Submitted by Abby Schneider on Wed, 12/16/2015 – 1:16pm
The $1.15 trillion omnibus appropriations bill (HR 2029) funding the federal government for Fiscal Year 2016 was released by congressional leaders just after 1:30 a.m. this morning. The House is expected to vote on this bill plus a package of tax extenders later this week.
Funding: Overall funding for the federal agencies important to ACWA members is consistent with FY 2015 levels and higher than in individual House or Senate appropriation bills
Submitted by Pamela Martineau on Wed, 12/16/2015 – 11:46am
The State Water Resources Control Board on Dec. 15 approved an order that largely upholds protections for municipal water supplies and fisheries that were put in place earlier this year due to extreme drought conditions, according to a press release from the State Water Board.
Submitted by Lisa Lien-Mager on Tue, 12/15/2015 – 2:34pm
A coalition including ACWA, the California State Association of Counties and the League of California Cities has filed a constitutional amendment that would create a new, optional funding method local agencies could use at their discretion to finance stormwater, flood control and other water and sewer-related projects and pursue conservation-based water rates or lifeline rates for low-income households.
Submitted by Lisa Lien-Mager on Tue, 12/15/2015 – 9:58am
ACWA is partnering with the Brown Administration to present “California Water 2.0: What’s Next for the California Water Action Plan?” on Thursday, Jan. 14 in Sacramento.
The full-day briefing at the Sacramento Convention Center will highlight what has been accomplished to date in the California Water Action Plan and what needs to move ahead next to maximize investments and create a more resilient water system for California.
Submitted by Emily Allshouse on Mon, 12/14/2015 – 1:14pm
Following three years of construction and numerous legal challenges, the now-operational Carlsbad Desalination Plant was officially dedicated and named in honor of former Carlsbad Mayor Claude “Bud” Lewis during a ceremony held Dec. 14. According to the San Diego County Water Authority, the $1 billion project already has produced more than 1.5 billion gallons of water and is expected to produce approximately 10% of the water supply for the San Diego region.
Submitted by Lisa Lien-Mager on Mon, 12/14/2015 – 9:42am
There are some critical lessons to learn from the 2015 experience with the State Water Resources Control Board’s emergency conservation regulation. We need a major course correction in 2016 to avoid some very negative unintended consequences for local public water agencies and their customers, ACWA Executive Director Timothy Quinn writes in the latest entry in the Voices on Water blog.
Submitted by Emily Allshouse on Thu, 12/10/2015 – 1:43pm
The State Water Resources Control Board will hold a public workshop on Dec. 17 to receive comments on a draft emergency regulation adding new measurement and reporting requirements for water right holders and claimants that divert 10 acre-feet of water or more per year.
The draft emergency regulation, authorized under SB 88 (2015), is expected to affect approximately 12,000 water right holder and claimants. Requirements under the regulation could go into effect as early as Jan. 1, 2016.
Submitted by Emily Allshouse on Wed, 12/09/2015 – 2:18pm
On Dec. 1 ACWA launched its new marketplace tool geared towards helping member agencies find water industry-related products and services. The ACWA Marketplace launch coincided with the start of ACWA’s 2015 Fall Conference & Exhibition in Indian Wells.
The ACWA Marketplace is a public directory available to consumers but is designed to help ACWA member agencies make informed decisions when purchasing new products and services or considering professional services. Users can search by key word or browse listings by category.
CalEPA Headquarters Building Coastal Hearing Room 1001 I Street, Second Floor Sacramento, CA 95814
The State Water Board will hold a public Board Workshop to hear public comments on a Draft Emergency Regulation for Measuring and Reporting the Diversion and Use of Water.
Thursday, December 17, 2015 – 9:00 a.m.
Joe Serna Jr. – CalEPA Headquarters Building
Coastal Hearing Room
1001 I Street, Second Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
Modesto Centre Plaza at 1150 9th Street in Modesto
This workshop is sponsored by the USDA Agricultural Research Service, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR), UC California Institute for Water Resources and the Israel Ministry of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Organization.
Save the date for a statewide briefing on progress made and what needs to happen next to implement the California Water Action Plan.
Presented by the Brown Administration in partnership with ACWA, the briefing will feature top-level speakers in the Adminsitration, elected officials and stakeholders who will share status reports and critical next steps.
Intended audience: Local elected leaders from cities, counties and water agencies. Representatives from agriculture, business, state agencies, the Legislature and other thought leaders.
The California Irrigation Institute announces the dates for its 54th annual meeting. Join them January 25-26, 2016 at the Hilton Arden-West in Sacramento, California as technical and policy experts meet to discuss “California’s New Water Realities: Solving the Puzzle.” As California drought continues to worsen, the conference will explore and discuss new water management strategies to cope with the increasing pressure on water use. The conference is attended by agricultural, urban and environmental interests including water districts,
The Water Education Foundation is presenting a Water 101 Workshop in the Sacramento area on February 4-5, 2016. This daylong workshop with an optional second, half-day offers the opportunity to learn about California water basics, hot topics and water district board member governance.
Sponsored by the California Department of Water Resources and the Water Education Foundation, this one-day free briefing will examine hydrologic conditions, precipitation patterns, the need for fishery flows, and forecasts for state and federal water project operations.
The briefing will be held at the Sacramento Convention Center, Room 202.
Even as the potential for heavy El Niño rains has captured the attention of the public, state and federal officials know that California’s drought-stricken reservoirs will not recover that quickly.
Sponsored by the Water Education Foundation, this field trip explores the Lower Colorado River where virtually every drop of the river is allocated, yet demand is growing from a myriad of sources — increasing population, declining habitat, drought and climate change.
The Water Education Foundation’s 33rd annual Executive Briefing, will be held March 17, 2016 in Sacramento. The theme for this year’s briefing is “Defining the New Normal.”
This briefing is intended for water district managers and board members, state and federal agency officials, city and county government officials, farmers, environmentalists, attorneys, consultants, engineers, business executives and public interest groups.
The 2016 Green California Summit will offer presentations from experts and leaders who will provide information and resources to grow green programs. Topics range from water conservation, green fleets and energy efficiency (including Prop 39) to funding. More details here.