[Water_news] 2. DWR'S CALIFORNIA WATER NEWS: SUPPLY - 2/26/09

Department of Water Resources

California Water News

A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment 

 

February 26, 2009

 

2. Supply –

 

 

Folsom sets new limits on water use

Sacramento Bee

 

Farm Bureau softens stance

Imperial Vallley Press

 

Opinion:

Do your part to conserve our water

Desert Sun

 

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Folsom sets new limits on water use

Sacramento Bee – 2/25/09

By Niesha Lofing

Further water restrictions have been issued for the city of Folsom, limiting the amount of water residents can use for lawns and landscaping.

 

Folsom City Manager Kerry Miller elevated the city's water alert status to Stage 3 after a recent briefing by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation spelled out grim water conditions throughout the state.

 

State water officials Friday urged all Californians to reduce water use by 20 percent because California's water supply and storage forecasts remain below normal.

Folsom was previously under a Stage 2 water conservation warning.

 

"...The worsening drought and a limited water supply make it imperative that we strengthen our conservation efforts in coming spring and summer seasons," Miller stated in a news release posted on the city's Web site.

 

The city's new restrictions limit landscape watering to two designated days a week and prohibit using free-flowing hoses without control valves. The latest restrictions require an irrigation plan and irrigation system audit for public parks and other public grounds, the release states.

 

The restrictions also prohibit use of city water for construction without approval of the utilities director, the release states.

For more details about the new water restrictions, go to City of Folsom Web site. #

http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/1652441.html?mi_rss=Top%20Stories

 

Farm Bureau softens stance

Imperial Vallley Press – 2/26/09

By Megan Bakker, staff writer

The Imperial County Farm Bureau softened its stance against the Imperial Irrigation District's water cards but gave a resounding "'no" to the district's proposed water rate increase at the first of three meetings this week about the two issues.

Tom Brundy, who is on the Farm Bureau's board of directors, said the Farm Bureau was not against working with the IID.

"Let's create a document that actually works, that actually strengthens our water rights," Brundy said.

The meetings, two of which were held Wednesday, while the third will be held today, aimed to explain the reasoning behind its opposition to the IID's water cards.

The cards are traditionally mailed out at the start of the year and they document who is entitled to receive and pay for the water. But with the district's equitable distribution plan, which aims to ration water among users, new water cards were needed to collect additional information so the district could implement the rationing among farmers.

The Farm Bureau initially voted to advise its members to not return or sign the water cards at all, a practice several staff members at the IID have said would derail the equitable distribution program because IID wouldn't have any information to work with.

"We cannot tell you what to do with your water card," Farm Bureau president Mark Osterkamp said to farmers in attendance.

Instead, the Farm Bureau outlined different options farmers could take if they chose. Those options included not signing or turning in the cards at all, and signing and turning them in as the district has requested. But there were also middle-of-the-road options, such as filling in and turning in the water card without signing it, or turning it in with a signature and a protest letter explaining the farmer's objections to signing.

"We're doing this with the spirit of trying to cooperate with the district," Osterkamp said.

Jeff Garber, an attorney for the IID, said since signatures are the way the district can tell who filled out the water cards, then "unsigned cards are not going to be very useful."

Linsey Dale, the executive director for the Farm Bureau, said there were several reasons the bureau objected to the cards. These include a statement requiring the signer to abide by the IID's rules and regulations for the equitable distribution program.

But, Dale pointed out, since the program is a pilot program and subject to change, farmers would be held to any changes without recourse.

"We have a lot of questions about that particular statement," Dale said.

The bureau also took time at the meeting to explain how to protest the IID's upcoming proposed water rate increase. The rate, which is currently $17 per acre-foot, would go up $3 if the increase was enacted.

Dale said legally, if enough protests are lodged against the increase, the IID cannot implement it. Each farmer has one protest "vote" per parcel of land, and if more than 50 percent of the parcels lodge protests, then the rate increase won't happen.

Protests are due April 7, and the IID will have a meeting with more information on the water rate increase March 17.

Dale urged all farmers to send in their protests against the increase.

"We need to send a strong voice to our directors," Dale said.#

http://www.ivpressonline.com/articles/2009/02/26/local_news/news05.txt

 

Opinion:

Do your part to conserve our water

Desert Sun – 2/26/09

By Steve Robbins

Steve Robbins is general manager-chief engineer of Coachella Valley Water District; president, Region 9 of the Association of California Water Agencies; and vice president of State Water Contractors. Reach him at hengel@cvwd.org.#

 

The entire state is feeling the effects of what could be its most severe drought in recorded history.

 

In response, the governor on Friday asked users to cut water consumption by 20 percent.

 

Fortunately, the Coachella Valley has more secure water supplies than most areas of California. However, everyone in the state, including Coachella Valley residents, must take this drought seriously.

 

The California Department of Water Resources recently estimated that areas drawing water from the State Water Project probably would get only 15 percent of their contract entitlements this year. Even with the latest snow in the Sierra, it is not expected to increase.

 

Death by dehydration

Throughout the state, major urban areas already have implemented rationing plans or are close to implementing them. Through much of the state, farmers are expecting to get little or no water this year. Also on Friday, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced that Central Valley farmers probably would get no water this year from federal projects. Thousands of acres of trees and vines are threatened with death from dehydration, and the unemployment rate in rural areas is soaring higher than the recession-related economy is carrying it in other parts of the state.

 

While we in the Coachella Valley have an excellent groundwater basin to draw from that can sustain us through several years of drought, both Coachella Valley Water District and Desert Water Agency are State Water Project contractors. We use our contract entitlements to replenish the groundwater basin. This year, and perhaps for some time to come, there won't be water to replenish.

 

Unlike most of the state, we are fortunate to have Colorado River water to meet much of our agricultural needs. But the Colorado River Basin also has suffered from several years of drought. So far, we have been able to receive what water we need from that source, but Lake Powell, Lake Mead and other reservoirs on the river are low.

 

Conservation in Coachella Valley doesn't have to mean deprivation. CVWD will do all it can to help water users meet the voluntary water use reduction and, hopefully, avoid rationing that will occur in other areas of the state.

 

Tiered rate system

Beginning with April water use, the Coachella Valley Water District will offer a financial incentive to conserve water. The district is implementing a water budget-based tiered rate system where each user will have a personalized water budget based on landscaped area, weather conditions and number of people in the household. The budget is generous enough so your entire landscaping could be in grass, but people who waste water will face higher bills. Those who stay within their budgets will see no increase in their costs.

 

Perhaps the best thing most homeowners can do toward reducing their water use painlessly is to install smart controllers on their irrigation systems. These controllers adjust themselves based on weather data to assure that your landscaping is getting the amount of water it needs summer and winter. Thanks to local governments, these controllers are available at a discount to Coachella Valley Water District water users, and we'll even install them for you.

 

If you don't have a smart controller, be sure to manually adjust your irrigation system controller at least monthly to prevent water waste and reduce your water bill.

Many who come here because of our lush green recreational areas perceive us as water-wasters — especially when they see water in streets and gutters. The time for wasting water is over. We must do our part to help ourselves and our families, friends and neighbors throughout the state get through this. With voluntary reductions now, the Coachella Valley will be able to avoid mandatory restrictions or rationing and help others in the state get through this crisis.#

 

http://www.mydesert.com/article/20090226/COLUMNS26/902250401/1026/news12

 

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