Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation for DWR personnel of significant news articles and comment
June 23, 2009
1. Top Items–
Andres nears hurricane strength, to brush Mexico
Red River rises again in North Dakota
San Francisco Chronicle
Our View: Lawmakers block water reform
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Andres nears hurricane strength, to brush Mexico
By Natalia Parra
Tropical Storm Andres was expected to grow into the Pacific season's first hurricane Tuesday and deal a glancing blow to a coastline dotted with picturesque towns popular with foreign retirees.
Forecasters said Andres was likely to brush the coast at hurricane strength around the port city of
At Barra de Navidad, Agapito Garcia Martinez, security manager at the Grand Bay Hotel-Isla Navidad Resort, said Monday that hotel staff were taking in beach furniture and taping up hotel windows, but had not yet been advised by authorities to so.
Weather was still sunny despite stronger-than-usual winds and guests were still checking in normally to the hotel, he said. But that could change as Andres draws closer, he noted.
"We expect to have a lot of water," Garcia Martinez said.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Andres could bring coastal storm surge as much as 3 feet (nearly 1 meter) above normal while dumping as much as 12 inches (300 millimeters) of rain in a few spots.
It was centered about 110 miles (175 kilometers) south-southeast of Manzanillo at 5 a.m. PDT (8 a.m. EDT; 1200 GMT) Tuesday, and it had sustained winds near 70 mph (110 kph), with higher gusts.
Tropical Storm force winds extended out 70 miles (110 kilometers) from the center in some directions.
It was moving toward the northwest near 9 mph (15 kph). The storm's winds were expected to build to 75 mph (120 kph), just over the minimum for a hurricane, by late Tuesday or Wednesday.
The forecast track showed it then weakening as it continues northwest along the coastline before veering west into the open Pacific a little short of the Los Cabos resorts at the tip of the
Late Sunday, Andres became the first named storm of the eastern Pacific hurricane season, which began May 15 and ends Nov. 30.
It has been 40 years since it took so long for a named storm to develop in the eastern Pacific, according to the
Rains unrelated to the tropical storm resulted in the death of six people and left four others missing in the northern border state of
The state civil defense office said Monday that the bodies of two men, two women and two children – all passengers in the van – were recovered, but four passengers remained missing.
The accident occurred Sunday in the city of
http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/jun/23/tropical-weather-062309/
Red River rises again in North Dakota
By Dave Kolpack
Two months after eastern North Dakota homeowners worked around the clock on sandbag lines to hold back floodwaters, the Red River is again spilling over its banks, this time threatening mostly just parks and golf courses, but no homes.
Heavy rains in the past week have pushed the river within two feet of major flood stage at
"The water is halfway up my backyard again," said Richard Thomas, who lives in a subdivision south of
The flooding has forced the city to shut down some roads and one bridge north of town, said Al Weigel,
"When it comes to summer floods, it's one of the highest ones we've had in a while, but I don't think a lot of people will even notice," said Weigel. "The river acts a little differently during these rains. Things come quicker and leave quicker. It's a little more manageable."
Roger Gress, director of
The river was expected to crest at 27.5 feet on Monday, National Weather Service hydrologist Mike Lukes said. Flood stage is 18 feet.
"It's not a threat to life or property," Lukes said. "But whether you call it minor or moderate, it's all very subjective. It depends on what's happening in your own situation."
Flooding in March and April was pushed by heavy rain, snow and ice. The Red River was above flood stage in
Chuck Summers, a supervisor with the
"I think there's a lot of confidence in local government's ability to manage that right now," he said.#
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/06/22/national/a140006D90.DTL
Our View: Lawmakers block water reform
Constituents' growing anger making it harder for politicians to hide
Editorial
The politicians are scrambling for political cover as
They don't want their constituents to know they've been ducking this issue for years so they periodically fire off news releases demanding action.
But they are the ones who have been standing in the way of getting anything done. That dirty little secret is finally getting out to
In
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Legislature have an opportunity to come together behind a plan that would create surface storage, expand underground storage through water banking and dramatically increase water availability through conservation efforts.
But getting this agreement would mean sitting down with the warring factions, chiefly environmentalists who oppose dams and farming interests who think dams are their salvation.
Both sides have overstated their cases, and that gives Schwarzenegger and Democratic leaders in the Legislature a lot of room to negotiate.
But it also will take the cooperation of the federal government. The feds must help pay for new water projects and take another look at environmental laws that restrict water flows.
Water politics are complicated, but a solution can be found because everyone knows the issues, and what's at stake. The various sides have been making the same arguments for decades.
They must be willing to compromise because stubbornness is the only thing standing in the way of a comprehensive water plan.
We believe that even in a drought year there is adequate water available for farm, urban and environmental uses if we manage this crucial resource properly. That means having balance in our water policy and a willingness to find common ground.
The political pressure for a water deal has been increasing because big water users in
It was one thing when
The time couldn't be better for a comprehensive water plan. Let's step back from the finger-pointing and get this resolved for all Californians.#
http://www.mercedsunstar.com/181/story/914348.htm
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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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