On Water

Sierra snowpack dips to normal as dry period follows early storms
Associated Press / by Don Thompson

Local agency looks to buy 3.7M bath tubs of water: Yuba County selling water under settlement
Santa Clarita Signal

Conservation push planned by county water authority: $1.6 million could be spent on campaign
San Diego Union Tribune / by Mike Lee

Coachella Valley Water District may change water rates: Possible tiered structure could force excessive water users to pay more
Desert Sun / by Keith Matheny

Panel urges Carmel River reroute: San Clemente Dam: Multiphase removal estimated at $83 million
Monterey Herald / by Kevin Howe

Cachuma Lake remains open to boaters
Los Angeles Times / by Pete Thomas

Turlock facing $216,000 fine for sewage discharge violations
Modesto Bee / by Michael R. Shea

Sewage fix for Dixon could linger
Vacaville Reporter / by Melissa Murphy

Development in Delta up for debate: Scaled-down Clarksburg project could tell future of building in sensitive areas
Stockton Record / by Alex Breitler

Controversial Sugar Mill housing project goes back to Delta panel
Sacramento Bee / by Mary Lynne Vellinga

Council OKs $3.6 million basin project: Ponds will catch water; trails, rest areas added
Inland Valley Daily Bulletion / by Mona Shadia

USDA to offer grant, loans for water upgrades: Santa Margarita residents could pay more for water services if projects for a storage tank and pipes are OK’d
San Luis Obispo Tribune / by Stephen Curran

Air Force dumps dirty water into Fitzgerald: Directing the water into harbor comes as unwelcome solution
Half Moon Bay Review / by David F. Smydra Jr.

More water wrangling
Sierra Sun / by Greyson Howard

Plan to restore salmon habitat OK'd: Bond-funded effort may be too late to save 2008 season
San Jose Mercury News / Associated Press

Officials try to clear confusion over water district's pilot project
Antelope Valley Press / Alisha Semchuck

Reservoir may be reactivated: P.G. OKs study on recycling rainwater
Monterey Herald / Kevin Howe

Performing under water pressure
Monterey Herald / George Riley

Is warming a clear danger for Tahoe? The lake's jewel-blue waters may get murky as greenhouse gas emissions alter its ecology, scientists say
Los Angeles Times / Eric Bailey

Butte Creek salmon to be strong
Paradise Post / Paul Wellersdick

Salton Sea Authority begs local governments for funding
The Desert Sun / Keith Matheny

Imperial Irrigation District hires Brian Brady as new manager: Brian J. Brady vows to tackle water challenges
The Desert Sun / Keith Matheny

State holds inaugural meeting on delta environmental studies
Sacramento Bee / Associated Press

Editorial: Finding a way in Delta

Sacramento Bee

Water district merger called for: Report cites cost savings, efficiency
San Mateo Times / Julia Scott

EBMUD considers helping renters in foreclosure
San Francisco Chronicle / Charles Burress

Ancient legal doctrine stirs Delta water fight
Contra Costa Times / Mike Taugher

***Taugher's and Sax's talks for the California Colloquium on Water are available online in streaming video.***

Snowpack survey: Some things really don't change: Water forecasters use century-old method
San Jose Mercury News / Julie Sevrens Lyons

Let It Snow: With regional shortfalls imminent, Pasadena will become more dependent on local water resources
Pasadena Weekly / Joe Piasecki and Liz Hedrick

County water supplier considers model drought plan
North County Times: Bradley J. Fikes

U.S. town splits after quenching Nestlé's thirst for water
International Herald Tribune / Eric Gies

Why California farmers go with the flow
Eureka Reporter / Amy Kaleita

Water authority goes with Virgin River flow
Review-Journal / Henry Brean

***View the streaming video and PowerPoint presentation from Pat Mulroy's May 1, 2007 talk, "Overcoming the Traditions That Divide Us - Tomorrow's Reliable Water Supply Dependent Upon Partnerships "***

[SF Chronicle cover story]
Scientists try to explain dismal salmon run
San Francisco Chronicle / Jane Kay

Pacific Fishery Management Council to Choose Final Option for 2008 Salmon Season
Yubanet / PFMC

Plan to restore river at risk: Water district demand threatens renewal deal for the San Joaquin
Fresno Bee / Michael Doyle

UC Davis global warming researcher paints dire picture for Lake Tahoe
Sacramento Bee / Tom Knudson

New hurdle for Klamath dams: Utility could face scrutiny over water quality
Los Angeles Times

Did Rialto violate Brown Act? Meeting on toxin issues questioned
San Bernardino Sun / Jason Pesick

Algae toxin added to Klamath River quality standards
Redding Searchlight / Dylan Darling

Flood-control agency ups ante for developers in Natomas
Sacramento Business Journal / Celia Lamb

Levee project gains; hurdle remains: $30 million boost from Plumas Lake developers needed
Appeal Democrat / John Dickey

County's new water boss has full plate
Chicoer / Heather Hacking

22 March is the 17th annual World Water Day! This year, World Water Day coincides with the International Year for Sanitation. To learn more and discover related events, visit the UN"s World Water Day '08 website.

A place to play on the Delta?; Lawmaker's plan would transform stretch into a state recreation area Stockton Record
Stockton Record / Hank Shaw, Bureau Chief

Pilot desal plant up and pumping in Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz Sentinel / Shanna McCord

Desalination gets a serious look
Las Vegas Sun / Phoebe Sweet

***Speaking of desalination, next month's California Colloquium on Water is titled "Desalination, with a Grain of Salt: A California Perspective," presented by Heather Cooley, Senior Research Associate, Pacific Institute. The Colloquium is open to the public. If you are unable to attend in person, a streaming video of the talk and associated presentation files will be posted to the Colloquium website as soon as available.***

New Central Valley Project water allocations remain steady
Central Valley Business Times
 
Palmdale Water District gives OK to pilot program aimed at conserving vital fluid
Antelope Valley Press / Alisha Semchuck

Solution sought for water supply issues
Antelope Valley Press / Alisha Semchuck

Lake County continues to confront quagga dilemma
Lake County Record Bee / Elizabeth Wilson

Revived water flow brings life back to river: In the eastern Sierra, L.A. water company forces flooding in Lower Owens River
Los Angeles Times / Louis Sahagun

Klamath Basin pact still has problems
Eureka Times-Standard / Greg King

***As always, for more on dam removal news and more, visit the Clearinghouse for Dam Removal Information .***

Palmdale Water District working to improve disinfection process
Antelope Valley Press / Alisha Semchuck

Ground broken for water treatment plant: Simi project is one of 11 in county to get funding
Ventura County Star / Anna Bakalis

Clamping down on quagga mussels
Los Angeles Times / by Catherine Saillant

Supervisors approve purchase of four check stations for Quagga
Lake County Record Bee / by Elizabeth Wilson

Water pollution, drought spell double trouble
Agoura Hills Acorn / by Stephanie Bertholdo

Helping grapes, fish share water: Growers, conservationists work together for solution
Santa Rosa Press Democrat / by Robert Digitale

Prunedale crowd backs water pipeline project
Monterey Herald / by Jim Johnson

Water agency looks into using river more
Stockton Record / by Dana M. Nichols

Rains only help if water can be delivered to farms
Sacramento Bee / by Jean P. Sagouspe, president of Westlands Water District

Chinook salmon fewer in Merced River: Options to address issue affect fishing, wildlife interests.
Fresno Bee / by Dhyana Levey

Critics say water board has 'given up'
Stockton Record / by Alex Breitler

Will man-made floating islands clean up Atascadero Lake?
San Luis Obispo Tribune / by Stephen Curran

Agencies get cleanup funds
Inland Valley Bulletin / by Jason Pesick

Oxnard to take over a water district
Ventura County Star / by Rachel McGrath

IID: Time for some stability
Imperial Valley Press / by Brianna Lusk

Gun club in crosshairs: PUC plans for Lake Merced that could close facility have set off hot debate between members, neighbors
San Francisco Chronicle / by Marisa Lagos

Water Agency to explore energy independence
Santa Rosa Press Democrat / by Bleys W. Rose
To see Randy Poole, General Manager of said Water Agency, speak about their energy initiative, check out his recent lecture in the California Colloquium on Water.

The UCLA Water Technology Research (WaTeR) Center's focus is on the production of new water resources, with particular attention paid to "developing the scientific framework for the desalination plant of the future" and training young water professionals to contribute to that development. You can read up on much of their research through the publications section of their web site. Like the UC Davis Watershed Science Center, WaTeR is multidisciplinary, featuring faculty from different academic institutions as well as state and federal agencies. Check out WaTeR's research areas to get a better idea of all they do, including working on alternative energy and polymer science.

This is part of a weekly series that highlights water centers within the UC system. 

Levee agency moves to acquire land
Marysville Appeal-Democrat / by Andrea Koskey

Golf course goes green by going brown
Antelope Valley Press / by Jim Skeen

Groups threaten to sue over decline of San Francisco Bay-Delta
Associated Press

Environmental groups to sue over California Delta's deterioration
Central Valley Business Times

Everyone needs to work together on invasive species
Ag Alert / by Doug Johnson

Bakersfield, other cities suing chemical companies over water contamination
Bakersfield Californian / by Stacey Shepard and James Geluso

Banned chemical from farm products taints some Bakersfield water wells
CBS 29 Eyewitness News - Bakersfield

County says drugs in our water not a likely worry
Ukiah Daily Journal / by Zack Sampsel

Raw sewage spills into 2 creeks
Grass Valley Union / by Dave Moller

Water project could doom Cold War Nike missile site in San Rafael
Marin Independent Journal / by Mike Prado

Wastewater plant renovation progresses
Lompoc Record / by Glenn Wallace

Old copper may rob town of future: Mine tailings from decades past might put crimp in expansion plans
Stockton Record / by Dana M. Nichols

Litigation threat prevents Plymouth Pipeline expansion
Amador Ledger Dispatch / by Jerry Budrick

Koheo Wetland restoration damaged
Molokai Times

Environmental review to study impact of peripheral canal on Delta
Stockton Record / by Alex Breitler

Conservation still the thing: Wet winter no reprieve
Ventura County Star Editorial

California reservoirs, lakes threatened: Zebra and quagga mussels could cripple any water system.
San Luis Obispo Tribune / by Bill Morem

Weigh in on Trinidad watershed plan
Eureka Times-Standard

Ship's pilot in S.F. Bay spill charged
Associate Press / by Scott Lindlaw

Tests find chemicals at reservoirs: Region's water called safe, but critics call for more research
San Jose Mercury News / by Paul Rogers

Occidental sewage plans scuttled: Camp Meeker declines to join in on $22 million pipeline project, saying it's too costly
Santa Rosa Press Democrat / by Bleys W. Rose

Getting the federal dollar spigot to flow into Lodi: Are lobbyists needed to get the money? County says 'yes'
Lodi News-Sentinel / by Ross Farrow

Salmon decline could lead to widespread ban
Associated Pressc / by Samantha Young

Chinook Salmon Vanish Without a Trace
New York Times / by Felicity Barringer

Water watchers think ahead: A wet year doesn't ease officials' worries about future supplies
Ventura County Star / by Scott Hadly

`The water is safe to drink': Officials: Drug traces pose no danger
Whittier Daily News / by Melissa Pamer

More Testing for Drugs in Water Sought
Associated Press / by Martha Mendoza

Tiny mussels pose huge threat to county’s lakes
San Luis Obispo Tribune / by Bill Morem

Mud snails, other invasive species threaten north state wildlife
Redding Record Searchlight / by Dylan Darling

Spring Valley Lake looks into cutting costs
Victorville Daily Press / by Brooke Edwards

Rainbow water district may halt sewer hookups
North County Times / by Tom Pfingsten

Water pollution cops reject Vista settlement
North County Times / by Gig Conaughton

City woos AVEK for water project
Antelope Valley Press / by Alisha Semchuck

Unsure of Availability, NID Delays Decision on Surplus Water Sales
YubaNet / by Susan Snider

Water authority vote supports San Joaquin River restoration
Associated Press / by Aaron C. Davis

Met price hike to float local water rate increases
North County Times / by Bradley J. Fikes

Delta commission faces a new test
Sacramento Bee / by Dan Walters

New River standards not reached
Imperial Valley Press / by Victor Morales

A river blocked by brush, bureaucracy
San Diego Union Tribune / by Lola Sherman

IID names Brady as general manager
Imperial Valley Press / by Victor Morales

On Tuesday, March 11, Barton H. "Buzz" Thompson, Jr. spoke in the California Colloquium on Water. If you missed it, watch the video of his lecture, "Protecting Watershed Services Through Law, Regulation and Markets." As always, the accompanying powerpoint presentation is available on the Colloquium page.

FEMA: Yuba levees aren't strong enough
Marysville Appeal-Democrat / by Andrea Koskey

What a difference a deluge makes: A Grand Canyon flood left enough sediment to boost sandbars and expand habitatA Grand Canyon flood left enough sediment to boost sandbars and expand habitat
Associated Press

A way of life drying up: Traditional zanjeros have long shepherded water in the West. In a region ravaged by drought, they're being bypassed by automation.
Los Angeles Times / by Mike Anton

New law will affect landscape watering in Indio
Indio Sun / by Xochitl Peña

Salmon collapse cancels early fishing
Associated Press / by Jeff Barnard

Closing waters is not the answer
San Bernardino Sun / by Jim Matthews

Saving Batiquitos Lagoon: Too much sediment collecting, which could threaten habitat
San Diego Union Tribune / by Michael Burge

What FEMA, water district are doing to protect residents from flooding
Milpitas Post / by Richard P. Santos

Board rejects proposed fine for lagoon spill
San Diego Union Tribune / by Michael Burge

Smelt prompt export cut
Stockton Record

Parts of Central Valley Project nominated for historic status
Stockton Record / by Dana M. Nichols

Conserve water and save California's future
Gilroy Dispatch / by Marty Cheek

County looking wrong way on water use
Napa Valley Register / by Jeffrey Warren

Morro ready to fight growers over nitrogen-based fertilizer, which is thought to be tainting water
San Luis Obispo Tribune / by Sona Patel

CWA approves agreement with MWD to fund recycled water retrofits
Fallbrook Village News / by Joe Naiman

The Webcast of the Forum on Policy, Regulatory, and Economic Issues associated with Managed Underground Storage of Recoverable Water, from Washington, DC will be available as a live, real-time video webcast, from 8 AM to 4 PM EST, Wednesday, March 19 and also available for 90 days after that.  This Forum is a discussion of the National Research Council's recently completed 3-year study report entitled, "Prospects for Managed Underground Storage of Recoverable Water." 

Access the Forum webcast at www.gwpc.org, www.grac.org, or www.ngwa.org. See the full schedule (PDF) for more details.

Officials shut salmon fishing in seven coastal areas of California, Oregon
Sacramento Bee / by Matt Weiser

Threat of closing jolts fishing industry
San Francisco Chronicle / by Peter Fimrite and Steve Rubenstein

Visalia's water to be tested for chemical
Visalia Times-Delta / by Jim Houck

Silver Lake is down the drain
Los Angeles Times / by Amanda Covarrubias

$1 million sewer line designed to resist spills: Pipe system meant to protect lagoon
San Diego Union Tribune / by Terry Rodgers

New solar-powered water purification technology in testing process
KSBY 6 (San Luis Obispo) / by Jow Vignolo and Scott Budman

Program aims to give farmers better crops with less water
Auburn Buzz

City presses feds to ease demands on waste plants
Honolulu Advertiser / by Peter Boylan

Brooktrails gears up for dam construction
Willits News / by Linda Williams

Miracle March saved ski season, helped battle seven-year drought
Tahoe Daily Tribune / by Tim Parsons

Biggest threat to Delta: time
Stockton Record / by Lester Snow, Director, California Department of Water Resources

Bill aims to seal up old mines: Feinstein seeks fund
San Bernardino Sun / by Robert Rogers

Change to sewage rules may be costly: Sen. Boxer wants concerns over safety of waste disposal addressed
Ventura County Star / by Cynthia Overweg

Little reaction to drugs in water: Firms prepare for flood of calls
Monterey Herald / by Larry Parsons

Areas south of Yuba City might be rezoned into floodplain
Marysville Appeal-Democrat / by John Dickey

The UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences is dedicated to the interdisciplinary study of freshwater and estuarine ecosystems in California and the West. Located in a building that also houses the Tahoe Environmental Research Center and the Aquatic Ecosystems Analysis Laboratory, the Center’s biggest research projects to date have focused on the Consumnes River and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The Center worked with the Public Policy Institute of California to produce last year's report, "Envisioning Futures for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta," which outlined possible scenarios for creating a safe and healthy Delta. The other major undertaking of the Center is Modeling and Analysis of California's Hydrologic Resources and Operations (MACHRO), which is dedicated to developing and supporting models, data, and their application for providing insights for water policy and management. The Center's future projects will keep the focus on working with both physical and biological scientists as well as public and private agencies to solve the problems related to watershed management.

This is part of a weekly series that highlights water centers within the UC system.

State to study if additional dams worth trouble
Stockton Record / by Hank Shaw

Feds warn entire salmon season could be halted
San Francisco Chronicle / by Peter Fimrite

MWD approves 14% hike in rates for imported water: The effects of the increase, which takes effect Jan. 1, on Southern California household bills will vary broadly.
Los Angeles Times / by Deborah Schoch

Advice puts Eel River diversion plan on shelf
Santa Rosa Press Democrat / by Glenda Anderson

Central Valley Water Allocation
California Farmer

Lake’s ghost town seen as a warning: To some, emergence of town’s remains is sign that water poses eternal challenge to Vegas, all of Southwest
Las Vegas Sun / by Phoebe Sweet

Minuscule pests musseling in on boating, threatening pipelines and top bass fishing
Los Angeles Daily News / by Patricia Farrell Aidem

Water District says yes to environmental study of new treatment sites
Daily Independent (Ridgecrest, CA) / by Laura Dobbins

Fault found under Martis Dam
Sierra Sun

Delta plan sparks senators' protest
Antelope Valley Press / by Alisha Semchuck

Farmers may take big risk backing away from settlement: If agreement collapses, judge could take even more of their river water
Fresno Bee Editorial

GPS tracking could be salmon salvation: Fishermen would record location of catch; genetic test would tell where fish spawned
Santa Rosa Press Democrat / by Robert Digitale

How much did pike project cost Plumas?
Plumas County News / by Diana Jorgenson

Water cleaning technologies present challenges - some work better than others
North County Times / by Justin Pritchard

Drug disposal examined as water purity issue: Area pharmacies offer 'take back' programs for medicines
Inside Bay Area / by Sandy Kleffman

Basin accused of causing floods: Residents put blame on new housing
Antelope Valley Press / by James Rufus Koren

Dam disaster: 80 years later, the story is still being told
Ventura County Star Editorial

The Free Publications list has been updated once again.  Check it out and submit your requests by e-mail to wrcaill@library.berkeley.edu or by fax to 510-642-9143.  Be sure to include your name, mailing address and full details of each item requested.

Group pulls out of water deal: Madera district first to leave river settlement.
Fresno Bee / by Mark Grossi and Michael Doyle

MWD board to vote on rate hike: The budget committee unanimously supports a 14.3% increase, but some say 20% jump is needed to cover costs.
Los Angeles Times / by Deborah Schoch

Scotts Valley wants to sell surplus irrigation water
Associated Press

Full stream ahead for Lower Owens: Man-made flood should flush a century's worth of debris from rejuvenated river
Los Angeles Times / by Louis Sahagun

Fish and wildlife show adverse effects of drugs in waterways
Associated Press

Secrecy shrouds water test results
Associated Press / by Martha Mendoza

AP water probe prompts Senate hearings
Associated Press / by Martha Mendoza

S.F.'s tap water best in tests, chemists say
San Francisco Chronicle / by Jane Kay

State mandate could burst county budgets
San Francisco Examiner / by Mike Rosenberg

Young scientist explores the taste of water
Daily Independent (Ridgecrest, CA) / by Ruth Justis

Bonnie Garcia: IID has acted recklessly
Imperial Valley Press / by Brianna Lusk

Sierra Fund Releases Full Report:" Mining's Toxic Legacy: An Initiative to Address Mining Toxins in the Sierra Nevada": Assembly Committee Hearings address the issue
Yuba Net

Second Annual Intelligent Use of Water Film Competition Invites All Filmmakers to Submit Short Films Showcasing Responsible Water Use
Business Wire

Many experts believe that water will overtake energy as the resource of greatest concern to Californians in the coming years. Reducing water use through conservation can extend our limited supply of this resource and produce significant electricity and natural gas savings.

The annual Water Conservation Showcase provides information on water-conserving strategies for building designers, managers and operators through presentations and tabletop displays. This event is organized by Northern California Chapter of the U.S. Green Building Council, East Bay Municipal Utility District, and the PG&E Pacific Energy Center.

The showcase will take place on March 25 at the Pacific Energy Center in San Francisco. Check out the presentation line up, featuring speakers from water organizations across the Bay Area. It is free to attend, but you must register in advance.

This week is National Ground Water Awareness Week.

Pharmaceuticals lurking in U.S. drinking water: AP probe found traces of meds in water supplies of 41 million Americans
Associated Press / by Jeff Dunn

Drugs Found in Watersheds of 28 Areas
Associated Press

Reclaimed water law is largely forgotten: Funding for network of pipes slashed by S.D.
San Diego Union-Tribune / by Mike Lee

Mussels could keep boats out of Lake Cachuma
Santa Maria Times / by Malia Spencer

Dispute over how to clean up Marin's sewage problem
Marin Independent Journal / by Jim Staats

Pajaro water supplier aims for desal plant
Santa Cruz Sentinel / by Donna Jones

Cities push EPA for cleaner water: Local officials say contaminants still threaten area's supply
Los Angeles Daily News / by Kerry Cavanaugh

Bringing clean back to bay (Newport)
Daily Pilot / by Brianna Bailey

New pumps installed on American River
Sacramento Bee / by Art Campos

Salmon fishing ban mulled in California as run suffers record plunge
Sacramento Bee / by Matt Weiser

Ambitious plan to restore San Joaquin salmon: Advocates battle bleak future at unprecedented Valley meeting
Stockton Record / by Alex Breitler

MWD panel weighs 14% rate hike for 2009
Los Angeles Times / by Deborah Schoch

Ferry service threatened by Sacramento inaction
Inside Bay Area / by Christine Morente

Pumping reduced for smelt
Capital Press / by Elizabeth Larson

Sewer plant sweeps four top awards
Gilroy Dispatch

Feinstein chastises Calif. Democrats over stalled water talks
Associated Press / by Samantha Young

Fee may cost water district
Stockton Record / by Alex Breitler

Mendocino snowpack bodes well: Water content 156 percent of normal points to healthy runoff this year
Santa Rosa Press Democrat / by Mike Geniella

Federal aid sought in decline of salmon
Sacramento Bee / by David Whitney

Westlake Lake joins Casitas in boat ban linked to mussel
Ventura County Star / by Zeke Barlow

Keeping wild steelhead a crime in state
Ukiah Daily Journal / by Ben Brown

County agrees to pay for cleanup in Rialto
Inland Valley Dailt Bulletin / by Jason Pesick

Water quality project drying up: Pico Rivera to provide funds until federal dollars arrive
Pasadena Star-News / by Airan Scruby

Rains brought massive sewage spill: Storms overwhelmed Pacifica plant, sending 7.5 million gallons of waste into ocean
Inside Bay Area / by Julia Scott

New water bill could surface: Sens. Machado, Cogdill focus on Delta protection
Stockton Record / by Hank Shaw

Water Authority Plan Saves Old Pipes
NBC San Diego

Climate-focused start-up gets funding: Some environmentalists wary of plan to seed ocean with iron nano-particles
San Jose Mercury News / by Matt Nauman

Regulators warn fishermen of upcoming restrictions on salmon
Associated Press / by Terence Chea

'Major collapse' of salmon stocks: All-time low fish numbers may not be worth going after, say some at forum
Santa Rosa Press Democrat / by Robert Digitale

Year of no salmon?
Eureka Times-Standard / by John Driscoll

County Water Commission gets update on water transfers
Chico Enterprise-Record / by Heather Hacking

Tapping sea could help slake thirst of valley
Desert Sun / by Dick Speed

Grand Canyon flush with water from dam: Officials hope that man-made flood will restore sediment that was lost in the ecosystem
Associated Press / by Amanda Lee Myers

Fox in the smelt house? Inclusive process needed in Delta
Sacramento Bee Editorial

Delta peripheral canal would be a costly environmental mistake
Capitol Weekly / by Michael Machado, Semator, D-Linden

Cities facing fines for water pollution: State officials hit 20 Southern California towns with fees that could cost thousands of dollars
Associated Press / by Noaki Schwartz

Osos sewer plans move ahead: County supervisors approve three contracts for engineering work valued at nearly $1 million
San Luis Obispo Tribune / by Sona Patel

Water grumbling
Riverside Press-Enterprise Editorial

Studying several options is a wise approach to state’s water crisis
Capitol Weekly / by Timothy Quinn, Executive Director, Association of California Water Agencies

Bringing the ocean back in: A huge project to restore Bolsa Chica wetlands is moving steadily toward its main goal: untaming nature.
Orange County Register / by Pat Brennan

Upcoming Adventure: If it's all wet, it's at California Rivers Festival
Sacramento Bee / by Dan Vierria

A special conference entitled, "A Water Framework for California: Insights from Innovative Approahces in Europe" will be held on Thursday, April 10th at the Faculty Club on the UC Berkeley campus. This conference addresses comparative water management in California and Europe through presentations by leading scholars, practitioners, and agency officials from California and Portugal, and presentations of research projects conducted in a workshop involving interdisciplinary teams of graduate students from Berkeley and from the University of Lisbon. The conference highlights water management in Europe under the WFD and water management in California under existing laws and recent watershed-level initiatives. Check the conference webpage in the coming weeks for updated information.

Mercury's Gold Rush legacy may be worse than thought
Stockton Record / by Hank Shaw

The dark side of the Gold Rush legacy
Grass Valley Union / by Laura Brown

'Showers to Flowers' Struggles for Foothold
Voice of San Diego / by Rob Davis

Reviewing the Chiquita Reservoir: Resident raises questions about environmental issues surrounding the Chiquita Reservoir.
Orange County Register / by Mark Eades

Recalling the day St. Francis Dam broke
Long Beach Press-Telegram / by Carol Bidwell
Interested in the St. Francis Dam break?  Come by the Archives to view the manuscript and photograph collections of Charles H. Lee and Walter Huber.

Coalition Releases Delta Video
California Farmer

Water OK'd in Bennett Ridge
Santa Rosa Press Democrat / by Kerry Benefield

Lake Mendocino's water level to be raised: To help prevent summertime restrictions, Corps of Engineers agrees to increase capacity
Santa Rosa Press Democrat / by Glenda Anderson

Group wants well water off-limits
Santa Rosa Press Democrat / by Paul Payne

Officials OK boat ban at Casitas: Mussel infestation fear spurs year-long limit
Ventura County Star / by Zeke Barlow

Concerns well up over Klamath agreement
Eureka Times-Standard / by John Driscoll

PG&E: Kilarc can be saved; Interested groups must pay for permits, fish ladders
Redding Record Searchlight / by Dylan Darling

Cities facing fines for water pollution: State officials hit 20 Southern California towns with fees that could cost thousands of dollars
Associated Press / by Noaki Schwartz

Yuba to borrow for levee work: County says it will take on debt of $33 million
Marysville Appeal-Democrat / by Andrea Koskey

Mapping an escape: County's flood evacuation routes can't be ignored or taken for granted
Stockton Record Opinion

The UC Irvine Urban Water Research Center's (UWRC) mission is to advance the understanding of the distinct characteristics and challenges of the urban water environment, in order to assist people and institutions in their efforts to promote health, enhance the efficient use of water resources, and protect environmental values.  The UWRC embodies the philosophy that water quality issues are multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary, and must be examined using combined water science, engineering, and policy methodologies.  Established in 2001, UWRC’s current research projects include “Assessing the role of desalination in Southern California’s future water supply” and “Bio-energy from waste: process modeling and gene techonology.”

UWRC hosts quarterly seminars, the next of which will feature John Andrew, Executive Manager of Climate Changes at the California Department of Water Resources, speaking on California water management this Thursday, March 6th at the UCI Student Center.  They will also be hosting the International Conference on Water Scarcity, Global Changes, and Groundwater Management Responses (PDF) along with UNESCO and the U.S. Geological Survey later this year.

This is the first in a weekly series that will highlight water centers within the UC system.

Klamath water deal snags on environmental group's opposition
Sacramento Bee / by David Whitney

Good news from snowpack measurement
Visalia Times-Delta / by Hillary S. Meeks

Scientists think weather changes left salmon starving
Chico Enterprise Record / by Jeff Barnard

Poor ocean conditions blamed for salmon decline
Grass Valley Union / by Laura Brown

Fishermen's hopes dangle by a thaw: With trout-fishing season less than two months away and the Eastern Sierra still covered in snow, opening day is an open question
Los Angeles Times / by Pete Thomas

L.A. County, Malibu accused of violating clean-water rules
Los Angeles Times / by Kenneth R. Weiss

Greka crude spills into Santa Maria area stream
Associated Press

Report: "Mining's Toxic Legacy: An Initiative to Address Mining Toxins in the Sierra" Released Today
Yuba Net

Device that supposedly turns sewage into drinking water finds a home in Los Osos — in the creator’s front yard
San Luis Obispo Tribune / by Leslie Parrilla

North San Joaquin retains Mokelumne water rights
Lodi News-Sentinel / by Ross Farrow

Dairies increase testing to meet new requirements
Fresno Bee / by Dennis Pollock

Volume 6, Issue 1 of San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Science is now available from eScholarship. It features the following research papers:

• Long-term Trends in Summertime Habitat Suitability for Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus) (Matthew L. Nobriga, Ted R. Sommer, Frederick Feyrer, and Kevin Fleming)

• Phytoplankton in the Upper San Francisco Estuary: Recent Biomass Trends, Their Causes and Their Trophic Significance (Alan Jassby)
  

• Principal Hydrologic Responses to Climatic and Geologic Variability in the Sierra Nevada, California (David H. Peterson, Iris Stewart, and Fred Murphy)

• Investigating Particle Transport and Fate in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Using a Particle Tracking Model (Wim J. Kimmerer and Matthew L. Nobriga)

Delta plans taking shape: Governor unveils seven proposals while water officials gear up for study
Contra Costa Times / by Mike Taugher

California's water war heating up
Sacramento Bee / by Dan Walters

Water usage might tighten: Governor suggests cutting 20% over the next 12 years
Stockton Record / by Hank Shaw

California's water fortune is told at Gin Flat
Los Angeles Times / by Deborah Schoch

Growers gleeful as February rains fall at a 'nice' pace
San Diego Union Tribune / by Robert Krier

Wet February raises levels: Milder downpours help fill lakes, pad mountain slopes
Redding Record Searchlight / by Scott Mobley

Questions pile up for Carlsbad desal plant
North County Times / by Gig Conaughton

West, Northwest looking at building new dams
Associated Press / by Nicholas K. Geranios

Conflict seen in smelt rules: As water contractors join the rule-making on Delta pumping, group says 'fox is guarding the henhouse.'
Sacramento Bee / by Matt Weiser

A view too far: As the San Joaquin River Parkway hits a milestone, questions loom about its future and accessibility.
Fresno Bee / by Mark Grossi

New unit sniffs trouble, secures state's waters
Contra Costa Times / by Denis Cuff

Prado wetlands reborn through hard work
Riverside Press Enterprise / by Paige Austin

Officials consider salmon-fishing ban: Data shows Sacramento fall run at its lowest level in 37 years
Redding Record Searchlight

City to get $2 million toward cleanup cost
San Francisco Chronicle / by Cecilia M. Vega

Call to investigate Delta land deal: State spending on Staten Island is questioned
Stockton Record / by Hank Shaw

Garcia bills would add Coachella members to IID board
Imperial Valley Press / by Brianna Lusk

Central Valley aquifer contamination probed
Central Valley Business Times