Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
August 3, 2009
4. Water Quality –
State commits $800,000 to cleanup;
Officials: New River cleansing key to
The Desert Sun
Water pollution info offered online
Union Tribune
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State commits $800,000 to cleanup;
Officials: New River cleansing key to
The Desert Sun – 8/2/09
By Erica Felci
It's widely considered one of the most polluted waterways in
Now the New River, which flows from
Advocates hope the cleanup effort will eliminate a multitude of public health threats associated with the river, and predict it could provide an economic boost to the region by attracting development.
While the money that's been set aside is a small portion of what will ultimately be needed to reverse years of neglect, supporters have expressed hope that it is getting the ball rolling on what is a key component to the revitalization of the dying
And longtime residents say they'll take any help they can get to tackle a public health threat that's affecting everyday life.
“That
“This is the filthiest river in the
“You can't get near it.”
Components of the state's plan now under way:
The allocation, which did not come from the strapped general fund, was required to start spending $4 million the federal government appropriated in 2005 but was never used because locals failed to come up with the required match.
California Environmental Protection Agency Secretary Linda Adams plans to be in Calexico Tuesday and Wednesday to get a firsthand look at the problems there.
The California-Mexico Border Relations Council in coming weeks will host a public hearing in
Assemblyman V. Manuel Pérez, a Coachella Democrat who secured the state funding and is organizing the coming visits, has authored a bill giving the border council authority to coordinate a restoration plan with locals and oversee the necessary environmental studies.
“There seems to be support for this issue now,” Pérez said. “This has major implications, not just for the New River or
'Ongoing struggle'
The New River originates about 15 miles south of the city of
Once it crosses the border, it travels about 60 miles through Calexico, Brawley and
According to the California Regional Water Quality Control Board for the
In a historical overview of the river's problems, the control board's executive director wrote “it would not seem an exaggeration to refer to the New River as the most severely polluted river of its size within the
It wasn't until the mid-1980s that officials from
Those familiar with the
It's located in a rural, distant area of the state that's had little political sway.
And because the waterway crosses international borders, a massive restoration could be complicated to coordinate.
Pérez, who recalls as a child his grandmother discussing the river's pollution problem, describes it as “an ongoing struggle for many, many years.”
And that's had an impact: Pérez also noted that there's an economic development zone around Calexico but builders “will never develop in that area until the river is cleaned up.”
“It's the most polluted river in the nation and we haven't done anything,” he said.
“If this was flowing through
Complex solution
California Rep. Bob Filner, the San Diego Democrat who represents the
Filner told The Desert Sun he's secured money for other projects in the region before, but, because the local match was never secured, the money had to be re-appropriated for another area.
“In general, poor areas are harder to generate funding for,” said Filner, who along with Rep. Mary Bono Mack, R-Palm Springs, sent a letter to the governor urging him to include the state's match in last week's budget package.
In addition to the state efforts, Filner is working on a public-private partnership he hopes will lead to the river's restoration. “I'm determined that we do clean it up,” he said. “This has to be a partnership at all levels of government. It takes all of us working.”
The issue is further complicated because a restoration plan — which has included discussion of enclosing it as well as treating it — has yet to be put on paper, making it a tough sell.
“We don't have open sewers in the United States; the right solution for treating the New River is going to be more complex than just encasing it,” said John McCaull, the attorney representing the Calexico New River Committee.
McCaull has been with the agency since 2004.
He said the agency asked “every possible entity” about securing a match for Filner's federal money, but because there was no consensus to the “basic approach” for restoration “we just couldn't get it.”
The deadline for the federal funding was going to expire in September.
“There is an equal standard that everyone in
“Just because it's down in a far away place doesn't mean it should be forgotten.”
Additional Facts
Did you know?
The New River's pollution comes from the waste of manufacturing plants operating in
Until treatment plants were constructed in
Source: Calexico New River Committee and
Water pollution info offered online
Union Tribune – 8/2/09
By Union-Tribune staff
The California Water Quality Monitoring Council has unveiled the first of several Internet portals about water pollution in
Title “Is It Safe to Swim in Our Waters?” – it includes interactive maps and data about pollutants in coastal ocean areas, lakes and streams statewide.
In 2006, the Legislature mandated that organizations in and outside of state government coordinate their water-quality activities and post their findings online.
Upcoming Web portals will deal with issues such as the safety of eating sportfish, the quality of groundwater and the ecological health of waterways.
For more information, go to www.waterboards.ca.gov and click on the “Water Quality” button. #
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