[Water_news] 1. DWR'S CALIFORNIA WATER NEWS - Top Item for 2/25/09

Department of Water Resources

California Water News

A daily compilation for DWR personnel of significant news articles and comment

 

February 25, 2009

 

Top Item–

 

Water boards escape penalties in delta dispute

2/24/09

By SAMANTHA YOUNG
Associated Press Writer

 

SACRAMENTO -- California water regulators on Tuesday allowed state and federal agencies to escape penalties after they failed to release water earlier this month to improve quality in the delta.

 

The State Water Resources Control Board said late February storms had provided the natural water flows needed for fish in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

 

The decision by the board does not require any changes in the way the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation or state Department of Water Resources operate their dams. The board also excused the agencies for violating water quality standards when they failed to release water into the delta as required.

 

Board spokesman Dave Clegern said nature resolved the very "dire circumstances" that water managers were facing in early February when river flows were low and California's major reservoirs were well below capacity.

 

"Basically, the waiver request was rejected because mother nature took care of it," Clegern said.

 

When river flows are low, the Bureau of Reclamation and Department of Water Resources are required by state law to release water from their reservoirs to help protect delta fish such as the longfin smelt.

 

That was the case at the beginning of February when the agencies sought relief from the standards in a bid to retain their scarce water supplies.

 

The agencies had argued that they needed to store as much water as possible behind their dams this winter to ensure they have enough water for salmon, cities and farmers later this year.

 

The reservoirs are critical to the water supply of two-thirds of the state's residents and millions of acres of farmland.

 

During a Feb. 17 hearing, state water officials agreed that the state and federal agencies had violated the standards requiring them to release water into the delta. But the water board ultimately decided not to recommend any enforcement action.

 

"They did at the time the only thing they knew what they had to do," Clegern said. "It was an honest attempt to maintain their resources." #

 

http://www.sacbee.com/editorials/story/1650367.html