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Wednesday, December 22, 2004   Quote of the Day: "Fish is the only food that is considered spoiled once it smells like what it is." P. J. O'Rourke Born Today  Diane Sawyer, Steve Garvey, Rick Nielsen, Ralph Fiennes, Dina Meyer, Lauralee Bell, and Heather Donahue. On This Day in 1894:  The United States Golf Association was formed in N.Y. We have a couple of new job postings and plenty of news too! Enjoy the holidays - we will catch you again on January 3 -- 2005! Pic of the Week The photo below depicts the water delivery service in Malawi Africa. "I recently returned from a trip with Water for People, which is the charitable arm of AWWA that helps bring clean water and sanitation education to some of the poorest communities around the world. It's pretty amazing when you take one of these trips and see how young girls travel miles to get dirty water from a tiny hole in the sand, and yet 'we' can donate and help build a simple well for $1,500 which will serve clean drinking water to a village of almost 200 people. For more info., please visit the Water For People web site," says Uzi Daniel, Environmental Quality Analyst, West Central MWD. Many thanks to Uzi for these photos and for all of the work she does to make the world a better place! Bravo Uzi! Have a photo you'd like to submit? Email it to us. Sent to over 15,000 readers nationwide! Latest postings: Delta Diablo Sanitation District: Senior Engineer Contra Costa Water District: Water Treatment Plant Operator Southern California Water Company: Inspector County of Santa Cruz Dept. of Public Works: Public Works Supervisor - Water & Wastewater Lake Havasu City (Arizona): Engineer In Training Want more? See all postings. Today's News —  Central Valley Farmers Water Rights Case U.S. to pay $16 million in water rights case (DWR News Release, 12/22) "The Bush administration announced Tuesday that it has agreed to pay $16.7 million to a group of Central Valley farmers and irrigation districts whose water deliveries were cut to protect endangered fish." Precedent-setting water rights decision made (SD Union-Tribune, 12/22) "In a precedent-setting decision, the federal government agreed to pay four California water districts $16.7 million for water the government diverted a decade ago to help two rare fish." Farmers will be paid for lost water (Sacramento Bee, 12/22) "In a closely watched and controversial move, the Bush administration agreed Tuesday to pay San Joaquin Valley farmers $16.7 million as compensation for undelivered irrigation water." State farmers compensated for shortages (Contra Costa Times, 12/22) "In a decision that could make it far more expensive to protect endangered salmon and other fish, the Bush administration has overruled the advice of some of its own lawyers and agreed to pay California farmers $16.7 million for water shortages suffered in the early 1990s." —  Other Water Supply News No drinking water in Alpaugh (Capital Press, 12/22) "In the most prosperous state of the richest nation in the world, there are towns with Third World problems." Olivenhain district strikes water deal (NC Times, 12/22) "The city of San Diego will sell at least 163 million gallons of recycled water next year to the Olivenhain Municipal Water District, which will deliver the recycled water to at least three golf courses in its service area, officials said Tuesday." Not perfect, just public (IV Press, 12/22) Opinion: "The Imperial Group has a credibility problem. Its founder, Mike Morgan, has long maintained that it is not his group's intention to market water outside the Imperial Valley; rather, it is only concerned with securing for agricultural landowners a firm allocation they can depend on and establishing a water bank for intra-district transfers." —  Water Quality Warning issued about tainted water in Orland (LA Times, 12/22) "Orland officials are advising residents to boil water before drinking it or brushing their teeth after samples from the municipal water system tested positive for fecal coliform bacteria." Former Walkerton workers receive sentences (CBS, 12/22) "Stan and Frank Koebel received their sentences Monday for their role in a deadly E. coli outbreak in a small Ontario town in May 2000." —  Levee News Water agency says levee pumping done - is it? (Stockton Record, 12/22) "The California Department of Water Resources said Tuesday it is done pumping out Jones Tract, even though water still flows through the island's levee where it was repaired." —  Watersheds and Lakes Fed. agencies sign watershed agreement (EPA News Release, 12/22) "The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Water and the U.S. Army’s Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works have entered into an agreement to establish a collaborative watershed partnership." Forest Service to poison high Cascade lake (San Francisco Chronicle, 12/22) "The U.S. Forest Service has approved a plan to draw down Diamond Lake and poison small nonnative fish that have triggered massive algae blooms and hurt trout fishing." Lake Hodges at watershed moment (SD Union Tribune, 12/22) "Let's face it, Lake Hodges has an identity crisis. Throughout its 86-year history, the man-made reservoir, fed only by rainfall, has frequently changed its personality." —  Wastewater Escondido asks for time to study sewer infractions (SD Union-Tribune, 12/22) "With an investigation ongoing, the city will seek a deadline extension for its legal response to the notice of nearly $1.2 million in fines for water-quality violations at its Hale Avenue sewage plant." —  The Mines EPA to take the lead in clean up of Yerington mine (EPA News Release, 12/22) "Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency agreed to assume primary responsibility for the cleanup of the Yerington mine site, at the request of the state." Court strikes county OK of Teichert mine (Auburn Journal, 12/22) "A Placer County Superior Court judge has tossed out environmental documentation approved by the Board of Supervisors on Teichert Inc.'s plans to develop a 696-acre mine and aggregate processing plant between Lincoln and Sheridan."  —  Local/Agency News Governor names valley residents to water board (The Desert Sun, 12/22) "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday announced the following appointments to the Colorado River Basin Regional Water Quality Control Board." Casitas files takings claim on behalf of rate payers (Casitas District News Release, 12/22) "Casitas Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors approved a motion to file a takings claim with the United States Court of Federal Claims this evening due to federal requirements to release additional water down the Ventura River." —  Everything Else Teflon dispute brings DuPont, EPA to court (The Philadelphia Inquirer, 12/17) Thanks to Denny  Parker for this one: "Attorneys for DuPont Co. strongly denied at a federal hearing yesterday that the company had improperly withheld information about environmental and possible health impacts of a chemical used to make Teflon." About the California Water News The California Water News is a weekday e-mail with links to current news stories in the California water resources industry.  Subscription is free to qualified persons!  Please go to our subscription page to subscribe.  For more information, you can also see some frequently asked questions. Referrals to new subscribers are welcome, as are suggestions for new links, news stories, opinion pieces, and your agency's press releases.   Any documents you e-mail us may be published on our web site and linked to from the News, subject to editorial discretion. Ken Harlow Brown and Caldwell 400 Exchange, Suite 100 Irvine, CA 92702 714-689-4852