ACWA’s eNews is a weekly roundup of California water news and events.
Congressional Delegation Expresses Support for BDCP
A coalition of 13 members of Congress on May 22 sent letters to Gov. Jerry Brown and U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell expressing their strong support for the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) and urging the state and federal government to continue to make the BDCP a “top priority.”
Signed by U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein and 12 members of Congress, the letter states that “California’s economic and social future is directly tied to a safe supply of reliable, high quality water.”
Funding for Water Reuse and Efficiency Projects Headed to California
Four more water projects in California will get federal funding as part of a U.S. Bureau of Reclamation program that promotes water recycling and reuse opportunities in the western states and Hawaii.
Reclamation announced this week that the Department of Interior is providing $13.7 million in “cost-shared” funding that will go toward planning, design and construction of the California projects, which were selected via a ranking process.
ACWA member agencies are involved. The chosen projects are:
Study: Groundwater Depletion in U.S. Contributing to Sea Level Rise
Groundwater in the U.S. is being depleted at a faster rate and has become a small but contributing factor in worldwide sea level rise, according to a new study.
Researchers estimated 1,000 cubic kilometers (km3) of groundwater was depleted (lost) in the U.S. between 1900 and 2008 — more than twice the amount of water in Lake Erie. About 145 km3 of that total came from activity in California’s Central Valley. Led by U.S. Geological Survey hydrologist Leonard F. Konikow, the study integrated data from 40 major U.S. aquifers and areas.
Spring Conference Presentations Now Available Online
In response to member requests, ACWA has posted presentations from a number of programs at the ACWA 2013 Spring Conference & Exhibition, held May 7-10 in Sacramento.
Presentations, organized by day and time, can be accessed here.
ACWA’s Spring Conference & Exhibition drew more than 1,500 attendees for four days of business meetings, keynote addresses, issue forums, panel discussions and networking opportunities.
Brown Issues Executive Order to Streamline Approval of Water Transfers
Citing “near-record low precipitation in California this year,” Gov. Jerry Brown on May 20 issued an executive order to streamline approvals for voluntary water transfers in an effort to assist the state’s agricultural industry.
“Agriculture is vital to the health of California’s economy, and this order ensures we’re doing what’s necessary to cope with a very dry year,” Brown wrote in a press release.
Interior Releases Updated Draft Rule for Hydraulic Fracturing
The U.S. Department of the Interior on May 16 announced the release of updated draft rules for hydraulic fracturing on public and Indian land.
Delta Stewardship Council Adopts Final Delta Plan, Implementation Begins
After nearly three years of study and roughly 100 public meetings, the Delta Stewardship Council (DSC) on May 16 unanimously adopted the final version of the Delta Plan – a comprehensive management plan for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta intended to help the state meet the coequal goals of water reliability and ecosystem restoration.
The Council voted 7-0 on May 16 to adopt the plan and its accompanying Programmatic Environmental Impact Report (PEIR). On May 17, the Council adopted the plan’s regulations in another unanimous vote.
May 17 Issue of ACWA News Is Now Available Online
The May 17 issue of ACWA News is now available online. This issue features an in-depth look back at the 2013 ACWA Spring Conference & Exhibition in Sacramento, which brought together state and local leaders from across California to discuss the most important water issues of today.
Highlights this issue include:
Opinion Piece: Turn Water Conservation into a Daily Habit
California has weathered its share of dry years, but this year’s extremely dry conditions make it more important than ever to use water wisely this spring and summer, ACWA Executive Director Timothy Quinn and Department of Water Resources Director Mark Cowin write in an opinion piece published today in the Fresno Bee.
The piece, which points to the Save Our Water program as a resource for consumers, reminds us that rain or shine, Californians must always use water carefully.
Senate Passes WRDA Bill
The Senate passed the Water Resources Development Act of 2013 on May 1 by a vote of 83 to 14.
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA), along with Sen. David Vitter (R-LA), spearheaded the bill’s passage through the Senate.
Pre-Applications for Safe Drinking Water SRF Due July 8
California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is accepting pre-applications through July 8 for funding disbursed through the Safe Drinking Water State Revolving Fund and other state programs.
The 2013 submission period is seeking applicants with projects that correct problems in public water systems. According to CDPH, eligible applicants include community water systems, schools that are public water systems and non-community water systems operated by not-for-profits.
ACWA Region 8 Event – What Lies Beneath? A Look at Groundwater in Southern California
Thu, 06/13/2013
Location:
Carson, CA
ACWA Region 8 Presents
What Lies Beneath?
A Look at Groundwater in Southern California
MCWRA & ACWA Region 3 Joint Program – June 19, 2013
Wed, 06/19/2013 – 10:00am – 2:30pm
Location:
Auburn, CA
MCWRA & ACWA Region 3 Joint Program
Hosted by Placer County Water Agency
– Statewide Water Issues – Upstream Interests –
Please join us for the next MCWRA and ACWA Region 3 joint program on Statewide Water Issues – Upstream Interests
Northern California Tour
Wed, 10/16/2013 – Fri, 10/18/2013
Location:
The tour begins and ends at Sacramento International Airport
The Water Education Foundation’s 3-day, 2-night Northern California Tour travels the length of the Sacramento Valley, a major source of water for California. Stops include Oroville and Shasta dams, Red Bluff Fish Passage Improvement Project, Feather River Fish Hatchery, Clear Creek restoration site, GCID’s fish screen and Delevan Wildlife Refuge. Other highlights included a houseboat cruise on Shasta Reservoir. Participants learn about water supply management, farming, flood Sacramento International Airport.
