The State Water Resources Control Board (State Board) today unanimously approved drought-related emergency regulations to curtail diversions of water from three Sacramento River tributaries in order to provide minimum flow requirements for protected fish.

The emergency curtailment orders would apply to diversions in Mill Creek, Deer Creek and Antelope Creek. The curtailments only would be issued in cases where minimum flows need to be preserved to protect fish and when diverters have not already entered into voluntary agreements with authorities.

ACWA regions were off and running at the 2014 Spring Conference & Exhibition in Monterey, hosting numerous issue forums and meeting with their region memberships to share information and plan out the new term’s activities, ACWA Vice President Kathy Tiegs writes in the latest entry in the Voices on Water blog.

Read the complete blog post here.

The 9^th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on May 18 rejected a legal challenge to the federal government’s approval of a suite of Colorado River agreements adopted in 2003 that includes the largest ag-to-urban water transfer in the nation’s history.

The three-judge panel upheld a ruling by District Court Judge Anthony Battaglia that the Secretary of the Interior didn’t violate the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) or the Clean Air Act in approving the multi-state agreement on water deliveries from the Colorado River.

California’s Golden Bear joined Sen. Kevin de Leon and other officials in Sacramento today to launch a statewide energy-saving campaign called Energy Upgrade California.

With the bear as its mascot, Energy Upgrade California calls on Californians to “manage their energy usage, save money, and help California ‘stay golden’ by meeting the state’s groundbreaking climate goals,” according to a press release from the campaign. The effort was launched during events in Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco.

The House, on Tuesday, voted to approve the Conference Report to H.R. 3080, the Water Resources Reform and Development Act of 2013 (WRRDA), by a vote of 412-4. Every member of the California delegation voted in favor of the motion, with the exception of Rep. Gary Miller (CA-31) who did not vote. The measure now moves to the Senate, which is expected to vote on it later this week.

More than two dozen projects will split a total of $38.7 million in Proposition 84 funding for the construction of rain gardens, bioswales and other features that help protect and enhance local water supplies, the State Water Board announced Friday.

The federal government is committing $20 million for nine water reclamation and reuse projects in California as part of the Obama Administration’s drought response efforts.

The Department of the Interior’s WaterSmart Program is providing the cost-shared funding for planning, design and construction of the projects, all of which have been previously authorized. The funding is coming through the Bureau of Reclamation’s Title XVI program. Several of the award recipients are ACWA member agencies.

Read PDF Version

Attached is the May Update of ACWA’s Federal Regulatory Chart.

The House and Senate, on Thursday, filed the WRRDA Conference Report agreed to by negotiators from both houses of Congress last week. The Conference Report must now pass each house before it can be sent to the President to be signed into law. Details of the report can be found here.

Presented by the California Urban Water Conservation Council, this event will feature presentations from state agencies about their current programs, challenges, and plans that affect landscapes in California. Landscape practitioners from cities, counties, non-profit organizations, and state agencies will share successful projects that demonstrate how partnerships, education, and local engagement achieved positive strides towards more sustainable landscapes.

Presented by the California Urban Water Conservation Council, this event will feature presentations from state agencies about their current programs, challenges, and plans that affect landscapes in California. Landscape practitioners from cities, counties, non-profit organizations, and state agencies will share successful projects that demonstrate how partnerships, education, and local engagement achieved positive strides towards more sustainable landscapes.

2014 is one of California’s driest years on record, creating challenging hydrologic conditions for operations of the state and federal projects that move water across the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Learn about how this drought is affecting water project operations and conditions in the Delta and the actions being taken in response to balance impacts to cities, farms, and the environment at this FREE one-day briefing.

Registration Open!

Join us on June 6^th, 2014 to hear statewide water leaders discuss

pieces of and solutions to California’s water puzzle

at the

MCWRA & ACWA Region 3

California Water Leaders FORUM 2014

Date: June 6, 2014

Registration:  9:30 AM

ACWA Region 1 North Coast Issues Forum: Mark your calendars for a visit to the north coast and its beautiful redwoods, rivers, and Humboldt Bay. At this Region 1 program, attendees will hear about climate change effects on the north coast, marijuana crops effect on local water quality, and get an update on regional drink local efforts.
 

Registration will available soon.

Questions: Please contact Regional Affairs Representative Katie Dahl at katied@acwa.com or call 916-441-4545.

ACWA’s 2014 Regulatory Summit is set for Aug. 13-14, 2014, in South Lake Tahoe.

This year’s theme is, “Looking Upstream: Managing California’s Headwaters for Sustainability.”

The event will be held at the Lake Tahoe Resort Hotel – South Lake Tahoe, CA

Registration and details will be available soon.

The Local Government Commission and the State of California are orga

The International Water Association is holding a specialists’ conference for water basin science and management Sept. 9 to 12 in San Francisco.

Submissions of abstracts of research may be submitted by March 3 for consideration of presentation at the conference. Abstracts may be submitted here.

Registration and details will be available soon.

The San Joaquin regions are planning their annual Joint Water Forum in Visalia this fall. The forum will highlight regional policy issues and feature local elected officials.

Registration will available September 2014.

Questions: Please contact Regional Affairs Representative Katie Dahl at katied@acwa.com or call 916-441-4545.

Region 5 is planning its fall event in Livermore to focus on outside-the-box approaches to watershed sustainability. Plan to attend this program and hear regional insights on imported water, aquifer management, flood control, conservation, and water recycling.

Registration will be available September 2014.

Questions: Please contact Regional Affairs Representative Katie Dahl at katied@acwa.com or call 916-441-4545.

ACWA’s 2014 Fall Conference & Exhibition is set for Dec. 2-5, 2014, at the Manchester Grand Hyatt hotel in San Diego.

Conference Exhibitors Information