April 19, 2011

SCWC Continues Gaining Momentum with Successful Quarterly Meeting

SCWC continued its long string of successful programming last Thursday at its second 2011 Quarterly Meeting.

The meeting featured intriguing and informative discussions on fixing the ailing Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta with a keynote speech by Deputy Secretary of Natural Resources Jerry Meral, and a presentation by Keith Coolidge of the Delta Stewardship Council (DSC).

During the meeting, Keith Coolidge led a productive dialogue on the state of the DSC’s Delta Plan, and what the Council needs to do in the coming months to ensure progress toward a Delta fix.
Following the meeting, Deputy Secretary of Natural Resources Jerry Meral gave an informative keynote speech on the Brown Administration’s approach to moving forward on Delta issues in 2011 and beyond.

SCWC sincerely thanks Jerry Meral and Keith Coolidge for their invaluable time and expertise.

The next SCWC Quarterly Meeting is set to take place July 28, 2011. Mark your calendars now, and stay tuned in the coming weeks for more details.

For more photos from the event, visit us on facebook.

SCWC Unveils New Look to Reflect Unprecedented Growth

SCWC has unveiled a new look and an enhanced online presence to reflect our significant membership growth and enhanced statewide influence and profile.

The upgrades, which include a new brand identity, an updated set of printed materials and an enhanced website with significantly increased functionality, were announced in a press release late last week leading up to the second 2011 SCWC Quarterly Meeting.

To check out our new materials, visit www.socalwater.org.

Delta Stewardship Council to Release Third Draft of Delta Plan

The Delta Stewardship Council is set to release the third draft of its comprehensive Delta Plan this Friday, April 22. The final version, by law, must be submitted for consideration by the end of 2011.

DSC has already released two preliminary drafts of the Plan, both of which can be found online here.

SCWC signed on to a coalition letter in early April, expressing concern over the Delta Plan’s second draft, and pointing out that the Draft Plan, in its current form, takes on too broad a scope, and extends its reach beyond what was mandated by the legislators who formed the Delta Stewardship Council several years ago.

The Delta Stewardship Council is a state organization that was created as a result of the Delta Reform Act in 2009, and tasked with developing a comprehensive plan for fixing the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.
The DSC’s Delta Plan is a top priority for SCWC, and we will continue our active participation and issue updates as the process moves forward.

For more information on SCWC’s involvement in Bay-Delta issues, visit our Delta page.

State and Feds to Weigh In at Public Meeting on BDCP

Top state and federal officials involved in the development of the Bay Delta Conservation Plan (BDCP) are set to participate in a public meeting on the status of the plan next Monday, April 25.

The meeting, which will update the public on the BDCP’s environmental review process, and focus on the ongoing effort to achieve the co-equal goals of environmental preservation and water supply reliability in the Delta, will feature John Laird, CaliforniaSecretary for Natural Resources, Jerry Meral, Deputy Secretary for Natural Resources and David Hayes, U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Interior.

An agenda for the meeting is available here.

The BDCP is a comprehensive plan involving a broad diversity of statewide stakeholders that aims to fix the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta by bringing together the co-equal goals of environmental preservation and water supply reliability.
For more information on SCWC’s involvement in Bay-Delta issues, visit our Delta page.

Legislative Update

SCWC has submitted a support letter for AB 275 (Solorio), the Rainwater Capture Act of 2011.

The bill, which is currently still in committee, would allow residential, commercial and governmental landowners to install and utilize rain barrel systems for capturing stormwater.

SCWC has been heavily involved in efforts, through our Stormwater Task Force, to develop regional consensus-based solutions for increasing the prevalence of stormwater as a water resource. More information on the SCWC Stormwater Task Force is available here.

SCWC has signed on to a coalition letter opposing SB 200 (Wolk), which, if passed, would mean an additional set of restrictions and mandates for agencies involved in implementing changes concerning the plan to fix the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. 
The bill, which has also been opposed via the coalition letter by dozens of water agencies and stakeholders across the state, is set for an April 26 hearing in the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water.

For more information on SCWC’s involvement in legislative issues, visit our legislative page.

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