Garance Burke, Christian Science Monitor, January 4, 2010 New data from satellites show the vast underground pools feeding faucets and irrigation hoses across California are running low, a worrisome trend federal scientists largely attribute to aggressive agricultural pumping. The photograph above illustrates subsidence in the San Joaquin Valley, California. In the photo, USGS scientist, Joe […]
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Will Drilling More Wells in California Help or Hurt?
Garance Burke, Christian Science Monitor January 11, 2010 The government is spending $40 million in federal stimulus funds to pull water from underground aquifers in drought-stricken California, even as evidence is growing that the well-drilling boom could degrade the quality of water delivered to millions of residents. Farmers, conservationists and engineers are criticizing the Interior […]
Read MoreThe Toilet That Can Help Solve Our Water and Energy Problems
The Toilet That Can Help Solve Our Water and Energy Problems By Gar Smith, Earth Island Journal. Posted December 28, 2009. Upwards of 3 million people die annually from diarrhea, dysentery, and parasitic diseases — all for the want of clean water. Meanwhile, each year in the water-rich United States, 2.1 billion gallons of the […]
Read MoreOn USGS-Treated Surface Water and Aquifer Recharge
We are sinking. Neighbors noticing door frame cracks appearing and spreading. Neighborhood near the police station – one mile downstream from the City well. Alan I very much agree with this assessment. And it’s especially true in an area where there is already so much underground contamination from poor waste disposal practices — on farms, […]
Read MoreCalifornia Water Law Symposium
Who Controls the Water? Reforming California Water Law Governance in an Age of Scarcity. Detailed Description Date: January 30, 2010 Contact: Susan Gilbert-Miller, Ph.D. Location: University of San Francisco School of Law, 2130 Fulton Street, S.F., Fromm Complex. Cost: General Admission ($40); MCLE Credit (6 hours (est)) ($125); Full-time Law School Student ($0 – School […]
Read MoreMore information coming out about pharmaceuticals…
To All, More information coming out about pharmaceuticals… In recent weeks, federal regulators have changed course on regulating pharmaceuticals in public water supplies, taking a critical first step toward acknowledging that they may pose threats to human health. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is considering pharmaceuticals as candidates for regulation in drinking water and examining […]
Read MoreComments on Debunking CA’s Water Myths
Hi Janus– I very much disagree with aspects of the PPIC report. Everything it says is correct as far as that goes, then comes a big BUT – The Webinar that I reported on last meeting emphasized that states which do not recognize the interconnectedness of ground and surface waters tend to overappropriate water supplies. […]
Read MoreStealing Water from the Future: California’s Massive Groundwater Overdraft Newly Revealed
By Peter Gleick, Pacific Institute. Posted December 18, 2009. California is heading for a catastrophe of huge proportions if the overdraft of groundwater continues at the same rate as the last few years. A NASA report summarizing data collected from new satellites confirms what most water observers have known for a long time. Massive amounts […]
Read MoreCalifornia Losing Groundwater Rapidly
December 14, 2009 · Posted By Lauren Sommer · Filed Under Agriculture, Water Nearly lost amid the three-ring circus of Copenhagen coverage is the annual gathering in San Francisco of the American Geophysical Union. We’re doing our best to staff selected sessions there. Climate Watch contributor Lauren Sommer was there for some grim new research […]
Read MoreIntegrated Regional Water Management Final Recommendations
To All, Regional Acceptance Process The Director of the Department of Water Resources (DWR) has approved the Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) Program Region Acceptance Process (RAP) final recommendations. DWR received 46 RAP proposals, approved 36 regions, and conditionally approved 10 regions. Please see the attached announcement. The region acceptance process is a component of the Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) Program […]
Read MoreCalifornia Water Rights Primer
This came in over the transom from GPCA and seems pretty useful. ~Bernie California Water Rights Primerhttp://www.c-win.org/water-rights-primer.html To mobilize water for human use, our society grants property rights to use water. No one is allowed to hoard or possess it because of its intrinsic properties and its necessity to all life and economic activity. The rights […]
Read MoreComment on Water Budget and Water Use
To All, Say for instance we had a practical realistic state water budget, would it be prudent to plug in a reasonable metric or estimate of what illegal water users are using in order to get a handle on water usage and projected uses? For instance if a well capitalized business drills 2 separate but […]
Read MoreWho Is Stealing California’s Water?
Peter Gleick, Pacific Institute, November 4, 2009 We must stop pretending that water is free and unlimited, available to anyone who can put a siphon in a river or drill another groundwater well. What do I mean by stealing water? I mean people extract water from our rivers and streams without a right to do […]
Read MoreFrost Protection Workshop Comments Due Next Tuesday, 11/10
Hi all, This is just a friendly reminder that comments to SWRCB for the frost protection workshop are due NEXT Tuesday, 11/10 at NOON. See below. You have probably all seen this Ukiah Daily Journal article about a recent Farm Bureau and FFF meeting and the 11/18 SWRCB workshop. As the FB noted in the […]
Read MoreRussian River Instream Flow and Restoration
Public Policy Facilitating Committee Meeting for the Russian River Section 7 Consultation Date: Thursday, October 29 Time: 1:00-3:00 p.m.Public Meeting Location: Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Chambers, 575 Administration Drive, Santa Rosa, CA The Public Policy Facilitating Committee (PPFC) meets to discuss, disseminate information and take public comment on the implementation of Section 7 of […]
Read MoreNew Winery and Vineyard Permits
To All, Looking through the permit applications at PRMD since last June, here are new winery/vineyard permits. Will these all sail through the PRMD process (BZA, Planning Commission, BOS) without real consideration of water (drought, future water needs, conservation, etc.), wine glut, economical diversity, wildlife areas and wildlife corridors, intrusions upon the impacts and character […]
Read MoreWHERE’S THE WATER (for Santa Rosa)?
WHERE’S THE WATER? EDITOR: It seems to me that the Santa Rosa City Council is on the wrong track when members are more concerned about low-income housing than water (“SR council sees new general plan,” Sept. 23). We are being asked to conserve water with a population of about 158,000. The general plan estimates population […]
Read MoreReport on SR’s Legal Action Against SCWA Over Water
Correction: rate-payer money fighting rate-payer money. Stephen There’s something very wrong about tax-payer money fighting tax-payer money. Ray In Judge Tansil’s courtroom this afternoon, SR’s complaint to compel a temporary restraining order against SCWA’s Board of Directors to keep them from hearing and acting on their agenda items Tuesday morning was denied. Judge Tansil found that […]
Read MoreCalifornia Water Code 1259.2 Annual Report – 2008
FYI…!! At what point of over-appropriation do Water Rights become Water Wrongs?? Brock Subject: California Water Code 1259.2 Annual Report – 2008 This is a message from the State Water Resources Control Board. California Water Code 1259.2 requires the Division of Water Rights to prepare an annual summary of pending water right applications for the […]
Read MoreSanta Rosa’s Petitions for TRO Against SC Water Agency
Available below is Santa Rosa’s Petition for Temporary Restraining Order against SCWA.It is, in my first reading, unfortunately laden with half truths and misstatements.David KellerBay Area DirectorFriends of the Eel River 2009-09-10 SR Complaint re TRO
Read MoreOn SCWA, Russian River Water, and Petaluma
New-Wave Water Policy Petaluma — the little town that did Huey D. Johnson San Francisco Chronicle, Thursday, January 4, 2001 A HEADLINE for the history books caught my attention recently: “Council wants to leave unused water in Russian.” (The Petaluma city council, the Russian River.) As far as I know, municipal action to leave unallocated […]
Read MoreGraywater Discussion
Hi all, Based on my involvement in this Graywater code revision process, I am finally compelled to offer up a few of my thoughts and experiences to those of you on several of our local listserves concerning with this new and exciting turn of events for making simple graywater systems more accessible, permittable and affordable […]
Read More“California Water Solutions Now”
Report: Goals And Principles for Reliable Water Supply and Fish Restoration The Environmental Water Caucus (EWC), a California-based coalition of many groups advocating for sustainable and equitable water use in the state which includes PCFFA, has released a new report unveiling a vision for the future of California water. The report is based on the […]
Read More10 Strategic Goals Toward Reliable Water Supplies and Habitat Recovery
Implement ecologically sustainable and cost effective water supply efficiency targets that reduce demand or increase supply. Reduce exports from the SF Bay Delta, minimize reverse flows in the Delta, and increase Delta outflow. Restore instream flows, volumes and patterns for aquatic ecosystems. Provide fish passage above and below dams for all at-risk salmonid species. Retain […]
Read MoreWatershed Impacts Due to Vineyards
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 MoreWater 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 MoreTake Action on Protecting Drinking Water
The Senate Must Protect Our Drinking Water Recent Supreme Court rulings have narrowed the scope of protections of the Clean Water Act, putting the drinking water of millions of Americans at risk for contamination. But the Senate has an opportunity to restore the original protections of the Clean Water Act by supporting the Clean Water […]
Read MoreSupport a Water Protection and Reinvestment Trust Fund!
Protect and Strengthen Our Public Water – Support a Water Protection and Reinvestment Trust Fund! July 28, 2009 Dear Activists, Our water and wastewater infrastructure is in desperate need of repair. The American Society of Civil Engineers has given both systems a D- grade. In order to protect our essential water resources, create tens of thousands […]
Read MoreBeach and Clean Water Restoration Act Approved
Beach Act Reauthorization Bill and Clean Water Restoration Act Approved by EPW Committee! The Beach Act Reauthorization bill (S. 878), now called the Clean Coastal Environment and Public Health Act, and a compromise Clean Water Resotration Act (S. 787) were both marked up by the Senate committee on Environment and Public Works and approved. Additionally, the Sewage Overflow Community Right-to-Know […]
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 […]
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