The News Review:

- US tightens the tap on water from Northern California
- Water managers review Florida-US Sugar deal
- Obama picks Salazar as Interior secretary
- Water managers may be open to easing watering restrictions
- Calif. near impact report on Monterey desalination
- Regional plans for county’s water in works; all are costly

US tightens the tap on water from Northern California
Los Angeles Times CA 
The cutbacks will vary depending on conditions in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta the smelt’s only home and a major source of water for the majority of Californians. In a typical year the smelt protections will slash California State Water Project deliveries 20% to 30% — essentially maintaining the level of cuts ordered this year by a federal judge. Under the worst conditions that figure could climb to 50%. The limits come on the heels of two dry years growing concern over diminished supplies from the Colorado River and a biological meltdown in the delta east of San Francisco.
Related from Panpacmastersgames: US tightens the tap on water from Northern California

Water managers review Florida-US Sugar deal
MiamiHerald.com FL 
Mark Kraus senior vice president of the Everglades Foundation urged the board to consider the broader benefits the land buy will eventually provide. ”I’ve heard repeatedly this costs too much” he said. “I’d ask you to consider this: What is the water supply worth? What is a restored Everglades worth?”Miami Herald staff writers Mary Ellen Klas and Marc Caputo contributed to this story.

Obama picks Salazar as Interior secretary
Los Angeles Times CA 
The state has an obligation under the Colorado River Compact to ensure it sends the required amount of water to the downstream states including California. The state just completed an assessment of its water resources with grim results. According to state officials drought explosive growth agricultural use and intensifying energy development have overstressed the water supply. Salazar was joined by Gov. and the Denver Water Board in voicing concern about the fast-tracking of federal oil shale leasing in the state citing unanswered questions about its effects on water quantity and quality. Salazar led Colorado’s Department of Natural Resources and served as the state’s attorney general before winning a vacant Senate seat in 2004.

Water managers may be open to easing watering restrictions
Sun-Sentinel.com FL 
Switching to a three-day-a-week limit for watering while completely exempting the recycled water irrigation would cut down on utilities’ lost revenues according to the district. Eventually utilities would be expected to make the transition back to twice-a-week watering. “It sounds like we have got an approach that might work” district board member Shannon Estenoz said. Instead of a final vote expected in January on the twice-a-week watering limits the board now plans to hold another public hearing on the new plan in February.

Calif. near impact report on Monterey desalination
Reuters 
These two Poseidon plants are the first of a new wave of desalination plants for California that are bigger and more efficient than ones proposed decades ago. A handful of relatively small desalination plants operate in California now. The first plant for large residential water supplies was built by the city of Santa Barbara after the drought of 1987-1992 Cooley said.

Regional plans for county’s water in works; all are costly
Maui News HI 
addVariable(“pid” “HIMAN”); ap. addVariable(“fontcolor” “0×336699″); ap. write(“flashcontentLeftRail”); Regional plans for county?s water in works; all are costly By HARRY EAGAR Staff Writer POSTED: December 16 2008.