A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
September 22, 2008
2. Supply –
Weather forecasters predict S.J.'s dry spell will likely last all winter
The
County leaders taking proactive approach on drought,S.J.: Coordinating policy with cities may conserve water
The
The District That Went From Drought To Excess In Just One Summer –
Water supply, growth at odds
Supply from local water basin nears all-time low
Whittier
Waiting for winter
Lake levels dropping fast this fall: Lake levels dropping fast this fall
The Sierra Sun- 9/19/08
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Weather forecasters predict S.J.'s dry spell will likely last all winter
The
By , Staff Writer
For once, officials wish their crystal ball was cloudy.
Early forecasts suggest we're in for another dry winter - or, at best, average - and
Now, as summer finally wanes, farmers and water suppliers are nervously watching long-range forecasts, from the U.S. Climate Prediction Center to the Old Farmer's Almanac. And for the most part, the predictions they find are discouraging.
The almanac, one of the more reliable sources according to the Stockton East Water District, expects a stormy November and then a relatively calm and dry winter for much of
And the private Washington-based
Warnings abound, but water still flows from our taps.
"The sky isn't falling - yet," said Steve Winkler, deputy director of the San Joaquin County Department of Public Works. "One more dry winter and we'll have a different outlook."
The lack of a dominant El Niño or La Niña might make our winter flat-out average, said Mel Lytle, the county's director of water resources.
But, he said, "An average year is not going to benefit us much."
New Hogan Reservoir, from which
The reservoir was 29 percent full and 70 percent average Friday. There's been enough water to get
For farmers, the less surface water that is available, the more they must rely on groundwater, which is dropping to levels not seen since the drought of the early 1990s. This means water quality is worse, and it's costlier to pump the water to the surface.
The long-term climate picture also is dubious. The Pacific Decadal Oscillation, a 20- to 30-year fluctuation of flow and currents, might have shifted to what's known as a "cool" phase - lower-than-normal temperatures at the surface of the ocean in the east Pacific, and warmer temperatures in the north, west and south.
This in turn pushes the jet stream farther north over the western
This could change our climate for decades to come. In general, we could see 20 to 30 years with lower rainfall than the region has seen since the 1970s, the institute reports.
Opposite conditions in the
"We could potentially have very significant drought issues in
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080922/A_NEWS/809220317/-1/rss14
County leaders taking proactive approach on drought,S.J.: Coordinating policy with cities may conserve water
The
By , Staff Writer
The drought of 2008 and the possibility of a dry winter ahead had county officials last week looking at ways to lessen the impact of drought in
The
"I'd like to see some kind of unified water policy with the cities and the county," said Supervisor Larry Ruhstaller. Having fair and uniform policies could promote conservation among water users, he said. "If everybody is the same, I think people are much more willing to go along and change their lifestyle."
Coordination could amplify the message of conservation already being delivered, as in outreach programs from the state and
Also,
These strategies are largely voluntary, relying on the water users to police themselves, Granberg said.
While not as stringent as other areas of the state, a Stage 1 conservation warning was sufficient to get through this year, he told the county's Water Advisory Commission this week. But the city might consider a Stage 2 - 10 percent mandatory water rationing - in the case of another dry winter.
Water conservation is about setting a balance between benefits and cost, said Public Works Deputy Director Steve Winkler.
The situation is not dire, but "we're about one winter away from serious concerns," he said.
The county itself oversees 30 water distribution systems with about 6,000 service connections, and there are several ways the county can prepare for water shortages, according to the county.
Responses could range from maintaining the status quo with limited enforcement, to more aggressive ordinances with water rationing, fines or pumping restrictions, according to the county Public Works Department.
Separate from conservation is the issue of water supply.
For future water needs and to replenish depleted groundwater supplies, the county is seeking additional sources of water.
And with existing water supplies, agencies can be encouraged to use local supplies of water locally, like an agreement to transfer excess water from the Woodbridge Irrigation District to the city of
Historically, there have been droughts in the western
"The significant droughts, if they are to occur again, are civilization killers," said Mel Lytle, county water resources manager.
Staff writer Alex Breitler contributed to this report.#
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080922/A_NEWS/809220315
The District That Went From Drought To Excess In Just One Summer –
By Traci Sheehan, Executive Director Planning and Conservation League
Earlier this month, Westlands Water District (WWD), the largest single recipient of water from the Central Valley Project south of the Delta, filed an application to store 50,000 acre feet of water from this year's water supply for the District to use in future years.
While water storage is not unusual, this particular action is perplexing given that the same water district reported severe water shortages, resulting in lost crops and lost jobs earlier this year. In fact, the district's shortages were the primary motivation for the Governor's declaration of a state of emergency for several
This month, however, the water district is singing a different tune. According to the water storage announcement, the district is seeking to store "supplies that are excess to its immediate demand."
Hopefully, this new found excess also signals the end of farmworker layoffs and restoration of water quality standards for the Bay Delta Estuary and the California Aqueduct.
Traci Sheehan is the Executive Director of the Planning and Conservation League, a statewide, nonprofit lobbying organization. For more than thirty years, PCL has fought to develop a body of environmental laws in
http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/2008/09/the_district_th.html
Water supply, growth at odds
By MEGAN BAKKER, Staff Writer
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On 24 acres of land sits a soon-to-start geothermal plant that’s asking for 6,800 acre-feet of water from the Imperial Irrigation District.
The average Imperial Valley farm uses 5.5 to 6 acre-feet of water per acre, but Ormat’s new plant in Brawley, which will go on line by the end of the year, would use 283 acre-feet per acre — almost 47 times as much as the farmland that was there previously.
But this huge water request comes at a time when the
The IID has declared a supply-demand imbalance for 2008, meaning the Valley is set to go over its 3.1 million acre-feet cap. For 2009, the district is developing a plan that would limit how much water farmers, businesses and cities can use.
“We’re going to find ways to create that water,” said IID board President John Pierre Menvielle about the resources businesses like Ormat would use.
But the short supply of water and the potential growth in the geothermal industry — Ormat has an expansion to its Brawley plant in the works for 2009 — has many wondering where the water is going to come from.
And farmers are especially worried, as geothermal will be drawing on the same source that farmers use for irrigation.
John Benson, owner of John R. Benson Farms, thinks the IID is being shortsighted and not doing enough to deal with the problem.
“They just don’t know what they’re doing,” Benson said about the IID.
Benson said farmers would be willing to explore on-farm conservation to increase the Valley’s water supply, but only if their water rights were secure.
He said farmers were “scared to death” of working with the IID as long as they might lose their water rights.
Benson said the money farmers would get from keeping water rights was essential to developing on-farm conservation projects.
Benson said most farmers don’t have a problem with the geothermal industry, and would like to see it flourish.
“We certainly owe it to the country to try and get it out and get it producing,” Benson said. But, he said, Ormat’s water contract is an example of IID’s shortsightedness toward conservation.
IID officials, however, said the focus needs to be placed on businesses. Menvielle said while the district is planning to give Ormat the water in the form of a 20-year contract, Ormat will be bearing a large part of the costs.
“They will get their water, but they will have to pay for their water,” Menvielle said.
According to a draft of the proposed agreement between Ormat and IID, in addition to paying for water, Ormat will donate $1.5 million to start up an integrated resource plan. The purpose of the plan will be to find new sources of water through conservation efforts such as drain collection and recycled water.
“We’re not turning our backs on geothermal,” Menvielle said.
IID board Director Anthony Sanchez said he wants to help businesses come in, but wants to develop a system for them to do so.
“The integrated resource plan should give us a method or tool to help in conserving water,” Sanchez said.
The draft also said Ormat will need to come up with 1,360 acre-feet of its own water after the first 11 years through conservation efforts. The amount would eventually increase to 2,720 acre-feet.
In the meantime, Menvielle said the IID would continue to consider new projects on a case-by-case basis, analyzing their impacts to the Valley before making any final decisions.
“There’s no such thing as a free lunch,” Menvielle said.#
http://www.ivpressonline.com/articles/2008/09/21/local_news/news01.txt
Supply from local water basin nears all-time low
Whittier
By Jennifer McLain, Staff Writer
An underground aquifer that stores much of the region's water supply could reach an all-time low by year's end, officials said.
The
"It is not the lowest we've ever been," said Carol Williams, executive director of the Main San Gabriel Basin Watermaster. "But if conditions continue, it is very possible we might hit a historic low by the end of year."
As of Sept. 12, the water level was recorded at 203.5 feet above sea level. One year ago, it was measured at 213.3 feet above sea level. The lowest water level recorded since 1933 was in 2004, when it was 195.5 feet above sea level.
Depleted water levels attributed to low rainfall, a decline in imported water and an increase in demand could lead to higher rates and rationing, officials said.
"What can you do? You've got to have water. We can't just stop pumping, no matter what the level goes to," said Leon Garcia, president of the Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District and its representative on the Watermaster.
The Main San Gabriel Basin Watermaster is responsible for maintaining the basin level by dividing the water supply among private and public water purveyors in the
Pumping will continue even if water levels dip below the desired operating range of 200 to 250 feet, a number set by a judge when the court-ordered Watermaster was created in 1973.
"If we get a good, wet winter, the basin will bounce back," said Tony Zampiello, assistant executive officer of the Watermaster. "The long-term impact is that overproduction can't be replaced by purchasing imported water, and then we start running into a deficit."
During times of low local supply, the basin typically has been replenished with imported water from Northern California and the
A smaller than expected snowpack combined with a court order to reduce pumping from the Sacramento San Joaquin Delta and a drought along the
"We understand how important the replenishment water is and that they need to maintain adequate levels," said Debra Man, chief operating officer of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which imports water from the Colorado River and
As a result water costs have shot up to $351 per acre-foot, a $93 increase since last year when the district was paying a discounted rate. The basin is capable of storing up to 8.6 million acre-feet.
The cost of water ultimately is passed along to ratepayers.
Officials predict if the water levels continue to drop, it will force more increases in cost.
Wells will have to be drilled deeper, which means there will be higher electricity bills to pull the water from deeper wells, Zampiello said.
The deteriorating water supply is forcing local water agencies to be vigilant in their pursuit of conservation efforts and alternative water supplies.
"The water that is available will be reduced, which means that we need to find new sources of water," Garcia said.
As a result, the Upper District is considering building a water treatment plant that would turn sewer water into drinking water.
Some predict rationing will become a necessity if current conditions continue.
"The future doesn't look very good," said Grace Kast, executive director of the Water Quality Authority, which is cleaning contaminated groundwater in the
http://www.whittierdailynews.com/news/ci_10520535
Waiting for winter
Lake levels dropping fast this fall: Lake levels dropping fast this fall
The Sierra Sun- 9/19/08
Heading into fall Lake Tahoe and other area lakes and reservoirs are dipping, and may leave the
Two slow winters in a row — feeding 31 percent and 32 percent of normal runoff into Tahoe — mean the lake could drop below its natural rim unless precipitation shows up this fall. This means the top of the
“At this point it looks like we will get very close to Tahoe’s natural rim,” said Chad Blanchard, chief hydrologist for the U.S. District Court Water Masters Office.
Currently the lake is within 11 inches of the natural rim, down to just 15 percent of the dam’s total storage capacity, he said.
“As the lake drops the amount going over the dam drops and the amount going down river drops, so we have to supplement that with others. We’re using Boca right now,” Blanchard said. “By the end of the year Boca could be very low also.”
Bill Hauck, the water supply coordinator for the Truckee Meadows Water Authority, said Boca could empty to 5 percent of its top capacity.
Windy weather has played a major role in lake levels, especially on the enormous surface area of Tahoe, Blanchard said.
“If it is windy it creates huge amounts of evaporation off the lake,” Blanchard said.
Right now, the
Blanchard said the flow could slow beyond that minimum rate, but said water demand in
“We’re hoping for a great winter, but even if we don’t have a great winter we have adequate drought supplies in place,” Hauck said.
And as for predicting what winter will bring, Blanchard said it’s too early to make any meaningful predictions.
The real forecasting for water supply happens when precipitation is actually on the ground, he said.
“I talk to the weather service and the
Looking forward to winter
Making weather projections for the winter this far out is difficult, especially in the Tahoe region, said Jim Ashby, Service Climatologist with the
“Take these with a grain of salt — looking to December, January, and February, there is a slight chance of above-normal temperatures,” Ashby said. “And equal chances on precipitation, which means they have no idea.”
There are no strong signals being sent by the ocean either, Ashby said, as no El Niño patterns are emerging.
“Really winter could go either way,” Ashby said.#
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