Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation for DWR personnel of significant news articles and comment
April 20, 2009
1. Top Items–
The Associated Press
Rally whets Valley water fight
The
Marchers stir up support for more water infrastructure
The
Payment sought for Shasta lands
The
Bird census at
The
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The Associated Press – 4/17/09
By Garance Burke
GUSTINE, Calif. (AP) - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger urged on thousands of demonstrators Friday on the final leg of a four-day march across California's agricultural basin designed to draw attention to surging unemployment caused by water shortages in the state's rural middle.
Framed by a half-empty reservoir perched above miles of dry cropland, the governor told farmers and farmworkers that he was doing all he could to bring more water to the region this growing season, a message that did little to console several Republican legislators frustrated over his handling of the water cutbacks.
"Farmworkers are losing their jobs because crops are not being planted, and in towns across our
Surveys from last fall showed the threatened delta smelt, a bellwether species that is protected under the federal Endangered Species Act, had reached one of its lowest population levels in history.
Republican Rep. Devin Nunes, who wants federal environmental laws to be suspended to speed more irrigation water to his district, called for Schwarzenegger to resign Friday, saying the governor's response to the water crisis was little more than lip service.
The march began Tuesday and wove through fallow fields and dusty towns struck by record levels of unemployment. Farmers and farm-labor contractors hired buses to transport hundreds of largely Spanish-speaking participants each day to walk a total of 30 miles.
The numbers swelled to 8,000 Friday when the march arrived at the San Luis Reservoir, where marchers strode in wearing blue so that from the air they would look like a river.
Estela Cruz, a 34-year-old single mother of three, said she walked for the last two days hoping the demonstration would help speed water to the beleaguered west side of Fresno County, where the unemployment rate is 17 percent.
She said she sometimes can't pay the rent because she can't stretch the $800 she earns each month doing hourly work in the fields any farther.
"It used to be that I would buy a little bit of everything at the store, but now I'm just buying things for the children's lunches. I can't send any money back home to my father in
In recent years, the delta, which provides water to nearly two-thirds of all Californians, has become a highly troubled resource. Three years of below-average precipitation have wreaked havoc on its habitat and water supply.
Facing record-low reservoirs, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation last month told hundreds of valley farmers they would get no irrigation water from the federal government, although they could get some later this year.
Schwarzenegger favors overhauling the entire system by building a canal to pipe river water around the delta, a costly strategy that environmentalists reject over concerns that it could worsen the sensitive habitat in the waterway.
On Friday, he encouraged marchers to follow the example of civil rights leader Cesar Chavez and his years of tireless advocacy to create social change.
But Arturo Rodriguez, who heads the 27,000-member United Farm Workers union that Chavez co-founded, said the march's organizers cared little about farmworkers' real needs. The union declined to participate, he said, to focus on their top priorities, which he outlined as immigration reform, workers' rights to union representation and better conditions on the job.
Rodriguez said some of the protesters were being paid to attend the march as a part of their work day, which several participants confirmed.
"The organizers of this march are growers and farm labor contractors, they're not farmworkers," Rodriguez said. "We're not opposed to growers getting more water, but they need to ensure that farmworkers simultaneously get access to good, clean drinking water in their communities and a way to raise their voices for good working conditions."#
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2009/apr/17/calif-governor-urges-on-marchers-at-water-rally/
Rally whets Valley water fight
The Fresno
The massive four-day March for Water ended Friday as thousands converged near the San Luis Reservoir. When it was done, most agreed the fight -- and the fighting -- had just begun.
The idea was to rally the nation behind saving the Valley's water-starved farming industry. Whether that happened remains to be seen, but one thing was clear: Lots of folks paid attention.
Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Visalia, took advantage of the spotlight to call on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to resign, faulting him for not doing enough to end the Valley's water woes.
But the rally Friday was intended for a much broader audience, and it caught the attention of major media outlets.
Among those who took note:
Manion said she read about the region's water troubles on the Internet and wanted to see how it was affecting
"People in
The large turnout pleased organizers, who have been working for several years on raising awareness about the state's troubled water-delivery system. After all the empty water bottles were tossed and portable toilets trucked away, many were hoping their work had paid off.
"We were looking for something to unite us, and we did," said Mario Santoyo, a member of the California Latino Water Coalition and an event organizer. "And we are hoping we can continue to move together on this issue."
Yet with other state political news on the front burner -- like the upcoming special election -- it's hard "to break through the clutter," said Barbara O'Connor, a communications professor at
O'Connor, who caught march coverage on
"You might see some shifting on entrenched positions," she said. "I think this may be a different day."
Only time will tell if organizers attain one of their goals: getting state lawmakers to approve new money for dams and canals. Schwarzenegger has been pushing a water bond since 2007 with no success. Democrats, who control the Capitol, have long opposed new dams. And anti-tax Republicans might have a hard time justifying new borrowing while they lash out against "out-of-control" government.
At the rally, the governor applauded the crowd for bringing state and national attention to the plight of
"I have been fighting for this for 5 years, and I am not going to quit unless we get the water we need," Schwarzenegger said.
Without an adequate water supply, growers in the region have slashed their acreage, driving unemployment rates up in rural towns like Mendota, where it is 41%. That's where the four-day march started.
While the governor's appearance was cheered by many, not everyone was impressed.
Nunes issued a statement Friday calling the governor's rally speech "lip service." Nunes and some Valley farmers have called for more water to be pumped south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
A bill to boost the water deliveries by temporarily exempting key
Matt David, the governor's communications director, said: "Congressman Nunes' attempt to grab headlines with finger pointing will not solve this problem and will only lead to the same gridlock that has paralyzed the water debate in this state for the last 50 years. We encourage Congressman Nunes to be part of the solution as opposed to part of the problem."
Mendota Mayor Robert Silva admitted he, too, felt a little let down after the governor's speech. Silva is on the front lines of the Valley's water crisis. Many residents in his community haven't worked in months and are living off of food donations.
"He should have come with a plan to do something right now," Silva said. "This was the time to take action, and I think he missed a good opportunity."
How far the message from this week's march will carry is unclear. Actor and comedian Paul Rodriguez, who helped lead the march as chair of the water coalition, vows to continue the fight.
"I don't really know what is next," Rodriguez said. "But what I do know is that I am not going to give up, because that is what I promised people."
Mendota-area farmer Rod Cardella, who has fallowed about half of his 2,500 acres because of a lack of water, is among those whose frustration is growing.
"I think it is pretty sad that we are up here to try and feed people," Cardella said. "And I don't really know what the answer is to our problem. All I know is that for me to farm, I need more water." #
http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/1338739.html
Marchers stir up support for more water infrastructure
The Merced
By Danielle Gaines and Corey Pride
LOS BANOS -- A 50-mile march for more water resources in
The marchers included a coalition of farmworkers, growers, community members and politicians. The event was organized in large part by the California Latino Water Coalition, led by actor and comedian Paul Rodriguez.
Their goal was to encourage the federal government to lift pumping restrictions at the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta imposed to comply with environmental laws.
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Friday's event was the windup of a four-day march that covered portions of Highway 33 and Interstate 5. Several thousand people started the march Tuesday in Mendota. The California Highway Patrol estimated 8,000 people attended the event Friday.
State lawmakers were on hand for Friday's event and addressed the crowd.
Schwarzenegger said farm production issues in
"Farmworkers are losing their jobs because crops are not being planted," Schwarzenegger said. "It is self-inflicted wounds because we can't get our act together and create the water infrastructure that is for 38 million people rather than 18 million people. Let's go tell the world we need water."
On several occasions during his short speech, Schwarzenegger prompted the crowd to chant: "We need water."
Schwarzenegger spoke as several buses waiting to offload passengers were lined up along the road leading to the site. Several dozen buses of all types -- tour, double-decker, school -- were on hand to provide rides to the stage, but many in the crowd instead chose to walk the winding road through the state park.
Assemblywoman Anna Caballero, D-Salinas, also spoke at the event.
"I'm here to say I stand with you 100 percent," she said. "To be able to turn on the tap and provide employment to every single community that is suffering from lack of water."
A biplane flying overhead carried a banner declaring "We need water 4 jobs." The bright-red letters stood starkly against the clear, blue sky.
Cutbacks and drought have forced growers to leave land fallow, leaving farmworkers without jobs.
"We all rely on surface water for our livelihoods and that of those who work for us," said Firebaugh farmer Bill Diedrich. "The economic engine of the
Eli Ayala, a supervisor for a west
"Desperately he began to cry. I could see the fear that he had of not being able to provide for his family, at the verge of (his home) being foreclosed," he said. "There are many today who are crying. There are many today who have that same fear within their lives. That's why we're here."
Ayala said that farmer's livelihoods hung in the balance while environmental studies continued.
"What we have come to ask here today is that the studies stop and the action begins," he said.
Aaron Barcellos, a 44-year-old farm owner from Los Banos, is a fourth-generation farmer and hopes his son Alec will someday take over the family business.
"That opportunity might not be there," the father said.
Of the farm's 6,000 acres, 800 are lying fallow this year. Usually, every last inch of land is fertile, Barcellos said. #
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/167/story/797987.html
Payment sought for Shasta lands
The
By Cathy Locke
Dancers in native dress filed into a small amphitheater and circled a ceremonial fire, shells and beads jingling out a gentle rhythm as they walked.
The Sunday evening ceremonies at
But spiritual leader Caleen Sisk-Franco said the intent was to enlist the Creator's help before petitioning the federal government for redress of grievances dating from 1941 congressional action authorizing the acquisition of tribal lands for the construction of Shasta Dam.
Members of the tribe and their supporters will walk from Old Sacramento to the state Capitol at 10 a.m. today to formally announce the filing of a lawsuit in federal court.
Mark Franco, Sisk-Franco's husband and the tribe's head man, said the suit calls on the federal government to fulfill its obligation to replace tribal lands flooded when the dam was built and to provide funds to rebuild the infrastructure.
"There just comes a time when you can't lose any more of your things," he said.
When legislation for Shasta Dam was approved by Congress, it contained a promise to acquire property for the Winnemem to replace the 4,480 acres of tribal and allotment lands that would be flooded.
That promise has not been kept, Mark Franco said, and the government continues to appropriate areas that the tribe considers sacred. The tribe's permit to gather wood from a manzanita grove for ceremonial fires has been rescinded and the grove turned into a campground, he said.
In addition, he said, the Bureau of Land Management has refused to allow continued use of a tribal cemetery.
"So when we bury someone, we are in danger of being arrested," Franco said.
The lawsuit names several federal agencies, including the Department of the Interior, Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Reclamation, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service.
About 70 members of the tribe and their supporters participated in Sunday's ceremony.
Wounded Knee De Ocampo of
He also backs the tribe's efforts to block plans to raise Shasta Dam, which he said would endanger salmon fisheries.
In 2005, the Winnemem Wintu tribe joined environmental groups in a lawsuit alleging that plans to change the operation of
In April 2008, Judge Oliver Wanger of
Wanger ruled that the agencies violated the Endangered Species Act in approving rules to guide these new operations, called a biological opinion.
The judge ordered the opinion rewritten.
Barry Nelson, senior policy analyst with the Natural Resources Defense Council, which partnered with the tribe in the 2005 lawsuit, said the revised opinion is to be released in a couple of months.
Nelson said he gained considerable respect for the Winnemem through the earlier legal actions and was on hand Sunday to support them in their latest quest. #
http://www.sacbee.com/topstories/story/1792984.html
Bird census at
The
By Louis Sahagun
Reporting from Lone Pine,
The 100-square-mile lake just east of
Nature quickly responded to the ankle-deep sheet of water delivered by the $500-million dust-control project's plumbing system. First to appear on the sheen of water tinged bright green by algae were brine flies. Then came migrating birds that feed on them and peregrine falcons that feed on the birds.
This year, Audubon
Peering through a spotting scope in the direction of a chaotic chorus of gulls and waterfowl, Michael Prather, a botanist who helped organize the lake-wide bird census, said, "We believe there are more birds at
Moments later, the birds lifted off the water in a clatter of wing beats.
"There's a palpable tenseness among these migrating birds," he mused. "It's almost as though, having little time to spare, they are tapping their feet, anxious to get moving to their ultimate destinations."
As he spoke, about 20 species of shorebirds and waders -- long-billed curlews, yellowlegs, American avocets, black-necked stilts, sandpipers, black-bellied plovers, Wilson's phalaropes, dowagers and whimbrels -- were bulking up their fat reserves to complete a journey that would take them from wintering grounds as far south as Argentina to breeding areas in the boreal forests and shores of Alaska, Canada and the Arctic.
In fall and spring, it now attracts about 50,000 birds, including roughly 500 snowy plovers, a shorebird listed as a species of special concern. Breeding on sandbars and in thatches of grass are colonies of yellow-headed blackbirds.
One team crisscrossing the white, crunchy lake bed was led by DWP biologist Debbie House and Jon Dunn, co-editor of the National Geographic Field Guide to the Birds of Western North America.
Dunn used a spotting scope to count hundreds of birds on the far side of a spreading pond, calling out their numbers and species to House, who recorded the tallies on a clipboard.
"I've got 250 cinnamon teal, 40 redheads, 85 California gulls, 10 lesser scaup and two peregrine falcons hunting ducks along the shore," he said. "There's also 13 ring-billed gulls and a white-faced ibis."
"Osprey!" added Tony Brake, a retired neuroscientist who volunteered for the day.
A few miles to the south, Prather's team surveyed wildlife pecking at waterborne insects and brine shrimp in and around brackish ponds. Highlights included what Prather excitedly described as "a scopeful of
Not bad birding for one Saturday morning.
Hoping to end decades of conflict with
As it stands, each year the project uses about 60,000 acre-feet of water worth about $54 million -- enough to supply 60,000 families.
The annual bird surveys at
By 2 p.m. Saturday, Dunn said the numbers were looking good for dozens of species.
"Excellent day; good conditions and lots of birds, even a few rarities:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-owens-lake-birds19-2009apr19,0,1966224.story?track=rss
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