The growing leadership of women in water. The Colorado River’s persistent drought and efforts to sign off on a plan to avert worse shortfalls of water from the river. And in California’s Central Valley, promising solutions to vexing water resource challenges.
These were among the topics that Western Water news explored in 2018.
We’re already planning a full slate of stories for 2019. You can sign up here to be alerted when new stories are published. In the meantime, take a look at what we dove into in 2018:
Amy Haas recently became the first non-engineer and the first woman to serve as executive director of the Upper Colorado River Commission in its 70-year history, putting her smack in the center of a host of daunting challenges facing the Upper Colorado River Basin.
Yet those challenges will be quite familiar to Haas, an attorney who for the past year has served as deputy director and general counsel of the commission. (She replaced longtime Executive Director Don Ostler). She has a long history of working within interstate Colorado River governance, including representing New Mexico as its Upper Colorado River commissioner and playing a central role in the negotiation of the recently signed U.S.-Mexico agreement known as Minute 323.
Aquafornia’s Water Word of the Week from sister site Aquapedia, the Water Education
Foundation’s vetted, online water encyclopedia, is Hydroelectric
Power.
According to an Aquapedia excerpt, “Hydroelectric power is
produced when water turns a turbine connected to a generator.
This water is stored behind a dam at elevation. Gravity causes
water to drop toward a turbine propeller.
“The Obama administration’s announcement Monday of sweeping new
rules aimed at curbing global warming emissions from power plants
could boost profits at Silicon Valley companies that make solar
panels, energy efficiency software and other clean technology.”
From U-T San Diego, in a commentary by Keith Johnson:
“Among all the terrible things that California’s historic
drought promises to bring this year — fallow farm land, dead
livestock, more wildfires — there are a couple more nasty
treats in store: higher electricity prices and rising
greenhouse-gas emissions.
“That’s because the drought is hammering California’s ability
to generate electricity from hydroelectric power …”
“Never mind the restrictions on watering your lawn. The drought
is drying up California’s supply of hydroelectricity, prompting
SMUD and other utilities around the state to scramble.”
“A massive set of documents traveled across cyberspace Tuesday,
laying out plans by the Modesto and Turlock irrigation districts
to keep using Don Pedro Reservoir.
“The Oakdale and South San Joaquin irrigation districts plan to
start selling their hydropower to the city of Santa Clara under a
10-year contract that could mean a big boost in income.”
From the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA):
“The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power held
a hearing Thursday entitled “Keeping Hydropower Affordable and
Reliable: The Protection of Existing Hydropower Investments and
the Promotion of New Development.”
“The agency that provides water for much of Placer County has
gone public with what it sees as an ominous federal filing by
its longtime partner, Pacific Gas and Electric Co.
“For 45 years, the Placer County Water Agency and PG&E have
been attached at the hip.”
“A proposed deal for a Southern California city to purchase
hydroelectric power from a Lake Nacimiento plant has evaporated,
leaving Monterey County water officials looking for a backup
plan.”
“A federal agency will have to start from scratch on a new
biological opinion on Yuba River fish restoration following a
court ruling that effectively scrapped the report.
“Curt Aikens, Yuba County Water Agency general manager, said
tossing out the National Marine Fisheries Service’s opinion was
the most satisfying part of the court victory.”
From the Association of California Water Agencies:
“Two bills that would streamline regulations for small hydropower
projects were passed through unanimous consent by the U.S. Senate
on Thursday, Aug. 1, and are awaiting President Obama’s
signature.”
“The Kings River Conservation District wants to study a project
to install a small hydroelectric unit on the Kings River near
Sanger — creating electricity by using the river’s flow at Gould
Weir.”
“A giant energy project that would turn an abandoned open pit
mine near Joshua Tree National Park into two hydroelectric
storage reservoirs got a thumbs-up from California’s main water
quality agency this week.”
From the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA):
“Southern California’s energy supply is expected to be tight
for at least the next few years due to the permanent closure of
the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, so alternative
energy sources could be at a premium in the region.
“San Diego already is looking ahead at a possible solution.
