A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
October 30, 2008
2. Supply –
Editorial:
There's nothing peripheral about state's continuing water wars
Storms approach; trick-or-treaters should stay dry
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Editorial:
There's nothing peripheral about state's continuing water wars
A panel appointed by the governor has recommended a peripheral canal and shooting water through the Delta as possible ways to solve the state's water woes.
Critics of the peripheral canal - and there are many, especially on this end of the state - dismiss the validity of the recommendation, saying it was preordained.
The chairman of the group, Phil Isenberg, a former assemblyman and before that mayor of
Perhaps nowhere else in the nation is the old saw attributed to Mark Twain, "Whiskey's for drinking and water's for fighting over," truer. Californians have been fighting over water - who gets it, how much, where it goes and, most importantly, who controls it - for decades.
No matter how arduous the study and how sincere the suggestions, the state's water war will not end. And it's a war that has a distinct north state/south state flavor.
Suspicious of the south state's designs - think the movie "Chinatown," and remember what happened to the Owens Valley - one of the most prominent growers in the Valley, San Joaquin County's Dino Cortopassi, recently paid for a Stockton-Sacramento newspaper advertising blitz estimated to have cost at least $100,000.
Cortopassi is convinced that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger,
Canal advocates claim a canal is needed to ensure an adequate water supply to roughly two-thirds of the state, since it would route fresh river water around the fragile ecosystem.
Opponents, such as Cortopassi, counter that a peripheral canal would leave the Delta too salty, further endangering the ecosystem.
And, of course, the south state has a storied history of taking water from the north but complaining when asked to pay for levee upgrades to protect the system. That's just what south state lawmakers did when geologists, engineers and hydrologists began warning that the question is not if a catastrophic Delta levee collapse will occur but when. Such a collapse could put
Clearly this problem must be solved. Our water needs are too important, our current supply too limited and our population growing too fast to ignore what's coming.
Isenberg's task force noted that too much Delta water already has been promised to too many people. Established water rights allocate 8.4 times as much water as actually flows into the Delta in an average year.
Not only is what to do a monstrous problem, but so is how to pay for it. That problem comes into sharp focus in a year when state lawmakers took 85 days to produce a budget only to have the governor announce a month latter that he will call them into special session because of a new $5 billion deficit.#
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081030/A_OPINION01/810300314/-1/rss01
Storms approach; trick-or-treaters should stay dry
By Niesha Lofing
After weeks of warm -- and sometimes downright hot -- days, a series of storms is moving into
High temperatures today are forecast about 72 degrees in
The first storm is forecast to drop about two-tenths of an inch of rain on
"It's not a bad little storm," Cline said. "It's not a gully washer or anything like that, but definitely a nice amount of rain for us."
And good news for trick-or-treaters: you probably won't have to cover that clever costume with a raincoat Friday evening, when a lull in the storm is predicted to provide a dry stretch.
"It'll give a nice break for trick-or-treaters," Cline said.
The rain will continue Saturday night into Sunday, easing some Sunday afternoon. High temperatures Saturday and Sunday are forecast to reach 65 degrees.
Another storm system is forecast to come through the region Sunday night, bringing rain overnight and into Monday, Cline said.
Snow levels will start out high, above the 8,000-foot level today, but by Monday, it could drop as low as 5,000 feet.
"Accumulations at the lower levels won't be significant," Cline said.
But travel through the mountains might be complicated by winter driving conditions. Gusty southerly winds, at times up to 45 mph in the mountains, are expected.
Motorists should be prepared for slippery roads beginning today from the combination of rain and accumulation of oils on area road, according to a special weather statement on the Weather Service's Web site.
Once the rain starts, drivers should allow extra travel, said California Highway Patrol Officer Jason Gonzales.
"Slow down, give yourself extra distance, take your time and be patient," he said.
Drivers heading into the mountains also should start carrying chains and emergency kits with water, blankets and extra food.
"The weather changes so drastically, especially in the Sierra," Gonzales said.
Motorists are also being asked to take it slow while driving through neighborhoods Friday night, keeping watchful eyes on the road and on alert for gregarious ghosts and goblins.
"Kids can get excited and run out into the street," he said. "While coming to and from your homes, keep a high visual horizon and watch for children running across the street." #
http://www.sacbee.com/102/story/1356909.html
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