A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
January 22, 2009
2. Supply –
Editorial:
Canal won't solve all our water issues
Deal bolsters city’s long-term supply; environmentalists object
Pointed views on water transfers aired
Welcome soaking expected to continue, forecasters say
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Editorial:
Canal won't solve all our water issues
The suggestion that Gov. Schwarzenegger could simply order the construction of a canal to send
Yet, that was the recommendation of the governor's Delta Blue Ribbon Committee -- which included five of his Cabinet secretaries -- in early January. They want construction to begin by 2011, with or without the consent of the Legislature or the people who would have to pay for it (and who turned down such a proposal back in 1982).
Whether called a "peripheral canal" or "alternative conveyance," such a project would cost billions. Last time we checked, the state didn't have that kind of cash.
No doubt the recommendation was born of frustration over years of failed efforts to resolve the state's serious water issues. The awful consequences of that failure are being felt now. Farmers to the south are refusing to plant crops doomed to wither;
But what?
Past debates over the delta included such rhetoric as "
More recent discussions had become more serious. Serious people were trying to answer serious questions such as:
Will we ever be able to restore the delta and its fish populations if we continue to pump so much from this vast estuary?
What kind of crisis would ensue if an earthquake dissolved the delta's 150-year-old levees?
If we divert more water, will saltwater rush in and ruin farmland and lives?
Would the state demand more water from the Tuolumne, Stanislaus and
In drought years, does enough water flow through the delta to satisfy farmers, fish and 22 million people who want to drink it?
Peter Gleick of the Pacific Institute said it would be irresponsible to simply start digging a canal. "Everyone ... understands that a 'portfolio' of solutions is needed," he wrote in The Sacramento Bee on Sunday.
Any serious statewide water portfolio must involve capturing more water in wet years and saving it for dry years. That will allow the state to release more water for all uses -- farming, drinking and saving the delta. A plan that combines a canal with more storage will get more support. Any plan that doesn't, loses support. Pushing to build a canal without such a plan not only risks drowning out those seeking real solutions, it pushes farmers, environmentalists and others deeper into their corners.
And any canal begun without the consent of the people is a declaration of water war. And that's a nightmare.#
http://www.modbee.com/opinion/story/573759.html
Deal bolsters city’s long-term supply; environmentalists object
By Kevin Courtney
Wanting to diversify its water options, the city of
This additional supply will give
Several environmentalists spoke out against the deal, while two council members asked for reassurance that the State Water Project, now facing its third dry year, can deliver the goods.
The council unanimously approved paying Yountville $3.45 million for the permanent rights to 1,100 acre feet from the vast State Water Project. The city, which uses about 15,500 acre feet annually, already has rights to 20,800 acre feet each year.
Yountville believes it has a sufficient water rights at state-owned Rector Reservoir, which serves the Veterans Home of California, Yountville Public Works Director Myke Praul said. Also, the town has a new well for emergency use.
Napa Councilman Mark van Gorder worried that this deal “just looks good on paper” since the State Water Project so far is promising to deliver only 15 percent of contract amounts in 2009.
“It just doesn’t seem like there’s any guarantee we’ll get that water,” van Gorder said.
Councilman Peter Mott questioned the reliability of the State Water Project. If a critical levee broke, the system could be out of action for several years, he said.
Water deliveries will have their ups and downs, Brun agreed, but being tied to the State Water Project is an essential piece of the city’s water system, he said.
The city is investing $48 million to expand and upgrade the
The city intends to rely on the State Water Project for 75 percent of its water demand in wet years, reserving two local reservoirs, Hennessey and Milliken, for years when state allocations are meager.
Councilman Jim Krider said he was happy to be beefing up the city’s rights to the State Water Project, even if allocations are severely curtailed in dry years.
“Twenty percent of something is better than 20 percent of nothing,” Krider said. “Water is the new oil.”
There will be years when
The city’s water fund has surplus money to cover the water purchase, Brun said. The purchase will have no impact on water rates or planned system improvement, he said.
Chris Malan of the Living Rivers Council and John Stephens of Eden, another environmental group, urged the city to do an environmental study of the Yountville transaction.
In written comments, they said the purchase could make it more likely that Yountville would tap underground aquifers for town uses.
Malan suggested that the 1,100 acre feet could be used to restore flows in Rector Creek below Rector Dam. Stephens feared that the water could end up being resold to a city such as
Brun had written a letter to Malan and Stephens rejecting their reasons for seeking an environmental impact report.
Yountville provides as much reclaimed water from its sewage treatment plant for agriculture as it expects to ever draw from its well, Praul told the council.
Rector reservoir provides water for the California Department of Fish and Game fish hatchery on Silverado Trail, Praul said. The hatchery is of greater benefit to fish than restoring flows to lower Rector Creek would be, he said.#
http://www.napavalleyregister.com/articles/2009/01/22/news/local/doc497820e4622c2983686317.txt
Pointed views on water transfers aired
By HEATHER HACKING - Staff Writer
A guest at the meeting was Tom Stokely, of the California Water Impact Network. Stokely previously worked for the Trinity County Planning Department for 23 years, "mostly to restore water taken from us," he said.
Stokely shared his views of water projects in
"I think they're looking in your direction," Stokely said of the
He predicted water managers would "break every promise as they did with us" in the
Westlands is an example of what not to do, Stokely said. The 600,000 acres of farmland west of
The region has problems with salinity, which requires more water to leach out salts. Also, the land has subsided 20-30 feet in areas, he said.
"I strongly encourage you folks to stand up for your groundwater," Stokely said.
He referred people to an e-book at the Friends of the River Web site, www.fotr.org, titled "How
the Trinity Lost its Water."
The discussion comes as the state Department of Water Resources is exploring "conjunctive water use," which is management of water that combines surface water and groundwater sources.
Attorney Michael Jackson, who has been involved with numerous environmental lawsuits and works closely with the Butte Environmental Council, reinforced the views expressed by Stokely.
"There are very seldom situations where conjunctive use is good for the place that is the source of water,"
"You may find you have more allies in urban areas than you do here,"
Locally, he pointed to the Butte Environmental Council as a player in the water issues. BEC has filed lawsuits in the past, and will in the future, to challenge water projects on the basis of the environment and environmental review.
As for
He said that people who don't have access to surface water but rely only on groundwater, don't have the ability to "double dip."
A few people in the audience recommended people see the documentary "Flow" — www.flowtheflim.com — about the world water crisis.
In
For upcoming 2009 Drought Water Bank transfers, there is not enough time for any agency in
Speaker Bob Hennigan noted that only applies to
http://www.chicoer.com/news/ci_11523255
Welcome soaking expected to continue, forecasters say
Sacramento
By Niesha Lofing
A winter storm has dropped an unexpected amount of rain on the
More than six-tenths of an inch of rain has fallen in downtown
"This system tapped into real good tropical air down in
Precipitation is expected to taper off by late morning, but showers will continue in the mountains throughout the day. Snow levels remain high today, however.
High temperatures today are forecast to reach 56 degrees, with lows dropping to about 47 degrees tonight.
Another low-pressure system is forecast to head into the region Friday, spreading showers throughout the area by the afternoon. The rain is expected to continue through Sunday, with highs in the 50s.
The rain-slicked roadways and flooding have resulted in numerous crashes this morning with motorists simply driving too fast, California Highway Patrol Officer Rich Wetzel said.
One lane of the
Flooding also has been reported on northbound Capital City Freeway near the
In
"In my experience, weather never causes collisions, but people aren't being prudent in using caution," he said.
Today's rain is the first the region has seen since Jan. 5, so oil deposits on the roadways have surfaced, causing slick conditions.
"The bottom line is people are just going way too fast and hydroplaning," Wetzel said.
Posted speed limits are intended for ideal driving conditions, so motorists should drive slower than the posted limit during stormy weather, he said. #
http://www.sacbee.com/ourregion/story/1565175.html
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