ACWA’s eNews is a weekly roundup of California water news and events.
Public Meeting on BDCP Examines Project’s Cost, Funding and Impact on Species
Officials with the California Natural Resources Agency hosted a public meeting today that focused on the costs and funding sources for new water conveyance facilities and habitat restoration proposed in the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) as well as its impact on endangered species.
DSC Chair Isenberg Updates Water Commission on Delta Plan
Delta Stewardship Council Chair Phil Isenberg today updated the California Water Commission on the goals of the newly-adopted Delta Plan and the next steps for implementing the plan.
Isenberg outlined how the Delta Plan works with its 14 enforceable regulatory policies and 73 non-binding recommendations. The Delta Plan, which was adopted by the DSC May 16 after almost 100 public meetings, sets seven overarching categories of goals for the troubled estuary. They are:
New Outreach Effort Reminds Public to Save Water, Energy This Summer
A statewide public outreach campaign is launching this week to remind consumers about the need to use water and energy wisely this summer. The effort, launched at the request of the Governor’s Office – reminds Californians that water and energy use are linked and asks consumers to be especially conservation-minded this summer to help keep the electric grid stable and reliable during heat waves when demand for both water and energy can be at its highest.
USGS Releases Report on Health of Nation’s Streams
A new U.S. Geological Survey report released July 10 concludes that the health of the nation’s streams is being degraded by streamflow modifications and elevated levels of nutrients and pesticides. The national assessment of stream health included measurements of multiple biological communities as well as streamflow modifications and amounts of over 100 chemical constituents in water and streambed sediments.
Blog Post: It’s Time for the Water Community to Unite around a Statewide Water Action Plan
A Delta solution is critical to the state’s water future, but it is just one component of a broader set of actions needed to address overall water supply reliability and ecosystem health in California, ACWA Executive Director Timothy Quinn writes in the latest entry in the Voices on Water blog.
Read the complete entry here.
House Passes Farm Bill
The House narrowly passed a scaled-down Farm Bill on July 11 by a vote of 216-208. The vote constitutes a stark reversal from last month, when a previous version of the Farm Bill failed to pass by a vote of 195 to 234. The revised bill eliminated the nutrition assistance program SNAP to appeal to conservative members. It’s the first time the Farm Bill has been passed without a nutrition assistance provision since 1973.
House Passes Energy and Water Appropriations Bill
The House of Representatives on July 10 approved a fiscal year 2014 Energy and Water Development, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill by a vote of 227-198.
Of interest to ACWA members, the bill funds both the Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation. Overall, the $30.4 billion bill came in $2.9 billion below the enacted level for fiscal year 2013 and $4.1 billion less than the President’s request.
EPA Nominee McCarthy Set For Senate Vote
The Senate is set to consider the nomination of Gina McCarthy next week to head the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Her nomination was previously held up by Sen. David Vitter (R-La). Vitter’s hold was removed this week and observers are predicting Republicans will let the vote proceed.
House to Choose New Ranking Member for Natural Resources Committee
The House Steering and Policy Committee will decide on Wednesday, July 17 who becomes the new Ranking Member of the House Natural Resources Committee. The position is vacant because the current Ranking Member, Edward Markey (D-Mass) was elected to serve in the Senate during a special election to replace the seat vacated by Secretary of State John Kerry. The top candidates to replace Markey are Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Oregon) and Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-Arizona).
Save Our Water Showcases Water-Wise Landscaping at the State Fair
The Save Our Water statewide water conservation program is showcasing water-wise landscaping at the State Fair in Sacramento from July 12-28, educating fair goers about water-wise plants and gardening tips as well as water- efficient residential sprinkler systems.
ACWA 2013 Regulatory Summit
Wed, 08/14/2013 – 8:06am – 5:07pm
Location:
Embassy Suites Mandalay Beach, Oxnard
Please join us for the third annual ACWA Regulatory Summit at Embassy Suites Mandalay Beach in Oxnard, CA on August 14, 2013!
Past, Present and Future: Effectively Managing California’s Groundwater Resources
The Summit will include topics such as:
- It’s Finally Here: Draft CA Maximum Contaminant Level for Hexavalent Chromium
- UCMR3
Event and Registration Information
Water Use Efficiency Using Soil Moisture Sensors on Almonds
Tue, 07/23/2013 – 8:30am – 12:00pm
Location:
Center for Irrigation Technology, AgWaterEnergy Center, 5370 N. Chestnut, (Southeast Corner Barstow & Chestnut), Fresno, California
The almond orchards at Fresno State will be the location for this FREE seminar. Two different methods of irrigation scheduling are set up in a test and control block with identical almond varieties, soil types, and tree age and vigor making this an excellent head-to-head comparison.
Seminar Information and Registration
Water Education Seminar-Oakland
Wed, 07/24/2013
Location:
Oakland
The California-Nevada section of the American Water Works Association is hosting this one-day event featuring various tracks taught by qualified speakers and is oriented toward operators, managers, engineers, technicians, field personnel and laboratory personnel. Various topics will be presented, including sessions on water distribution, water resources, water quality, water treatment, business administration and safety. Registration also includes lunch and refreshments.
Delta Water Summit
Sat, 08/03/2013 – 9:00am – 12:30pm
Location:
Satellite Student Union at California State University, Fresno.
Speakers from a wide variety of perspectives will address crucial Bay-Delta estuary water, infrastructure and environmental issues. Many top water leaders from around California and the nation will be participating.
Governor Brown has been invited to present his water supply vision for California as has Commissioner of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Michael Connor. Deputy Resources Secretary Gerald Meral will speak on a panel along with Delta Stewardship Council Member Gloria Gray and Sunne McPeak of the Delta Vision Foundation.
Water Education Seminar-Orange
Wed, 08/14/2013
Location:
Orange
The California-Nevada section of the American Water Works Association is hosting this one-day event featuring various tracks taught by qualified speakers and is oriented toward operators, managers, engineers, technicians, field personnel and laboratory personnel. Various topics will be presented, including sessions on water distribution, water resources, water quality, water treatment, business administration and safety. Registration also includes lunch and refreshments.
ACWA Emissary and Best in Blue Awards Deadline
Tue, 09/03/2013
Location:
910 K Street, Sacramento, CA 95814-3577
Energy and Water Nexus Summit 2
Thu, 09/12/2013 – 9:00am – 4:00pm
Location:
Aquarium of the Bay, Pier 39, San Francisco
Building on the conversation started last year at the first Energy and Water Nexus Summit, the Second Summit will be an all-day event, exploring the developments, challenges, innovations and considerations around energy and water in Northern California.
The session is sponsored by the Bay Planning Coalition and co-sponsored by ACWA and other organizations.
Topics of discussion will include:
Water and Energy needs for food production, processing and transport
