The confluence of the Merced and San Joaquin Rivers.
Long time adversaries in the Delta water wars are weighing in on a State Water Resource Control Board (SWRCB) draft report released this week. Highly controversial, it contains recommended criteria to establish water flow requirements for the Delta, the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, and their tributaries. It returns to the SWRCB for action on Aug. 3rd.
Folks who want more water in the Delta for habitat and fish crow that the report is a major indictment of SWRCB’s management of the California water system. Others who want water for Southern California and Central Valley farms and communities bluster, “Nonsense! Water rights!” Still others point out that just mandating flow won’t solve all the Delta’s problems.
As reported in the Contra Costa Times yesterday, the report is really bad news for areas upstream of the Delta (including watersheds of origin).
“The key finding is that about 75 percent of all the snowmelt and rain that flows or falls into the Delta’s watershed, which covers 40 percent of California, should flow through the Delta into the Bay. Today, about 50 percent of the flow passes through the Delta on average as nearly all of California taps into its tributary rivers and the Delta itself…”
That doesn’t bode well for the water supply up here, that’s for sure. But I’ll post a number of links here over the next week or two so you can make up your own mind.
Most of today’s articles support the report’s conclusion that the Delta needs more, not less water. I’ll balance perspectives with opposing pieces as I find them.
The San Joaquin flows up and the Sacramento River flows down to the Delta, California Water Projects System Map, Department of Water Resources
A draft State Water Resource Control Board (SWRCB) report on criteria for establishing instream flow requirements through the Delta was released yesterday.
While it’s good news for the Delta’s natural environment, it’s not so good for the rest of us. There’s gonna be a rumble, me thinks.
Here are some articles about the report and folks’ responses:
The CCT says, among other things: “The report also details flow requirements for the two biggest rivers flowing into the Delta — the Sacramento and the San Joaquin…”
Events in New Mexico last week and on the Eldorado National Forest (60 miles from Sacramento) Friday remind us that conflicts between wildlife -- in this case, hungry bears -- and forgetful or negligent humans can have devastating results for all concerned.
Public lands managers note such incidents are on the upswing. Cheryl Carrothers, Regional Wildlife Program Leader for the USFS Pacific Southwest Region, issued an email heads up to regional forests and district rangers on July 2nd, just before the holiday weekend:
“I just wanted to make sure you were all aware. We have had multiple incidents with bears this year and the frequency is increasing. Please pass on our concerns to your folks and forest visitors. Keeping safe distances between bears and humans is a priority, restricting access to food and other attractants is the primary way to ensure this happens!”
We’re posting two videos we found on YouTube below. Obviously, the views expressed are those of the authors and not this supervisor. Confirm their methods with a ranger before you go and be prepared. And it goes without saying that if you live up here, precautions aren’t just for campers…
Remember, wild things aren’t tame. Be careful, will ya? Read More »
Have you wondered why such a fuss is being made over de-funding the Williamson Act subventions to counties ? Confused about the meaning of “subvention”?
There’s an explanation below, but let me give it a try and I think you’ll understand why it’s such a big deal to counties. Be forewarned: my explanation is simplistic.
Farmers and ranchers get a break on property taxes in exchange for a 10-year (in Tuolumne County) commitment to keep their land in productive agriculture or open space. Counties rely on state subvention or subsidy dollars to cover the cost of providing those tax breaks. Unlike Tuolumne County (our subvention is approx. $117,000 a year), in the recent past some counties in the Central Valley have received over a million dollars a year from the state. State subvention dollars go into county general funds to provide public services (police, fire, roads, etc.). No subvention, revenues decrease. Revenues decrease, so must services.
Here’s a good case for saving the Williamson Act as made by the Save the Williamson Act: a Coalition Committed to Protecting the California Land Conservation Act posted on the California Association of Resource Conservation District’s (www.carcd.org) website.
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The Williamson Act is the single most-effective agricultural land preservation program in California, and it’s under attack. The Governor suspended subvention payments to local governments in the 2009-10 state budget and is threatening to do so again. Many of the 54 counties that participate in the program will not be able to continue the program without help from the state.
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