A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
December 3, 2007
2. Supply
CLIMATE ISSUES:
How does climate change affect valley? -
WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS:
What will La Niña bring? Flip a coin; Weather system's effects on winter Valley rainfall have been varied, unpredictable - Fresno Bee
Rainy Season Off To Slow Start; Many Areas Of Sierra Have No Snow Yet - KCRA Channel 3 (Sacramento
SHASTA LEVELS:
Paltry rainfall fails to replenish Lake Shasta - Redding Record Searchlight
Rains don't satisfy need; Water rationing still a possibility - Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Editorial: Keep efforts flowing -
WATER BANKING:
Water needs put AV at brokers' mercy; Allocations from California Aqueduct cut back severely - Antelope Valley Press
WATER SUPPLY PLANNING:
Water use study begins in January; Vineyards, dairies -- largest consumers of well water -- agree to participate in county plan to monitor ground-water use -
WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES:
Privies to get more efficient; Are you sitting down? Consider this: During your life, you likely will flush a toilet 140,000 times. A new law aims to start saving water each time you do - Sacramento Bee
Guest Column:
Editorial: Water woes trickle down to west-side school coffers -
FARMER WORKSHOPS SET TO PLAN FOR DROUGHT - News Release: Agricultural Water Management Council
CLIMATE ISSUES:
How does climate change affect valley?
By Martha Conklin and Lara Kueppers, staff writer
In the face of global climate change, one important role for science is to investigate the areas in which society is vulnerable to climate warming and to help guide efforts to adapt to changes.
What resources might be threatened and how? At the
A significant fraction of
The foundation for this research is a new generation of measurements to get a quantitative understanding of snow distribution, snowmelt, soil moisture, water use by plants and processes that determine the timing and magnitude of streamflow. Strong academic- applications partnerships, some of which are in place and others still developing, are the key to making this research possible and assuring that results are useful to decision-makers in the state.
In addition to the global effects of our carbon emissions, human activities affect the climate on a regional scale. For instance, we have found that in the
When watered, farmland acts like a giant swamp cooler. Future land-use changes that replace fields with housing and businesses could turn down the air conditioner and make us more vulnerable to the warming climate.
Species and ecosystems in the high mountains are especially vulnerable to climate change, driven by the effects of higher temperatures on the water cycle and plant growth. How mountain plant species, such as alpine wildflowers and pine trees, respond to higher temperatures and drier summers is not well-known. It all depends on how climate warming will affect ecosystem interactions, not just plant species in isolation.
Already, animals that make their homes on mountaintops, such as the rabbitlike pika, are in danger of extinction. These habitats and species bring millions of tourists to the Sierra each year. We are striving to learn more about these sensitive ecosystems to improve their chances of weathering the changes ahead.
Research has shown that increased risk of wildfire in mountain forests is linked to climate warming. Earlier and warmer springs lead to a longer fire season and more dry vegetation that is vulnerable to frequent, large wildfires. Recent surges in wildfires can be explained in part by fire suppression and land-use changes, but climate warming has driven much of the increase.
Forests in
Mountain wildfire threatens tourism, timber and public disaster response resources. It is an area where we must adapt our systems to the reality of climate change. Research that integrates across forest health, wildlife, water and human concerns is helping to provide the knowledge base for adaptation.
Individual, day-to-day changes to reduce emissions and slow climate warming are vital. But climate warming is already under way, thanks to past choices. Research efforts such as these can help draw attention to areas where we must proactively adapt lifestyles, economies and resource management to be better stewards of our resources today and into a warmer future. #
http://www.modbee.com/opinion/community/story/140594.html
WINTER WEATHER CONDITIONS:
What will La Niña bring? Flip a coin; Weather system's effects on winter Valley rainfall have been varied, unpredictable
By Mark Grossi, staff writer
A cool-water phenomenon in the Pacific Ocean may help turn a dry autumn into a drought winter in the
Fewer storms may come to Central and Southern California this winter because of a weather-altering La Niña in the ocean near
With reservoirs already dipping after last winter's meager wet season, drought concerns are rippling through the Valley, the state's premier farming region.
But meteorologists say it might be too early to worry, adding that La Niña does not necessarily mean a dramatically dry season for the Valley.
The global weather force is fickle and hard to predict in this area.
"More than half of the La Niña years are near normal for precipitation here," said meteorologist Chris Stachelski of the National Weather Service's office in
Indeed, some of the 19 La Niña years since 1950 have brought rainfall well above normal.
In 1955, for instance,
But the dry seasons were memorable, too. In the mid-1970s, La Niña had a hand in an intense drought when
The Weather Service's immediate forecast doesn't offer much comfort: there is a slight chance of rain late this week.
Only 0.09 of an inch fell in
The city has recorded 0.39 of an inch since July 1, the start of the precipitation year. That is 24% of average for this time of year.
But it's not nervous time yet, said meteorologist Jan Null, who runs a private consulting firm called Golden Gate Weather Services in the Bay Area.
"The wet season really doesn't get rolling until mid-December," he said.
Still, he and other meteorologists are not going too far out on a limb to forecast the Valley's winter. This region is a bit of a void for La Niña-related predictions.
It's a lot easier to predict that storms will head toward Northern California and the Pacific Northwest while the moisture will mostly miss Southern California, southern Nevada and Arizona.
Sometimes, the Valley gets a piece of the northern storms; sometimes, it gets the dry weather of
"The deck is stacked for a dry winter in
This discussion takes place every two to five years. That's about how often La Niña, Spanish for "the girl," appears in the Pacific. It is a blob of cool water spreading thousands of miles from the coast of
It is the flip side of warm-water El Niño, which means "the boy" or "the Christ Child," often appearing around Christmas.
El Niño's ocean warming is linked with a higher chance for a wet winter in
La Niña and El Niño are considered weather titans. They alter storm incubation in the Pacific as well as influence flooding and droughts all over the planet. Scientists have studied them for years, and still there is much to learn.
La Niña results when winds increase across the equator and blow surface ocean water away from
The cooler air and water hamper formation of rain-producing clouds, affect the high-altitude jet stream and allow high-pressure ridges to bounce storms away from Central and
The cooler the water gets, the more intense the phenomenon's effects. This year, La Niña's ocean temperatures are moderate.
There have been five moderate La Niñas since 1950, and two contributed to significantly dry seasons in
Both of the dry years -- 1967-68 and 1984-85 -- were less than 75% of average for
Said Stachelski of the Weather Service: "We're just on the fringe of the drier-than-normal predictions. That makes longer-term forecasting very difficult." #
http://www.fresnobee.com/263/story/239094.html
Rainy Season Off To Slow Start; Many Areas Of Sierra Have No Snow Yet
KCRA Channel 3 (
Don Stickland, spokesman for the state Department of Water Resources, said if this winter is as dry as last winter, then the state may be looking at conservation measures.
But officials point out that precipitation amounts in November are rarely indicators of how wet a winter will turn out. They said they will have a much better idea in about a month when the first snow survey takes place.
This week, the state put
Dave Kranz of the California Farm Bureau said farmers on the west side of the
Voluntary water use cutbacks are already being called for in
But the situation is dramatic in the
The level of the lake where the town gets its water is only five feet above the intake. Officials said that without rain or additional conservation, taps in the town may run dry in February.
Water levels at Folsom Lake,
KCRA 3 Chief Meteorologist Mark Finan said
In the northern and central Sierra, the snowpack is listed at zero percent of normal to date. In the southern Sierra, the snowpack is 8 percent of normal.
Last year at this time, the Sierra snowpack was anywhere from 21 percent to 50 percent of normal for that time of year. #
http://www.my58.com/weather/14742381/detail.html
SHASTA LEVELS:
Paltry rainfall fails to replenish Lake Shasta
Redding Record Searchlight – 12/1/07
By Dylan Darling, staff writer
With the rainy season seemingly on hold,
"It's going to keep going down until we get some substantial rain," said Sheri Harral, spokeswoman for the Northern California Area Office of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
The water Friday was more than 126 feet below the high-water mark at Shasta Dam, the lowest it's been in 15 years.
A dry winter and spring left the lake with a low pool that continued to drop throughout the summer, prompting marinas to move docks and the Shasta County Sheriff's Office to implement boating restrictions. Officials said they expected the lake to start rebounding with an influx of water at the end of October on through November.
Despite some rain in October, the big rainstorms needed to refill the lake haven't come yet, Harral said.
Even with flows from Shasta Dam being cut close to the minimum outflow of 4,000 cubic feet per second, the lake is dropping almost two inches per dry day.
Rain is in the forecast starting Sunday and lasting, off and on, through early next week. But the lake will need a whole series of storms to lift water levels again, Harral said.
The lake's all-time minimum level is 230 feet below the crest, set in 1977 during a severe drought. #
http://www.redding.com/news/2007/dec/01/paltry-rainfall-fails-to-replenish-lake-shasta/
Rains don't satisfy need; Water rationing still a possibility
By William Bighma, staff writer
Though the rain the past couple of days provided a welcome respite from record dry conditions, local water officials say an extended rainy period is needed to avoid rationing policies and potential rate hikes.
"One day of rainfall, we're happy to see it. But we're not getting too excited about it," said Kirk Howie, assistant general manager at Claremont-based Three Valleys Municipal Water District. "We need to have this consistently during the winter season to have an impact."
If dry conditions resume, rationing policies - such as limits on landscape watering - could be implemented in the
And if water continues to be scarce from both local and imported sources, price figures on water bills could rise as well.
About 2 inches were expected to fall locally by the end of rainstorms Saturday, said Philip Gonsalves, forecaster for the National Weather Service.
The rainstorm's total is by far the highest in this year's dry season. More rain is needed, though water officials can't quantify how much, said Bob Muir, spokesman for the Metropolitan Water District.
"It's not as though we can point to one number, and say that would be the answer to our water-supply issues in 2008," Muir said.
"We need what's happened in
As drought conditions have worsened, many local water agencies have called for voluntary conservation and have offered rebates to those who switch to water-friendly appliances.
Very few cities have instituted rationing policies, but if dry conditions continue, more will follow suit.
The MWD, which imports water from Northern California and the Colorado River for use in
If the agency delivers less water to its subsidiaries across the region, it may mandate reduced water consumption. If that happens, rationing policies will likely follow.
For that to be avoided, "It would have to probably be a better than average year in rainfall in
Rationing policies, if they are implemented, would have a greater impact on water customers than rate hikes, which will likely be muted, said Tom Love, executive manager of engineering for the Inland Empire Utilities Agency.
"Rates might need to go up a little bit because of the water shortage, but not a large amount," Love said. "Because most, if not all, water agencies have a rate-stabilization fund.
"In years when they do sell a lot of water, they put some of that money aside for down years," Love said. "So if it's a water shortage that lasts for one or two years, they won't have to make a big adjustment to their rates." #
http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_7613683
Editorial: Keep efforts flowing
LET'S hear it for the rains of Friday and Saturday!
Mother Nature, take a bow.
(Belated applause).
Finally, the high pressure gave way to the rainy weather system from the north, splashing Southern California (including
But wait, what will this do for the drought? Does it mean one more storm in the Southland and we can all go back to overwatering our lawns and brushing our teeth with the faucet running? Not!
Conservation is what put Southern California in a much better position for handling the current drought than we were during the last six-year-drought of 1987-1992, that according to the Metropolitan Water District and its chairman, Pasadena's Timothy Brick.
It's true.
Now - or ever - is not the time to abandon conservation efforts. That means homeowners planting more xeriscapes and using drip irrigation systems or systems they can "pause" before, during and after a storm. That means homeowners buying more low-flush toilets and water-stingy washing machines and dishwashers. And then running them only when full. Conservation should be a way of life.
After 1992's "March Miracle" the water engineers were saying the huge storms that broke that drought cycle weren't enough.
That the rain was falling mainly on the plain - i.e. here in
That was then. Now, there's more storage and more water saving.
We give the water folks credit. They've built-in more water conservation by flooding the market with low-flow toilets and low-flow showers. Free giveaways are a steady option at the Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District. In the last 15 years, Metropolitan and others have invested in some extensive water storage systems, both above and under ground. This has increased water storage here in
In addition to that new reservoir, the San Gabriel Valley and Whittier Narrows' underground basins are getting cleaned up, albeit slowly. That means, more local water can be stored underground and less water is imported from Northern California or the
While it's a way better water storage picture, things can still improve.
Better water collection systems, combined with more water conservation and water recycling are what will sustain life in our region. And oh yeah, occasional gifts from Mother Nature. #
WATER BANKING:
Water needs put AV at brokers' mercy; Allocations from
By Alisha Semchuck, staff writer
"After facing some of the most significant obstacles in terms of California's water supply and delivery system in 2007, this low initial allocation makes it all the more apparent that we will continue to face unprecedented challenges in the upcoming year," said Laura King Moon, assistant general manager of the State Water Contractors Association.
"There are many uncontrollable factors, such as drought, that affect water supply reliability, but there are many factors we can control, such as upgrading and maintaining our statewide infrastructure," King Moon said. "Unless we make necessary improvements to our state's crumbling water delivery system, in coming years we will only face increased risks."
In years when rain is abundant, the Department of Water Resources has granted as much as 100% of a contractor's entitlement.
For PWD that equates to 21,300 acre-feet. An acre-foot equals 325,851 gallons, the amount used by an average single-family household in a year.
The 25% allocation means Palmdale Water District will get 5,325 acre-feet, said Greg Dluzak, production manager for the district.
AVEK, a water wholesaler that supplies other water districts such as the Los Angeles County Waterworks District 40, is entitled to 141,400 acre-feet of water each year at 100% allocation, said Mike Flood, the agency engineer. At 25%, the agency only will receive 35,350 acre-feet of water, he said.
AVEK normally uses about 50% of its entitlement, on average 70,000 acre-feet, to supply its municipal, industrial and agricultural customers. So, Flood said, they all will be cut back by 50%.
The 25% allocation, compared to the 60% allocated in 2007, "is the lowest initial allocation since 2003 due to this year's continuing dry conditions," stated a news release from Ann Newton, a spokeswoman for the State Water Contractors Association. For 2003, the DWR initially allocated 20% of the State Water Contractors' entitlement.
That allocation, along with growing impacts of the state's failing water delivery system, court-ordered cutbacks in water deliveries, a struggling ecosystem in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and climate change result in greater challenges for
"One of the most daunting problems confronting our state today is the growing uncertainty of our water system," said Timothy Quinn, executive director of the Association of California Water Agencies. "This forecast is indicative of the widespread challenges we face in delivering a reliable supply of water to cities, farms, businesses and ecosystems."
Quinn said the association has been conducting a statewide education program to raise awareness among Californians about the critical water challenges since September.
The topic on Tuesday at an association conference in Indian Wells focused on the State of the State Water Project.
"They talked about the fact there's a 25% allocation," said Palmdale Water District Director Gordon Dexter, an operations team manager for Metropolitan Water Districts of
The allocation "typically starts low and goes up as the winter progresses," Dexter said. "But, the feeling (among) water purveyors at the ACWA conference, this won't be a typical year."
PWD Director Raul Figueroa called the allocation announcement "very disappointing. That tells us we have a big job ahead.
The general manager and staff have a huge task ahead of them. But they are looking out for our customers.
"We have to continue looking for places to supplement the water supply," Figueroa said.
"We knew it was going to be a tight year," Dluzak said. "We are pursuing at least three other avenues to get water."
Palmdale Water District board members recently approved an agreement through the State Water Contractors Association to participate in a supplemental dry-year water transfer program that could yield PWD as much as 10,000 acre-feet of water from rice farmers north of the delta. PWD paid an initial $150,000 as a down payment to firm the deal. The actual cost of water could be at least $160 per acre-foot.
"What Palmdale has done is an insurance policy," Flood said. "They (gave) a down payment. I think a bunch of our customers will want to do the same."
Because only state water contractors are eligible to enter into the agreement, Flood said AVEK would act on behalf of its customers, which include Quartz Hill Water District and Los Angeles County Waterworks District 40.
"They can't buy (rice farmers' water) directly, but they can buy it indirectly through us," Flood said. "I believe they are looking at doing that. I'm sure the county will."
"If some of the less expensive water can't make it across the delta," Flood said "a lot of suppliers will turn to the San Joaquin water banks, or farmers and others south of the delta who have access to water and are willing to sell it, possibly at a premium.
We always thought south of the delta water would be three to four times as costly as the water north of the delta."
Dluzak, Dexter and Figueora agreed a lot of posturing will take place, with suppliers scrambling to find water sources to meet their customers' demands.
But will wheeling and dealing really occur?
"Oh yeah," Dluzak said. "The negotiation that goes on is so dynamic. It depends on who the players are. It's supply and demand."
"Every entity is going to try and do what they can for their customers," Figueora said. "That's the obligation.
"A lot of suppliers (will be) going for those same sources," Figueroa said. "The water banks do have the upper hand. We'll see if they sell to the highest bidder, or what. They have the product that's in demand."
Dexter said agencies and districts that already have their own water banks will rely on those supplies.
However, Palmdale Water District will have to count on another transfer deal. In the summer, the water district negotiated with West Kern Water District for roughly 6,000 acre-feet of water to meet customers' needs through the end of 2007.
Now, Dexter said, transfer deals will become "highly competitive."
He said Metropolitan Water Districts "put out a press release a couple of weeks ago" announcing they were looking to purchase additional water supplies.
"Met's the biggest water supplier in the state," Dexter said, adding the agency is also the state water contractor with the largest entitlement from the State Water Project. "Met is so large and involved in the water industry that what Met is willing to pay for water kind of sets the going rate. The small guys have to be willing to pay more than that to beat out Met on a deal."
"The overall message," Flood said, "we're sure we're going to have water. We're just not sure what it's going to cost."
Figueroa emphasized that the water shortage is not just in the
Flood concurred: "
While 25% was the initial projection from DWR, the situation gets reviewed and reassessed on a month-by-month basis depending on winter rainfall and snow. So that 25% projection "can go up," Flood said. "It can also go down. But it's our feeling that the 25% is probably going to be a minimum."
The final word from DWR will come in April or May, Dluzak said.
In the meantime, the water officials stressed the importance of continued water conservation measures. If the situation grows worse, mandatory water rationing would probably take effect.
"It would be great if, by some miracle, it just started pouring and snowfall would start accumulating," Figueroa said. "Pray for rain." #
http://www.avpress.com/n/28/1128_s4.hts
WATER SUPPLY PLANNING:
Water use study begins in January; Vineyards, dairies -- largest consumers of well water -- agree to participate in county plan to monitor ground-water use
Santa Rosa Press Democrat – 12/3/07
By Bleys W. Rose, staff writer
A disputed monitoring plan for ground-water usage in the
Operations such as vineyards and dairies account for about 70 percent of the valley's use of ground water, so including them in the monitoring program was crucial to efforts aimed at reducing demand and ensuring water quality.
"Without ag, this wouldn't work," said Bob Anderson, executive director of the United Winegrowers for
Ground-water monitoring has been a contentious issue in recent years, evidenced by an especially prickly debate over 2020 General Plan proposals to monitor usage of well water. Environmentalists say ground-water sources are being depleted and contaminated, while property rights advocates staunchly defend their land and water rights against government regulation.
Proponents of a ground-water management plan for an area that spreads from Kenwood to
County supervisors recently approved establishing a ground-water management plan for the
Jay Jasperse, the Water Agency's chief deputy engineer, said the monitoring plan will cobble together measurements taken at about 50 existing wells.
"A ground-water management plan will allow us to expand monitoring, with our goal being roughly 75 to 80 wells that will provide the data for scientific monitoring of the basin," Jasperse said.
Supervisor Valerie Brown, who represents the
A couple of months later, the Sonoma County Water Agency convened a 20-member Basin Advisory Panel with members representing "stakeholders" such as agriculture and business interests, citizen and environmental groups, well owners and representatives of the Valley of the Moon Water District and city of Sonoma. During 13 meetings, the panel developed monitoring protocols and debated the technical aspects of ground-water measurement.
"We had our own ideas and concerns, and we were less than certain that they would be respected or understood," said Vicky Mulas of Schellville's dairy ranching family. "If we could do this, then the ground-water problem in
Much of the impetus behind ground-water management stemmed from a joint Water Agency and U.S. Geological Survey study that had determined there was a decline in ground-water levels in different areas of the valley. Overall, the study found demand had increased from 6,000 to 8,500 acre-feet annually between 1974 and 2000 while there was a 17,300 acre-foot decrease in storage.
Similar studies in the
Jane Nielson of the Sebastopol Water Information Group said she attended about half the basin panel's sessions as an observer because "eventually, this is an issue that is going to reach the Santa Rosa Plain and beyond."
"This was a group of people that was pretty divided according to where they came from," Nelson said. "Each community really got educated about water."
Schellville vintner Tito Sasaki, representing the North Bay Agricultural Alliance, a group of ranchers and landowners dedicated to farming and property rights, said, "In the big picture, we wholeheartedly support ground-water sustainability. (The plan) does this without putting the brakes on our economic progress." #
http://www1.pressdemocrat.com/article/20071203/NEWS/712030302/1033/NEWS01
WATER CONSERVATION MEASURES:
Privies to get more efficient; Are you sitting down? Consider this: During your life, you likely will flush a toilet 140,000 times. A new law aims to start saving water each time you do
Sacramento
By E.J. Schultz, staff writer
In your lifetime, you likely will flush the toilet 140,000 times, according to government estimates.
A new state law seeks to make each flush a little more efficient, saving
The legislation did not get much attention when it was signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last month, but its implications will trickle down to new home builders and buyers in the next several years.
By 2014, all toilets installed in most new buildings and homes will have to use no more than 1.28 gallons of water per flush, down from the current 1.6-gallon standard. The standard for urinals will change from 1 gallon to a half-gallon.
The regulations will phase in beginning in 2010, when half of all toilets sold in the state must be high-efficiency models.
"The last generation of toilet efficiency has produced immense savings across the state, and this is the next generation," said Assemblyman John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, who wrote the bill.
The law comes as
Scientists predict the situation could worsen if climate change attributed to global warming reduces the mountain snowmelt that the state relies on to fill reservoirs.
The toilet savings will not be enormous; 8 billion gallons is less than one-sixth of the annual water use in
At first, those new toilets lacked power, prompting complaints from consumers.
Manufacturers went back to the drawing board. And now most everyone agrees that 1.6-gallon toilets – as well as the 1.28-gallon "high-efficiency toilets" – are just as good as older toilets.
The newest toilets send water to the bowl at faster speeds, allowing for a forceful flush with less water.
Wathen-Castanos, one of
"There's just more education going on about green building and energy efficiency," she said.
Consumers aren't likely to pay more for a high-efficiency toilet, because prices are based on style rather than flushing action, according to toilet maker American Standard.
The company's "FloWise" high-efficiency toilet lists for $359. As proof of the toilet's power, American Standard features a video on its Web site of the toilet easily flushing down golf balls, wads of paper towels and other items.
Laird's legislation faced minimal industry opposition.
The state plumbers association – which fought previous attempts to tighten toilet standards – supports the new flush limit and plans to spread the word about high-efficiency models.
"We've just done a complete 180 in where we were a year and a half ago," said Stephen Lehtonen, executive vice president of the Plumbing-Heating-Cooling Contractors of California.
Lehtonen credits his conversion to a recent trip to rain-starved
Upon his return, Lehtonen helped launch a similar program in
"It's time that plumbers got involved in being conscious of the environment," he said.
Homeowners who install high-efficiency toilets are not likely to see a significant drop in their water bills. But if enough residents install them, it could free capacity at municipal wastewater treatment plants. That could stave off costly expansions that eventually would lead to rate increases, said Lon Martin, who oversees the city of
Many homes still are using 3- and 5-gallon toilets, Martin said. #
http://www.sacbee.com/111/story/535991.html
Guest Column:
Santa Clarita Signal – 12/2/07
By William Pecsi, President of the Castaic Lake Water Agency Board of Directors
It's pretty simple, isn't it? You turn the knob, and water comes out. Turn the knob on the right side of the faucet, and you get cold water. Turn the knob on the left, hot water. It works whether you're taking a shower, doing the dishes or just getting a cold drink.
Every time. Like clockwork. Turn the knob, get water. Never fails.
Simple?
Not really.
Will it always be that way?
Good question. Especially now. Especially in
We're fortunate here in the Santa Clarita Valley: We don't have to turn the knob only to discover ... nothing. But that doesn’t mean it's a simple process to make sure your tap never runs dry. On the contrary, securing and delivering a reliable supply of quality water is a complex proposition fraught with its own unique environmental, political and technical challenges, even in the best of times.
Here at the Castaic Lake Water Agency, we have been planning ahead, securing water supplies that not only meet the "normal" demands of our customers (that's you), but also help us weather the storm - or, lack of one - when our region is hit with an extended dry spell, as it is enduring now.
Like the rest of
However, the relative calm over the water situation here in the Santa Clarita Valley belies the bigger problem for our state as a whole, and it's important that all of us not only recognize the dire nature of the bigger picture, but also do our part to help improve it.
The Association of California Water Agencies is in the midst of a crucial public outreach campaign to increase awareness among all Californians about the statewide water crisis.
As the association puts it, this is a crisis we can't ignore.
"Despite intense media attention and focus by the governor and legislators, the public is largely unaware of the state's water problems," the water agency association says on its new public-awareness Web site, www.calwatercrisis.org.
For the first time in
There are multiple factors in this crisis: an ongoing drought, climate change, aging infrastructure, continued population growth, and environmental issues such as the debate over how best to manage the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
The delta has made many headlines statewide over the past few months, as a U.S. District Court judge has ordered a dramatic reduction in the amount of water being pumped from the delta while the federal government sorts out ways to protect an endangered fish, the delta smelt.
It's potentially the largest manmade water supply reduction in
Yet the general public seems largely unaware of the urgent nature of the crisis.
The Association of California Water Agencies is seeking to change that, with a public outreach effort that includes not only the Web site calwatercrisis.org, but also a series of print and broadcast public-service announcements that bring the crisis home to Californians.
If you were to ask yourself, "What can I do about it?" the odds are the first thing that would come to mind would be conservation.
That's a good place to start, and you can find some valuable conservation tips at clwa.org.
From a local perspective, anything we can do to conserve this precious resource not only helps improve the "big picture" of water supply and demand, but also improves our ability on a local level to continue delivering water reliably for a lengthier period of time, even as the crisis continues.
Unfortunately, however, just reducing our usage isn't enough. As the water agency association says, "We cannot conserve our way out of this crisis."
While conservation is of paramount importance, it alone will not solve the problems facing our water supply.
How will the delta smelt affect the ability of the State Water Project and Central Valley Project to pump delta water for delivery to millions of Californians? And, beyond that, what are the best ways in general to manage the delta's water and environmental resources?
How will climate change and future droughts impact our supplies?
How will our state plan for future water delivery and storage, as delta levees and other infrastructure continue to age, becoming more vulnerable to natural disasters such as earthquakes?
These issues and more are the focus of a rather intense debate in
The problem, it turns out, is much more complicated than what could be addressed by a few years of good rainfall. All of the crisis' various factors create challenges when it comes to supply, storage and delivery, and their impacts are magnified when viewed cumulatively.
It's important, then, for every Californian - including those of us in the Santa Clarita Valley - to not only use water more efficiently at every available opportunity, but also to become increasingly aware of the crisis, its ramifications and its potential solutions. (To stay informed, you can get on ACWA's mailing list at calwatercrisis.org.)
After all, you don't want to be surprised one day to go to your kitchen faucet and turn the knob only to find ... nothing.
The ACWA campaign puts it bluntly, but accurately: We can't take water for granted. #
http://www.the-signal.com/?module=displaystory&story_id=52008&format=html
Editorial: Water woes trickle down to west-side school coffers
As the west side of the Valley dries up, so do the treasuries of local school districts. The impact is serious in some districts, and raises several public policy questions.
A lack of water and salt contamination have led the federal government to pull 300 square miles of land from agricultural production on the west side, and as the land dries up, so do farmworker jobs. Families leave the area, and that causes school enrollments to decline. That, in turn, reduces the amount of money the school districts get from the state.
The easy response is that, with fewer students, schools need fewer resources. But it's not that simple. Many of the costs of running a school district are fixed -- grounds and buildings, a certain minimum level of maintenance and capital expenditures to replace older buildings and equipment.
It becomes a budget nightmare for some districts. And the answers they've been forced to adopt in many cases -- cutting honors, Advanced Placement, music, art and elective classes -- are unacceptable.
Many of the schools on the west side have student populations much poorer than some of their urban counterparts. These are the children most in need of the opportunities that such classes offer. These days, for instance, not having AP classes is the kiss of death when it comes to admission to many universities.
It isn't fair that poor, rural children should be robbed of opportunities that are taken for granted by their wealthier urban peers. Clearly not.
But what to do? Certainly state and federal resources could be increased. For decades, the federal government has made payments to districts near military bases to make up for revenues that aren't available locally to educate the children of service personnel. There is an obligation on the part of state and federal agencies to pay for similar impacts of other actions they take.
A rational state water policy would help, at least insofar as it made things more predictable for rural ag communities. And a better method of funding education would help, too -- but as we've seen for some time, asking the governor and the state Legislature to find answers to our biggest problems is a waste of breath.
Part of the answer may be found in those west side communities that haven't seen enrollments drop, such as
In any case, the problem is real, and it's not likely to be fully solved at the local level. The state and federal governments are largely responsible for the problem and are obligated to help. #
http://www.fresnobee.com/opinion/story/239097.html
FARMER WORKSHOPS SET TO PLAN FOR DROUGHT
News Release: Agricultural Water Management Council – 11/30/07
Contact: Kathryn Charlton. (916) 849-5023
Farmers will gather this week at a series of workshops designed to prepare them for next year’s expected drought. The anticipated drought results from water-short weather forecasts and reduced pumping flows from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, as ordered by a federal judge to protect an endangered fish.
The workshops are hosted by the Agricultural Water Management Council, a non-profit organization that assists farm water districts in managing and using water more efficiently.
“Last year was one of the driest in
Representatives from local irrigation districts will talk about expected water allocations for the upcoming year during the workshops. UC Cooperative Extension representatives will provide planning tools for farmers to use during critical times of the growing season. The UC representatives will also review irrigation practices geared to improve water quality and stretch limited water supplies.
There is no cost to attend the workshop and a complimentary lunch will follow each workshop.
The workshops will be conducted at the following times and locations:
Wednesday, December 5, 2007; 9:30 -11:30 AM; lunch to follow
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Thursday, December 6, 2007; 9:30- 11:30 PM; lunch to follow
1 hour of DPR Continuing Education credits will be available. RSVP is requested. If you have questions or to reserve your seat, contact the Agricultural Water Management Council at (916) 849-5023.
http://www.agwatercouncil.org/
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