Tag Archive for: State Water Project

Opinion: A Call for Balanced Water Management in California

/in , , /by /Maven's Notebook

The draft environmental impact statement for the long-term operation of the federal Central Valley Project and State Water Project has raised alarm bells for farmers and urban water users who depend on these water projects. Based on the document released July 26 for public review, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service seem to be pushing a regulatory agenda that prioritizes environmental objectives to the detriment of agricultural, municipal and industrial water needs.

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EXPLAINER: Delta Conveyance Project

/in , /by /Maven's Notebook

Trans-Delta System, Peripheral Canal, Bay Delta Conservation Plan, California Water Fix, and now, the Delta Conveyance Project – the idea of a canal to route water around the Delta is certainly not new. It was initially thought of as part of the master plan for the State Water Project but wasn’t included in the initial construction due to cost considerations. In the 1980s, plans were begun to construct such a canal, but it was put to a statewide vote, which was soundly defeated due to concerns about its potential impact on the Delta’s ecosystem and native fish populations.

Despite past setbacks and strong opposition, the idea of constructing a bypass around the Delta was never entirely abandoned. Over the years, it has continued to be a topic of intermittent discussion, with geography playing a significant role in the level of opposition. The most vocal opponents are often found in the northern part of the state, particularly within the Delta itself.

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Column: DWP’s New Leader Wants to Shake Things Up. It Won’t Be Easy

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Sammy Roth

An honest-to-goodness map of the American West would show L.A.’s tentacles everywhere.

You’d see canals — the Los Angeles Aqueduct, running along the base of the Sierra Nevada, carrying water from the Owens River; the State Water Project, meandering through the San Joaquin Valley, supplying many Southern California cities and farms; and the Colorado River Aqueduct, cutting through the desert on its mission to deliver water from desert to coast.

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Jennifer Pierre Wants More Water

/in , , /by /Politicoby Camille Von Kaenel

Despite this year’s deep snowpack, record-setting rainstorms and consequently full reservoirs, the 27 water agencies she represents as general manager of the State Water Contractors are getting just 40 percent of their contracted deliveries, as we reported earlier this week.

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How A ‘Death Trap’ For Fish In California’s Water System Is Limiting The Pumping Of Supplies

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

Giant pumps hum inside a warehouse-like building, pushing water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta into the California Aqueduct, where it travels more than 400 miles south to the taps of over half the state’s population.

But lately the powerful motors at the Harvey O. Banks Pumping Plant have been running at reduced capacity, despite a second year of drought-busting snow and rain.

The reason: So many threatened fish have died at the plant’s intake reservoir and pumps that it has triggered federal protections and forced the state to pump less water.

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Why No One Won in This Year’s Water Wars

/in , , /by /Politicoby Camille Von Kaenel

EVERY DROP COUNTS: California had (is still having, amazingly) a really good water year. But all the rain and snow is doing almost nothing to lubricate the state’s perpetual conflicts between fish and farms.

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California Increases Water Allocation After Wet Winter, but Fish Protections Limit Pumping

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

With runoff from this year’s snow and rain boosting the levels of California’s reservoirs, state water managers on Tuesday announced plans to increase deliveries of supplies from the State Water Project to 40% of full allotments, up from 30% last month.

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California Farmers and Residents to Receive an Increase in Water Supply From DWR

/in , , /by /FOX40by Veronica Catlin

The California Department of Water Resources announced an increase in the State Water Project water supply allocation forecast for 2024.

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Inside California’s Effort to Use Ocean Water as a Future Water Source

/in , , /by /ABC 10 (Sacramento)by Rob Carlmark

California has more than 1,000 thousand miles of coastline and the water in the Pacific Ocean presents an opportunity for more fresh water in the state. Unlocking the opportunity takes time, money and resources, and some experts say it’s not for everyone.

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State Officials Double Water Allocation for Most Contractors Following February Storms

/in , , /by /CBS News (Bay Area)

Managers of California’s two main water storage and delivery systems on Friday announced increases to forecasted water allocations for millions of people and vast tracts of farmland.

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