Department of Water Resources
California Water News
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
August 26, 2009
2. Supply –
Westside farmer sells water for $77 million
Hanford Sentinel
Jurupa Community Services District imposes water conservation measures
Riverside Press-Enterprise
Soquel Creek customers asked to save more water
Santa Cruz Sentinel
Fresno studies water conservation plans
Fresno Bee
Otay water board OKs 19.9 percent rate increase
San Diego Union-Tribune
Keep water on hand in case of a disaster
Eureka Times-Standard
Shortage is new normal
San Bernardino County Sun
Kenya's rural drought hurts city dwellers
Oakland Tribune
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Westside farmer sells water for $77 million
Hanford Sentinel-8/25/09
By Seth Nidever
Forget gold. In Kings County, water gets most of the attention. More specifically, it’s the prospect of losing local water rights to outside entities that gets everybody’s dander up.
That's why the Kings County Water Commission spent a good chunk of a Monday night meeting talking about a Westside landowner who plans to sell 14,000 acre-feet of water a year to the Mojave Water Agency in San Bernardino County for $5,500 per acre-foot.
That’s $77 million of the wet stuff headed out of the county for likely urban development (an acre-foot is enough water to supply a typical home for a year, according to Wikipedia).
The tradeoff is that the unnamed landowner — a member of a Bay Area company called Sandridge Partners, based in Sunnyvale — plans to cut down 2,500 acres of his almond trees along Interstate 5 near Kettleman City.
Normally, that probably wouldn’t rank high on the concerns of the water commission — The land is far away from Hanford, it doesn’t affect Kings River water users and it’s California Aqueduct water coming from the Sacramento River, anyway.
But the concern is that the pattern could become more common as scarce water becomes more valuable as a commodity than as a way of growing crops.
“Higher bidders are bidding for the water and are willing to pay more,” said Don Mills, commission member.
Mills said he’d like to stop Sandridge from selling the water, but that Kings County “has no legal authority (to stop it).”
Dudley Ridge Water District, where Sandridge’s land is located, has adopted a policy divvying its water among member property owners. That gives each the right to sell their share.
No representatives from Sandridge Partners or Dudley Ridge Water District spoke at Monday’s meeting.
According to Mills, however, Sandridge plans to use part of the $77 million to buy groundwater rights on adjacent land in Kings and Tulare counties in order to keep at least some of its almond trees alive.
The groundwater might be lower quality, but it is a more reliable water supply than Aqueduct water, which has been reduced severely due to drought and environmental issues in the Sacramento River delta.
“It’s a matter of economics,” said Mark Gilkey, general manager of the Tulare Lake Basin Water Storage District, in an interview.
Property owners in his water district have done the same thing in the past, Gilkey said.
As with most water discussions in Kings County, Monday’s comments quickly turned to the topic of new dams — a sore point in Sacramento as Democratic legislators balk at new storage projects and Republican lawmakers, along with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, say they won’t support anything that doesn’t include new dams.
“The answer’s got to be more [water] contracts,” said commission member John Howe, adding that the reshuffling of the existing water supply is “delaying the inevitable.”#
http://hanfordsentinel.com/articles/2009/08/26/news/doc4a941aa622e70892149469.txt
Jurupa Community Services District imposes water conservation measures
Riverside Press-Enterprise-8/25/09
By Sandra Stokley
The Jurupa Community Services District board of directors on Monday passed a water-conservation ordinance.
Effective immediately, customers may not water between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., cannot hose down driveways or sidewalks, and must repair leaks.
The vote was 4-1.
Director Ken McLaughlin, who said he did not believe it was appropriate for the district to assume the role of "water police," cast the dissenting vote.
"I want to educate people. I want to partner with people to let people know what's the right thing to do," McLaughlin said. "I don't want to be getting into fines or ticketing people."
But other directors said a tougher approach was needed in a time of diminishing water supplies.
"The days of turning on the sprinkler for your kids at 2 in the afternoon are over," director Betty Anderson said.
No one from the public addressed the board.
At the suggestion of director R.M "Cook" Barela, customers who waste water will receive two warning notices before being cited.
The community services district became the latest Inland water agency to adopt measures aimed at getting customers to cut use because of California's drought.
The cities of Corona, Moreno Valley and San Jacinto already have water conservation ordinances in place, and the Rubidoux Community Services District might adopt a similar ordinance by the end of the year.
The ordinance lays out four levels of drought conditions, with Level 1 outlining a series of voluntary use restrictions to achieve up to a 10 percent water reductions.
Levels 2, 3 and 4 would have to be activated by a vote of the board. The levels -- labeled "drought alert," "drought critical," and "drought emergency" -- would impose mandatory restrictions such as limiting lawn and landscape watering to three days per week, banning the use of ornamental fountains and requiring residents to take their cars and vehicles to commercial car washes, which often use recycled water.
Violations of the ordinance can bring fines ranging from $100 to $500 or installation of a flow-restricting device; or administrative or criminal penalties.#
http://www.pe.com/localnews/corona/stories/PE_News_Local_S_conserve25.433c620.html
Soquel Creek customers asked to save more water
Santa Cruz Sentinel-8/26/09
By Genevieve Bookwalter
The Soquel Creek Water District is posting signs throughout the district to... (Dan Coyro/Sentinel)«1»SANTA CRUZ -- As tomatoes ripen and cucumbers grow large enough to pick, Mid-County water cops are asking customers to cut back on irrigation.
Customers of Soquel Creek Water District have stopped conserving as much water as they were earlier this summer, said district Conservation Manager Ron Duncan, coming in way off the district's 15 percent savings target and putting aquifers at risk if the trend continues.
Soquel Creek customers who, overall, slashed water use compared to last year by 17 and 15 percent in May and June, respectively, did so by only 6.5 percent in July, Duncan said. He attributed most of the use to increased irrigation by both residents and businesses during long warm days.
"We would love people only to water two days. Two days a week or less is a good idea," Duncan said.
The falling conservation is also forcing the water district to revitalize its outreach effort and remind customers that even with predictions of a wet El Nino winter, now is not the time to stop saving water.
Already, the district has added 10 colorful neighborhood signs reminding customers to conserve and is stepping up patrols in search of those wasting water.
Meanwhile, the Santa Cruz Water Department, the largest in the county, still requires conservation. The department earlier this year declared a water emergency and forced mandatory conservation on 90,000 residents from Davenport to Capitola. Santa Cruz depends mainly on streams, the San
Lorenzo River and Loch Lomond Reservoir for its supply, which can dry up fast when the rain stops. Santa Cruz officials hoped to cut water use by a third.
Santa Cruz's strict conservation efforts, which include assigning customers two days per week to water, not allowing irrigation during the day and not allowing empty swimming pools to be filled, have resulted in a 1.5 million to 2 million gallon savings per day over last year. In 2008, customers consumed 11.5 million to 12 million gallons per day.
The efforts don't add up to a 33 percent cut, but Santa Cruz Water Department head Bill Kocher said he is satisfied with the roughly 15 percent savings the district is seeing.
Kocher credits an attitude shift among consumers who, after three years of drought, are replacing thirsty plants with water-tolerant varieties and taking other conservation recommendations to heart.
"I think some people have made conscious decisions," Kocher said. "It's worth congratulating and thanking our customers, who clearly are cutting back."
By contrast, Soquel Creek efforts were mostly voluntary. The more-than 49,000 Mid-County customers depend on underground aquifers that can take years to show the effects of a drought, and only needed to save 15 percent. Blatant water wasting, however -- like irrigating the sidewalk -- still is not allowed.
At Soquel Creek, Duncan said the district will be more aggressively searching for and citing water-wasters as it chases summer conservation goals.
At Seascape Beach Resort, one of Soquel Creek's biggest customers, general manager Jim Maggio said an irrigation system installed two years ago helps monitor moisture levels in the soil and plants via satellite and determines the best time for sprinklers to turn on and off over the resort's 25 landscaped acres.
As a result, Maggio said, water use is down more than 25 percent this year over last, and he expects a similar drop in this year's anticipated $100,000 water bill.
"You never over-irrigate the landscaped area," Maggio said. "We've had considerable water savings."#
Fresno studies water conservation plans
Fresno Bee-8/25/09
By Russell Clemings
Three months after forming a task force on water, the Fresno City Council will consider Thursday three water-conservation measures prompted by the drought.
Written by Council Member Andreas Borgeas, the measures:
-- Call for plans for reusing "graywater" -- waste water from washers, showers, bathtubs and other less-than-hazardous sources -- for landscape irrigation and limited indoor use.
-- Expand an existing rebate program for highly efficient home plumbing fixtures so businesses can qualify for the rebates, too. The program is funded at $22,000 in the fiscal year that started July 1.
-- Start a process leading to requirements for highly efficient fixtures in new construction in the downtown freeway triangle.
The council has previously called for changes in state and federal water policies, voting in July, for example, to back legal challenges to rules protecting two fish species from water project operations in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
The city also tightened its outdoor watering rules in April, banning all irrigation between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m.
But Borgeas said the city also should be "taking a good look into our backyard and seeing what we can do."
The measures have support from the Fresno Chamber of Commerce and the Building Industry Association "with one condition -- that they work with us on implementation," said Michael Prandini, the association's president and chief executive officer.
"We just don't want them to jump out too far in front" of what the association considers to be viable technologies, Prandini said.
Borgeas said the graywater measure is intended to give the city power to adopt tighter standards than those announced in July by the state Building Standards Commission.
Similarly, the downtown standards would complement recently adopted state standards. Water supplies downtown are considered a major limitation on higher-density development envisioned there.
The council's water task force, on which Borgeas serves, was formed in May but has not yet had a formal meeting because of more pressing council business like the city budget, followed by vacations in July and August.#
http://www.fresnobee.com/1072/story/1615760.html
Otay water board OKs 19.9 percent rate increase
San Diego Union-Tribune-8/25/09
By Anne Krueger
The Otay Water District board approved a rate increase of almost 20 percent yesterday, with possible additional rate increases for the next five years.
District officials say the price increase is necessary because the Metropolitan Water District, which supplies water to San Diego County through the County Water Authority, is raising its price by 19.7 percent next month. Other increases are projected for 2011 and beyond.
Otay's proposed 19.9 percent increase would raise a typical customer's bill from $52.54 to $62.27 per month.
Otay officials are predicting a 19.9 percent rate increase each year for the next two years, plus a 7 percent increase each year for the following four years. That doesn't include any projected cost increases to Otay from the County Water Authority, which the district will be passing on to its customers.
The Otay Water District serves more than 191,000 residents in southern El Cajon, La Mesa, Rancho San Diego, Jamul, Spring Valley, Bonita, eastern Chula Vista, Eastlake and Otay Mesa.#
http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/2009/aug/25/otay-water-board-oks-199-percent-rate-increase/
Keep water on hand in case of a disaster
Eureka Times-Standard-8/26/09
By Colleen Ogle
No matter where people live, there is the possibility of some kind of natural disaster. Because of our coastal location, we are at risk for tsunamis. We battle inland wildfires during the summer. And, anyone who was here in April 1992 remembers the chaos of the three large earthquakes.
No one knows Mother Nature's agenda, so it's good to be prepared for disaster as much as possible. This includes creating a family disaster plan and keeping supplies set aside for an unexpected event. When planning for something unforeseen, it doesn't hurt to overplan a bit. The incident may be mild, but at least you'll be ready.
Other than immediate safety and shelter, it is important to have a safe water supply. The common recommendation is to have enough water on hand to last at least three days, but because of our geography, having enough water for at least a week may be advisable. Even if the food supply dwindles, the body can still function surprisingly well with adequate water.
With normal activity, adults need to drink roughly two quarts of water a day. Children, nursing mothers and someone who is ill will require more. If activity is high and the weather is warm, more water will also be needed. Allow water for personal cleanliness and cooking, too. Storing a gallon of water per day per family member is a good place to start. Be sure to remember your pets; they need to have their own water supply as well.
It's easy to think that by living in city limits, access to water won't be a problem. However, even the city water supply is at risk after a large earthquake. Water purification tablets, available at most drug stores, can be kept on hand for emergency use, and there are other options.
Store-bought bottled water in one- or two-gallon containers can be stored for short periods (they are not designed for long-term storage -- they may leak after about six months).
One- and five-gallon sealable containers from camping or survival stores can be used. Be sure to treat the water that you are storing if it is not already treated commercially by a water utility like city water. Use household bleach that is between 5 percent and 6 percent chlorine and free from perfumes or dyes. Use eight drops of bleach per gallon of water.
Another option is purchasing a filled and sealed five-gallon water bottle from a private water company, if you have a way to move it around. Water companies claim that the water stored in their containers is good for up to five years if they remain factory sealed and stored in a cool, dark location.
Be careful not to store any plastic water container directly on concrete, as the concrete can cause damage to the plastic.#
http://www.times-standard.com/ci_13206029?IADID=Search-www.times-standard.com-www.times-standard.com
Shortage is new normal
San Bernardino County Sun-8/25/09
Editorial
'Drought" sounds so temporary - and there's nothing temporary about the decreasing availability of water in Southern California.
As such, we need a new word - and a new attitude - to deal with this region's new reality: water shortage is the new normal, and it's time to adjust accordingly.
State leaders have begun hearings on legislation to resolve California's water crisis. Solutions could include building a canal to carry water around the ecologically fragile Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and mandates that Californians reduce water consumption.
Balancing the water claims of farmers, fishermen, environmentalists, households and industrial users is about as easy as negotiating a Middle East peace agreement. Yet, this difficult compromise must be reached.
The status quo is unacceptable.
The situation in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta has only worsened in the last few years and the effects have been felt down the state. After a judge halted much of the water pumping from the delta to protect the tiny Delta smelt fish, some farmers in the San Joaquin Valley had to fallow fields for lack of water and communities in Southern California have imposed water-use restrictions.
Meanwhile, the environmental damage to the delta is also blamed for shutting down commercial salmon fishing.
Meteorologists are once again expecting a dry year ahead - the fifth in a row. And some long-range forecasters suggest global warming will reduce the
Sierra snowpack that provides much of Southern California's water supply.
While Sacramento attempts to reach a statewide resolution to the water shortage, we urge legislators and local leaders to focus on permanent solutions. Leaders should move beyond temporary measures - such as prohibitions on lawn watering - and enact regulations and price signals that make water conservation a way of life in California.
There are new technologies to help - recycling, capturing stormwater for reuse and graywater systems can all help maximize every drop of water.
Southern Californians have shown a great willingness to make temporary adjustments to get through the current drought; some cities have reported more than 10 percent drop in water use.
But adapting to a dehydrated future will require more substantial lifestyle changes and investments - in landscaping, home appliances, community design and water-saving technology. And cities and states need to move quicker on adopting and encouraging creative water usage - and reusage.
The first step is to retire the word "drought." The sooner California stops treating the water shortage as a temporary situation, the sooner California will be come up with the solutions needed to keep hydrated.#
http://www.sbsun.com/search/ci_13202863?IADID=Search-www.sbsun.com-www.sbsun.com
Kenya's rural drought hurts city dwellers
Oakland Tribune-8/26/09
By Tom Odula (Associated Press)
Crops have shriveled, hundreds of cattle are dead and the World Food Program said 3.8 million Kenyans need emergency food aid because of a prolonged drought, which is even causing electrical blackouts in the capital.
With rivers thinning to a trickle and mountaintop glaciers shrinking, there's not enough water to fully run hydroelectric plants. Authorities this month began rationing power in the capital, darkening homes and businesses at least three days a week.
In Nairobi's posh, leafy neighborhoods, light bulbs flicker as generators rumble to life. Gym treadmills in luxury hotels jolt to a halt.
The slums, where roughly half the capital's 4 million residents live, are being hit the worst. Taps have run dry and residents often wait for days for trucks to deliver expensive potable water.
Business owners say they're losing money, harming Kenya's rebound from the violent aftermath of a 2007 presidential election that eviscerated the economy and killed more than 1,000 people.
In Nairobi's Kosovo slum, hotel manager Irungu wa Kogi said he's already laid off two waiters. Before the power cuts, the main attraction at his small, tin-roofed hotel was a television. Now the television—and the restaurant—are silent.
"A lot of young men are becoming unemployed and they can't provide for their families," he said. "Crime will definitely go up."
Prime Minister Raila Odinga this month warned of a "catastrophe" if seasonal rains don't come in October ad November, expressing fear that inter-clan violence could ensue. Kenya's grain harvest is expected to be 28 percent lower. Food prices have jumped by as much as 130 percent.
In Nairobi's sprawling Kibera slum, tailor Joseph Owino, 40, said he expects that power cuts and customer's financial problems will slash his income this month by some 80 percent, to less than US$12 (euro8.38). He and his six children now eat a meager breakfast of maize meal and black tea and skip lunch.
"We buy hoofs which have been thrown away and cook them with vegetables so that it has a meaty taste," he said. "Don't even ask me the last time I drank a soda."
In the parched countryside, its even worse. In many places, the air stinks of rotting cattle carcasses.
Peruan Lesakut, a Maasai herdsman, said he had 120 cattle in July but now has only 56, all emaciated.
"I cannot sell my animals," he said. "I will stay here until they all die."
Eunice Wairimu's maize, bean and potato harvests on her small farm in Laikipia, 125 miles (200 kilometers) north of Nairobi, have failed for the past three years. The 45-year-old relies on handouts from the U.N.'s World Food Program.
"I can't say the last time I used sugar or ate meat," she said in her one-room home.
Wangari Maathai, a Kenyan environmentalist, told The Associated Press she is worried about Kenya's future.
"We see carcasses of animals everywhere," said Maathai, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004 for her work in conservation, women's rights and clean government. "You could easily see carcasses of people everywhere."
The WFP has called for US$230 million (euro160.58 million) in donations to feed hungry Kenyans.
"Life has never been easy for the poor in Kenya, but right now conditions are more desperate than they have been for a decade," said Burkard Oberle, WFP's Kenya Country Director, on Tuesday.
WFP already is providing emergency food aid to some 2.5 million Kenyans, but another 1.3 million still need help, said spokeswoman Gabrielle Menezes.#
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment