[Water_news] 2. DWR'S CALIFORNIA WATER NEWS: SUPPLY - 6/23/09

Department of Water Resources

California Water News

A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment 

 

June 23, 2009

 

2. Supply –

 

City ratchets up 'Save Our Water' campaign

Sonoma Index-Tribune

 

Fewer farmland acres irrigated in region, state

Sacramento Bee

 

 

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City ratchets up 'Save Our Water' campaign

Sonoma Index-Tribune-6/22/09

By Sandi Hansen

 

With recent temperatures rising into the 90s - what is more normal for June - additional water is being used in the Valley and concern for reaching the 25-percent mandatory water-usage cutback by the end of fall is also rising.

 

For this reason, the Sonoma County Water Agency and its retail contractors including the City of Sonoma and Valley of the Moon Water District, are participating in a statewide "Save Our Water" campaign. On June 1, a State Water Resources Control Board order required the SCWA to involve agricultural and municipal Russian River water users in reaching the overall water-conservation goal of 25 percent in Sonoma County and 50 percent in Mendocino County for the period of April 6, through October 2.

 

City of Sonoma Public Works Director Melinka Bates is spearheading conservation outreach to all businesses, irrigation customers and top-100 water users as well as the city's general residents.

 

The annual 2008 Water Quality Report complete with conservation tips, was mailed to customers in their recent water bill; a letter, signed by the mayor is in all hotels addressing the issue and asking people to conserve; and an advertising campaign is underway alerting people to available rebates, free water-saving devices and the "Cash-for-Grass" program that pays residents to remove their lawn and replace it with water-saving landscaping.

 

"We are swamped with those interested in the 'Cash for Grass,'" Bates said. "You can drive down East Napa Street and in almost every neighborhood, be able to see someone who's swapping out their turf for drought-tolerant landscaping."

 

There is also "Report a Water Waster" whereby anyone noticing such things as irrigation into the street or sidewalk, broken sprinklers or hoses being used without shut-off nozzles, can contact City Hall. "We get people calling all the time, but we have to go out and witness it ourselves," said Bates.

 

Sonoma has not reached the 25-percent cutback level, according to Bates, "But we've gotten very close. The weather plays such a big part. May was very mild but it's starting to heat up now. In the past the weather has really helped us." It's still early in the conservation program. Bates noted that "Single-family usage doubles in summer due to outside water use. The City of Sonoma could do better."

 

The nine water contractors who buy water from the SCWA to resell to customers have to collectively divert 25 percent of water consumption during the six-month period. And the county-wide conservation total won't be known until after Oct. 2. Bates said that all the contractors check in with each other on conservation and other water-related issues on a monthly basis.#

 

http://www.sonomanews.com/articles/2009/06/22/news/doc4a4024f8e9a34484523916.txt

 

 

Fewer farmland acres irrigated in region, state

Sacramento Bee-6/23/09

By Jim Downing

 

The acreage of irrigated farmland in the Sacramento River watershed fell by 7.5 percent, or 132,000 acres, between 2002 and 2007, according to figures from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

 

The agriculture census, conducted every five years, showed a similar trend statewide, with irrigated acreage falling about 8 percent, to just over 8 million acres.

 

Overall, the amount of California farmland – including pasture for livestock – fell 8 percent over the five-year period, to 25.4 million acres.

 

In the Sacramento River watershed, land in organic production nearly quadrupled, to 65,000 acres, from 2002 to 2007. The extent of chemical usage expanded, though. Insecticides were applied to 953,000 acres in the Sacramento River watershed in 2007, up 10 percent from 2002.#

 

http://www.sacbee.com/business/story/1968460.html?mi_rss=Business

 

 

 

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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 California.