Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation for DWR personnel of significant news articles and comment
February 27, 2009
Top Items–
Lawmakers seek billions to expand, improve California
The
Congressman launches effort to ease ESA
The Capital Press
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Lawmakers seek billions to expand, improve California
The issue has renewed urgency because of a three-year drought that has left key reservoirs at a third of their capacity.
The
By Patrick McGreevy
Reporting from
Legislators stepped forward with plans to ask voters to borrow as much as $15 billion for projects to expand and improve the state's water supply.
"This is the session to aggressively solve
He added, however, that the state should spend some of the $7 billion in bonds previously approved for water projects before going back to voters for money needed to complete the work.
The issue has renewed urgency after the California Department of Water Resources last week said it may be unable to provide more than 15% of the water sought by contractors such as the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which supplies water districts throughout the
The Legislature has been trying to address water issues for several years, but debate has bogged down in a continuing disagreement over the extent to which the state should build new dams and reservoirs, which are favored by growers but strongly opposed by environmentalists.
There also is conflict over who should pay for construction -- all state taxpayers, or the individual growers and water districts that would benefit.
State Sen. Dave Cogdill (R-Modesto), the Senate Republicans' point person on water issues, on Thursday proposed a $9.98-billion borrowing plan that includes new dams and reservoirs.
"Recent rainfall has been a blessing, but it's just a drop in the bucket when compared to the epic drought the state is currently facing," Cogdill said.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger lauded the plan.
"Despite the recent rainstorms,
Sierra Club officials, concerned about the environmental effects of dam and reservoir construction, expressed doubts. "This looks like more of the same, more money for storage that is unneeded," said Jim Metropulos, a senior advocate with the group.
A competing proposal released Thursday by Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez (D-Shafter) would put $15 billion in borrowed funds toward water efficiency, recycling, conservation and storage projects.
Florez's proposal would expand the capacity of reservoirs in
Voters rejected the same canal proposal in 1982.
The state's failure to adopt a comprehensive water plan has so angered some in the agricultural industry that they want to split the state, allowing large, mostly inland rural communities to band together and form their own government.
"Agriculture and our food supply is in jeopardy, we cannot allow 'agriculturally uneducated city dwellers' to dictate farm policies," says the website of Citizens for Saving California Farming Industries (downsizeca.org).
The group's leader is former Republican Assemblyman Bill Maze of
Although recent rains have put precipitation in the state at 75% of normal for the year, state officials say major lakes and reservoirs are at only 35% to 45% of capacity.#
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-water27-2009feb27,0,4816202.story
Congressman launches effort to ease ESA
An endangered rat stalls one of Rep. Radanovich’s local water projects
The Capital Press – 2/27/09
By Cecilia Parsons
Frustrated by a law that protects fish at the expense of humans, U.S. Rep. George Radanovich, R-Mariposa, has introduced legislation that would lift restrictions on pumping water from the Delta during times of extreme drought.
Radanovich's California Drought Alleviation Act would temporarily suspend the Endangered Species Act on the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, allowing irrigation pumps to operate at unrestricted capacity during declared droughts.
The ESA law is being used to protect the Delta smelt, which some environmentalists claim are being killed by irrigation pumps.
Radanovich's bill was co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of eight
Radanovich discussed the legislation at the annual Madera County Farm Bureau's Water Conference Feb. 20, where he spoke to about 100 growers.
The announcement was also made on a day when the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation declared that no Central Valley Project would be available to westside farmers this year.
Radanovich, who has represented the 19th Congressional District for seven terms, said he has the support from his Valley colleagues and hopes to convince both
"I can't guarantee passage, but this is a huge step in an emergency," Radanovich said.
There is a precedent for such action, he insisted. New Mexico Sen. Pete Domenici was successful in amending the ESA in that state in a drought situation.
An endangered rat is stalling one of his local water projects, Radanovich told growers. A
Radanovich also lauded a law that may help counter some of the restrictions on Delta pumping and water delivery. The Information Quality Act, he said, is being used by some pro-ag groups to put a spotlight on the biological opinions used in making environmental regulations.
Agriculture's water woes are a tough case to make, Radanovich concluded, because they don't have a direct effect on everyone.
"There's no direct connect like gas prices, but when they start rationing water in
Besides lack of plentiful precipitation during the last two years, water attorney Gary Sawyers explained how
Sawyers, who was involved in the Bay-Delta water rights proceedings, said laws written in the '60s and '70s started the ball rolling toward environmental protection. The California Environmental Quality Act and the National Environmental Policy Act, plus the ESA and Clean Water Act all changed how projects were done in this state.
"Environmental groups have lots of laws to use, and the cards are stacked against water users," Sawyers said.
The agriculture industry should take some of the blame for its current predicament, because it has historically done a poor job in advancing its cause, he said, noting it was short sighted by not supporting the
"
Some farmers are fighting for more water, said Sawyers, but more need to make demands to keep water flowing for agriculture. One group, Coalition for a Sustainable Delta, has filed a lawsuit over illegal pollution discharges by the city of
Farmers need to demand more from leaders and leaders need to take on difficult positions, Sawyers said.
"We have to require our leaders come together, keep trying or else our water is lost and the problem continues," he added.#
http://www.capitalpress.info/main.asp?SectionID=67&SubSectionID=616&ArticleID=49131&TM=17879.52
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