Department of Water Resources
California Water News
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
August 20, 2009
2. Supply –
Marin water board OKs desalination plant
San Francisco Chronicle
Applications abound for water project funds
The Daily Journal
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Marin water board OKs desalination plant
San Francisco Chronicle – 8/20/09
By Kelly Zito
SAN RAFAEL, CALIF. -- Marin County's largest water utility voted Wednesday night to build a plant that will convert about 5 million gallons of seawater into drinking water for about 190,000 people. It's the first such project on San Francisco Bay.
Despite vocal opposition to the project that extended the Marin Municipal Water District's board meeting well into the night, the board voted 4-0 in favor. The five-member board has one vacancy.
Most speakers at the at-times boisterous meeting attended by about 200 people opposed the desalination facility on the grounds that it is too costly, would harm marine life and could expose people to harmful bay chemicals. What's more, they say, the steep energy needs of the plant will pump huge amounts of climate-changing gases into the atmosphere.
"When you look at the bigger picture, it makes no sense," said Mark Schlosberg of Food Water Watch, an environmental advocacy group.
But the district and others say desalination is the best way to satisfy projected population and economic growth.
"We're concerned about bringing supply and demand into balance," Hal Brown, president of the Marin County Board of Supervisors, said during the meeting's public comment portion.
Water managers across California, now in its third year of drought, are struggling to find new water supplies while figuring out how to encourage conservation.
Marin County, which relies on seven relatively small local reservoirs, contends that the new facility will provide an insurance policy against longer dry spells anticipated due to global warming.
In previous dry periods, Marin County has been able to build emergency pipelines and negotiate for more water from the Russian River, but water managers say those options are no longer available.
The plant, planned for a seven-acre shoreline plot in San Rafael, is projected to cost about $105 million and would cost $3 million to $4 million annually to operate. The district said it would fund the project using local bonds and a $3 to $5 increase in monthly water bills.
Some in the business community support the county.
"Under a severe drought, the economy will be impacted tremendously," Bill Scott, business manager of a local building trades council, told the board. Desalination represents "the only long-term ability to get water."
After the vote, board directors pointed out that the project will be subject to years of permit applications, funding requests and design reviews, not to mention potential lawsuits. The plant would be up and running by 2014 at the earliest. #
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/08/20/MN9S19B6PR.DTL
Applications abound for water project funds
The Daily Journal – 8/19/09
By Zack Cinek
A new agricultural grant of $5.7 million to help farmers along the Russian River improve their water infrastructure has more applications than it can fund this fiscal year.
The grant money will go to growers along the Russian River and other locations in Napa and Sonoma counties to help develop agricultural water systems like storage ponds.
"It could be very good because it would allow us all not to pump at the same time, which should be very helpful to the fish," Glenn McGourty of the Farm Advisor's Office said. "We can break it up and schedule it more or less around the clock so we do not have issues of dewatering the river, which is potentially what the big concern is in a low-flow-year."
Carol Mandel of the USDA NRC's Ukiah office said she has received about 12 applications from farmers in the county.
"At this point we have more applications than we will be able to fund this year," Mandel said.
Money from the grant covers 50 percent of projects such as building ponds. Devon Jones, director of the Mendocino County Farm Bureau, said getting the grant money is a competitive process.
"Every application is not going to get money," Jones said.
The aim of the grant is to improve water infrastructure, said Laurel Marcus of the California Land Stewardship Institute, who wrote the grant.
Although wine grape growers have needs outlined in the grant, the grant is not specifically for wine grapes. Mandel said showing a significant water savings with money spent is a top consideration.
"What kind of water sources do we have besides diverting directly from our streams," Mandel said.
The grant money can be used to cover 50 percent of building a new pond, new water meters, or the water line to a new pond, for example.
"This money can be used for minor projects like installing new water systems," Jones said. New valves can cost several thousand dollars, she said.
Earlier in the year, calculations from the Sonoma County Water Agency predicted that Lake Mendocino would be virtually dry during the summer as lake levels were low in early 2009 compared to more than 53,000 acre feet Tuesday.
But Lake Mendocino, the head of the Russian River, comes out looking like a lake this summer. Russian River Flood Control District and the Sonoma County Water Agency requested a regulatory change to lower flows in the Russian River to keep more water in the lake.
"Hopefully it has been a problem associated with drought we have had this year, and things will be more normal in the future," McGourty said. #
http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/ci_13156664?source=rss_viewed
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