least a couple more years, if not much longer.
Consequently, they said, the region may simply have to learn to live with less, permanently.
"Conservation isn't needed just in dry years," said Metropolitan Vice Chairman Anthony Fellow of the
Metropolitan and its affiliates already had been stressing the need for conservation in a media blitz that kicked off in April. Area residents are being urged to reduce watering 10 percent.
The San Diego County Water Authority has sponsored a companion campaign that spells out the regional goal, urging each person to save 20 gallons each day.
"At this point, we don't see ourselves shifting significantly from our voluntary conservation message," Liarakos said.
What has changed, however, is the messenger.
With Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger putting his
"The message isn't changing, but it is probably going to get a little louder," Mason said.
Until the governor's announcement, the severity of the situation may not have been clear to some residents who remember a lot of rain falling last winter.
"Yes, we did have some rain," said Kristen Crane, water conservation manager for
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2008/06/06/news/sandiego/za8ef95448a43541e8825745f00599b1f.txt
IID ahead of drought curve
Imperial Valley Press- 6/6/-8
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The declaration of a statewide drought this week has prompted water agencies to take action in imposing rationing and campaigns to conserve.
It came as no surprise to Imperial Irrigation District officials who said Friday it is ahead of the curve when it comes to conservation.
But as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger ordered immediate action to be taken by the Department of Water resources, among them is the facilitation of one thing IID officials have vowed never to do again: water transfers.
IID Legal Counsel Jeff Garber said Friday that the district’s participation in the controversial 2003 water pact, the Quantification Settlement Agreement, is the shelter from the water storm.
“The QSA protects us from being attacked by some of the other agencies. It’s a shield for the next 45 to 75 years,” Garber said. “The QSA puts us in a really safe place.”
With the largest agriculture-to-urban water transfer already under way, IID General Manager Brian Brady said though transfers were emphasized by Schwarzenegger as a way to meet water needs in dry areas, IID is already on track.
“There are major conservation elements in the QSA which IID is obligated to meet. We’re committed to capturing those conservation benefits,” Brady said.
AGRICULTURAL IMPACT
In addition to facilitating water transfers to respond to emergency shortages, DWR is tasked to help water districts improve efficiency and conservation and coordinate with other agencies in identifying risks in water supplies and helping prevent farming losses.
The drought declaration is necessary to bring perspective to the water shortage, California Farm Bureau Federation officials said.
“The governor’s action is a wake-up call,” Doug Mosebar, president of the CFB, said. “This is an emergency for many family farmers and their employees. And lack of water strikes at our ability to grow food that
In other areas of
Some
“We must do everything we can to help our state’s family farmers get through this year and prepare for next year,” Mosebar said.
Imperial County Farm Bureau officials said although there has been no direct impact to farmers due to the drought in other areas of the state, it could be felt over time.
In the
“Not only is it hurting farmers but the farm workers, many who have worked there for years,” Rothfleisch said. “It is a terrible situation and we feel for them.”
Locally farmers have already had to live within the means of the QSA agreement but mandatory conservation has not begun.
The last several years on-farm fallowing has accounted for much of the water conserved for transfer to the coastal cities.
It is only a matter of time, however, before the far reaching impacts of a drought could spread to the Valley.
“This could place a burden on
IID Water Manager Mike King has said the rising prices of wheat have already put the district on track to exceed its water allotment this year.
If conditions persist, a supply-demand imbalance could be implemented by the IID board.
PROTECTION OF WATER RIGHTS
The Metropolitan Water District, a partner in the QSA, has already begun drawing on its reserve supplies to meet its needs.
In the weeks to come the overarching
“We are rapidly entering a new and worrisome water era, highlighted by a record dry spring,” Timothy Brick, chairman of the MWD board of directors said. “There is no guarantee
IID officials said although the drought declaration may bring knocks on the door, the board has vowed not to partake in future water transfers.
The QSA, Brady said, is a critical component of protecting IID’s allotment of the
“The governor’s declaration puts an exclamation point on the importance of and the benefits of the QSA,” Brady said.
FUTURE IMPLICATIONS
Rothfleisch said politically conflicting principles have been raised if IID becomes impacted by the drought: urban versus agricultural use of water and agriculture versus the environment.
“In a time of global food shortage, it begs the question of whether it is more important to use the water to irrigate lawns or crops,” Rothfleisch said. “It is impossible for Imperial Valley farmers to become more efficient without the level of the
This year the district escaped declaring a water shortage but King has not ruled out the possibility for next year.
That declaration locally would implement a water rationing program for agricultural users. Agriculture accounts for 97 percent of the Valley’s water use annually.
IID sought volunteers for the pilot program this year from farmers to give it a test run.
Only about 20 came forward, rendering the pilot program useless.
Brady said that turnout is not indicative of the industry’s willingness to conserve in the future.
“It just means that IID needs to take a step back and reevaluate the pilot program and see if there’s a better way of reaching out to the farming community,” Brady said.
Whether the drought in the state and the
“Even with our strong water rights, there are no guarantees. Everyone is going to have to do their part to deal with this issue — the farmers, the cities, the politicians and even the environment,” Rothfleisch said.#
http://www.ivpressonline.com/articles/2008/06/07/local_news/news02.txt
A Dry Season
Tracy Press- 6/7/08
By Jon Mendelson
While the city of
For two straight years, Mother Nature has turned down the spigot over
The crisis became official Wednesday, when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced that the state was in the grips of a drought, the first such declaration since 1991.
Consecutive years of less-than-normal rain and snowfall — this spring was the driest on record in the Sierra Nevada — have left reservoirs up and down the state below their usual levels. The state’s final snow survey of the fiscal year showed snowpack water content at 67 percent of normal and forecast water runoff at 55 percent of normal.
"For the areas in
Farmers and consumers already faced reduced water allotments from the federally run Delta-Mendota Canal and the state-run California Aqueduct, and the midweek announcement reaffirmed that there’s not enough wet stuff to go around. The governor’s executive order directs the state Department of Water Resources to speed water transfers to the places suffering the worst shortages, though court-mandated restrictions on pumping water from the Delta will remain in place.
Wetter in the city
Despite the crisis,
However, the drought declaration means the city will restrict water use, according to water resource coordinator Stephanie Reyna.
Residents will be forbidden to wash sidewalks and driveways with water, wash cars without a self-closing spray nozzle or water lawns between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. seven days a week.
Local wells, which accounted for 13 percent of city water in ’07-08, and the
Though less groundwater has been used in recent years in an effort to recharge the water table and improve overall water quality, Tobeck said its presence lends flexibility in a dry spell.
"We’ll probably have to rely a little more on groundwater," he said of the coming summer. "We’ll just have to wait and see what happens with demand."
Echoing the governor and the city’s water policy, Tobeck stressed that conservation is key to making the water crisis easier to bear.
"We certainly want people to be conscientious of how they use their water," he said.
But while city-dwellers make sure gutters don’t turn into streams, farmers will likely bear the brunt of the dry spring.
A dry farm feeling
To really see the effects of the drought, you have to move beyond city limits.
According to Jim McLeod, president of the Banta-Carbona Irrigation District, it’s the farmers who will suffer most. And even though the weather has been unkind, he says politics is what’s really putting a chokehold on
"We can handle a Mother Nature drought," he said, "but we can’t handle a political drought, and the political drought is killing us."
Court rulings to protect the Delta smelt — an endangered and federally protected finger-sized fish that environmentalists say is a bellwether of the ecosystem’s health — from the massive state and federal pumps on the Delta have caused a decline in water flows to farmers.
McLeod, whose district delivers water to 17,000 agricultural acres southeast of
"(There are) 2 million acres between
The Banta-Carbona district could survive the drought mostly unscathed, as it also owns water rights in the
Many other districts aren’t as lucky.
Del Puerto Water District, which extends from San Joaquin to
"This is an unprecedented situation for us, and it is working an extreme hardship on our growers," said district general manager Bill Harrison. "This is full crisis mode for us."
Some contend that the Delta is also in a crisis, and the restrictions on water exports are a necessary step to protect its overall health.
"Unsustainable water diversions have crippled
But those cutbacks mean farmers throughout the valley will likely leave some fields fallow, concentrating their water on high-value crops, McLeod said.
"It’s a real frustration, because it’s taking water away from our food supply." #
http://tracypress.com/content/view/14876/2242/
Water shortage already costing $73m: Fresno Co.'s losses could rise dramatically as Valley farmers abandon more of their crops.
The
By Dennis Pollock
Fresno County Agricultural Commissioner Jerry Prieto Jr. says this year's water shortage already has cost the county $73 million.
Most of that loss is from crops not planted. The figure could rise dramatically as farmers abandon crops because they do not have enough water to keep them alive, officials said.
In recent days, the drought has cost at least 56 jobs on west-side farms and at least one farmer has begun to plow under some of the cantaloupes he had planted. It's expected job losses will run into the hundreds.
The bad news came Friday at a special meeting of the Fresno County Board of Supervisors, which declared an emergency and called on President Bush and Gov. Schwarzenegger to follow suit.
Separately, Prieto sought a declaration of emergency from the state Office of Emergency Services due to the farm losses. He said his office documented 41,000 acres that were not planted.
In addition, he said, the 170,000 acres of range land on the west side of the county will be half as productive as normal because of dry conditions.
Sarah Woolf, a spokeswoman for the Westlands Water District, said farmers idled 200,000 acres in the district months ago because of a court ruling that cut water deliveries because of concerns about threatened fish populations.
Woolf said that at least 10,000 of the 311,000 acres that were planted this year will be abandoned. She has begun surveying growers about their expected losses and anticipates the numbers will rise.
Jose Antonio Ramirez, Firebaugh's city manager, said two farms, which he declined to identify, in his area in recent days have given out pink slips to 56 workers. He said one farmer, unable to supply enough water, plowed under some of his cantaloupe plants.
Westlands officials say millions of dollars worth of tomatoes, melons, onions and other produce are at risk of being abandoned and plowed under because there isn't enough water to sustain them.
Supervisor Phil Larson, who represents much of the west side, said a declaration by the governor could allow growers to pump ground water into the California Aqueduct. By blending ground water with aqueduct water, its salinity would be cut. Certain crops -- notably almonds, the most prevalent permanent crop on the west side -- do not tolerate salty water.
Woolf said the aqueduct now has water only from the San Luis Reservoir, which draws from the Delta. Current rules do not permit the addition of water from other sources. Larson said the declaration would last only 90 days.
Farmers in Westlands have initiated their own rationing plan on top of federal cutbacks, and Larson said the small amount of water they will be able to pump in the next three months will not be enough to finish crops that could include cotton and processing tomatoes.
He said that could bring significant cutbacks at cotton gins and at tomato processing plants. "Farmworkers -- and their children -- will be leaving the area," Larson said. That means lower attendance and lost school funding from the state, he said.
Supervisor Judy Case, the other west-side representative, said the effects of the drought are certain to ripple across the county. She said effects could be nationwide, given the region's role as a national leader in lettuce.
Orange Cove Mayor Victor Lopez said his east-side city, which gets Central Valley Project water, has had its water deliveries cut by 25%. "We were already conserving 50% of our water," he said. "Today it is on the west side, tomorrow it will be on the east side. We are one family. Let's all speak loud and clear."
The meeting drew government representatives from about a dozen county cities.
Westlands General Manager Tom Birmingham said conservation of water alone is not going to solve the problems
In a written statement, Laura Harnish,
But Harnish said her group is concerned the governor could declare a state of emergency that would relax environmental protections.
"The governor seems to be setting the stage to resurrect the endless dam and bond debate amid this climate of fear of water shortages," she said. "Buying an overpriced water project during a drought is a bit like going grocery shopping when you are hungry."#
http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/652954.html
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