ACWA e-News for April 25, 2012

The State Water Resources Control Board is proposing a series of workshops as part of its process to consider new water quality objectives for the Bay-Delta.

The proposed workshops are aimed at gathering expert scientific input on key topics identified for Phase 2 of the State Board’s review and update of the 2006 Bay-Delta Plan. The State Board will examine whether modifications are needed to Delta outflow objectives, export / inflow objectives, other measures.

Workshop topics include:

An ACWA-supported bill aimed at expediting funding for safe drinking water projects cleared the Assembly Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee on Tuesday.

A  government reorganization plan that proposes transferring the Delta Stewardship Council into the Natural Resources Agency was the subject of a series of public hearings this week hosted by the Little Hoover Commission.

The California State Senate has unanimously confirmed Mark Cowin as director of the Department of Water Resources.

On a 37-0 vote last week, the Senate confirmed Cowin's appointment by Gov. Jerry Brown to lead the department he has served for more than 30 years.

A federal funding bill set for markup Thursday in the Senate Appropriations Committee includes several provisions that could boost water supplies in California.

The provisions are part of a $33.3 billion energy and water appropriations bill approved by a key Senate subcommittee on Tuesday. California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who chairs the subcommittee, said the bill addresses water infrastructure needs in California and the nation.

Improving implementation of the federal and state Endangered Species Acts was the focus of a daylong ESA roundtable on April 24 at the ACWA offices in Sacramento.   

ACWA formed the group in response to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services’ advanced notice of proposed rulemaking published March 15 in the Federal Register. The agency is seeking public input on ways to create incentives for landowners and others to take voluntary conservation actions to benefit species before they become threatened or endangered under the federal ESA.

The Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee today rejected one Delta-related bill but approved two others opposed by ACWA and a coalition of water agencies and other organizations.

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California’s water infrastructure and options for revitalizing it will be in focus at ACWA's 2012 Spring Conference & Exhibition, set for May 8-11 in Monterey. More than 1,700 local water leaders are expected to attend the event.

A free mobile application for ACWA’s 2012 Spring Conference & Exhibition is available for download.

The app – available for iOS, Android, Blackberry and web-enabled devices – features a full conference schedule, maps of the event and a live conference Twitter feed. Users can plan their day, view and locate conference exhibitors, and get information on keynote speakers.

A film looking at the life of one of California’s greatest leaders, former Gov. Pat Brown, will open the Santa Cruz Film Festival on May 10.

Written and directed by Sascha Rice, Brown’s granddaughter, “California State of Mind: The Legacy of Pat Brown” tells the story of how Brown rose against seemingly insurmountable obstacles and shaped the future of modern California.

H.R. 4345, the Domestic Fuels Protection Act, was the subject of a House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on the Environment and Economy hearing on Thursday, April 19. ACWA issued a legislative alert on the bill because several provisions could negatively impact water quality. An Outreach Alert and a sample letter can be found here.

Specifically the bill:

The ACWA Board’s most recent actions, a new video with fast facts on water conservation and updated water supply allocations headline the latest issue of ACWA News, the association's twice-monthly membership newsletter, now available online.

Other highlights of the issue include: