E-Newsletter: New PPIC Survey on California WaterFix
SCWC Executive Director Rich Atwater released the following statement on the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) survey on California WaterFix:
“The PPIC poll results show that the majority of Californians believe water supply is a big problem in their region, highlighting the need to move forward with California WaterFix,” said Rich Atwater, SCWC’s Executive Director. “Our state’s vibrant economy is intrinsically connected to the health of the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta – the heart of our state’s water supply, which is vulnerable to earthquakes and natural disasters. California WaterFix is the solution we need to mend our state’s outdated water infrastructure and safeguard our water supply for the future.”
To view the PPIC survey, click here.
RSVP for SCWC’s Quarterly Lunch with Secretary John Laird, CA Natural Resources Agency
Event Details
When: Friday, April 22, 2016 from 12:00pm to 2:00pm
Where: DoubleTree by Hilton Los Angeles – Commerce
5757 Telegraph Rd, Commerce, CA 90040
Cost: $70 per person
Click here to register for the event.
Many thanks to Central Basin Municipal Water District for sponsoring & hosting the event!
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES ARE AVAILABLE
For more information please contact Cindy Northcote-Smith at cnorthcote-smith@socalwater.org.
SCWC’s Urban Drought Workshop
Register today for SCWC’s Urban Drought Workshop, which will be held on Wednesday, March 30th. The event is generously sponsored by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Scotts Miracle-Gro and WaterSmart, and the event will feature two panels on long-term and near-term water use efficiency.
Guest speakers include:
Brandon Goshi, MWD Manager of Planning
Peter Brostrom from the CA Department of Water Resources
Joone Lopez, General Manager at Moulton Niguel Water District
Paul Jones, General Manager, Eastern MWD
Dave Pedersen, General Manager, Las Virgenes MWD
Dave Pettijohn, Director of Water Resources, City of Los Angeles, Dept. of Water & Power
Michael De Ghetto, P.E., Assistant General Manager at Glendale Water & Power
Brian Smith, President & CEO Signature Control Systems, Inc.
Gerry Kiffe, General Manager of Garden Soft
Mike Shelton, Scotts Miracle-Gro
Event Details
When: Wednesday, March 30, 2016 from 9:00am to 3:00pm
Where: Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Room 1-102
700 North Alameda Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012-2944
Cost: Free (Lunch will be provided)
Click here to register and view the agenda for the event.
Advertise in SCWC’s Newsletter
Advertise your company, upcoming events and workshops, or direct people to your website in SCWC’s E-Newsletter! Our newsletter reaches thousands stakeholder including leaders from business, regional and local government, agricultural groups, labor unions, environmental organizations, water agencies, as well as the general public.
For ad rates and more information please contact Contact Cindy Northcote-Smith at 818-760-21 21 or cnorthcote-smith@socalwater.org.
ICYMI: DWR Increases State Water Project Allocation to 45%
The Department of Water Resources has boosted its allocation for most residents to 45 percent of requests, up from the 30 percent it estimated in late February. The abundant March storms in California enabled the State Water Project to deliver the most water it’s sent to customers since 2012.
State officials stressed that the drought is not over, and despite significant storms some reservoirs remain below expected levels for this time of year. DWR Director Mark Cowin reminded residents that conservation remains key.
“February reminded us how quickly California’s weather can turn from wet to dry,” said DWR director Mark Cowin. “The lesson of this drought is that we all need to make daily conservation a way of life.”
Click here to read the full DWR press release.
John Laird: Here’s how to protect fish and deliver water to Central Valley farmers
The Fresno Bee article, “Here’s how to protect fish and deliver water to Central Valley farmers,” authored by Secretary John Laird, CA Natural Resources Agency, discusses how outdated infrastructure threatens water reliability from the state, underscoring the need to implement the California WaterFix project.
Below are experts from the Fresno Bee op-ed:”In all, on average, we think California WaterFix could add another couple hundred thousand acre-feet to the supplies of the State Water Project and Central Valley Project. More importantly, it would prevent a serious erosion of deliveries from those projects.
“If you take the same operational restrictions that federal fish agencies are discussing for California WaterFix and impose them on the existing system, without new intakes and tunnels, annual deliveries could drop on the order of 800,000 acre-feet. The history of the last 30 years shows that such restrictions are likely, especially if populations of native fish continue to decline.”
To read the full article, click here.
Senator Feinstein Calls for Increased Delta Pumping
On Thursday, Senator Dianne Feinstein sent a letter to President Obama requesting that order more water to be pumped from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to farms in the San Joaquin Valley. Feinstein argued that massive volumes of water are flowing out to sea from the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers and should be captured.
Below are excerpts from Senator Feinstein’s letter:
“I believe that this year’s El Niño has highlighted a fundamental problem with our water system: A dogmatic adherence to a rigid set of operating criteria that continues to handcuff our ability to rebuild our reserves. We need a more nimble system.
“There are real-world consequences to the decisions being made in the Delta. 69 communities in the Southern San Joaquin Valley reported significant water supply and quality issues. And land is caving, bridges collapsing, as a result of overdrawn ground wells and subsidence. That’s why we need to make sure we’re using every possible tool to make the right choices. Basing pumping decisions on better science and real-time monitoring is the least we can do.”
To view Senator Feinstein’s letter in full, click here.
Water Blog: Overcoming California’s Weak Spot: the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta
SCWC’s Water Blog is back in action! For the 2016 inaugural post, Rich Atwater, Executive Director of SCWC, penned, “Overcoming California’s Weak Spot: the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta,” focusing on the need for a modern water delivery system.
Below are experts from the blog post:
“This winter presented countless opportunities to capture and store water to utilize during dry periods, unfortunately we missed many of these opportunities. Instead of taking advantage of storms, we were unable to make significant gains on the drought due to deteriorating infrastructure and environmental restrictions.
“Water is the lifeline of our state’s economy, and as California enters a fifth year of drought, conservation efforts alone won’t solve our state’s water woes. We need California WaterFix, which will complement local supply projects, to overcome our weak spot and protect our most precious natural resource.”
To read the full blog post, click here.
Save the Date for AWA’s 24th Annual Water Symposium
The Association of Water Agencies of Ventura County (AWA) is hosting their 24th Annual Water Symposium on Thursday, April 21st. The theme of this year’s symposium is Perfect Storms: Managing water in an era of mega-floods and mega-droughts. SCWC’s Charley Wilson is participating on the “Silver Linings” panel to discuss the challenges and opportunities during the historic drought.
Event Details:
When: Thursday, April 21st from 7:00AM – 1:30PM
Where: Courtyard by Marriott, Oxnard
600 E Esplanade Dr., Oxnard, CA 93036
Registration for the event opens March 28, 2016.
For more information, click here.
Lawn Dude’s Conservation Corner
Hello water peeps, Lawn Dude here. I have to hand it to DWR Director Mark Cowin, he always says exactly what’s on my mind. In the story above, Mr. Cowin was quoted saying, “The lesson of this drought is that we all need to make daily conservation a way of life.” Don’t let recent storms fool you – California is facing a fifth year of drought. We need to outsmart El Nino and stay on top of conservation efforts because the drought is nowhere near over. This is our new normal people, let’s make conservation California’s way of life!