Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
June 10, 2009
5. Agencies, Programs, People –
Sacramento City
Corona
Wading through a sea of politics on NID board
State Water Resources Control Board Confirms
25 Percent Reduction in Water Diversions
West
Some avoid costly flood insurance
Red Bluff Diversion Dam gates to lower
The Daily News
Board delays sale of quagga wash stations
Ukiah Daily Journal
New 'landowners association' forms over water rights
Woodland Daily Democrat
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Sacramento City
By Ryan Lillis
Saying proposed double-digit hikes to utility rates were unacceptable, the Sacramento City Council demanded Tuesday that city utilities officials look at a lower increase.
The council approved an intent motion to raise rates by 9 percent each of the next two years, meaning they intend to approve those hikes when officials report back June 23 on what effect a 9 percent increase will have on the battered utilities budget.
The city's Utilities Rate Advisory Commission had recommended raising rates 12.2 percent next month, followed by another 12.4 percent increase in July 2010. Utilities officials had initially proposed raising rates 16 percent this year.
Several council members said the proposed increases were too much for cash-strapped families.
In response to those concerns, Councilman Steve Cohn proposed the 9 percent hike - still the highest increase since 1994. He said this was the first time in his 15 years on the council that officials proposed raising utility rates by a double-digit percentage.
"To pull it on folks at the worse possible economic time ... I just think we have to find a way to curb this budget a little bit more," he said.
Added Councilwoman Sandy Sheedy, "I just don't know how much people can take."
Several factors have combined to hammer the utilities budget, leading to the proposed hikes, officials said.
Thousands of homes are in foreclosure in the city, leading to $4 million in unpaid bills. Operational costs such as employee salaries and the price of chemicals have skyrocketed. On top of that, rates were not increased this year.
Assistant City Manager Marty Hanneman said the department has "scrubbed everything" to find other ways to add revenue and cut costs. He said more than 40 utilities workers already face layoffs - a number that could jump significantly with a lower rate increase.
The city's work to place water meters in every home - something it must do by 2025 - will also be damaged by lower increases, officials said.
"We need to be fiscally prudent," said Jamille Moens, the Utilities Department's business services manager. Smaller increases now will mean more severe hikes in the future - perhaps as early as 2011, she said.
But members of the council and public said double-digit increases the next two years were too much, even as economic factors pile on the utilities budget.
Councilwoman Lauren Hammond said rates are double what they were 10 years ago and that "12 percent and 12 percent is a lot to take."
Craig Powell, chairman of the Sacramento County Taxpayers League's Utilities Rate Task Force, said increases over the past 10 years have outpaced the rate of inflation.
"Your citizens can't afford this, your businesses can't afford this," Powell said.#
http://www.sacbee.com/ourregion/story/1933661.html
Corona
By Alicia Robinson
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Residents' water bills in
The Corona City Council will vote July 15 whether to increase water rates to cover increased costs from Western Municipal Water District, which sells the city about 46 percent of its drinking water.
The city is also proposing to pass on higher costs at its Department of Water and Power to customers. The rate increases would be based on changes in the consumer price index and the cost of water.
If the changes are approved, customers could see the first increase in September. The expected 5.7 percent increase would mean the bill for the average single-family home using 30 units of water a month would rise by about $8.70 monthly.
Customers can avoid higher bills by reducing water use.
Information on the proposed rate increase, rebate programs for water-efficient toilets and washing machines, and other conservation tips can be found at www.discovercorona.com.#
http://www.pe.com/localnews/temescalvalley/stories/PE_News_Local_W_wrates10.4dcab2d.html
Wading through a sea of politics on NID board
By Laura Brown
A political showdown will unfold today among Nevada Irrigation District directors who can't agree on who should join them in governing the district, which serves 25,000 users in two counties.
R. Paul Williams stepped down in April, leaving vacant the Division IV seat representing the
With a federal re-licensing agreement coming forward in 2013 for district hydroelectric plants, and years of environmental review already underway, the stakes are high. Many eyes are watching to see if there is ample water for rivers and fish, recreationists, farmers and household users.
“Williams was the last of the old guard, and (the appointment for his seat) will set the pace for the next 20 to 50 years. What comes out of the re-licensing process will set the course for a lot of the community,” said Ben Barretta, former assistant general manager for NID who retired in 2004.
In May, directors Nancy Weber and Nick Wilcox narrowed their preference to organic farmer William Morebeck, while directors Scott Miller and John Drew favored Williams' recommendation, rancher Jim Bachman.
The two candidates are neighbors living on
In coming years, issues facing Division IV include future development and increasing deliveries of treated water for municipal use to a region historically devoted to cattle ranching. The area in
As much as 55 percent of all NID water goes to Division IV, Wilcox said. “That is and will continue to be a topic of discussion,” Wilcox added.
“What's happening with ranchers in
The water board's core disagreement is over sending water to
“We have different visions for the district,” Drew said, naming Weber, the Division I director, as a strong opponent to the building of a water treatment plant in
Weber refused to comment on any NID matter.
“I don't talk to The Union,” Weber told a reporter. She then rebuffed a second telephone call urging her to reconsider, and hung up.
Weber represents the
“It's almost like it's coming from two camps. This is the swing vote,” Barretta said of the open fifth seat.
Wilcox's decision to support Morebeck was based on the mandarin and lemon farmer's qualifications working with groups including Placer Grown, a small-farmer advocacy group, and Placer Legacy, a land conservation group, and his work drafting environmental impact reports, he said.
But Wilcox, whose Division V embraces
Division III Director Miller, who represents southern
“I'd hate for it to go to that, but should I be picking another area's person?” Miller said. “I was comfortable with Jim Bachman because he's well-informed, he's an agriculturalist.”
Last year, opportunities for a new dynamic on the board surfaced when long-time director George Leipzig retired after 15 years and Scott Miller came up for re-election.
Weber supported candidate Michael Straight with a $190 campaign contribution in his run for Division III against incumbent Scott Miller.
On Tuesday, the Placer County Board of Supervisors weighed in on the matter, voting 4-0 to send a letter to the NID board recommending rancher Bachman serve the remainder of Williams' term.
Any appointed director would have to run for election when the term expires, but would have an incumbent's advantage.
Supervisor Jennifer Montgomery, of Serene Lakes near Donner Summit, abstained, saying a vote from the supervisors was putting the cart before the horse.
“Coming to us for a recommendation was not an appropriate procedure,”
If NID board members can't reach an agreement for a new director, they must send the matter to voters at a cost to ratepayers of $40,000 or place it before
“It might be logical for voters to have some say in who occupies that seat,” Wilcox said.#
http://www.theunion.com/article/20090610/NEWS/906099989&parentprofile=search
State Water Resources Control Board Confirms
25 Percent Reduction in Water Diversions, Loosens Ban on Commercial Turf Irrigation
The California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) issued a revised order responding to the Sonoma County Water Agency’s Temporary Urgency Change Petition for reduced
The modified order still requires a 25 percent reduction in the amount of water SCWA diverts from the
“I’m pleased the state board listened to Russian River businesses and made the sensible decision to reduce flows after the July 4 weekend, when the river is enjoyed by thousands of local and out-of-town visitors,” said Sonoma County Water Agency (SCWA) Director Efren Carrillo. “The state board also spelled out a process for addressing any problems that might arise if flows have to be significantly reduced.”
If minimum instream flow requirements are reduced to “critically dry year” criteria, the state order requires SCWA to coordinate weekly conference calls with staff from the SWRCB water rights division, National Marine Fisheries Service, California Department of Fish and Game and North Coast Regional Water Board to discuss water quality, temperature and fisheries monitoring. If problems are detected, agency personnel can recommend to the state Deputy Director for Water Rights actions to alleviate concerns regarding water quality, public health or fishery conditions.
The revised order also changes the measurement used to determine the level of flows in the river. The April 10 order based river flows on the amount of water flowing into
“We caught a lucky break with the weather in May. We believe that residents and farmers responded by turning down their irrigation and turning off their sprinklers. As a result, the water levels in
The modified order includes the following requirements:
Commercial Turf Irrigation Reductions: The new order gives businesses the option of significantly reducing the amount of water used to irrigate commercial turf, rather than the outright ban required in the April 10 order. The new order provides a formula that businesses must use to determine the amount of water that can be applied to overall landscape areas including, lawns, median strips and other turf that is planted purely for ornamental purposes. This irrigation regime is enough to keep turf alive, but will require landscapers to keep a tight control on how much water is applied.
The amount (in gallons) is calculated by taking the square footage of the landscaped area, multiplying it by a conversion factor (0.62 gallons per square foot), then multiplying it by 0.75, and then multiplying it by the "ETO" or "reference evapotranspiration" (a standard calculation of the quantity of water transpired by a reference crop and evaporated from adjacent soil surfaces as measured by the California Irrigation Management Information System (CIMIS) of weather stations), which varies by day.
Example: Assuming an office building in west Santa Rosa had 10,000 square feet of landscaped area, and wanted to know what it's "water budget" was for May, it would compute it as follows:
10,000 square feet x 0.62 x 0.75 x 4.73 (the ETO for westside
• From April 6, 2009 through July 5, 2009, minimum instream flow shall remain at or above 75 cubic feet per second.
• From July 6 through October 2, 2009, minimum instream flow shall remain at or above 75 cfs, if
• From July 6 through October 2, 2009, minimum instream flow shall remain at or above 25 cfs, if
• Instream flow at the USGS gages at both Hopland and Healdsburg on the Russian River shall be increased to 125 cfs, after a cumulative seasonal total of 200 adult Chinook salmon move upstream past the SCWA Mirabel inflatable dam, unless otherwise directed by the National Marine Fisheries Service and the Department of Fish and Game. A lag time of three to seven days for the higher flows to reach Healdsburg is appropriate.
• From April 6, 2009 through July 5, 2009, minimum instream flow shall remain at or above 85 cfs.
• From July 6 through October 2, 2009, minimum instream flow shall remain at or above 85 cfs, if
• From July 6 through October 2, 2009, minimum instream flow shall remain at our above 35 cfs, if
25 Percent Reduction in Diversions from
25 Percent Water Conservation for Sonoma County and Mendocino County Russian River Water Users: The April 10 order required SCWA to submit a plan to SWRCB to obtain cooperation and participation of agricultural and municipal Russian River water users to reach a water conservation goal of 25 percent in Sonoma County and 50 percent in Mendocino County for the period of April 6 until October 2, 2009. SCWA submitted the plan on May 6.
About
SCWA is the local sponsor for the federal water projects at
http://www.westcountygazette.com/blog/2009/06/water-board-sets-and-loosens-limits.html
Some avoid costly flood insurance
By Roger H. Aylworth
A combined effort by
Tuesday, the Butte County Board of Supervisors signed a "provisionally accredited levee (PAL)" agreement with the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The agreement relates to the segments of levees along the Sycamore Creek and Mud Creek drainages, north of Chico, that are in county jurisdiction.
The county's action dovetails with a similar PAL, signed by the city of
All of this is in response to an effort by FEMA to update its flood maps in
Areas protected by levees are excluded from flood plains if the levees have been certified to meet the FEMA construction standards and if they can withstand the so-called "1 percent" flood, which is defined as a flood that can be anticipated once in a century.
Uncertified levees are treated as if they don't exist, for mapping purposes.
The Sycamore Creek and Mud Creek levees in the north
Once an area has been mapped into a flood plain property, it is subject to often-costly flood insurance and seriously restrictive building requirements.
The action taken by the city and the county will give the authorities until January 2011 to determine the status of the levees and to put off the imposition of flood insurance or building requirements.
Stuart Edell, with the Butte County Department of Public Works, said the state Department of Water Resources has indicated it will do at least some of the studies necessary to determine if they meet the FEMA standards.
Mike Crump, county director of public works, told the supervisors the Corps of Engineers have always viewed the levees as "modern, well-built and well-maintained," but FEMA has changed its standard of certification.
Paradise Supervisor Kim Yamaguchi asked if by signing the PAL, the county was agreeing to do any repairs to the levees, or any liability if the levee should fail?
"We are keeping ourselves out of any liability at this time," the attorney said.
On a motion by Supervisor Maureen Kirk, and seconded by Supervisor Jane Dolan, both of
http://www.chicoer.com/advertise/ci_12559210?IADID=Search-www.chicoer.com-www.chicoer.com
Red Bluff Diversion Dam gates to lower
The Daily News-6/10/09
By Rich Greene
The gates at the Red Bluff Diversion Dam are set to be lowered at midnight Monday, filling Lake Red Bluff by later that afternoon.
The Bureau of Reclamation said the gates will be closed on the diversion dam for about two-anda- half months this year for agricultural purposes and will be raised to provide unimpeded fish passage for salmon, steelhead and sturgeon at the end of August.
The bureau announced the decision Tuesday following last week's release of a federal biological opinion, which allows the dam to lower its gates on an abbreviated schedule for the next three years.
The latest opinion comes after years of court battles over the diversion dam and other Central Valley water operations' affects on endangered and threatened species of migrating fish in the
In July 2008, a federal judge ruled the Diversion Dam posed jeopardy to several species of fish and called for a new biological opinion to be made to address the problems.
Over the last several years the gates had typically been lowered in mid-May, which provided irrigation water by filling the
The uncertainty and delay of opening the gates this year prompted the Nitro Nationals Boat Drag races, held on Lake Red Bluff, to be canceled.
The recent biological opinion allows for the gates to be closed June 15 through Aug. 31 each year through 2011.
By 2012 water officials estimate
the Red Bluff Pumping Plant will be operational. It will divert water to the canals and utilize pumping screens to minimize impacts on fish.
The opinion allows for the bureau to request a one-year extension of the dam's operations should the pumping plant not be ready.#
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http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/ci_12557870?IADID=Search-www.ukiahdailyjournal.com-www.ukiahdailyjournal.com
New 'landowners association' forms over water rights
Woodland Daily Democrat-6/10/09
A group of
YCLA is an outgrowth of a property owners meeting held on Nov. 12, 2008 at the
The meeting was in response to broad County-wide opposition to the Groundwater Ordinance and Water Agency proposed by the Yolo County Board of Supervisors.
Since that meeting, there have been other proposals by the Board of Supervisors that threaten private property rights in
The Mission Statement of YCLA is "To be dedicated to preserving the quality of life that Yolo County provides for all of its citizens through protecting landowner property rights, monitoring the government process and taking action, when necessary, to safeguard those rights for future generations."
The Board of Directors of YCLA includes Frank Sieferman, Sr., who was elected President and Yvonne LeMaitre, who was elected to Vice President.#
http://www.dailydemocrat.com/ci_12560426?IADID=Search-www.dailydemocrat.com-www.dailydemocrat.com
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