A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
June 17, 2009
2. Supply –
Water supplies at risk from fires in dead forests
Arcata looks at budget, increasing water and wastewater charges
Water hogs should pay higher rates
Water agencies file lawsuit over rules
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Water supplies at risk from fires in dead forests
By Joan Lowy
Water supplies for 33 million people could be endangered if millions of acres of beetle-ravaged forests in the
Rick Cables, the chief forester for the
Moreover, wildfires can "literally bake the soil," leaving behind a water-repellent surface that sheds rain and leads to severe erosion and debris, he said. The loss of so many trees also will reduce shade in the region, which in turn could reduce water supplies in the hot, dry summer months and accelerate snowmelt in the spring, he said.
A Forest Service analysis indicates people in
"The arid West absolutely depends on national forests as the source for their water," Cables said. "The reach of this watershed is unparalleled in the West."
While bark beetle outbreaks are naturally recurring events in the West, the current outbreak — which has killed nearly 8 million acres of trees — is the biggest in recorded history, Barbara Bentz, a research entomologist with the Forest Service, told the committee.
Besides
Officials from affected states who testified said they need help to avoid a potential catastrophe. Local officials said they want more money to clear trees from buildings, transmissions lines and other facilities. They also are seeking government help for companies trying to turn dead trees into wood products, especially pellets that can be burned to produce energy. If a market can be created for the dead trees, it can help offset their costly removal, they said.
"We need resources on the ground," said Sloan Shoemaker, executive director of the Wilderness Workshop, a
Protecting lives is the top concern. At least a dozen
Another concern is the 13,000 miles of electricity transmission lines that run through the forests. There is a possibility that multiple fires at the same time could cause widespread regional power outages, Ron Turley, special projects manager for the Western Area Power Administration, told the committee.
"This could have significant regional and potentially national consequences," Turley said.
Of the $1.5 billion the Forest Service received in economic stimulus funds, about $26 million has so far been directed to the
Cables said that a year ago he also requested $213 million in emergency aid over three years to deal with safety threats. He said about $20 million has been received so far.
"We have a lot of work being done and a lot of work on the shelf," Cables said. "We're trying to be as effective with the money as we can."#
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/06/16/national/w001643D04.DTL
Arcata looks at budget, increasing water and wastewater charges
By Donna Tam
The Arcata City Council will be holding a public hearing tonight on the proposed budget for the 2009-2010 fiscal year, which includes pulling from its reserves to cover for losses related to the slow economy, according to staff reports.
The city is looking at pulling $435,000 of its reserves to balance the budget, which will be at $30 million. This would leave the city's reserve at $2 million, or 19 percent of operating costs.
According to the staff report, this would leave the city's reserves at slightly under the 20 percent operations reserve as set by the city's policy, but still above what most professional governmental finance organizations recommend.
The adoption of the budget would also mean a $3,000 increase to Bayside Park Irrigation Improvements to be funded by the Fund 214 residential construction tax, and some raises in various fees, services charges and taxes.
The council is also holding a public hearing on proposed increases of 8 percent to water service charges and 10 percent increase to wastewater service charges. Staff has determined that an increase in charges is necessary for maintaining adequate utility services.
The proposed water fee increase is 3.5 percent, based on the consumer price index, with an additional 4.5 percent increase from the Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District resulting from the closure of the pulp mill.
For wastewater, the increase is based on the CPI, plus an additional 6.5 percent to cover costs associated with operating the wastewater system and to fund the necessary replacement and rehabilitation of collection piping to reduce inflow and infiltration.#
Water hogs should pay higher rates
Editorial
By now, pretty much everyone knows that
No more. The region's major supplier is tightening the taps and requiring local water districts to do the same, cutting overall use by 10 percent.
In two weeks, the water district that serves Temecula and much of Murrieta will impose new restrictions on use, and soon after will drop the other shoe ---- a series of water pricing "tiers" that will hit heavy water users where it hurts: their bills.
The theory behind both ideas is sound, but in practice, Rancho California Water District is setting itself up for failure.
For instance, the new rules will be very difficult to enforce without "water cops" touring the area regularly. And in trying to be scrupulously fair with their new tiered-use billing structure, the district is planning to set the tiers based in part on the number of people in a household and on lot sizes.
A well-intentioned effort to be fair, but also one that is ripe for abuse. Will homeowners be on the honor system to disclose how many people live in a house and to report their lot sizes? Will water district staffers be required to do door-to-door head counts and bring tape measures to every home to verify information?
At times like this, we like to think everyone will work together to ensure success, but history has taught us otherwise. Some people will game the system; others will simply flout the rules and dare officials to do something about it.
Rancho Water ---- and the region's other water districts ---- need to come up with a simpler formula for determining a household's water use that is enforceable without intrusive measures and one that doesn't punish people who have already been conserving.
People who use modest amounts of water both indoors and out should not suffer unduly, but the higher tiers ---- the ones that will hit people who insist on irrigating their oases (along with the sidewalks and streets) in the full heat of the day ---- should be painful.
Imposing fines on flagrant violators can have some limited effect, but financial incentives will work better in the long run.#
Water agencies file lawsuit over rules
Less than two weeks after the release of new rules to protect salmon and steelhead, water agencies that depend on the Delta have filed suit in federal court.
The San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority and the Westlands Water District claim the rules by the National Marine Fisheries Service are "flawed and unjustified." The San Luis authority provides water to farmers as far north as southern
The federal rules, which include reduced pumping from the Delta, are not required under the Endangered Species Act and will deprive farmers of hundreds of thousands of acre-feet of water, the lawsuit alleges.
The Fisheries Service has estimated the rule will decrease Delta pumping 5 percent to 7 percent. Officials there have said they did everything they could to minimize harm to water users.
Stockton-area water officials also are upset about the rules, because they require greater flows down the
http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090617/A_NEWS/906170317/-1/A_NEWS
The Port Hueneme City Council on Monday approved implementing new water rates that will take effect Aug. 1. The council passed the ordinance unanimously without discussion.
The plan calls for a four year phase-in of increases. The proposed increases will vary by usage. For example, residential homes with low usage — about 30 percent of total billings — will see no increases in 2009-10, 7.8 percent in 2010-11, 6.9 percent in 2011-12, and 2.9 percent in 2012-13. The current monthly flat rate of $51.24 will rise slightly over that span to $60.42.
Residential homes and commercial operations with higher usage will see sharper increases. A residential home with very high usage — about 5 percent of total billings — will see a first-year jump of 64.6 percent, going from $51.24 to $84.32, according to a water rate study prepared by Bartle Wells Associates.
Key objectives of the proposed increases are to fund operating and maintenance expenses, repay $15.9 million in loans from the city’s general fund, phase in adequate funding for repairs and replacements, and cover the cost of service.#
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2009/jun/17/nxxfcphcouncilbrf17/
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