A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
November 17, 2008
2. Supply –
Water supplies may drop for
Associated Press
More restrictions on Delta water pumping adopted
Contra Costa Times
Op-Ed: Communication key to rice prosperity
Marysville Appeal Democrat
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Water supplies may drop for
Associated Press – 11/14/08
By
The Fish and Game Commission voted 3-0 to enact emergency regulations that may scale back water pumping from December through February to safeguard the longfin smelt, considered a bellwether species for the estuary.
“Clearly as a society we haven't erred on the side of the fish in the past; we've erred on the side of the water supply,” said Commissioner Michael Sutton. “We have to come down on the side of the fish. If we don't take care of these ecosystems, they're not going to yield us the services for much longer.”
Pumping restrictions would only kick in if scientists find a certain number of dead or living longfin smelt in various sampling locations throughout the delta, including near the massive pumps that send water to more than 25 million
Water officials say they expect some reductions will happen.
The regulations could slash state and federal water deliveries by up to 1.1 million acre feet, bringing
That's in addition to recent water cutbacks imposed by the state Department of Water Resources, which plans to deliver just 15 percent of the amount that local water agencies request every year.
The combination “could create a water supply and delivery crisis the likes of which Californians have not seen in decades,” warned Director Lester Snow in a statement.
Another dry winter may prompt widespread water rationing in cities from the
Major agriculture groups said new cuts could cripple farming families already struggling to do business since a federal judge ordered federal and state agencies to restrict pumping last year to protect the threatened delta smelt, the longfin's cousin.
“So much uncertainty around the water supply will make it hard for farmers to get crop loans,” said Sarah Woolf, a spokeswoman for the Westlands Water District. “Growers will have to give their first priority to permanent crops like almonds and pistachios and grapes, rather than planting things like lettuce and broccoli.”
The new regulations for longfin smelt will be in force only while the fish migrate, spawn and hatch in the estuary, for a 90-day period starting Dec. 1.
If scientists find fish in dangerous conditions during that timeframe, the rules will trigger an evaluation process that involves five state and federal agencies and ultimately falls to Department of Fish and Game Director Don Koch for a final decision.
Koch said he reserves the right to take no action, especially if a forthcoming federal plan to protect the delta smelt is found to also protect the longfin.
Until Feb. 4, when the commission is scheduled to decide whether the longfin smelt qualifies for listing under the state Endangered Species Act, the fish will enjoy the same protections as endangered species. In the meantime, any dredging in the estuary also will be temporarily banned so the species' floating larvae can develop safely.
Laura King Moon, whose organization represents districts that provide water to
“This may not be felt in residential neighborhoods immediately, but it will add to our cities' calls for increased voluntary conservation and increase water prices,” said King Moon, assistant general manager of the State Water Contractors. “This will eat further into drought reserves that have been set aside in the event of another dry year.”
Without the protections, however, biologists warned the silvery, 5-inch-long fish might not survive.
The population of the longfin smelt is 3 percent of the level measured less than 20 years ago, according to a petition filed by the
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20081114-1839-ca-troubleddelta.html
More restrictions on Delta water pumping adopted
Contra Costa Times – 11/15/08
By MikeTaugher, staff
The reliability of
Water agencies portrayed Friday's decision by the California Fish and Game Commission to protect longfin smelt from Delta pumps this winter as potentially crippling to water supplies on
Regulators acknowledged that the new regulations, which could go into effect as early as Dec. 1, could lead to major water supply cuts but said the rules probably would not be activated at all.
Perry Hergesell, a water policy analyst for the Fish and Game Department, told commissioners that if the new rules had been in place they would have been needed in just two of the past 17 years.
Still, Department of Water Resources Director Lester Snow, the state's top water official, said that if additional cutbacks were ordered, it "could create a water supply and delivery crisis the likes of which Californians have not seen in decades."
Even before Friday's ruling by the state Fish and Game Commission, state water officials told contractors from the
The extremely low water allocation was due to two dry years and a collapsing Delta ecosystem.
About 25 million Californians depend on Delta water for at least some of their supply.
The problem for water agencies that draw water from the southern Delta is that the pumps appear to be at least partly responsible for declines in a swath of fish species, including smelt, shad, salmon and steelhead.
For Delta smelt and some salmon and steelhead runs, the populations are so low that endangered species laws are kicking in.
Last year, a federal judge in
Longfin smelt are not endangered, but the Fish and Game Commission could change that in February when it is scheduled to consider whether the fish warrants such a listing under state law.
The rules adopted Friday were meant to provide temporary protection for the fish as it is being considered for more permanent protection.
State water officials said the new rules for longfin smelt in a year with average rain and snow could cut another 17 percent from Delta water supplies to places such as the
However, they acknowledged that was a worst-case scenario.
One commissioner was angered that the panel did not have a definitive analysis and was forced to weigh conflicting arguments from the Department of Fish and Game and the Department of Water Resources about whether the regulations were needed.
"It's like a popularity contest. That's actually completely unacceptable," Richard Rogers told the Fish and Game Department's chief deputy director, John McCammon.
"I am extremely uncomfortable," said Rogers, who later recused himself because he is a large Delta water user.
Other commissioners argued that failing to protect the Delta ultimately would do more economic harm, a point Rogers agreed with.
"If we let the destruction of the Delta continue, it will come back to bite people," commissioner Cindy Gustafson said.
The most recent information for longfin smelt is not encouraging.
An annual fall survey for longfin smelt turned up just 13 fish last year, far below any previous year and a massive dropoff from previous decades when the survey routinely turned up fish in the thousands.
"Both of these species (Delta smelt and longfin smelt) are absolutely teetering on the brink," said Tina Swanson, a biologist who is seeking endangered status for the longfin smelt.
Swanson, executive director of the Bay Institute, an environmental research organization, said the new rules could help the fish but that because they were written to be activated on relatively rare occasions they are not strong enough.
"I think the protections probably don't go far enough," she said.
Meanwhile, a representative of one of the San Joaquin Valley's largest farm districts said water users are being unfairly blamed while other stresses on Delta fish, including industrial pollution, sewer plants and smaller diverters of water are being ignored.
"Every corner we turn, we see a disaster," said Jason Peltier, Westlands' assistant general manager. "Even if we have a good year (of winter storms) we can't count on a good water supply." #
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_10988065?source=most_emailed
Op-Ed: Communication key to rice prosperity
Marysville Appeal Democrat – 11/17/08
By Tim Johnson
Tim Johnson is President & CEO of the California Rice Commission, which represents the 2,500 growers and handlers who annually farm and process rice produced on approximately 500,000 acres.
A short drive from some of the most familiar sites in the Yuba-Sutter region is something not as well understood, yet no less vital – some of the world's most productive rice fields.
This part of the
Even though rice is a major part of the
The irony is that we all face similar challenges.
Your fuel bills and cost of living have soared. The same holds true for area growers. Just as the nation's financial crisis created upheaval for those in cities, farmers are concerned about how this unfolding scenario will affect their future financing.
Just like you, rice farmers send their kids to the same schools and Little League games.
Still, a lack of understanding remains about what our rice means to you in the city.
The challenge is clear — how do you maintain a key industry when few people understand it?
To this end, the California Rice Commission launched "Little Water, Big Results." a public education effort that brought the message of water efficiency in rice farming to hundreds of thousands of urban residents.
"Little Water, Big Results" included an image of a glass filled with 5 inches of water sitting in a
It also provided facts about how drought-conscious
This message was delivered in a full-page ad in a major
It's the start of a series of educational programs the commission has in the works to get our messages out to decision makers and opinion leaders.
Our next effort, "Where the Wild Things Are," involves additional information to urban
In this age of buying local, thinking green and a quest for sustainable practices, it seems an especially fitting time for a rediscovery or greater appreciation of those in our communities filling those needs.
The more all Californians understand each other, the better equipped we all are to ensure prosperity for generations to come.#
http://www.appeal-democrat.com/articles/sites_71163___article.html/most_communication.html
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