Posted on 09/06/2007 12:29:05 PM PDT by BurbankKarl
Southern California water officials are drawing up plans that could force rationing in some cities as early as next year, officials said Wednesday.
For now, residents are being asked to voluntarily use less water, but the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California warned that mandatory rationing could become necessary for the first time since 1991.
The immediate trigger for concern arose from U.S. District Judge Oliver Wanger's ruling last week that to protect the delta smelt, a small fish threatened with extinction, water imports from Northern California must be cut by up to 30 percent.
Officials said the threat of earthquakes and flooding, saltwater intrusion and aging levees in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta compound the problem.
"We have further evidence that the delta is in crisis, if there was any doubt about it," said Lester Snow, director of the state Department of Water Resources.
Officials said Wednesday that they are still trying to sift through Wanger's ruling to determine how much water they will be able to move through the delta and into Southern California.
Wanger did not specify how much less water could be pumped from the delta. Instead, he focused on protecting the smelt by slowing the water that flows into the pumps. Tim Quinn, president of the Association of California Water Agencies, said that in a dry year there could be a 25 percent reduction in the amount of water pumped from the delta.
The MWD is preparing an allocation plan that would spell out how much water it might be able to provide the 26 cities and water agencies that it serves in six counties, including Los Angeles and Ventura counties, said Roger Patterson, the district's assistant general manager.
If the district tells its members it has less water to provide them, it would be up to them to decide how to ask residents to cut back.
"The question is how soon do we need to go into that kind of decision-making. Do we have to do that in 2008, or do we rely on our reserve account - or (banked water) savings - to not do that in 2008? Those are the policy decisions that will be made."
The district imports about 50 percent of the water used by member agencies. About two-thirds of the water comes from the delta and the rest from the Colorado River.
The amount of water the district stands to lose from the court decision amounts to more than 10 percent of all the water its members use in a typical year.
In the city of Los Angeles, which relies on the district for nearly 70 percent of its water, officials already are asking residents to use 10 percent less water this year. But it's a voluntary program.
"If we have rationing in Los Angeles, it won't be the first time that that has happened," said David Nahai, president of the board of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Commissioners. "If that is what will be needed in order to safeguard our water supplies, well, so be it. But we'll have to see just what this plan is that Metropolitan Water District will be putting forward."
The MWD plans to present its allocation plan to the board in the fall. But Patterson said officials will hope for plenty of rainfall this winter and voluntary conservation before they seek mandatory cuts.
Just one of the many examples. The landscaping changes done by homeowners over the last 20 years is extraordinary.
Besides... WE NEED NATIONAL LAWN-CARE... NOW!!! (snort!)
More to the point, California has consistently pulled more water out of the Colorado River than their allocation allows for decades. If California were limited to the water they’re allowed, there would be some serious disruptions in the urban water systems, since that is where the over-diversions are.
This is why SoCal cities keep hitting on the Imperial Valley Irrigation District to lease ag water rights.
Now THAT's what I call an astute observation and comment!!!
It just cries out for an answer!!!
You are just saying that for the halibut.
I have a home in Scottsdale. The Salt River Project provides irrigation and power generation. Water is going to become an issue as the rapidly growing population of AZ has increased demand significantly. There will not only be battles among states but also betweeen Agribusiness and domestic use of water.
I just wanted to correct the blanket statement in post 18, not get to deep into a topic that doesn’t interest me much.
No one can belittle my efforts I am a service plumber, a large portion of my life is devoted to reducing water usage throughout the city, I search for wastage that people don’t even know is taking place, or that is possible to reduce. I’m the guy for instance that is talking my customers out of using reverse osmosis units.
Low flow toilets are part of a package, during these same years we have been replacing the faucets and shower valves, and when we can’t do that we replace shower heads and aerators.
Water pressure regulators, more focused irrigation systems etc.
Homeowners have also introduced Grey water systems, cities have and are upgrading water infrastructure and have added layered rates for usage.
I’m fine with all kinds of efforts to reduce water usage as are most people, except for the very rich, they seem unmovable on the subject within their own property and homes.
Just Google "Auburn Dam" and just try to seperate the B.S. from the truth. DEMOCRATS Jimmy Carter and Jerry Brown killed this long planned multi-purpose crown jewel of the whole system of "time machines" in the Sierra-Nevada range that allow us to visit our multi-use water before it finally runs back out to sea!
The whole Bay-Delta levee system that's much more vulnerable than New Orleans to flood damage could be protected by this key missing cap-stone! Even the state capitol it'self is more vulnerable than New Orleans to a flood and once the delta levees break, Southern California's water will be filled with turbidity and saltwater!!! I guess that makes you vulnerable, too, right?
The Imperial Valley has far more rights to the water than San Diego or LA. It's time for SD and LA to start saving real amounts of water instead of crowing about their little programs for low flush and restricted shower heads. Take out the lawns!
I lived in Phoenix for 18 years and still own my house there. I hear you! (Although we had APS power, for which my sister always thanked me as she works for APS but has SRP power.)
ping
Turn on the faucet and drip, drip, drip ........
Do you have a source for this?
>>A desalination plant is just a way of ‘trading a barrel of oil for a barrel of water’ (not exactly correct but you get the point).
You can do some pretty interesting things with nuclear-driven desalination/electrical generation plants. And SoCal could use the megawatts.
Of course, doing something like this would make far too much sense.
No offense to the hardworking California farmers. They don’t deserve this situation. However, the Libs and Greens are so worried about global warming that California has passed laws controlling greenhouse gases. Well, as your post indicates, the most potent greenhouse gas contributing to global warming is water vapor.
As far as I’m concerned, as long as that law is on the California books, if they are washing one car, watering one lawn, or irrigating one field, then they have far too much water in California. I save, Save the Smelt! (There is a bad joke there somewhere, but this is a serious site.)
Where's the Owens Valley in this equation?????????
Are they saying that 2/3 of the 50% comes from the Delta, 1/3 from the Colorado River and the OTHER 50% from Owens Valley?
The Owens Valley water is theirs fair and square since they stole it before they had to report it as being “imported”.
Now I understand. That continuing, constant, consistent theft doesn't count then?
I'll bet the greenies will never speak up against it, anyway...
Here is a who's who of Democrats who are letting 400 million gallons a day flow into the Pacific Ocean.
Okey Dokey...!!!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.