To All, Is there a unified policy on the flows and frost protection issue? NO. I have almost one mile of MWC (Mark West Creek) running through my property where I have lived for over 40 years and am in the timber business. About 5 or 6 years ago, I noticed a significant loss of summertime […]
Read MoreCategory: Food Agriculture Impacting Water
Water Conservation Field Day changed to Aug. 12
FYI, The time and day for this week’s Water Conservation Field Day has changed from August 13th to August 12th from 11 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. The location is the same: Hoot Owl Creek and Alexander Valley Vineyards at 8595 Highway 128, which is just north of Alexander Valley School near Healdsburg. PLEASE RSVP TODAY […]
Read MoreFOER’s Comments on North Bay Water Recycling Program
July 20, 2009Marc BautistaSonoma County Water AgencyPO Box 11628Santa Rosa, CA 95406-1628By Email: info@nbwra.orgMarc.Bautista@scwa.ca.govRe: North Bay Water Recycling Program Draft EIR and Draft EISDear Mr. Bautista:Attached are comments on the NBWRA Project DEIR/EIS from Friends of theEel River. Reference materials will follow in a second email.We are looking forward to a comprehensive and effective response.Sincerely,David KellerBay […]
Read MoreThe Water Protection and Reinvestment Act of 2009
FYI, The Water Protection and Reinvestment Act of 2009 Yesterday Congressman Earl Blumenaeur (OR) introduced, The Water Protection and Reinvestment Act of 2009, in Congress. The bill would establish a water protection and reinvestment fund to support investment in clean water and drinking water infrastructure. Today at 2 pm, the U.S. House Transportation & Infrastructure […]
Read MoreAction to Support Clean Water!
Contact Your Local County Commissioner and Tell Him or Her to Support Clean Water! The National Association of Counties (NACo) represents county governments all throughout the U.S. Each year, NACo meets to consider resolutions on federal issues that affect their local governments. Because this organization is made up of local officials, NACo is very influential with Congress. In […]
Read MoreBasin Plan Amendment Decisions at Water Board Meeting
Hi everyone: There is an extremely critical meeting coming up at the North Coast Regional Board on July 23rd at about 9 AM at their offices near the airport at 5550 Skylane Blvd. This is the meeting where they will decide on a Basin Plan Amendment (water law for the North Coast and Russian River) […]
Read MoreWinery Development in Knights Valley, Sonoma County
The file on this project is good. I think that they have met the threshold supporting the need for an EIR – under CEQA. Their attorney is the best. Craig, Thank you for this update. You clearly and succinctly explained this issue and in an objective justice system would prevail. We will see. –Larry On […]
Read MoreClean Water Restoration Act Passes on to Senate Floor
Hi Everyone – Just wanted to let you know that by a straight party line vote (12 Democrats to 7 Republicans) the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee passed the Clean Water Restoration Act on to the full Senate. Senator Barbara Boxer deserves full credit and a ton of congratulations for getting this passed. Even […]
Read More4th Annual Spring-run Chinook Symposium
4th Annual Spring-run Chinook Symposium July 23-24 on the Salmon River Following the annual Salmon River dives, SRF and Salmon River Restoration Council will host the 4th Annual Spring-run Chinook Symposium featuring rafting tours of Creek Mouth Enhancement Projects on the Mid Klamath tributaries, field trips to fish passage projects on the Salmon River; hands-on […]
Read MoreClean Water Network’s Update on Capitol Hill
News from Capitol Hill Thanks to the hard work of so many Clean Water Network members, the US Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) is taking a giant leap forward by considering critical clean water legislation tomorrow! Tomorrow, June 18 at 9:30 AM, the EPW Committee will mark up (vote on) and consider a number of […]
Read MoreClean Water Act Alert
Finally, after years of delay, the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW) is going to mark up (vote on) a compromise version of the Clean Water Restoration Act (S. 787) THIS Thursday, June 18. This is an all-hands-on-deck alert! We need your help to make sure our Senators know how critically important it is […]
Read MoreAustralia Drought Portends Future for Russian River?
At the SWRCB meeting 5/6 hearing the protest by the Contractors about the proposed RR flow cutbacks, Vicky Whitney (staff in charge of water rights) presented a graph of historic droughts (423 years) in the Russian River watershed, from the Univ. of Arizona, showing length of historic drought events based on Blue Oak tree rings, […]
Read MoreNorth Bay Water Recycling Program DEIR
Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIR/EIS) Released The draft EIR/EIS for the North Bay Water Recycling Program (NBWRP) was released to the public on May 5, 2009. The recycled water projects under the NBWRP are sponsored by a group of local agencies that are working together as the North Bay Water Reuse Authority […]
Read MoreCWN’s Briefing, Water Crises and Factory Farms
To All, Mark Your Calendars for a Clean Water Network: CAPITOL HILL BRIEFING & RECEPTION Factory Farms: The Dark Side First briefing in CWN’s National Series on “America’s Water Crisis” WHEN: JUNE 2, 2009, 2-4 PM (Please note a reception will follow the panel discussion to welcome EPA’s Assistant Administrator of Water Nominee Peter Silva) WHERE: […]
Read MoreGrape-growing vs. Wastewater in Wine Country
Clark Mason, Press Democrat, 2009 When Jason Passalacqua, a Dry Creek Valley winery owner, heard about a plan to use highly treated wastewater to irrigate his vineyards, he thought it was a good idea. “When I first heard about reuse, I thought great,” he said. But he now considers the plan to use wastewater to […]
Read MoreOpinion: Is it really Grape-growing vs. Wastewater in Wine Country?
The Press Democrat story describes some very critical water quality issues that will have to be addressed in the North Bay Water Reuse Authority Project, as well as in the North Sonoma County Agricultural Reuse Project. Over the past several years, SCWA, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, and their engineering and consulting firms have […]
Read MoreFilm: End of the Line
To All, “The inconvenient truth about the impact of overfishing on the world’s oceans” — The Economist Fresh from its World Premiere at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival, THE END OF THE LINE is the first major documentary about the imminent peril facing the world’s oceans. Narrated by Ted Danson and based on the book […]
Read MoreRussian River Keeper Action on NSCARP
www.russianriverkeeper.org Dear Russian Riverkeeper Supporter: The attached alert from Clean Water Coalition of Northern Sonoma County, which Russian Riverkeeper is a member of, describes the massive Water Agency project that will impact our River. This is the same project Marty Griffin daylighted back in 2000 and Riverkeeper has spoken extensively about in past newsletters. We […]
Read MoreComments on RR Low Flow, Dams, and Conservation
Brian (et al): My message was designed to raise questions (of which I still have many) and get folks to go look at the policy – web link provided. I still have concerns and will insert them into your text in CAPS: Cumulative effects – I *strongly* disagree that the recommendations do not account for […]
Read MoreSCWA’s Vineyard Irrigation Conservation Projects
FYI… Brock Sonoma County Water Agency PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release CONTACT: April 29, 2009 Brad Sherwood 707.547.1927 Cell Phone: 707.322.8192 Vineyard Irrigation/Cooling Water Conservation Demonstration to Break Ground (Santa Rosa, CA) The Sonoma County Water Agency is sponsoring two unprecedented vineyard water conservation demonstration projects. The demonstration projects will utilize state-of-the-art irrigation and cooling […]
Read MoreALERT: PRESERVATION RANCH: PUBLIC SCOPING, INITIAL STUDY
ALERT: PRESERVATION RANCH: PUBLIC SCOPING, INITIAL STUDY PUBLIC NOTICE of the EIR (Environmental Impact Report) for “PRESERVATION” RANCH ACTION ALERT: PRESERVATION RANCH — NOTICE of Environmental Impact Report Public Scoping Sessions WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2009, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. PRMD Hearing Room, 2550 Ventura Avenue, Santa Rosa. SATURDAY, MAY 2, 2009, 1:00 p.m. to […]
Read MoreControversial Preservation Ranch proposal braces for public review
Preservation Ranch, in the heart of the Gualala River watershed by Frank Robertson Sonoma West Staff Writer PRESERVATION OR EXPLOITATION? – A map of the area that will be potentially affected by the Preservation Ranch. The 20,000 acre project will include more than 1,600 acres of vineyards, as well as a 2,702-acre wildlife preserve, 1,635 […]
Read MorePreservation Ranch: Public Scoping, Initial Study
PUBLIC NOTICE of the EIR (Environmental Impact Report) for “PRESERVATION” RANCH ACTION ALERT: PRESERVATION RANCH — NOTICE of Environmental Impact Report Public Scoping Sessions WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2009, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. PRMD Hearing Room, 2550 Ventura Avenue, Santa Rosa. SATURDAY, MAY 2, 2009, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Horicon Elementary School 35555 Annapolis […]
Read MoreClean Water Restoration Act UPDATE
Clean Water Restoration Act UPDATE On Thursday, April 2, 2009 Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin introduced the Clean Water Restoration Act of 2009 (S.787). To read the text of this legislation go to the Library of Congress website and do a bill search for S.787: http://thomas.loc.gov/ Senator Barbara Boxer is an original co-sponsor of the […]
Read MoreScoping Meetings on Preservation Ranch Set
I received a notice in the mail for- Public Scoping Meetings for Preparation of a Draft EIR These meetings are for an application received by Sonoma County PRMD to convert 1,681 acres of timberland to vineyard on a 19,300 acre ranch, residential development and lots of roads referred to as Preservation Ranch located just east […]
Read MoreSonoma County Workshop on Future Water Supply
Brenda, Vesta, Here is information about the Water Supply Workshop that is happening this upcoming Monday, April 13th. Any help on getting the word out would be appreciated! Ann p.s. This is an abbreviated version of a press release that will be sent out to all media tomorrow but which is still in draft form […]
Read MoreDiscussion on Article on Coho Kill
Lisa: You have several things going on here. I will try to speak to each one. As they effect all of our efforts I have copied some groups working on the same or similar issue in Sonoma County Legal and Illegal Diversion and Fish Kill We have been working on issues related to diversion, legal […]
Read MoreRegarding Frost Protection and Fish Kill
Hi All– This underlines the statements Alan and others have been making to the State Water Board on how the State’s process has been killing fish at the species scale. Jane Grape-friendly fisheries management strikes again: this is another example of mismanaging the Russian River and destroying fish, and using the Eel River and L. […]
Read MoreWorkshop on Using Water for Frost Protect Tues, Apr 7
CORRECTION – Workshop will commence Tuesday, April 7, 2009 (not 4/11) no earlier than 11 a.m. following the State Water Resources Control Board’s Board Meeting. State Water Resources Control Board Division of Water Rights 1001 I Street, 14th Floor ♦ Sacramento, California 95814 ♦ 916.341.5300 P.O. Box 2000 ♦ Sacramento, California 95812-2000 Fax: 916.341.5400 ♦ […]
Read MoreClean Water Act Action
Dear Clean Water Network Members and Others, REMINDER: ACT NOW to schedule meetings with your Senators and Representatives for the in-district work period of April 6-17 to talk with them about restoring the Clean Water Act. Setting up a meeting takes advance time, so it is best to get a request in as soon as […]
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