A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
April 8, 2009
2. Supply –
Metropolitan district staff urges up to 15 percent cut
The
Well users pumped up over an ample supply
The
It's fish vs. grapes in battle over water
The
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Metropolitan district staff urges up to 15 percent cut
Local supplies might soften blow to San Diego
The
By Michael Gardner
The Metropolitan Water District yesterday sent the strongest signal yet that it plans to curtail deliveries – including those to
In a memo, Metropolitan's senior staff recommended that the board of directors next week approve a complicated formula that essentially would short customers by at least 10 percent and perhaps as much as 15 percent starting July 1.
A 10 percent cut would equate to enough water to serve 740,000
The blow likely won't be as severe to San Diego-area households and businesses, thanks to the availability of some local supplies to offset shrinking deliveries from Metropolitan, a Los Angeles-based wholesaler.
“We will be less than Metropolitan. The numbers are still changing,” Bob Yamada, a resources manager for the San Diego County Water Authority, said as he scrambled to interpret the latest proposal.
At first blush, Yamada said his agency's overall deliveries to water districts from Fallbrook to
Not all of the water authority's 24 customer agencies will face a reduction of that magnitude. Some districts can offset reductions by the authority because they are able to buy water from other sources.
Last year, a regional push for voluntary water conservation netted savings of about 5 percent – roughly half of what water officials sought.
Given months of advance warning that rationing was a near certainty, agencies have been crafting plans to achieve greater conservation through mandates.
There is a mix of strategies, including higher rates to discourage use above what is deemed a minimal level of need. Some agencies also plan to restrict when and how to use water, and some plan to charge extra for new water meters.
Some water managers said using higher rates as leverage to squeeze more savings reflects a growing shift away from the approach of bygone days, which included no-watering schedules and “conservation cops” patrolling neighborhoods.
“Customers did not appreciate the water cops' mentality,” said Kim Thorner, general manager of the Olivenhain Municipal Water District, which serves parts of
But a behavioral approach is part of
Barrett raised the possibility that
“We have been constantly rethinking our approach,” Barrett said.
So far,
Metropolitan's directors are expected to approve a rationing plan when they meet Tuesday. The wholesaler delivered 528,300 acre-feet to the water authority last year, which amounted to about 80 percent of the
Jeffrey Kightlinger, Metropolitan's general manager, said his district must curtail supplies given a third straight year of disappointing snowpacks in the
Moreover, about 40 percent of
Well users pumped up over an ample supply
Drillers report more inquiries, but costs deter most
The
By Robert Krier
By the numbers
30 – percentage of
40 – minimum percentage of the state's water demand met by groundwater in a drought year
5 – percentage of residents in
Sources: California Department of Water Resources;
Roughly 95 percent of the region's residents will almost surely have water rationing, higher rates or both by summer because the San Diego County Water Authority's supply is dwindling amid drought.
The other 5 percent appear to be in better shape, thanks to their reliance on groundwater.
In June, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a statewide drought after two consecutive dry years depleted the state's reservoirs. The drought and pumping restrictions to protect endangered fish in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta likely will force reductions in water deliveries to
Not included in the state's water grid are about 45,000 rural and backcountry residents who use groundwater supplied by small agencies or pumped from their own wells.
Although the winter wasn't exceptionally wet in the backcountry, the storms replenished groundwater supplies in most aquifers.
“The wells are not bubbling over, but we should have sufficient water to get through the year,” said Ed Huffman, president of the small Wynola Water District near Julian.
More than 20 inches of rain have fallen on the Wynola area since July 1. Sonic measuring devices show that the district's wells contain more than enough water to serve its 86 properties through the summer, Huffman said.
The picture is much the same in
“We're feeling like we'll be doing fine this year,” said Philip Boerman, manager of the Pine Valley Mutual Water Co., which has about 700 customers. “We're not asking for any cutbacks.”
Rob Horne owns one of the more than 30,000 private wells in the county. He draws groundwater from his 20 acres located three miles southwest of
If King Creek flows through his property in the spring, he has no fears of water shortages later in the year. It has been going strong.
During the 2006-07 rainfall season, Horne recorded 6.57 inches of precipitation, yet his well still met his water needs. This year, he has measured more than 19 inches.
“I'm kind of resting easy,” Horne said.
Few city dwellers have the option of drilling a well because they lack space, and county restrictions limit where one can be put. But some water agencies' customers who have large lots in semirural areas are being tempted by the allure of groundwater.
Inquiries about well installations in places such as Ramona and
“Lots of people are calling us for bids, but pulling the trigger and going ahead with it is a different story,” said Tim Hettich, office manager at Acme Drilling in
When most residents learn that drilling, pumps and other equipment can cost an average of $20,000, they say no thanks.
The price tag didn't deter Lee Dawson, who owns 9 acres in
“We have trees, grass, bushes, hedges – it's all part of the layout here,” he said. “What would it look like if everything turned brown?”
Jim Bennett, the county's groundwater geologist, said
Bennett said he'll formally assess the county's groundwater status next month, but he knows that some areas, such as the
Russ Seevers, who installs well pumps, said that in general, the water table in the county has dropped.
“A deep well in '91 was 500 to 600 feet,” Seevers said. “Now they're drilling up to 1,300 feet.” #
It's fish vs. grapes in battle over water
The
By Bob Norberg
The state Water Resources Control Board held a workshop to discuss the use of water for frost protection, acting on a request from National Marine Fisheries Services following the frequent and deadly frosts that occurred a year ago.
The fisheries service is asking the water board to enact an immediate ban on all diversions from the
“Coho population has collapsed and they are practically extinct,” said David Hines, of the national service. “Chinook and steelhead are doing better, but they are low and at risk for extinction.
Growers and
“You have to frost protect or you lose your crop, or a substantial part of it,” said Nick Frey, president of the Sonoma County Grape Commission.
They asked instead for the chance to work together to better forecast when frost is expected to help with releases from
“We don’t need a prohibition, we don’t need a water master, we need better tools, we need more information,” said Sean White, general manager of the Mendocino County Flood Control and Irrigation District.
There were two kills of fish on the
“I don’t know the total number, but due to the life cycle of fish, we know that the numbers were large and significant,”
He acknowledged that frost protection is an integral part of grape growing, but “it’s our job to protect the fish,”
One of the kills was on the
Whatever action the water board takes would affect the
In Mendocino County, if would affect an industry that has a $70 million crop, employs 1,000 people and generates $220 million for the economy, said Glenn McGourty of the UC Cooperative Extension.
McGourty said the April 20, 2008 frost that caused so much damage saw temperatures drop to 23 degrees, for which there is no protection that would have been effective in preventing damage.
He also said that in
Using sprinklers for frost protection can take 400 acre-feet of water, but that one was so severe it took 800 acre-feet.
McGourty also said that forecasting is so accurate now they can predict a frost two to three days ahead of time, allowing time for the Sonoma County Water Agency to release extra water from
“We knew a freeze was coming in. We didn’t know how bad it would be,” McGourty said.
McGourty also said it is apparent that
“We would have a really tough time if we can’t frost protect, the game would be over before it begins,” McGourty said. “We’d rather struggle later in the year with irrigation.”#
http://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090407/articles/904079898
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