Implementation of the historic 2009 Delta legislative package was the subject of an oversight hearing yesterday at the State Capitol.

Natural Resources Secretary Lester Snow told lawmakers that appointments to the new Delta Stewardship Council will be announced soon. Appointments to the new Delta Conservancy also are due to be made by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Legislature and the five Delta counties.

Several lawmakers expressed concern that staffing decisions and con...

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WateReuse California presented Eastern Municipal Water District with the Recycled Water Agency of the Year award March 8 at its annual conference in San Diego.

“We are honored to receive this award. It signifies the EMWD board of director’s commitment to maximizing local water resources,” says EMWD Board President Ron Sullivan.

EMWD’s regional wastewater reclamation system currently treats approximately 46 million gallons of wastewater per day. EMWD reuses approximately 70...

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ACWA member agencies have kicked off the association’s centennial celebrations by passing resolutions recognizing its 100th anniversary.

Cucamonga Valley Water District, Santa Margarita Water District, United Water Conservation District, Wheeler Ridge–Maricopa Water Storage District and West Valley Water District are among the agencies that have passed resolutions. A sample resolution was included in the [Read More]

Homes built in 2009 use 20% less water than homes built in 1990, according to a new report by Stockton-based energy consulting firm ConSol. When the California Green Building Standards Code becomes effective in 2011, the study estimates newly built homes will be 21% more water efficient than their 1990 counterparts.

The study also found that landscaping accounts for 57% of total household water use, and that the Department of Water Resources’ Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance...

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Integrated water management in California is the subject of a two-day session of the California Biodiversity Council, March 10 and 11 in Fairfield / Suisun. The session will include a tour and a meeting. Click here for more details and to register....

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The State Water Resources Control Board is initiating the process to develop biological objectives for freshwater streams and rivers in California. Project kick-off meetings are on March 8, 1-4 p.m. at the Cal EPA Building, 1001 I Street, Sacramento and March 11, 9 a.m.-noon at the SCCWRP, 3535 Harbor Blvd., Suite 110, Costa Mesa. The purpose of these meetings is to educate stakeholders on the project and initiate the process of assembling the stakeholder, regulatory and scientific committees th...

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The California Department of Water Resources has scheduled public listening sessions on implementation of two projects as part of the 2009 Water Conservation Act, the conservation element of the historic water package enacted in November. The first will be in Sacramento on March 8, the second in Los Angeles on March 10. These first listening sessions will focus on two requirements of the act: Urban Baseline Technical Methodologies and a Method for Calculating Urban Water Use Reduction Targets. C...

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Best, Best Kreiger will host a workshop March 6 in Huntington Beach to discuss water supply challenges in drought-plagued California and offer strategies on how to proactively address shortages.

“Twenty-first Century Challenges to Supplying Water” will offer an update on drought conditions and an in-depth analysis of the regulatory and court-imposed restrictions impacting water supplies in California. ...

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The Department of Water Resources has released its monthly drought bulletin, which provides an update on water supply conditions throughout the state. The March bulletin reports that precipitation through Feb. 22 was slightly below average February rainfall and repeats that “the current drought period beginning in 2007 has left a significant deficit in our reservoir’s carry-over supplies.” Click http://www.water.ca.gov/drought/docs/DroughtUpdate-030110.pdf here to read the drought bulletin....

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ACWA’s 2010 Legislative Symposium is slated for Wednesday, March 17, in Sacramento. The deadline to pre-register is March 5.

Specific topics to be addressed include the comprehensive legislative water package, diversifying local water supplies and the state budget. A keynote speaker will address attendees during lunch, and all 120 California legislators have been invited to attend.

For more information and to register, click [Read More]

California farmers using efficient and sustainable water practices are the focus of a new report from the Pacific Institute released today. The report and accompanying video highlights successful practices some farmers are employing to reduce water use by up to 20% in some fields. ...

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The results of the Department of Water Resources’ third snow survey of the season today indicate water content in California’s snowpack is 107% of average for the date. At this time last year, snow water content statewide was 80% of normal.

“Today’s readings boost our hope that we will be able to increase the State Water Project allocation by this spring to deliver more water to our cities and farms,” said DWR Director Mark Cowin in a [Read More]

The California Department of Water Resources will conduct its third snow survey of the season at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, March 3 near Lake Tahoe. Results will be available by 1 p.m.

The survey is the third of five monthly winter measurements that help water supply planners estimate the amount of spring snowmelt runoff into reservoirs.

DWR announced Feb. 26 it will deliver just 15% of requested suppl...

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Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) Executive Director Timothy Quinn issued the following statement today on the 2010 water supply allocations announced by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the California Department of Water Resources. The Bureau announced that agricultural contractors on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley can anticipate a 30% supply if 2010 turns out to be an average water year, but at little as 5% if dry conditions return. DWR said urban and agricultural cust...

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The federal Bureau of Reclamation and California Department of Water Resources will make a joint water supply allocation announcement for their respective water projects on Friday, Feb. 26.

The storage level in Shasta Lake is currently at 98% of average, while storage in Lake Oroville is just 53% of average. Although precipitation in 2009 was near average for the Northern Sierra, river runoff remained low – at about 74% due to lower-than-average snowpack and very dry conditions in 200...

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