In The News

December, 2007

Huell Howser Visits The Kern County Water Bank
Courtesy of Kern County Water Agency

Huell Howser's visit to the Kern Water Bank Huell Howser came to Kern County on November 6, 2007 to film another segment in the "California's Water" series, which was produced by the Association of California Water Agencies and contributing member agencies for public television. The latest segment is entitled "Groundwater Banking: California's Water Savings Account." The Kern County Water Agency is a sponsor of the multi-part series for public television, which explores California's water resources and the complex system of natural and man-made features that have allowed growing communities, productive farms, industry and ecosystems to co-exist in a state that receives little or nor rain for months at a time. More information on the series is available here.

September, 2007

Climate Change Imperative: Protecting & Conserving California's Water Resources
By Lester Snow, DWR

Although scientists have documented that our climate has been changing for some time, only recently has the general public begun to understand the significance of the changes looming in both the short and long term. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, effects that we see or expect in California include: a reduction in snowpack; reductions in average annual runoff as well as shifts in seasonal timing; and more extensive or extreme weather events (deeper droughts and higher flood peaks).

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, now a nationally recognized spokesman for climate change action, recently summarized the importance of California in a speech he gave in Georgetown, "What we do in California has unbelievable impact and it has consequences. As a matter of fact, when you look at the globe, California is a little spot, but the kind of power of influence that we have on the rest of the world is an equivalent of a whole huge continent."

The IPCC conveys that some impacts are dependent no so much on climate change itself but on the vulnerability (and adaptive capacity) of a system or region to that change. The report recommends that more adaptive action is needed, emphasizing a portfolio approach. For water, a portfolio approach means developing diverse tools to provide a reliable supply, including water storage - both groundwater and surface - water recycling, desalination, and of course, conservation. Such a portfolio approach is already a fundamental part of the California Water Plan Update, as well as our Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) grant programs.

Our approach to fighting global climate change must be two-pronged: mitigation, meaning reduction in the greenhouse gas emissions which accelerate global warming and climate variability, and adaptation, referring to the ways in which our culture and infrastructure will have to change in order to successfully manage the extremes that global warming threatens.

As one of many water management tools, conservation is uniquely suited to address the concerns associated with climate variability for the very reason that it can reduce GHGs, but also help us to adapt to reduced (or at best more varied) supplies. Conserving one acre foot of water (enough to serve two families of four for one year) reduces GHG emissions by approximately one metric ton.

California's population is expected to grow to 48 million by 2030. This growth increases demand for both water and energy. Water conservation, while preparing our state to adapt to impending water supply uncertainty, is also a major tool for coping with tremendous population growth.

Recently passed by the Legislature, The Global Warming Act of 2006 (AB32) sets target GHG reduction goals for California. As a member of the Governor's Climate Action Team, DWR has put forth an early goal of increasing water use efficiency through grants. DWR will adopt standards for projects and programs funded by recently passed water bonds that will require consideration of water use efficiency in construction and operation.

Already, it seems shocking that just one year ago the reality of climate change was still widely debated. It has been said that hindsight is always 20/20, but focusing on past errors will not help us to prepare for changes ahead. Climate change only underscores the importance of the IRWM planning approach in general, and the value of conservation can help us to meet future water needs and reduce GHG emissions and will result in greater water supply reliability.

The challenge could not be more clearly defined, and the solution is within reach: We must redouble our efforts to conserve water.

August, 2007

Gov. Schwarzenegger and Sen. Feinstein Meet with Experts on Delta Fix & CA Water Infrastructure

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Senator Dianne Feinstein met in mid-August to hear presentations by California's top water experts working to fix the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta. Experts and stakeholders discussed plans to improve California's water infrastructure and fix the deteriorating Delta, which supplies clean water to 25 million people in Southern California.

At the meeting, the Governor and Senator brought together state water experts and more than 30 stakeholders representing water agencies, environmental organizations, businesses, labor groups, the agriculture industry, various municipalities and Delta landowners to discuss California's water future. Presentations were made by the Department of Water Resources, Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force and CALFED, followed by an interactive question and answer session.

"A healthy Delta is vital to our environment and it is vital to our economy today and far into the future. And that's why I appointed the Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force, to develop a sustainable management program for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta," said Governor Schwarzenegger.

"Senator Feinstein and I agree that we need a long-term, sustainable Delta fix that improves conveyance, restores the ecosystem and increases water storage and conservation. We cannot wait until we have a Katrina-like disaster to attack this problem. Twenty five million Californians rely on the Delta for clean, safe water. It also irrigates hundreds of thousands of acres of Central Valley farmland and it is the backbone of California's $32 billion agricultural industry."

"The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is on the brink of disaster. And the decline of the Delta Smelt is the canary in the coal mine," Senator Feinstein said. "We must take action to prevent catastrophe in the future. I've been working to help strengthen California's water infrastructure for well over a decade now. And I look forward to working with Governor Schwarzenegger to develop immediate and sustainable solutions for the future of the Delta. The stakes are simply too high to fail."

The meeting took place on the same day as an evidentiary hearing began in the Fresno courtroom of Judge Oliver Wanger relating to the health of the delta smelt. The judge's ruling, expected later this year, will have significant impacts on the Delta and state water deliveries to Southern California, the Central Valley and other parts of the state.

Earlier this year, Senator Feinstein endorsed Governor Schwarzenegger's $5.9 billion comprehensive water infrastructure plan. Building on his Strategic Growth Plan from last year, the Governor introduced the plan in January that invests $4.5 billion to develop additional surface and groundwater storage, so we can protect communities against flooding and capture water from storms and snowmelt run-off to supply cities, farmers and business with water during drought conditions. The plan also includes $1 billion toward restoration of the Delta, including development of a new conveyance system, $250 million to support restoration projects on the Klamath, San Joaquin and Sacramento rivers and the Salton Sea project and $200 million for grants to California communities to help conserve enough water for about 400,000 families.

Last year, the Governor directed the Delta Vision Blue Ribbon Task Force to develop a Delta management plan. The task force will present its findings and recommendations by January 1, 2008 and its Strategic Plan by October 31, 2008. The Bay Delta Conservation Plan is also underway, being developed with broad participation from water agencies, environmental organizations and local representatives. The $1 billion proposed in the Governor's comprehensive plan will be used to fund their recommendations.

Southern California relies on imported water for more than 60 percent of its drinking and agricultural supplies. Between 2000 and 2006, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California received 36 percent of its total supplies from the Delta.

This summer, drought conditions are causing water districts statewide to call for people to voluntarily cut their usage by ten percent. Two districts in Sonoma and Santa Cruz Counties have implemented mandatory rationing.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which provides water to 18 million people from Ventura County in the north to San Diego County in the south, is calling for users to reduce water consumption.

The Governor has proclaimed a State of Emergency in both Kings and Riverside Counties due to the drought.

July, 2007

Agency approves Governor's call regarding Delta

"Kern County Water Agency staff attended Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's press conference at the San Luis Reservoir and supports his call for a new canal around the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta) to supply water for millions of acres of farms, two-thirds of our population and business interests throughout the state," said Brent Walthall who is the Assistant General Manager of the Kern County Water Agency.

"Kern County receives much of its water supply from the Delta and ensuring that we continue to receive that water while protecting the Delta's environment and water quality is the target goal for the Agency. In the 1950's, water leaders provided a clean and secure water supply for us. Now it is our turn to provide a clean and secure water supply for future generations. The importance of this issue deserves the attention of the Governor and we applaud his efforts," Walthhall concluded.

June, 2007

Water Agency adopts emergency declaration in spite of limited DWR pumping

The Kern County Water Agency Board of Directors has adopted an emergency declaration due to: (1) the continued loss of water from reduced State Water Project (SWP) pumping in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta (Delta); (2) the inability of existing recovery capacity in local groundwater banking projects to alleviate that loss; and (3) the damage to existing crops from reduced water supplies.

Kern County's allocation this year from the SWP is only 60 percent of the requested amount, and recent actions by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) to limit pumping at the SWP Harvey O. Banks Pumping Plant (Pumps) have exacerbated water shortage conditions. DWR voluntarily shut down the Pumps on May 31, 2007, in an effort to help protect threatened Delta smelt. Then on June 10, 2007, DWR resumed pumping at a very limited level -- less than 10 percent of what is normally pumped this time of year. Resuming pumping operations was necessary to meet vital public health and safety needs in the San Francisco South Bay area. However, Kern County and many other areas in California will not benefit from this minimal pumping activity, and DWR has not been able to determine if and when the pumps can be returned to their normal operating levels.

Agency staff has analyzed the situation and concluded that if normal SWP pumping levels are not resumed within one week, local water districts will be receiving only one third of their normal SWP supplies. Agency staff has also determined that full utilization of local water resources and current banking programs is insufficient to meet the water demands of the Agency's Member Units without implementing emergency measures, and the resulting effects present an immediate and clear danger to Kern County's economy. This is especially critical since the County's other major water sources, the Friant Division of the Central Valley Project and the Kern River, are also facing extremely dry conditions.

General Manager Jim Beck said, "The current water supply situation is critical. Immediate emergency measures are necessary to position Kern County for expeditious, proactive actions to reasonably minimize the damage to crops and the resulting negative effects on the local economy." The emergency measures include (1) suspension of new transfers and exchanges of water from the SWP service areas of Kern County to areas outside of Kern County, until such time that delivery of SWP water to Kern County is restored to normal levels; (2) implementation of a water conservation campaign in coordination with other Kern County agencies; and (3) implementation of water management programs with areas outside of Kern County.

The Agency will seek similar declarations of emergency from its Member Units, Improvement District No. 4 Customers and the Kern County Board of Supervisors, in order to provide the greatest amount of assistance to resolve this emergency. The Agency will also pursue assistance from Governor Schwarzenegger and his administration to resolve the current issues, so Kern County doesn't face a crisis of greater magnitude next year.