March 7, 2011
RSVP Now: Urban Water Planning Workshop March 25
Back by popular demand, the next SCWC Urban Water Planning Workshop is set to take place on March 25 at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.
All water suppliers must complete updates to their Urban Water Management Plans by July 1 of this year. Attend SCWC's next urban water planning workshop, and hear tips from experts on preparing your urban water management plan properly.
The workshop will include a keynote presentation from Devendra Upadhyay, a water resources management expert with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.
The event will also feature UWMP guidance and panel discussions with key experts from the California Department of Water Resources, Kennedy/Jenks Consultants, McCormick Kidman & Behrens, San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District, Municipal Water District of Orange County, Irvine Ranch Water District, Las Virgenes Municipal Water District, and more.
Lunch has been generously provided for the event by Best Best & Krieger. SCWC thanks Best Best & Krieger for their support.
To RSVP now, contact Alex Comisar at acomisar@fionahuttonassoc.com.
SCWC Welcomes Two New Board Members
SCWC is pleased to welcome two new additions to our Board of Trustees, Supervisor Bill Campbell of Orange County and Mark Pestrella of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works.
Supervisor Bill Campbell
Supervisor Bill Campbell has served as a member of the Orange County Board of Supervisors since January 2003. In January 2005, his colleagues elected him chairman of the Board of Supervisors, a position he still holds.
Campbell represents Orange County's third district, which encompasses Anaheim, Brea, Irvine, Orange, Tustin, Villa Park and Yorba Linda.
Prior to his tenure on the Orange County Board of Supervisors, Campbell served as a member of the State Assembly from 1996-2002. During his term, he fought on behalf of several important water and natural resource issues.
Mark Pestrella
Mark Pestrella is the assistant director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works and chair of the recently established SCWC Regional Stormwater Task Force.
Pestrella has served the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works for nearly 25 years, during which time he has exhibited award-winning dedication to preserving and improving Los Angeles County's public infrastructure, and overseen the implementation of numerous strategic infrastructure projects.
SCWC is proud to welcome both Supervisor Campbell and Mark Pestrella, and we look forward to working with them this year as we continue to tackle California's critical water issues.
State Leaders Urge Continued Effort Toward Delta Fix
Deputy Natural Resources Secretary Jerry Meral - the lead Natural Resources representative on Delta issues- unveiled the Brown Administration's policy speech on the Bay Delta Conservation Plan last Thursday. The speech was delivered at last week's California Water Policy 20 conference in Los Angeles.
The speech focused on the importance of achieving the co-equal goals of environmental preservation and water supply reliability in the Delta, and the urgent need to move forward with the BDCP.
U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein also weighed in on BDCP last week, submitting a dedicated letter to the Plan's steering committee.
In the March 3 letter, Sen. Feinstein says she is encouraged by the state's commitment to making progress on the BDCP, and encourages all stakeholders to continue their work toward fixing the Delta.
"The Bay Delta Conservation Plan has long seemed to me to be the best hope for 'peace on the river': water supply reliability and restoration of the ecosystem. But it cannot be achieved without continued support from your agencies and organizations. I encourage you to continue your work on the Conservation Plan." Read more...
This Tuesday, March 8, the California Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water will hold a special hearing on the Delta, during which the committee will hear updates on Delta issues from Craig Wilson, Delta Watermaster at the State Water Resources Control Board, and Jerry Meral, Deputy Secretary of Natural Resources.
Following the initial testimony, a response panel featuring Roger Patterson, assistant general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, as well as several other representatives from water agencies and the environmental sector will weigh in on the latest developments concerning the Delta.
The hearing will take place Tuesday, March 8, in Capitol Room 112 from 9:30 - 11:30a.m.
Delta Conservancy Names New Executive Director
The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy, the organization created as part of the 2009 Delta Water Package to implement ecosystem restoration in the Delta, announced last Thursday it has appointed its first permanent executive director - Campbell Ingram.
Prior to his recent appointment, Ingram worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service implementing several Central Valley Project Improvement Act restoration programs and the CALFED Environmental Water Program.
Ingram has also worked for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and The Nature Conservancy.
Save the Date: SCWC Quarterly Meeting April 14
For our next Quarterly Meeting, SCWC is proud to welcome Jerry Meral, Deputy Secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency, as keynote speaker.
You won't want to miss this excellent opportunity to hear from Meral and other water leaders, and participate in the dialogue on our state's critical water issues.
RSVP and reserve your seat now.
The upcoming SCWC Quarterly Meeting will take place on April 14 at 10am at the Pacific Palms Hotel & Conference Center in the City of Industry, with lunch and the keynote speech directly following.
During his speech, Meral will discuss the latest Delta developments, and the statewide efforts taking place to ensure the estuary's long-term health. Meral will conduct a brief Q&A following his presentation.
Also joining us will be Keith Coolidge of the Delta Stewardship Council, who will talk about the continuing development of the Delta Stewardship Council's Delta Plan.
To RSVP now, contact Alex Comisar at acomisar@fionahuttonassoc.com.
SCWC to Co-Sponsor 2011 Orange County Water Summit
On May 20, SCWC will join the Municipal Water District of Orange County, the Orange County Water District and Disneyland Resorts in co-sponsoring the Fourth Annual Orange County Water Summit.
The Water Summit will feature a cross-section of water leaders and experts discussing the region's water issues, and the critical water challenges we currently face.
The event will be held on Friday, May 20 from 7:30a.m. - 1:30p.m. at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel and Resort in Anaheim. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for further details.
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THE SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA WATER COMMITTEE