ACWA e-News for October 26, 2011

ACWA and the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) are calling on the water community to complete an online survey regarding groundwater management activities in California.

The survey is aimed at compiling information on groundwater management efforts statewide to share with policy makers and other stakeholders.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will open the National Levee Database for public access by hosting a series of public webinars beginning tomorrow.

The database is a real-time, dynamic information source that provides visualization and search capability for the first time on the location and condition of Corps-operated levee systems nationwide. It includes attributes of levees and floodwalls relevant to flood fighting, design, construction, operation, maintenance, repair and inspection.

The future of water storage in California and the potential impacts of specific storage projects were discussed during a California Water Commission workshop held Oct. 25 in Sacramento.  

The second of two Commission workshops on the topic, the day-long session featured 26 speakers, including ACWA Executive Director Timothy Quinn, state and federal officials, water agency managers, engineers and environmentalists.

The Delta Stewardship Council’s draft Delta Plan offers too little action to ensure future water supply reliability for cities and farms, the San Bernardino Sun said an Oct. 23 editorial.

State officials preparing the California Water Plan Update 2013 will glean key information at a meeting Oct. 26-27 in Sacramento.

Published at five-year intervals by the Department of Water Resources, the California Water Plan provides a comprehensive report on water supply, demand and management in California. The 2013 plan will provide updated strategic water resource management information, including water supply, environmental stewardship, climate change, water storage, water conservation, technology and other topics.

Federal representatives in the Delta region urged the Obama Administration to withdraw a recent BDCP planning agreement in a letter sent Oct. 24.

The new legal agreement was signed in August by the U.S. Department of the Interior, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, state Department of Water Resources, and state and federal water contractors and identifies how the remaining planning activities will be funded.

The House Science, Space, and Technology Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight held a hearing on the nexus of science and policy related to the Endangered Species Act on October 13. 

In his opening statement, Subcommittee Chairman Broun (R-Ga.) called for an overhaul of the Endangered Species Act.  He said that U.S. District Court Judge Oliver Wanger statements on the Delta Smelt Biological opinion have “attracted this Subcommittee’s attention” and he quoted Judge Wanger’s criticism of Interior Department scientists.

Representative Dennis Cardoza (D-18) announced that he will not seek re-election in 2012.

He will continue to serve the 18^th congressional district for the remainder of the term. Cardoza has represented California’s central valley for over 20 years.

“Reflecting on our successes, I am most proud of our work to build community centers, new schools, roads and water infrastructure in both the Valley and throughout California,” said Cardoza.

The Bureau of Reclamation is seeking public comment on draft Reclamation Manual releases for water-related contracting activities. These draft releases provide definitions of key terms and revise existing definitions; restructure and clarify Reclamation's water transfer and conversion policy; and consolidate and set-out basic pricing requirements for water-related contracts.

For more information please see the Bureau of Reclamation’s press release. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced plans Thursday to develop national standards for the disposal of wastewater generated by the natural gas extraction process known as hydraulic fracturing, or fracking.

EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson said the agency will begin the process of developing a standard with input from stakeholders, including the natural gas industry and public health groups.