Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
September 29, 2008
5. Agencies, Programs, People -
Opinion:
California took on energy crisis, now it faces water crisis
San Francisco Chronicle
Chances remote for more drilling off Calif. Coast
Associated Press
Other Voices: Wildfires leave impact on California
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Opinion:
California took on energy crisis, now it faces water crisis
San Francisco Chronicle – 9/29/08
Once a week, a truck brings drinking water to the small town of
Bodega's water shortage is just one example of how serious the state's water problems have become. While not every community in
Public water agencies are only receiving 35 percent of their annual allocation of water from the State Water Project this year - the lowest level since the severe 1991 drought. In the coming year, deliveries will likely be even less.
Our reservoirs are low. Our groundwater supplies are being overdrafted in some areas. And court-ordered pumping limits have restricted our ability to move water through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to the Bay Area, Central Valley and
In June, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a statewide drought emergency and directed state agencies to take immediate action to address the drought impacts.
Armed with the governor's direction, state water managers are addressing the problems created by the drought through a variety of programs, including the Drought Water Bank for 2009. This emergency program will allow the Department of Water Resources to purchase water from willing sellers and sell that water to at-risk water agencies, giving communities that are facing health or public safety issues top priority. We are also working hard to coordinate programs and services to ensure that the state's efforts support conservation efforts at the local level.
Mother Nature may prove the weather predictions wrong and give us a long and wet winter. Even if she does, better-than-average rainfall and a healthy snowpack will not solve
In addition, climate change is altering our rainfall and snowpack - which the state relies on for water storage. This is something that we must plan for and manage. At the same time, our state water systems are aging and population growth is putting more and more pressure on our existing water supplies.
The drought reminds us all of the importance of providing a sustainable water supply system capable of meeting the needs of consumers now and in the future. The governor and Sen. Dianne Feinstein have proposed a comprehensive solution to
But in the end, Californians need to fundamentally change how we use water.
Before the state's energy crisis, most Californians used power indiscriminately in their homes. Now many of us avoid peak energy-use times, instead running appliances during the evening hours and using other energy-saving products. This fundamental change has resulted in significant energy savings. It's time to take the state's water supply problems just as seriously. We can do it ... we must do it.#
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/09/29/EDTI136772.DTL
By Denny Boyles
Would you sell your lawn to the city to save water and cut your utility bill? Would you buy a house with no lawn or with only water-stingy native plants?
Both are possibilities as
The plan outlines conservation goals for the city and offers ideas to attain those goals -- such as lawn buy-backs.
It doesn't detail how some of those ideas would work. But the plan "shows us where we are, and where we're headed," said Garth Gaddy,
The plan, which took several years to write, looks at current water usage in Fresno and predicts how growth will affect water resources through 2030, when the city's population is expected to reach at least 760,000. A second plan -- the Metropolitan Water Resources Management Plan -- looks even further, forecasting
There is no penalty if the city doesn't follow its plan. But homeowners will see higher water bills if they choose to not conserve after meters are installed citywide by 2013, Gaddy said. Unlike most
"We're offering a lot of carrots with incentives and different programs," Gaddy said. "But that water bill will be the only stick."
"Surface water is really the key to a balanced water budget," Gaddy said. "It needs to be used to offset ground-water pumping, and for recharge."
Gaddy said the city is pumping more water out of the aquifer than it puts back in through recharge basins, like those at Leaky Acres, the large complex of ponds near
Conservation will be a major part of
Earlier this year, Gov. Schwarzenegger called for
"We know we'll see a big usage drop initially, but it will average out at about 10% or 15% per household," once metering is required, Gaddy said. "That gets us pretty close to where we need to be. But, I'd like to go further than that."
Gaddy said
Reclaimed water already is used to irrigate landscape in parts of
"The park uses a lot of water for irrigation," Cooper said.
Even programs to buy back lawns from interested homeowners could achieve major water savings, Gaddy said.
Those "cash for grass" type programs are growing in popularity, said Jennifer Persike, public affairs director for the Association of California Water Agencies.
"It's absolutely a viable idea," Persike said. "And one that is catching on as people realize that outside landscape irrigation accounts for 50% of residential water use."
Richard Perez already has replaced about 80-square-feet of yard with stamped concrete in the backyard of his home in the Fresno High neighborhood. Perez also has used some native plants in his flower beds, but stops short of being willing to replace his well-groomed front yard.
"I think we're doing the right things already, with the backyard and the flowerbeds," Perez said. "Plus, I make sure we only water on the right days, and for the right amount of time."
Michelle Woolsey also isn't willing to replace her west
"I like the grass, though," Woolsey said. "I'm a country girl -- I love the soft green grass under my feet."
Landscaping changes can save a lot of water, and the use of plants suited for
Clemons said plants that are native to climates like
"I love redwoods, too," Clemons said. "But they just don't belong here. Other plants would be better, and use much less water."
Gaddy said that because so much water is used for landscaping, he could see the city paying $9 or $10 a square foot to homeowners who sign contracts saying they won't reinstall lawns.
Incentive programs, lawn buybacks and additional infrastructure for recharge and reclaimed water use will help
"Even to reduce water waste in areas irrigated by the city will cost money, with extra staff, meters and new plants," Gaddy said. "It all takes money, but we think it's all worth it." #
http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/899309.html
Chances remote for more drilling off Calif. Coast
Associated Press – 9/27/08
Home to the country's first offshore oil well,
The congressional ban that halted development is set to expire next week, but chances are remote that the 10 billion barrels of oil estimated to lie under the continental shelf will ever be tapped.
Steadfast opposition within the state, fueled in part by memories of a catastrophic 1969 oil spill off the
"When it comes to
That includes Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose opposition puts him at odds with the candidate he has endorsed for president, GOP nominee John McCain. McCain has made offshore oil drilling a key component of his energy platform, his "drill here, drill now" mantra a staple of campaign events outside
McCain says tapping the country's offshore reserves would help reduce
In an address Friday in
"Every single time I walked around
The congressional shift on oil drilling came earlier this week when House Democrats conceded to Republican pressure to remove the annual ban in a must-pass, year-end budget spending bill. Republicans argue that more offshore oil drilling could decrease the country's dependence on foreign oil and lower gas prices.
Despite the fanfare accompanying the moratorium's expiration, it's seen as just a temporary move. The longer-term decisions on coastal drilling will be left to the next administration and Congress.
But it does gives the Bush administration the funding it needs to begin preparing oil and gas lease sales around the nation's coastline, as close as three miles from shore.
Brian Baird, the Ocean Program Manager at the California Resources Agency, says Congress' decision to let the moratorium expire puts the West Coast's oil reserves in play.
"The $100 million question for us is, 'Will the federal government try to come in and put drilling off
If tapped, federal officials say
"We can use that oil in our own refineries, and what gets taken out is foreign imports," said Joe Sparano, president of the Western States Petroleum Association, which represents oil exploration companies and refiners. "If you're concerned about foreign governments that don't like us and threaten to cut off our supply, then I think perhaps you might as a Californian like to see thoughtful, environmentally safe access to oil resources off the coast of
There are 79 active oil and gas leases off
With the lifting of the moratorium, the federal minerals service will prepare a plan offering new leases for sale between 2010 and 2015.
Even if oil companies can buy new leases, federal officials say it would be at least five more years and perhaps many more before they would work through the necessary government evaluations, public comment periods, environmental and exploration studies, economic reviews, and state and federal approvals.
"There's an extensive amount of work that needs to be done," said Nicholas Pardi, another spokesman for the minerals service.
Federal law also requires state input. Baird, of the state Resources Agency, said the California Coastal Commission would oppose oil drilling, just as it has in the past. The state's veto could be overturned only by the
Oil companies also would need county and state approval to build their pipelines to the shore, along with the other facilities that might be needed to store the oil. Industry officials say it could take up to 12 years before they could begin pumping the oil if leases are sold in
Meanwhile,
"I think it's awful. This battle is not over," Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said in a statement. "We will come back and fight another day, that's for sure."
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, earlier this month sought to limit oil drilling within 50 miles of any state's coast. Those restrictions would have opened up just 5 percent of the oil reserves off
http://www.pe.com/ap_news/California/CA_Offshore_Oil_California_361226C.shtml#Scene_1
Other Voices: Wildfires leave impact on California
Grass Valley
By Norman Pillsbury
Norman Pillsbury, Ph.D., is professor emeritus of forest hydrology and watershed management at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo
People used to take air for granted. We breathe it in and out and it sustains our very existence, but people seldom thought about it.
This year's fires have changed all of that.
Similarly, many Californians today take water for granted. Turn the tap and out it comes.
But our growing population has had an affect on water quality and availability.
Most Californians live far removed from the front lines of water quality. The vast majority of our water originates in forested watersheds, out of sight, out of mind.
Being disconnected from our water sources does not mean Californians can afford to be in the dark about the forest-water connection. The trend of restricting forest management, often in the name of protecting water quality for salmon and other aquatic species, is having serious, negative consequences on
Well-managed forests play a critical role in assuring that Californians have abundant, clean water. Sustainable forest management can reduce the cost of providing clean drinking water, provide spawning gravels and cool temperatures fish need, and mitigate the affects of storm flooding and mudslides.
Forests where "hands-off" management prevails, conversely, are more prone to overcrowding, wildfire and mudslides that can degrade water quality for years.
Healthy forests act like a filter and a sponge, helping to remove impurities and control runoff. In well-managed forests, the canopy, or tree branches and leaves, intercept rainfall, absorbing their erosive energy. Roots bind soils to resist erosion and stabilize slopes.
Despite the commonly held misperception, forest management or harvesting trees rarely leads to unacceptable increases in erosion or sediment reaching streams. In fact, studies have shown many cases where harvesting has lead to no increase in sediment delivery to watercourses.
Forested watersheds "left to nature," however, can wreak havoc on water quality for aquatic species and human consumption. Unmanaged forests can become overgrown, and create overly dense stands of trees stressed by the competition for nutrients.
Nature will ultimately thin its forests. But how?
Over many decades, insufficient soil moisture will lead to increased tree mortality. Disease and insect infestation will set in, creating conditions ripe for wildfire. Fire becomes the thinning agent, with more devastating effects on water quality than harvesting could produce.
Fire burns away the vegetation and duff that protects soils, exposing them to rain and erosion. Catastrophic fire Ð increasingly common in
When rain follows catastrophic fire, water quickly saturates the exposed topsoil and hits the hydrophobic layer about two inches underground. Since the water cannot seep into the ground any further, the topsoil, ash and debris gets washed away. Mud fills nearby watercourses, devastating wildlife habitat and polluting drinking water.
This cycle of fire and erosion plays itself out all too frequently in
Managing forested watersheds to reduce the threat of catastrophic wildfire and enhance aquatic species habitat can help.
The danger lies not only in the next inevitable fire, but in Californians sitting on the sidelines unaware of the connection between forest management and water quality. Our forests and water are at stake, right now and for the years to come.#
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DWR's California Water News is distributed to California Department of Water Resources management and staff, for information purposes, by the DWR Public Affairs Office. For reader's services, including new subscriptions, temporary cancellations and address changes, please use the online page: http://listhost2.water.ca.gov/mailman/listinfo/water_news. DWR operates and maintains the State Water Project, provides dam safety and flood control and inspection services, assists local water districts in water management and water conservation planning, and plans for future statewide water needs. Inclusion of materials is not to be construed as an endorsement of any programs, projects, or viewpoints by the Department or the State of
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