The News Review:
- ARRA funds Valley water districts
- Congress considers legislation for quicker testing of water pollution
- Water watch begins
- Safe drinking water on the trail
- California Receives $18 Million for Agricultural Water Enhancement …
- Tunnel under delta could be alternative to canal
ARRA funds Valley water districts
Fresno Business Journal
The $40 million investment in these projects is part of President Barack bama?s $1 billion investment of ARRA funding provided by the Department of the Interior for water projects across the West. In April Secretary in the Interior Ken Salazar announced $260 million in ARRA funding to address California?s current drought conditions and meet the State?s long-term water supply infrastructure needs. The total funding for California water-related activities under the Interior portion of ARRA is $381 million to expand water supplies repair aging water infrastructure and address drought mitigation. This is a new Newsflash area. This is a second Newsflash area.
Congress considers legislation for quicker testing of water pollution
Los Angeles Times
In California the additional spending authorized by the bill would be welcome by cities that have cut back on beach monitoring because of the state’s budget troubles said Mark Gold president of Heal the Bay a Santa Monica-based environmental group. John Boozman of Arkansas top Republican on the House subcommittee on water resources and environment said the measure would “help ensure that the public can get timely warnings of potential health hazards associated with a trip to the beach. “Congressional action came as the Natural Resources Defense Council reported that beach closings and advisories last year declined 10%. But that the group said most likely was because of dry conditions and decreased funding for water monitoring. Beach closings and advisories often the result of aging sewage and storm water systems still exceeded 20000 incidents nationwide last year — the fourth highest number since 1990 the group reported. The Clean Coastal Environment and Public Health Act passed Wednesday by the House would require the Environmental Protection Agency to develop a test by 2012 that would allow the public to be alerted to contamination within hours of sampling reducing the risk of exposure to disease-causing pathogens.
Related from Museedebateauxminiatures: Big Lake ‘at risk’ for pollution from boats and watercraft
Water watch begins
Southern Idaho Business
Water watch beginsUnprecedented well shut-off goes into effect in valleyBy Nate Poppino and Jared HopkinsWENDELL – Employees of Idaho’s state water agency quietly fanned out across the Magic Valley Friday morning to see if nearly 250 water-right holders have complied with an order to stop using some groundwater rights. It was the first time that the Idaho Department of Water Resources actually enforced widespread well closures to provide water to another entity. IDWR Interim Director Gary Spackman ordered the closures last week shortly after the department learned that two groundwater districts had allowed as much as half of 9300 acres of farmland converted to use surface water to revert back to pumping groundwater. State officials said those conversions needed to be maintained to fulfill an agreement with Clear Springs Foods of Buhl whose springs officials ruled have declined due to groundwater pumping. Eight IDWR employees including three from the agency’s Boise office met briefly at the agency’s Twin Falls office before leaving to check on irrigation rights near Jerome Wendell Murtaugh Shoshone and other areas. The call which also affects businesses and cities includes water used for slightly less than 9000 irrigated acres.
Safe drinking water on the trail
Examiner.com
water water everywhere is it safe to drink? You should never assume any outdoor water source is safe to drink without treatment. There are four basic methods the backpacker may use to insure a safe drinking water supply: heat filtration chemical treatment or ultraviolet technology. You should never rely on just one method. Heat: ne of the safest methods. Collect water carefully unless you chose to make hot mud. Heating water to boiling point should be sufficient however you may chose to boil a minute or two longer.
California Receives $18 Million for Agricultural Water Enhancement …
PR Newswire (press release) (press release)
Applications from individual agricultural producers within a given AWEP project area are ranked according to the conservation resource need. Producers whose applications are selected enter into individual contracts with NRCS. Approved California AWEP projects are: rganization Project Description 2009 Award ———— ——- ———– ———- Tulare Tulare Enhance water supply by Irrigation Irrigation implementing water District District quality and quantity measures. More efficient irrigation systems from high to low pressure systems $500000 —— ———– ———————– ——— Lava Beds Lost River Improve irrigation Butte Valley and Butte efficiency and nutrient & Klamath Valley management restore County Soil Watersheds wetland habitat (60000 and Water acres) Conservation District $250000 ————- ———– ———————– ——— North Improving Focus on lowering water Cal-Neva Water temperature increasing Resource Quality and dissolved oxygen and Conservation Quantity in reducing amount of & the Upper nutrients entering the Development Pit River. Pit River Council $520000 ————- ———– ———————– ——– Sutter County Gilsizer Install 40 high Resource Slough efficiency irrigation Conservation systems (50% water District saving); Adopt nutrient and pest management practices for 40 producers; Install 40 vegetative cover crops and filter strips etc. $1150000 ————- ———– ———————– ———- California Northern Increase the reliability Land California of agriculture water Stewardship Wine supply; Improve stream Institute Country flow and water quality; Agricultural Improve water use Water efficiency etc.
Tunnel under delta could be alternative to canal
San Diego Union Tribune
July 31 2009 ‘ — SACRAMENT ? A possible answer to Southern California’s water-delivery woes has emerged right underfoot literally. The state Department of Water Resources is exploring the price and engineering challenges associated with digging a roughly 35-mile tunnel under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to bring more supplies to Southern California. ?We don’t have the costs worked out? said Lester Snow California’s water chief. ?We have to look at the trade-off between the extra costs of tunneling and how it compares to a canal. ? Although still in its early stages the tunnel proposal intrigues water managers frustrated by the inability to secure sufficient supplies ? especially during the state’s prolonged drought ? and worried that they may never overcome fierce resistance to building a new above-ground canal. In 1982 voters rejected a measure to construct the 43-mile Peripheral Canal designed to move water through the delta and toward thirsty cities and farms.