A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
May 26, 2009
2. Supply –
Dry year spurs DWR message: conserve water
The
City wants residents to be 'water aware'
The
The Ventura County-Star
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Dry year spurs DWR message: conserve water
The
By Paul Wellersdick
With the Butte County Department of Water and Resource Conservation spring 2009 groundwater monitoring results reflecting continuing drought conditions, the department reminded residents about the importance of knowing their wells.
The results showed almost half of
The data is consistent with last spring which was the driest year on record since 1921, according to a
"The data shows the impact of the drought on the basin. People should take practical steps to conserve water and be prepared for potential problems with their wells," water department director Paul Gosselin stated in the release.
Kristen McKillop, the department's program manager, said most of the region's wells hit alert stages last year. This year with drought continuing the department is focusing on educating the public about water shortage issues, including well maintenance.
Part of the education includes a couple of presentations explaining the difference between Ridge residents' fractured rock supplies of water and the valley's aquifer wells. Though much of the Ridge relies on the Paradise Irrigation District's surface water storage, deep wells tap into fractured rock water supplies in many areas outside the district.
The difference being that when one fractured rock well is low it doesn't necessarily mean a neighbor's well will be low, too, as is common in wells in the valley, McKillop said. A meeting about this type of water source will be hosted by the Golden Feather Community Alliance Wednesday, May 27 at 6:30 p.m. at the Mesilla Valley Schoolhouse.
Dan McManus an engineering geologist with DWR Northern District will be presenting. McManus will also be presenting on the same topic Wednesday, June 3 to the
The department didn't want people to lose sight of the drought after recent rains and the county is now working on providing information on what homeowners can do to maintain agricultural and home wells, McKillop said. If people notice their wells are drying up or not performing well, the first thing to do is contact a well driller to perform tests, she said.
"Prior to that it never hurts to have information," she said.
Residents should have field paperwork to request original well plans which provide valuable information about a well's depth, its screened level and which geologic water supply it uses, she said.
"That's necessary," she said. "Say it's 65 years old. That's the information needed to deepen the well or change pumps."
The county's Web site has information on how folks can go step by step to get information from the California Department of Water Resources or from the county department.
The Web site and the department's newsletter also had price information on required permits from the environmental health department. Environmental Health Director Brad Banner said the prices for well permits are increasing starting July 4.
Deepening a well requires a flat fee of $190, which will increase to $220 The fee covers the permitting, site plan development and inspection, he said. Fees for a new well are $250 increasing also on July 4 to $368 and are flat rates too.
There are no field inspections for a deepened well, but there are three for a new well including inspections of the site plan which takes a lot of work, he said. A new well is often the first thing built on a site which makes the first permit important, Banner said. Wells also require a planning department review for clearances, zoning and easements. That fee is now $78.70 increasing to $81.50 All these fees are based on wells less than eight inches in diameter, Banner said.
Well drillers generally charge by the foot, Banner added.
McKillop said the county's summation of yearly data gathers information about the concentration of wells and average summer depths to get an idea of if and when their water is dropping to be able to alert residents.#
http://www.paradisepost.com/ci_12444512
City wants residents to be 'water aware'
The Woodland Daily Democrat – 5/26/09
By the Staff
May is Water Awareness Month in California
The city of
The Water Conservation Initiative asks residents to reduce water use by conserving water indoors and outdoors through measures that include fixing leaks, watering only as needed, adjusting sprinkler systems, and only doing full loads of laundry and dishes.
At the state level, the Association of California Water Agencies and the California Department of Water Resources have launched a new "Save Our Water" campaign designed to educate Californians on the state's water challenges and to encourage people to reduce the amount of water they use every day.
The campaign is similar to the "Flex Your Power" campaign aimed at energy savings and was created in response to the severe water challenges facing the state. The campaign webpage provides a water savings calculator, tips on saving water indoors and water-wise landscaping, and interactive games and coloring books for kids.
In the greater
The California Landscape Contractors Association recommends the following to help your landscape survive this year's dry weather and help you prepare for predicted future water shortages: water trees first, set your spray irrigation timer to run half the normal time and run a second cycle an hour later, mulch all flower and soil beds heavily, mow grass higher, don't prune after April, and fix and repair any leaks or broken sprinklers.
When watering, it is recommended to water trees first because if trees are lost, the surrounding temperature is increased, making everything hotter.
Where lawn or garden irrigation is provided with sprinklers, turn on each sprinkler zone and see how much time it takes to start generating runoff for each zone. Round sprinkler time down to the nearest minute and set that time as your maximum run time for each station.
Mulch around trees, flower beds, and soil beds helps to keep water in the soil. Do not use rocks/gravel because they add heat to the soil and cause moisture to evaporate faster.
Another way to retain water is to mow grass (fescue, rye,
http://www.dailydemocrat.com/news/ci_12449921
The Ventura County-Star – 5/25/09
By Mark Storer
As
The three-step plan, developed in cooperation with the local water company, aims to end waste and reduce overall water use in the Rancho Conejo gated community’s landscaped common areas, totaling about 10 acres.
“I was walking around the place and I saw sprinkler lines everywhere leaking or dripping,” said Steve Forman, 65, a retired engineer who volunteers as the homeowner association’s “Go Green” chairman.
Many sprinklers were not directed into the right areas while others were overgrown with vegetation, causing the water to simply run off, he said.
The neighborhood, with 950 single-family homes, is near the corner of
“We took a look at the whole common space area throughout the community,” said Melinda Weinrich, California American’s water conservation manager. “We identified areas of real need and put together a report with recommendations for low-cost changes that would save thousands of gallons of water.”
Weinrich and Forman said the changes involve little cost to the homeowners. The first phase involves seeking out broken, leaking or otherwise ineffective sprinkler equipment and repairing or replacing it.
The system will be coordinated to the seasons and weather, he said. Until now, “it could be raining sideways outside and the sprinklers would still go on,” Forman said.
Phases two and three, which have yet to be approved, include replacing all sprinkler zone controllers with individual weather-based controllers and eventually, replacing water-loving plants and turf with drought-tolerant varieties.
Weinrich said the weather-based controllers will be able to sense their own micro-climates.
“If it’s raining, they won’t go on at all. If it’s wet in one area and dry in another, each sensor will pick that up and adjust the sprinklers,” she said.
The water company has budgeted some $15,000 to help provide for the equipment upgrade. Officials also anticipate some financial assistance from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. The cost to homeowners should be minimal.
“We think it’ll cost a total of $571 (for the second phase) when it’s all done,” Forman said. Both Forman and Weinrich said a lot depends on budget decisions at MWD, which have not yet been made.
Forman said the first stage is expected to cut water use by 10 percent and save about $6,800 a year. If adopted, the second stage would save twice as much water, amounting to more than $13,500 in overall savings each year, he said. The final stage could triple the water savings and cut costs by more than $20,339 a year.
Forman said the homeowners association expects to hold a meeting during the second week of June to discuss a decision on phase two. The third phase has not yet been discussed in depth.#
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2009/may/25/thousand-oaks-neighborhood-has-communitywide-to/
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DWR’s California Water News is distributed to California Department of Water Resources management and staff, for information purposes, by the DWR Public Affairs Office. For reader’s services, including new subscriptions, temporary cancellations and address changes, please use the online page: http://listhost2.water.ca.gov/mailman/listinfo/water_news . DWR operates and maintains the State Water Project, provides dam safety and flood control and inspection services, assists local water districts in water management and water conservation planning, and plans for future statewide water needs. Inclusion of materials is not to be construed as an endorsement of any programs, projects, or viewpoints by the Department or the State of
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