November 8, 2011

State Expands Bay Delta Conservation Plan Public Participation

With more than 300 public meetings already under its belt, the BDCP continues to facilitate and expand public participation. The Resources Agency announced last week in a letter from Jerry Meral that it is changing the public meeting schedule to allow for greater meaningful interaction between the stakeholders involved in the BDCP process. There will be one public meeting held each month with representatives from a variety of stakeholder groups. The meetings will continue to be open to any member of the public who wants to attend.

The next BDCP meeting is scheduled for November 16, 2011 from 1:30 – 4:30 p.m. in Sacramento at the Sheraton Grand Hotel.

SCWC Urges Support of BDCP Memorandum of Agreement

The California Department of Water Resources and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation have also announced an opportunity for interested parties to comment on the BDCP Memorandum of Agreement—an agreement signed between the public water agencies that are funding BDCP development, the Bureau and DWR. The agreement, which will facilitate ongoing funding for the BDCP and coordination between public agencies, is necessary to the successful completion of BDCP.

SCWC strongly supports the BDCP and the recently signed MOA and encourages our members and other stakeholders to submit comment letters in support of the MOA.  Just last week, Congressmembers Jim Costa and Ken Calvert submitted a joint letter supporting the MOA stating:

“The BDCP is a dramatic undertaking. It is a public infrastructure project on the scale of those built by President Roosevelt and California Governor Pat Brown. It improves on the  projects those great leaders built by recognizing and serving the needs of both the environment and of society. The Administration should not shy away from the challenge of the BDCP, but must embrace it as one of the great opportunities of our time as public leaders. There have always been naysayers to great works. But those with a vision for the future have always remained steadfast, accepted the challenge and succeeded in the face of doubt.”

Comments must be received by 5PM on Wednesday, November 16. 

SCWC Launches “Delta Disrupted” Public Education & Outreach Program

Last week, SCWC announced the launch of a regional public education and outreach program, entitled “Delta Disrupted”, focused on vulnerabilities in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The program highlights the far-reaching water supply impacts of a major Northern California earthquake and seeks to educate local and regional leaders about the proposed solution: the Bay Delta Conservation Plan, a comprehensive effort underway to protect both the water supply and the Delta’s fragile ecosystem.

We encourage SCWC members to visit our dedicated web page, learn more, download the materials and share them with your members, colleagues and friends.

If you would like to distribute Delta Disrupted materials at an upcoming event or have a SCWC representative make a presentation, please contact us at (818) 760-2121.

Delta Stewardship Council Releases Draft EIR on Delta Plan – Concerns Abound

The Delta Stewardship Council released the draft environmental impact report (DEIR) for the Delta Plan this past Friday. Read ACWA’s statement on the release of the DEIR. 

Over the past several months, organizations and water districts throughout the state have expressed a number of concerns over the direction of the Delta Plan and, in June, SCWC joined a coalition of interests in submitting an Alternate Plan for consideration in the DEIR. The 2,200-page document is currently under review and SCWC will be working with the Delta Issues Task Force and other organizations to submit formal comments, which are due by January 3, 2012.

USGS Releases Study on Projected Climate Change Impacts in the Delta

Last week, new findings were released by USGS projecting the impacts of climate change in the Delta. The results showed that this critical resource will face rising sea levels, environmental changes and water supply limitations throughout the next century. USGS emphasized the need to incorporate their findings into ongoing efforts such as the Bay Delta Conservation Plan and the Delta Plan. These results underscore the need to implement a comprehensive solution that addresses the ongoing challenges in the Delta.

Buy Your Tickets Now for the 27th Annual Dinner

SCWC is welcoming another featured guest to its 27th Annual Dinner—Congresswoman Grace Napolitano, who is being presented with the 2011 Harriett Wieder Water Leadership Award for her sponsorship of the Hoover Power Allocation Act of 2011. The bill, which has passed through both the House and the Senate, will reauthorize Hoover Dam power distribution for the next 50 years. The Hoover Dam provides power for 29 million people, businesses and public utilities, including Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Southern California Edison, Pasadena, Glendale, Riverside, Anaheim and Burbank.  Read the press release here.

And, in one of his first appearances since retiring from the bench, U.S. District Court Judge Oliver Wanger (Ret.) will serve as the keynote speaker for SCWC’s 27th Annual Dinner on November 17th.  Don’t miss this opportunity to hear firsthand Judge Wanger’s truly unique and compelling observations and insights on California water law, regulations and politics.

SCWC’s Annual Meeting will also have a special guest, State Senator Jean Fuller, who is addressing the SCWC Board of Trustees prior to the Annual Dinner on November 17th.  Senator Fuller will be discussing statewide water issues, including the status of the 2012 water bond.

Complete information on the Annual Meeting and Dinner can be found on our event flyer.

Important Note: For those organizations that have purchased tables for the dinner, please send in your table guest names to ekorenberg@fionahuttonassoc.com. Deadline to receive names is Friday Nov. 11.

Are You on Facebook? So are We!

With so much happening in the world of California water, there couldn’t be a better time to join SCWC on Facebook.

To “like” our page and receive up-to-the-minute news, information and resources on California water issues, just visit us at www.facebook.com/socalwater and click the “Like” button. Then, check your news feed often to stay connected.

New to Facebook? Joining is free and easy. Just visit www.facebook.com and follow the simple steps. Then, check out SCWC’s Facebook page and never be out of touch with the latest water news, information and resources.