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Delta Island Purchase Gets Go Ahead by State Supreme Court

The California Supreme Court has ruled that a Southern California water supplier can go ahead with the purchase of five Delta Islands, regardless of the opposition and lawsuit against it. Metropolitan Water District (MWD) will go ahead with the $175 million sale of the Delta Islands as ruled by the Supreme Court. Since MWD initiated the sale, several injunctions have been placed against it stopping the purchase from going through. Several lawsuits have also been filed by San Joaquin and Contra Costa counties, Delta Island farmers and a series of environmental groups.

 

Hear our Interview: John Linden, Helix Water Board Director

John Linden has served on the Helix Water District Board since 2000. He’s proud of his service and of the Helix district’s long history since its establishment back in the 1880s.  He’s running for reelection in district 1, against three challengers. We sat down for an interview with Linden that originally aired on KNSJ radio. Linden has a long history in water management.

Construction Begins on South L.A. Water Treatment Plant

Construction work began Sept. 8 on a water treatment plant here that will use chloramine, instead of chlorine, to disinfect drinking water. City Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson said the change to chloramine — which is being made to meet federal regulations — will “ensure that residents of Green Meadows and Watts have access to the highest quality water.” Harris-Dawson took part in a groundbreaking ceremony for the $19.1 million chloramine facility — to be built at the 99th Street Water Treatment Plant in the 9800 block of Wadsworth Avenue — that will serve about 20,000 households, businesses and multi-family complexes.

Global Warming Could Make The Drought Last For a Century, Says UCLA Study

Greenhouse gases trapped in the upper atmosphere are acting like natural climatic forces that made some ancient droughts last for 1,000 years, UCLA researchers say. Global warming created by these gases could be making a more arid climate, like what California has seen in its current five-year drought, “the new normal,” said UCLA geography professor Glen MacDonald, the study’s lead author.

Denham Introduces New Water Infrastructure Bill

Congressman Jeff Denham introduced the New WATER Act Thursday in hopes of authorizing a pilot project that would provide long-term, low-cost financing for water resources infrastructure in reclamation states.“The Central Valley desperately needs to build more infrastructure for water storage and delivery,” said Denham, who introduced the bill Thursday.

 

Senate Approves Bill For Water Projects, Millions For Flint

The Senate approved a $10 billion water projects bill Thursday that includes emergency funding for Flint, Michigan — nearly a year after officials declared a public health emergency because of lead-contaminated water.Senators approved the bill 95-3. The measure now goes to the House, where approval of a similar bill — minus the Flint provision — is expected as soon as next week. The Senate measure would authorize 29 projects in 18 states for dredging, flood control and other projects overseen by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

 

Sea Level Rise Concept Addressed By Coronado City Council

Sea level rise and its possible impact on the city of Coronado was the major topic discussed at the City Council meeting of Sept. 6, 2016. During a prior council meeting, City Councilmember Bill Sandke requested a staff report regarding what steps the city is taking to address sea level rise. The topic grew in importance to Sandke during a recent family trip to Amsterdam, where the Dutch have been defending their country against the incursion of water through a variety of means, including a lock and levy system, for five centuries.

 

 

Gov. Brown Signs Water Conservation Measure

Assembly Bill 1928, by Assembly member Nora Campos (D-San Jose) was signed by Governor Brown this week. The bill resets deadlines for the California Energy Commission to establish water efficiency performance standards and labeling requirements for landscape irrigation equipment by Jan. 1, 2018. “AB 1928 will help California further reduce water waste by taking the next step in improving outdoor water conservation and allow consumers to make informed choices about water-efficient equipment” said Campos.

 

New State Water Plan May Force Tighter Conservation Restrictions

San Francisco faces potentially drastic cutbacks in its water supply, as state regulators proposed leaving more water in three Northern California rivers Thursday to protect wildlife in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta estuary, the linchpin of California’s water supply. The draft rules by the State Water Resources Control Board would raise the amount of water into the Merced, Stanislaus and Tuolumne rivers to 30 to 50 percent of what would naturally flow in them. That means less water would be available for urban users and farmers in the northern San Joaquin Valley, compounding their need to conserve.

An Era of Limits: California Proposes Steering More Water to Fish, Less to Farms, Cities

In a move that foreshadows sweeping statewide reductions in the amount of river water available for human needs, California regulators on Thursday proposed a stark set of cutbacks to cities and farms that receive water from the San Joaquin River and its tributaries. To protect endangered fish at critical parts of their life cycle, regulators proposed leaving hundreds of thousands of additional acre-feet of water in the San Joaquin River system.