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Planning for Water-Wise Development in the Sierra

SNA Weekly — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 11:12:57 -0700

Poorly planned development has become a chief threat to the waters of the Sierra Nevada. But what is good growth, from a watershed perspective? Planning for Water-Wise Development in the Sierra, co-authored by the Local Government Commission and Sierra Nevada Alliance, highlights the central – but often overlooked – role community planning plays in watershed protection and sustainable water management. The guide provides local conservation groups, local government and the public with important information about the connection between development and water, in addition to providing a description of various land use and development strategies local governments, homeowners, and developers can employ to reduce the impact of development to our Sierra watersheds.

To learn more about the vital connection between development and water quality, water supply and the health of the Sierra’s watersheds contact the Sierra Nevada Alliance.

Download a pdf. version or request a hard copy: info@sierranevadaalliance.org, or call: 530-542-4546.

Martis Fund Grants $123,800 to Conservation Projects in Martis Valley

SNA Weekly — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 15:56:29 -0700

The Martis Fund awarded grants to the Truckee River Watershed Council and the Truckee Tahoe Community Foundation to support conservation and enhance restoration projects in the Martis Creek watershed. The grants, which total $123,800 in conservation funding, are designed to seed additional investment in protecting water quality and habitat values in Tahoe's Martis Valley.

“These grants represent a strategic down payment on the future of the Martis Valley watershed,” said David Welch, Martis Fund president. “The Watershed Council and the Community Foundation do great work in the region, and these grants will help multiply ongoing efforts.”

The Martis Fund was created in 2006 by conservationists and landowners committed to the long-term future of Martis Valley. Its mission is to secure open space, promote habitat restoration, and create workforce housing in Martis Valley.

The Fund’s primary role is managing funds raised in connection with real estate sales at Martis Camp.

The Martis Fund is a collaborative project of DMB/Highlands , Mountain Area Preservation Foundation (MAPF), and Sierra Watch . The Fund’s Board of Directors includes representatives of each group.

The commitment to the Truckee Tahoe Community Foundation pledges $100,000 in matching funds for Nature Fund grants in the Martis Valley.

“The Martis Fund’s commitment of matching funds is a welcome challenge to our community,” said Lisa Dobey, President of the Foundation. “Every commitment made to the future of Martis Valley will be matched.”

The two grants to the Truckee River Watershed Council are part of the fund’s Habitat and Forest Restoration and Management Program. One grant awards $13,800 for the Watershed Council’s participation in the California State Water Plan update process; the other commits $10,000 for the development of a grant application for a Martis Valley Watershed Assessment.

“The Martis Fund provides great promise to help secure a healthy future for the Martis Valley watershed,” said Lisa Wallace, Executive Director of the Truckee River Watershed Council. “And we look forward to partnering in that important work.”

Sierra Nevada Alliance Conference Scholarships Available

SNA Weekly — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 10:59:42 -0700

The Sierra Nevada Alliance is offering scholarships to attend its annual conference Sierra Nevada Alliance Annual Conference September 12-14th, 2008 in North Tahoe. The scholarships are for those individual group members and leaders of a Sierra Conservation non-profit group who would not be able to participate in the Annual Conference. The scholarships will cover the conference registration fee for the full event (including 5 meals) and provide support for travel and lodging costs. SNA expects to be able to provide scholarships to at least ten individuals this year on a first come first served basis. Go to the Sierra Nevada Alliance Web site for a one-page application and full conference details.

Schwarzenegger makes it official: California is in a drought

SNA Weekly — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 14:33:54 -0700

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared Wednesday that California is in a drought, a move that included no immediate conservation orders but may lead to more aggressive water-saving efforts in many parts of the state.

Water experts said the declaration could wake up water consumers who have been complacent and lead to significant conservation.

"What you will see up and down the state is water agencies pushing much harder on their customers to cut down on water use," said Laura King-Moon, assistant general manager of the State Water Contractors. "The era of polite requests for 10 percent water cuts is over."

On Wednesday critics quickly hit the declaration as appearing more symbolic than substantive. An accompanying executive order contains directives to the Department of Water Resources that mostly give new thrust to existing programs.

The governor's drought declaration is the first since 1991.

While California has experienced many droughts, it has never established rules to formally declare one.

Just last month, state officials would not use "drought" to define the ongoing water shortage.

Wednesday's declaration, the governor said, was based on mounting social and economic effects from a second dry year.

"There are businesses right now that are suffering," Schwarzenegger said. "We are really holding back our economic growth."

The current shortage is driven both by persistent dry weather and legal actions to protect endangered species in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the water source for about 25 million people. Both major rivers feeding the Delta are considered "critically" dry this year.

The northern Sierra Nevada, stronghold for much of the state's snowpack, experienced the driest spring in more than 70 years. The city of Sacramento saw the driest spring since record-keeping began in 1849.

Read the full article in the Sac Bee.

Summer may be grim for California's water supply: State official says shortage is worst he's seen in 30 years, LA Times

SNA Weekly — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:44:32 -0700

California communities face a strong possibility of water shortages and even mandatory rationing this summer because of record dry weather in March and April, a fast-shrinking snowpack and below-normal reservoir levels, state officials said Thursday.

The bleak news, contained in California's final Sierra snowpack report of the snow season, means a second consecutive year of water anxieties in a state heavily dependent on water from the melting snow in the Sierra Nevada.

"I have not seen a more serious water situation in my career, and I've been doing this 30 years," said Timothy Quinn, executive director of the Assn. of California Water Agencies.

An outmoded delivery system and court rulings that protect endangered fish are also straining the system, he said. "This is a harbinger of relatively tough times, not just for this year but for a set of years," Quinn said.

He and others urged Californians to rein in water use. "We need to recognize that we're in a water shortage and begin to act accordingly," state Resources Secretary Mike Chrisman told reporters at a Sacramento news conference.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a statement urging the Legislature to pass comprehensive water reforms, warning that many communities face shortages and possible rationing.

Read more of Deborah Schoch's story in the LA Times.

Sierra snow comes up short, The Sacramento Bee

SNA Weekly — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:41:58 -0700

Despite new warnings Thursday that a water crisis is looming in California, state officials continue to maintain that enforceable conservation goals are not necessary.

The Department of Water Resources on Thursday took its final Sierra Nevada snowpack survey of the season, and the findings only added to the grim prognosis for the state's water supply.

The water content of the snowpack stands at just 67 percent of average for the May 1 date. That's because this year's March and April period proved to be the driest since 1921, when record-keeping began.

Though snowfall was about average in January and February, it wasn't enough to make up for the following two months, which were virtually snowless.

After drought conditions last year, much of the snowmelt will merely be absorbed by parched soil and won't make its way into the streams and reservoirs.

In addition, poor environmental conditions in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and a federal court decision have restricted water exports to 25 million Californians. It's estimated these effects have already cost customers about 600,000 acre-feet of water this year, or enough to serve 1.2 million families for a year.

"We're really up against it here in California," said Resources Secretary Mike Chrisman.

In February, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called for a 20 percent per capita cut in water use statewide by 2020.

But as bold as that goal might seem, the conservation target comes with no teeth.

On Thursday, during a rare Capitol news conference on the meager snowpack, Chrisman said the administration does not yet have a plan to impose mandates or penalties to ensure that California meets the conservation target.

"We're not there yet," he said. "We will be addressing that at some point, but I don't know the answer to that yet."

Instead, he expects the target will be met through voluntary measures and by working with local water agencies. Others say the state should take a much more aggressive stance on water conservation.

"The governor didn't just set a target for climate change. He implemented a real policy," said Mindy McIntyre, water program manager at the Planning and Conservation League. "We hope that he'll do the same with water conservation, because it has the potential to work quickly."

Until this week, the water crisis has largely been limited to regions that depend on water pumped out of the Delta.

But on Wednesday, the city of Roseville was notified by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation that its allocation from Folsom Lake will be slashed 25 percent this year.

It's unclear whether the city of Sacramento will be similarly affected at some point this year. Unlike Roseville, which buys water under contract from the bureau, Sacramento has ample water rights in the American River that provide some security.

But a federal court decision in April could require the bureau to alter water releases from its dams to protect salmon. If this doesn't affect urban water withdrawals downstream, it might affect the amount of water available in the river for recreation at times.

"For California, it's another sign that we are going through a rough patch," said Tim Quinn, executive director of the Association of California Water Agencies. "And it doesn't get better when the rain comes back, because we've got fundamental problems with the infrastructure and our need to manage the system more responsibly for fish."

A bill pending in the Legislature, AB 2175, would put teeth into Schwarzenegger's 20 percent conservation target.

The bill by Assemblyman John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, would make urban water agencies ineligible for state grants unless they meet the 20 percent conservation target, with benchmarks starting in 2013. The target for agricultural water agencies is a reduction statewide of 500,000 acre-feet.

"We've been successful statewide when we've set goals to reduce energy use, and to reduce the waste stream into landfills," said Laird. "I think the bill we're working on is totally consistent with the governor's goal."

The Governor's Office has not yet taken a position on the bill.

Mat Weiser's story appeared in the Sacramento Bee

SF plans river water grab from exhausted Tuolumne River, San Francisco Daily

SNA Weekly — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:37:25 -0700

Greener-than-thou San Francisco has a dirty little secret – a plan to drain more water from the already exhausted Tuolumne River and sell it to Hayward, which probably doesn’t need it.

Environmentalists, local governments and California Fish and Game officials are raising an uproar about the plan, saying it will further decrease the already dwindling numbers of salmon and trout in the river. “We have seen dramatic declines in Salmon on the Tuolumne,” said Peter Drekmeier of the Tuolumne River Trust. “From 18,000 it has fallen to only 180 in the last eight years – a drop of 99 percent.” Fifty-nine percent of the Tuolumne’s natural flow is already siphoned off to San Francisco’s Hetch Hetchy water project and various irrigation districts, he noted.

But San Francisco’s Public Utilities Commission is proposing to eventually take another 25 million gallons per day from the river, calling it the “preferred alternative” in its environmental draft study.

More water will be needed, not by San Francisco, but by other Hetch Hetchy customers, especially the city of Hayward, which has projected enormous urban growth.

SF: Customers need water

To some degree, said Tony Winnicker, spokesman for the commission, San Francisco is legally bound to satisfy its customers.

“We have 2.4 million customers in four Bay Area counties, and we are obligated to bring them drinking water,” he said.

The cities and other entities that buy water have projected an increasing need that will raise Hetch Hetchy’s current 265 million gallons a day production to 300 million gallons in the future. But hold on a minute, said Drekmeier.

“Sixty percent of this increased diversion would go to outdoor use, principally irrigation,” he said. “We’re not talking about water for drinking and bathing – the majority of it would be for watering lawns.”

That’s a perfect use for recycled water, not fresh Tuolumne River water, he said.

Hayward may revise estimate

Almost half of the increase is for Hayward, and was requested long ago, when heavy growth seemed likely. Current city officials were horrified to find out how much water their city had asked for, and are very likely to revise that estimate, Drekmeier said.

The water diversion could also potentially undermine the one thing that all sides agree on – the seismic strengthening of the outdated Hetch Hetchy water system. Because it is part of the same environmental impact report, likely lawsuits against the water diversion could halt the seismic safety project, a result no one wants, said Drekmeier.

Many local officials – including the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, which will ultimately review the report – are on record as opposing the Tuolumne River diversion. And the Public Utilities Commission may be seeing the handwriting on the wall, Winnicker indicated.

“We have to meet our customers’ demands,” he said. “If we can do it in a way that still protects against drought and avoids taking as much water from the Tuolumne, through conservation and recycling say, I know the commission is very interested in that.”

And if Hayward or other water customers come to the commission and say they have reduced their projected future demand, that will help preserve the river as well, Winniker said.

East Bay water managers plan for drought, San Francisco Chronicle

SNA Weekly — Wed, 07 May 2008 16:29:41 -0700

East Bay water managers are mulling a slew of measures - from ordinary bans on car washing to drastic water bill increases - to protect their critically low reservoirs.

Other Bay Area water districts haven't reached that point. Yet.

But amid concerns about changing weather patterns and the ailing Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, many consumers and businesses in the region could see changes over coming years in where they get their water, how it gets to them and what they will be permitted to use it for. One element isn't likely change: Water users will be asked to do less with less.

"All the research around the impact of climate change in California shows potential prolonged droughts, drier winters, more wild swings between drier years and wet years," said Tony Winnicker, spokesman for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, which provides water to residents of the city as well as communities on the Peninsula. "As water agencies and as consumers, we need to manage our water more wisely. There will never again be a period in California where we don't have to think about water conservation."

Sierra Day in Sacramento, May 6

SNA Weekly — Mon, 05 May 2008 13:52:38 -0700

The Sierra Fund and the Sierra Nevada Alliance are again sponsoring Sierra Day in the Capitol TOMORROW, Tuesday, May 6. Co-sponsors include Alpine Watershed Group, Ebbetts Pass Forest Watch, El Dorado Irrigation District, Mountain Meadows Conservancy, and Planning and Conservation League.

Please join us for a reception in the afternoon at which we will honor Sierra Nevada Conservancy Executive Officer Jim Branham (on behalf of all the staff) and Chair Mike Chrisman (on behalf of the Board) for their efficient design and implementation of the new Sierra Nevada Conservancy grant program.

Citizen lobbyists will meet at Westminster Presbyterian Church at 10:00 am for training and lunch before spending the afternoon:

Seeking support for the Sierra Nevada Conservancy proposed budget of $21.7 million, including $17 million for grant programs;
Educating our legislators about the need for public investment in the Sierra, and
Distributing our beautiful conservation project portfolios with pictures and maps of projects that need funding.

Revived water flow brings life back to river; In the eastern Sierra, L.A. water company forces flooding in Lower Owens River

SNA Weekly — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 00:25:52 -0700

Lone Pine, Inyo County -- As blizzards whipped across nearby High Sierra peaks, ecologist William Platts lifted off in a helicopter here and headed north, 800 feet above a river that looked as if it were throwing a tantrum.

Beneath him, the squiggle of green was overflowing its banks, inundating a patchwork of oxbows, marshlands, forests and sagebrush. Culverts were nearly filled to capacity, and mats of dislodged tules and muck hurtled down the river.

"I really like what I see down there," Platts told the chopper pilot. "But we'll need three or four more seasonal pulses to kick-start this ecosystem into gear."

The Lower Owens River has flooded for millenniums, but this flood was artificial, part of the most ambitious river restoration project in the West. The river mostly disappeared when the Los Angeles Aqueduct opened in 1913, but 15 months ago engineers began redirecting some aqueduct water into the channel.

The flood should flush the recently revived river of a century's worth of cattle waste and debris, add topsoil to its flood plain and spur an awakening of riparian rhythms without harming fish populations. Eventually, a canopy forest will grow along the 62-mile river, and Inyo County officials hope the river will support a thriving recreational industry.

Read the entire article by Lous Sahagun .