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May 7, 2008
 

 

ACWA Presents 2008 Clair Hill Award to Orange County Water District
ACWA presented its prestigious Clair A. Hill Award today to Orange County Water District for its cutting-edge Groundwater Replenishment System.

The award was presented to the district during the annual ACWA Spring Conference & Exhibition, where nearly 2,000 water officials are gathered through Friday for programs and panel discussions on a variety of key water issues. Orange County Water District was selected from among six finalists to receive the award.

“Orange County Water District is an outstanding example of a local agency putting the latest technology to work to manage California’s water resources,” ACWA President Glen Peterson said. “Orange County’s project has captured national and even international attention for its ability to reuse wastewater on a large scale to create a drought-proof supply of ultra-pure water.”

The Groundwater Replenishment System purifies treated wastewater using microfiltration, reverse osmosis and ultraviolet light with hydrogen peroxide. The ultra-pure water is injected into a seawater intrusion barrier and pumped to groundwater recharge facilities, where it percolates into the groundwater basin and eventually becomes part of the region’s water supply.

The system is the largest indirect potable reuse project of its type in the world and helps improve water supply reliability by providing a 72,000 acre-foot per year supply of new water for the Orange County groundwater basin. One acre-foot of water is enough to meet the needs of two average families for a year.

More on the award is available here.

Brent Graham Receives Lifetime Achievement Award
ACWA today presented its Lifetime Achievement Award to Brent L. Graham, longtime general manager of the Tulare Lake Basin Water Storage District and former member of the ACWA Board of Directors. The award was presented during the annual ACWA Spring Conference & Exhibition.

Graham officially retires May 31 after 40 years as general manager of Tulare Lake Basin. His involvement with ACWA spans four decades and includes leaderships roles on the association’s Board of Directors under four different executive directors. He served on a number of ACWA committees and chaired ACWA’s Region 7 for several terms.

“Brent has been a dedicated and steadfast participant in ACWA activities and a strong leader for the water community,” ACWA President Glen Peterson said. “He has contributed so much to our association and our industry. California’s water community owes its success to individuals such as Brent.”


 

ACWA Conference Kicks Off with Program on Dry Conditions, Climate Change
State Meteorologist Elissa Lynn provided the latest on dry conditions and how climate change may affect California’s water supplies at a program today kicking off ACWA’s 2008 Spring Conference & Exhibition in Monterey.

Lynn told a crowd of more than 650 local water officials that the state is in the second year of what is definitely a dry spell, if not a drought. Revised figures due this week from the Department of Water Resources may classify the year as critically dry. “Is it a drought? Not yet, but we’ll see,” she said.

March and April combined were the driest on record for California, and may be a preview of what’s to come as rain and snowfall patterns change. Models show climate change already has reduced the Sierra snowpack by about 10%, and another 15% could be lost by 2050, Lynn said. That’s significant because the state’s water system depends on the snowpack to be there and melt at certain times.

“We are looking at greater uncertainty in our water supply,” she said. “The solution is not going to be just one strategy.” More on Lynn’s presentation is available here.

An estimated 1,700 local water agency representatives are attending the ACWA conference, which continues through Friday at the Monterey Conference Center. More details are available here.

ACWA has prepared an informational piece on the dry conditions and emerging impacts on water agencies. It will be updated periodically in the coming months. The piece is available here.

Longfin Smelt to be Considered for ESA Listing
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced yesterday that it will conduct a status review of the longfin smelt to determine whether it warrants protection under the federal Endangered Species Act.

The determination is the first step toward possible listing for the species under the ESA. The action opens a 60-day public comment period during which experts and the public are encouraged to submit all relevant information about the species. The service then will complete its next stage of review.

Longfin smelt has a two-year life cycle, typically spawning in Suisun and San Pablo bays from November to June. The petition to list the species was filed in August 2007 by the Bay Institute, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

More details are available here.

Senate Committee Approves Bill on San Joaquin River Restoration
The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee today approved legislation sponsored by U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Barbara Boxer that would implement a settlement to restore the San Joaquin River and reintroduce the California Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon to the river.

Companion legislation was approved by the House Natural Resources Committee last fall.

“This brings us one step closer to passing this landmark legislation,” Feinstein said. “Bottom line: this legislation can help resolve one of the oldest water disputes in the West. If Congress doesn’t resolve it, a federal judge will -- with consequences that would be more costly and impose a greater burden on farmers.”

The legislation indicates how the settlement agreement would be implemented. It involves the Department of the Interior, the Department of Commerce, and the Bureau of Reclamation, and essentially gives the Secretary of the Interior the additional authority to take actions to restore the San Joaquin River, reintroduce the salmon, minimize water supply impacts on Friant water users, and avoid reductions in water supply for third-party water contractors.

The San Joaquin River Settlement was filed with the Federal District Court for the Eastern District of California in late 2006. It requires federal implementing legislation to become fully effective. More is available here.

DWR Releases Integrated Water Resources Information System
The Department of Water Resources (DWR) has released a new water resources data management tool called the Integrated Water Resources Information System (IWRIS).

The Web-based tool allows users to access, integrate, query, and visualize multiple sets of data from diverse sources. Databases currently accessible through IWRIS include DWR’s Water Data Library, California Data Exchange Center (CDEC), United States Geological Survey streamflow data, Local Groundwater Assistance Grants (AB303), and data from local agencies. The system will be expanded with additional data sets and functionality in the future.

More on the system is available here.

Glaser named Mid-Pacific Regional Director for the Bureau of Reclamation
Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Robert W. Johnson last week announced the selection of Donald R. Glaser as Reclamation's Mid-Pacific Regional Director. Glaser will serve in Sacramento.

Glaser's experience includes 20 years with the Bureau in several positions throughout the west and in Washington, D.C., including assistant commissioner for resources management and deputy commissioner. Glaser has spent the past seven years managing several non profits engaged in water education, open space preservation, and fish and wildlife conservation and restoration.

More details are available here.

 
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