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August 6, 2008
 

 

Climate Change Science Program Issues Report on Climate Models
The U.S. Climate Change Science Program July 31 announced the release of the report “Climate Models: An Assessment of Strengths and Limitations,” the 10th in a series of 21 Synthesis and Assessment Products managed by U.S. federal agencies. Developed under the leadership of the U.S. Department of Energy, this report, SAP 3.1, describes computer models of the Earth’s climate and their ability to simulate current climate change.

“Complex climate models are tools that provide insights and knowledge into how future climate may evolve,” said David Bader, with DOE’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and the coordinating lead author for this SAP report. “To assure that future climate projections are used appropriately, it is crucial to understand what current models can simulate well, and where models need improvements. This report makes an important contribution in helping to describe and explain the current state of high-end climate modeling for the non-specialist.”

The SAP 3.1 report is available here.

Jordan’s Prince to Speak at Water Conservation Conference in Vegas
Prince Feisal Ibn Al-Hussein of Jordan will deliver the opening session keynote address at the inaugural WaterSMart Innovations Conference and Exposition, slated for Oct. 8-10 in Las Vegas.

Presented by the Southern Nevada Water Authority, in conjunction with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s WaterSense Program, WaterSmart Innovations is designed to broaden the knowledge of innovations in urban water efficiency and water conservation including products, programs and outreach.

Prince Feisal chairs the water committee that his brother, King Abdullah II, created earlier this year to upgrade Jordan’s water strategy and develop policies and programs in light of the kingdom’s scarce water resources. A recent World Bank report noted that Jordan is one of the world’s 10 most water deprived nations. The country’s population is expected to double by 2029.

For more information and to register, click here.


 

ACWA Urges Action on Governor’s Water Bond Proposal for November Ballot
A second Outreach Action Alert was sent Aug. 5 to ACWA member agencies urging them to contact their legislators in support of U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s comprehensive $9.3 billion water bond for the November 2008 ballot. A similar alert was sent in mid-July.

Time is running out. The deadline set by the secretary of state to get a bond on the ballot is Aug. 16. Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata and Assembly Speaker Karen Bass have signaled their intent to focus on a water bond as soon as the state budget is finished.

ACWA’s Board of Directors voted unanimously on July 25 to support the governor’s proposal. However, a massive show of support is needed from the local level to make the bond a reality. With little time left, member agencies are urged to contact their legislators immediately and urge them to move a comprehensive water bond through the Legislature in time for the November 2008 ballot.

A sample letter and talking points were included in the ACWA Alert. Member agencies may log in and view the alert here.

Bill Ends Longtime Water Dispute in Riverside County
A bill that resolves a decades-old water rights dispute in Riverside County was signed into law July 31 by President Bush.

The Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians Settlement Act of 2007 (HR 4841) ends more than 75 years of dispute involving the Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians, the City of Hemet, the City of San Jacinto, Metropolitan Water District, Lake Hemet Water District and Eastern Municipal Water District.

The bill resolves conflict over the limited resources of the San Jacinto River groundwater basin. It also resolves a 2000 lawsuit filed by the tribe against MWD. The tribe had claimed that a tunnel built by the water agency in the 1930s improperly drained water from the reservation.

Introduced by U.S. Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-Palm Springs), the act ratifies an agreement reached by the parties in 2003. The newly signed law includes cash, property and assured water supplies for the tribe, as well as recharging the groundwater basin that serves the San Jacinto Valley residents.

Drought Information, Agency Impacts Available from ACWA
August has arrived, and California’s drought continues to worsen.

Reservoir levels statewide have dropped 2-10% since July 1. Lake Oroville, one of the state’s largest reservoirs and the mainstay of the State Water Project, is at 38% of capacity and just 49% of average for this time of year. The San Luis Reservoir, which supplies water to the SWP and federal Central Valley Project, is at 25% of capacity and 45% of average.

The four-month period of March-April-May-June qualified as the driest on record for each month. April-May-June was the sixth driest in 114 years of record keeping. Rainfall for the year is about at 75% of average.

Court-ordered restrictions on pumping in the Delta remain in place, reducing pumping by as much as 30%.

California’s natural and regulatory drought conditions are having significant impacts on water agencies statewide. ACWA has been tracking the drought and its impacts on water agencies around California, and continues to update information daily. For an overview of water agencies responding to the drought, click here.

USGS Studies Groundwater Quality in California Coastal Valleys
The U.S. Geological Survey’s California Water Science Center is leading a large-scale study of groundwater quality in several California inland coastal valleys from Alameda to Ventura counties beginning this month.

USGS is testing water in California groundwater basins over a 10-year period with the voluntary cooperation of local water agencies and well owners. The Priority Basin Project is a collaboration between the State Water Resources Control Board’s Groundwater Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories.

The Inland Coastal Ranges unit is one of 35 GAMA groundwater study units and consists of the interior groundwater basins of the Livermore Valley, the Llagas, Bolsa, Hollister, and San Juan Bautista areas of the Gilroy-Hollister Valley, and the Cuyama Valley. The study unit includes portions of Alameda, Santa Clara, San Benito, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Kern and Ventura counties.

Water-quality sampling will start Aug. 11. A report on the data is expected to be available in about a year.

More information is available here.

Draft Environmental Documents Available for Glenn County Groundwater Testing Project
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has released a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) and draft Finding of No Significant Impact (FONSI) for a temporary groundwater test project. The draft EA and FONSI are available for a 30-day public comment period.

Under the proposed action, Reclamation would partially fund the installation of up to seven test production wells within Glenn County. Glenn Colusa Irrigation District, Orland Unit Water Users Association and Orland Artois Water District would operate these wells for a temporary period, according to a performance testing plan.

The testing would help assess the physical and operational characteristics of the Tehama and Lower Tuscan aquifer formations, and increase understanding of the potential effects of ongoing and future groundwater development. The water pumped for testing would be used locally and conveyed using existing infrastructure. With the exception of well installation, no other water conveyance construction would occur.

The draft EA and draft FONSI were developed under the National Environmental Policy Act. They are available online here.

Written comments are due Sept. 5 and should be sent to Tamara LaFramboise, Bureau of Reclamation, 2800 Cottage Way, MP-410, Sacramento, CA 95825, e-mailed to tlaframboise@mp.usbr.gov, or faxed to (916) 978-5290.

 
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