Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation for DWR personnel of significant news articles and comment
July 31, 2009
1. Top Items
California
Tunnel under delta could be alternative to canal
Union-Tribune
Fed grant funds to ease Calif.
Fresno
$9.5m in water aid flowing to Valley;
Feds aim to help Westlands stretch supply, boost efficiency.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
California
Tunnel under delta could be alternative to canal
Union-Tribune – 7/31/09
By Michael Gardner
The state Department of Water Resources is exploring the price and engineering challenges associated with digging a roughly 35-mile tunnel under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to bring more supplies to
“We don't have the costs worked out,” said Lester Snow,
Although still in its early stages, the tunnel proposal intrigues water managers frustrated by the inability to secure sufficient supplies – especially during the state's prolonged drought – and worried that they may never overcome fierce resistance to building a new above-ground canal.
In 1982, voters rejected a measure to construct the 43-mile
In recent years, opposition to a smaller canal has softened somewhat as drought and regulations meant to protect endangered fish have greatly limited the amount of water pumped south.
The delta, an estuary encompassing 1,100 miles of waterways, is near collapse. The fishery is troubled, some levees are crumbling, waterways are becoming polluted, and valuable farmland is subsiding.
But tens of millions of people rely on the delta as a prime distribution channel. About one-third of the
The tunnel alternative offers some benefits, particularly by limiting the number of properties that would have to be condemned along the canal route, Snow said. Going underground also could be less harmful to fish and wildlife.
Just as important, a tunnel may be an easier sell to the public and lawmakers than above-ground plumbing.
“Obviously there's a lot of resistance to a canal,” said Laura King Moon, who represents a coalition of agencies that buy water from the state. “A tunnel could be easier politically.”
Some opponents have compared the various proposed canal routes to a “100-lane freeway.” They believe Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Department of Water Resources are committed to building a new conveyance regardless of the consequences.
A coalition of groups trying to preserve the delta is planning to anchor a protest flotilla in
Yesterday, key lawmakers were accused of preparing legislation to authorize a canal as part of the broader water bond. That prompted Assemblyman Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, a leader in the water negotiations, to issue a sharp denial.
His measure, Huffman said, “in either its current form or the soon-to-be-released full form, does not authorize, argue for or call for construction of the
Pipeline critics also are wary of a proposed delta oversight commission. They question the rush to approve that panel or related projects, given that lawmakers plan to adjourn for the year on Sept. 11.
“Important legislation is going to be thrown into the hopper in the last month without vetting,” said Jim Metropulos of Sierra Club
Large agencies that buy water from the state, including the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, have agreed to bankroll studies on a new canal and construction of it. Schwarzenegger also has endorsed the undertaking.
State engineers and biologists continue to conduct field tests to help determine the best route for a canal. In analyzing numerous pathways, they raised the possibility of digging a tunnel because some surface-canal routes also could require lengthy below-ground waterways in certain places.
Tunnels are a common delivery system.
“It's not like going-to-the-moon technology,” said Tim Quinn, executive director of the Association of California Water Agencies.
But much of the delta is peat soil, in contrast to many projects – including one undertaken by the Metropolitan Water District – that involved boring through solid rock or more stable soil.
“We'll take a look at” the tunnel idea, said Roger Patterson, Metropolitan's assistant general manager, though he now sees fewer benefits than drawbacks and expects the price to exceed any eventual savings.
“When it's done, I would be surprised if it turns out to be the most feasible way to do things,” Patterson said.
King Moon agreed that “there are a whole host of unknowns.” But, she added, “none of our engineers said this (tunnel) is a terrible idea, that it should be dead on arrival.” #
Fed grant funds to ease Calif.
Fresno
It's welcome news for farmers on the west side of
The funding announced Thursday includes $40 million in stimulus money aimed at drought-relief projects, the bulk of which will go to the agriculturally rich
Most of the Department of Interior's stimulus funds are intended to help growers dig new wells and install temporary pipelines and pumps to move water to farms that need it most, Deputy Interior Secretary David Hayes said.
"The farming communities in the
The grants, plus other federal funding announced earlier this year, should help put rural communities back to work by freeing up water supplies to keep crops and fruit trees growing, Hayes said.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture also announced that it would direct an additional $18 million in grants to help
"Regulations for air quality and water quality keep getting tougher, so this will be a huge help," said Michael Marsh, CEO of Western United Dairymen.
The biggest winner was the sprawling Westlands Water District, which received a total of $9.5 million in grants from both agencies.
The district, which produces about $1 billion in crops annually and is one of Fresno County's biggest employers, says the water shortages have meant hundreds of thousands of acres used to grow lettuce, tomatoes and other crops have been fallowed this year.
The USDA grants will help Westlands farmers save enough water to irrigate 1,000 more acres and put about 800 people to work, said Tom Birmingham, the district's general manager.
More than $2.2 million will be spent so U.S. Geological Survey scientists can monitor how increased pumping affects
The California Aqueduct, a major canal that delivers drinking water to more than 20 million people, is among many structures threatened by the sinking.
A study released by the USGS earlier this month revealed that groundwater pumping is causing the valley floor to sink. #
http://www.fresnobee.com/559/story/1568483.html?storylink=mirelated
$9.5m in water aid flowing to Valley;
Feds aim to help Westlands stretch supply, boost efficiency.
The Westlands Water District, where farmers have struggled because of a water shortage, is receiving a $9.5 million boost from the federal government to help it increase water efficiency and stretch its supply.
Some of the money is for new wells, and the rest is to help farmers install improved irrigation systems. Farmers would have to match some of the federal funds with their own money to qualify.
Westlands officials welcomed the money, even if it wasn't the federal help they've been seeking.
Westlands officials have asked that the federal Endangered Species Act be suspended so that pumps in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta can send more water south. Farmers within the 600,000-acre district have been hit hard by water shortages over the past several years and have fallowed thousands of acres.
Tom Birmingham, Westlands' general manager, said the improved water efficiency could stretch supplies enough to add about 800 jobs over five years.
The news came in two announcements Thursday. The Bureau of Reclamation granted the district $7.5 million as part of a $40 million package under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for drought relief projects in
Also Thursday, the Natural Resources Conservation Service announced Westlands will get $2 million over five years to help farmers install more efficient irrigation systems. Westlands will match the grant. The money was part of nearly $58 million that was given out nationwide.
"In the third year of drought, with hundreds of thousands of acres of farmland idle and 40,000 people unemployed in the
Connor is touring the
"This is a serious situation," Connor said. "There is a fair amount of fallowed acres."
Westlands will use the money to upgrade five existing wells and build 15 new ones. The project is designed to increase the amount of water that can be pumped from the wells and made available for irrigation.
Westlands spokeswoman Sarah Woolf said the funding is important because it provides resources to the district. In addition, she said, Connor's tour helps Bureau of Reclamation officials understand the region's plight.
"We are definitely seeing that the Bureau of Reclamation is concerned about this region and is trying to be helpful and that in and of itself is overcoming a big hurdle," Woolf said.
Tom Glover, Westlands' deputy manager of resources, said the Natural Resources Conservation Service irrigation funding is aimed at helping farmers convert to more efficient watering methods such as drip irrigation and center pivot.
About 65% of the district's farmers use the more efficient methods. Less efficient methods include furrow irrigation.
As part of the Natural Resources Conservation announcement,
Natural Resources Conservation Service Chief David White said the package of grants "means better water quality and more reliable water supplies for communities across
http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/1568362.html
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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
No comments:
Post a Comment