“Where water will flow this spring and summer is still up in
the air, but it is looking likely that ’senior water rights’
holders in the Sacramento Valley will have their contracts
honored.
“More certainty will be worked out in the next few weeks.”
From the Northern California Water Association (NCWA) blog, in a
post by NCWA Chair Bryce Lundberg:
“Despite recent rainfall in March, there will be significant
surface water cutbacks in the Sacramento Valley during the third
consecutive year of drought. Reduced water use by farms and
wildlife refuges will directly impact wildlife habitat, rural
communities and our economy.”
“Faced with an exponentially growing deficit in the sewer
wastewater treatment plant capacity fund, the city [Chico] must
make a decision by year’s end on how to address the gap between
revenue and loan liabilities.”
From The Davis Enterprise, in a commentary by Joe Krovoza,
Bill Marble, Don Saylor, Skip Davies, Brett Lee, Dan Wolk and Jim
Hilliard:
“On Thursday, the cities of Davis and Woodland will celebrate a
milestone decades in the making and one with benefits for
generations to come: the groundbreaking for the regional surface
water treatment facility.”
“There’s at least one immediate benefit from the most recent
storms that swept through California: Wildlife officials will
temporarily stop transporting hatchery salmon by truck, and
instead release those fish at the hatcheries following usual
practice.”
“Farmers with surface water rights are scrambling to decide if
they will pump groundwater to make up for cutbacks from the
state water supplies along the Feather and Sacramento rivers.
“In the meantime, a ‘relatively quiet’ proposal to transfer
water from Biggs-West Gridley Water District to south of the
delta a has some farmers in the Sacramento Valley upset.”
“A visit that was part stump speech and part education on
Northern California water issues had gubernatorial candidate
Neel Kashkari in Oroville and Richvale Friday.
“Kashkari toured the inner workings of Oroville Dam and met
with reporters at the top of the vista point at the lake, which
is about 170 feet below maximum capacity.”
“This month, another step forward was taken for plans to build
Sites Reservoir near Maxwell. Congressmen John Garamendi,
D-Fairfield, and Doug LaMalfa, R-Richvale, have introduced
federal legislation to authorize and complete the feasibility
study for the proposed new water storage.
“One could call the progress slow and steady, understanding
that the timeline is decades.”
“California is known as the ‘Golden State’ in part for its mild
weather. But it turns out the sky can split open and suck your
roof off here, too.
“Three tornadoes have struck the Sacramento Valley so far this
week, including one that ripped through the city of Roseville
on Wednesday, levitating lawn furniture and barbecues and
tearing up fences, windows and roofs.
“Desperate to save chinook salmon from the drought, wildlife
managers have begun an unprecedented rescue convoy to truck more
than 30 million hatchlings to safer waters in the Sacramento
River.”
“Wildlife officials on Tuesday formally launched a massive
trucking operation to move 30 million Sacramento River salmon
toward the sea to help the fish avoid harmful river conditions
caused by drought.”
From the California Department of Water Resources (DWR):
“To preserve agriculture, flood protection and wildlife habitat,
the Knaggs Ranch project completed this month will help determine
if floodplains doing double duty growing rice and other crops can
also be used as nurseries for salmon.”
“The Bay Area could see its longest stretch of rain and clouds
of the year this week.
“The first drops are expected to arrive Tuesday morning, just
as the commute hits its peak, and the wet weather is forecast
to stick around at least through the weekend, according to the
National Weather Service.”
“The National Weather Service has issued a winter storm watch for
western Plumas County and the west slope of the northern Sierra
Nevada from Tuesday afternoon through Thursday morning.”
“The first of three tanker trucks carrying Chinook salmon is
loaded and ready this morning to head toward the Bay Area from
the Coleman National Fish Hatchery in Anderson. …
“The fall-run salmon usually swim the Sacramento River on their
trek from Anderson to the Pacific Ocean, but this year the
drought has forced wildlife officials to give the fish a ride.”
“Roseville city officials are expected to call for water
cutbacks today, but the announcement comes with little teeth.
“The city will ask customers to reduce water use by 20 percent,
but it will not impose a surcharge or penalty on residents who
do not meet that target.”
From the Northern California Water Association (NCWA) Blog, in a
post by Todd Manley:
“In water short years, increased attention is paid to how much
water is used in the state, where it is used, and for what
purposes. Many different numbers are used to describe water use
in the state among generalized water users (environmental,
agricultural and urban).
“Two members of California’s congressional delegation on
Wednesday called for building a new reservoir north of
Sacramento, displaying bipartisan agreement on one potential
solution to California’s long-term water problems.
“Democratic Rep. John Garamendi and Republican Rep. Doug
LaMalfa held a news conference near the location of the
proposed reservoir to announce their bill.”
“Two northern California Congressmen have introduced legislation
that would help create a new lake and nearly two million gallons
of water storage northwest of Sacramento.”
