The News Review:

- David Kennedy, state’s longtime water resources chief, dies at 71
- India’s water situation on shaky ground
- Rains Boost Raleigh, Durham Water Supplies
- Ag water interests meet at summit

David Kennedy, state’s longtime water resources chief, dies at 71
San Francisco Chronicle – Dec 31, 2007
Kennedy was in charge during major floods in 1986, 1995 and 1997 and during the state’s longest drought in modern history, from 1987 to 1992. It was under his watch that the Department of Water Resources expanded the State Water Project’s delta pumping capacity and completed construction of the 100-mile Coastal Branch to augment water supply to Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. “California has lost a great water leader and dedicated public servant,” department Director Lester Snow said in a statement. “Dave’s knowledge of California’s water issues was unparalleled, and his commitment to efficient and reliable operation of the State Water Project tireless. Kennedy was born in 1936 in Ontario, Ore…
Kennedy was in charge during major floods in 1986, 1995 and 1997 and during the state’s longest drought in modern history, from 1987 to 1992. It was under his watch that the Department of Water Resources expanded the State Water Project’s delta pumping capacity and completed construction of the 100-mile Coastal Branch to augment water supply to Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. “California has lost a great water leader and dedicated public servant,” department Director Lester Snow said in a statement. “Dave’s knowledge of California’s water issues was unparalleled, and his commitment to efficient and reliable operation of the State Water Project tireless. Kennedy was born in 1936 in Ontario, Ore.

India’s water situation on shaky ground
Economic Times – Dec 31, 2007
Akash Deep Jyoti, Head(Corporate & Infrastructure Ratings), CRISIL, seconds that opinion. “Themost immediate focus should be to formulate appropriate user charges policy totarget full cost recovery of providing clean water, which should be followed byformation of autonomous, self-reliant government-owned or private water bodies,”says he. So, apart from setting up aregulatory mechanism, is privatisation of water services an option India’spolicy makers should be toying with? Not exactly, says Ramaswamy R Iyer, formersecretary, Union ministry of water resources, and currently with the Centre forPolicy Research. “It may beargued that without privatising the resource, the water supply service can beprivatised, but (a) it is difficult to maintain that distinction, and (b) it isquite unnecessary. We have managed to transform railway reservations. We run theworld’s largest elections. We have a world-class Metro in Delhi…
We run theworld’s largest elections. We have a world-class Metro in Delhi. Is itimpossible for us to transform our urban water supply utilities?” askshe. Sadly, most of therecent debates surrounding water have veered round the political than thepolicy. Whether it’s Haryana vs Punjab over the Satluj-Yamuna Link or Tamil Naduvs Karnataka over Cauvery, the argument has been mostly about how much water onecan claim than how efficiently one is using the water alreadyavailable. Says Mr Iyer onthese often violent debates that have acquired a ballot edge of late, âIfwe have no concern for federalism, if we take the position that ‘justice’ iswhat we say it is and not what a Court pronounces, and if we make such issuespart of electoral politics, then the answer does not lie in new laws orinstitutions: they too will fail.

Rains Boost Raleigh, Durham Water Supplies
Local Tech Wire – Dec 31, 2007
Meanwhile, the rains boosted the levels of the Rocky River Reservoir enough in Siler City that town officials lifted mandatory water restrictions Monday. But Mayor Charles Turner requested that people continue voluntary conservation efforts until the reservoir returns to normal levels. Siler City was in a water emergency in October, as the supply of drinking water in the Rocky River Reservoir dropped to about 65 days. Local poultry plants began trucking in water from Jordan Lake, and town officials put a rush on building a $1 million water supply pipeline from Sanford. Rains over the past week have restored the reservoir to 3½ feet below normal levels, officials said in a statement. Officials said residents and businesses should refrain from outdoor watering, washing cars and pressure washing and should try to conserve as much water as possible on a daily basis. Reporter: Bruce Mildwurf Photographer: Robert Meikle Web Editor: Matthew Burns Copyright 2008 by WRAL.

Ag water interests meet at summit
High Plains Journal – Dec 31, 2007
One of the things the alliance is doing is sponsoring the development of a “white paper” to help the media, the Colorado General Assembly, interest groups and citizens understand the role agricultural conservation measures can play in addressing the state’s future water supply needs. Presenting a rough draft of the report, scheduled for release sometime early next year, were Dr. Reagan Waskom, director of the Colorado Water Resources Institute at Colorado State University and Rick Brown, section chief for intrastate water management and development at the Colorado Water Conservation Board and manager of the Statewide Water Supply Initiative. Defining ag water’s roleBrown told the group he is convinced agriculture will play a major role in meeting the future water needs of the state. “Defining what that role is, I think, is what we’re wanting to work with you on and how much consensus can we get around that role,” Brown said. Expected population growth, particularly along the Front Range, likely is going to divert some of the 11. 4 million acre-feet of water annually from agricultural use to municipal and industrial (M&I) use…
“Also, how do we go about addressing future growth in areas with no reliable supplies of water? If Colorado cannot resolve these issues, additional reallocation of water out of agriculture will occur, both on the East and West Slopes. An integrated approachWater supply options to meet future needs will likely be a mixture of conservation, reuse, agricultural transfers, new water supply development and storage. “Multi-purpose projects may be the most successful,” Brown said. “An integrated approach will be best headlined by water conservation and efficiency. While it’s not a panacea, every little bit matters. Conservation ought to be done because it’s the right thing to do.