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Monday, January 9, 2006 Quote of the Day: Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently. Henry Ford (Thanks to Mike Henderson with the EVWD for this one.) Born on this Day: Richard Nixon, Fernando Lamas, Les Paul, Judith Krantz, Bart Starr, Bob Denver, Dick Enberg, Joan Baez, and Jimmy Page, David Johansen, Crystal Gayle, Dave Matthews, and Sergio Garcia. On this Day in 1951: The United Nations opened its headquarters in New York City. Sent to more than 20,000 readers nationwide... and thousands more via our lineup of online ads like the one above that appears on watertechonline.com Latest postings: Walnut Valley Water District: Utility Service Lead Walnut Valley Water District: Utility Service Worker Brownholtz & Associates LLC: Network Operations Supervisor Santa Margarita Water District: Maintenance Tech or Mechanic For Sewage & Domestic Water Treatment Plant Santa Margarita Water District: Lab Tech Want more? See all postings. *****BC EXCLUSIVE*****            Bennett's Beacon For nearly 10 years, Dave Bennett and family have made their home at Kevich Light, a Wisconsin lighthouse on the shores of Lake Michigan. It's pretty cool, he says, and the sunsets are gorgeous. READ MORE>>> < This lighthouse was built by the Kevich family in 1981 and is certified by the U.S. Coast Guard. Today's News —  Water Supply Focus turns to outdoor water use (SD Union Tribune, 1/8) "California's water watchdogs have escalated their outdoor conservation campaigns, pledging millions of dollars for rebates and other incentives to persuade residents and businesses to be just as conscientious outside as they have been inside." Water pressures (Riverside P/E, 1/8) "Water consumption throughout much of Temecula and Murrieta -- demand that tripled over 25 years -- is expected to double again before the area's growth ebbs by about 2050, local officials predict." Panel: Water study flawed (Monterey Herald, 1/8) "A federal document that cleared the way for water users in the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California to take more water out of the Delta has serious scientific shortcomings, a panel of independent scientists concluded in a report released late Friday." —  Infrastructure Water labyrinth in a fix (Stockton Record, 1/8) "Standing before the raging waters of the American River, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger began a statewide tour last week to tout his mammoth public works proposal by highlighting California's aging network of waterworks." —  Delta Scientists question document that allowed more pumping in Delta (NC Times, 1/9) "A panel of independent scientists have challenged the findings of a federal document that cleared the way for water users to pump more water out of the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta." River survey determining health of Delta for fish (Manteca Bulletin, 1/5) "The two metal boats floating down the San Joaquin River Wednesday in the vicinity of Lathrop at Mossdale Landing looked like ordinary pleasure boats." —  Surface Waters What's old is new at Lake Hodges (SD Union Tribune, 1/8) "Since the oddly shaped Lake Hodges reservoir was created by a dam almost 90 years ago, effort after effort has been made to bridge it." China spending billions to clean up Songhua River (Mercury News, 1/9) "China will invest more than $3 billion over the next five years to clean up the Songhua River, a key source of drinking water for tens of millions of people that was polluted in November by a toxic spill that flowed into Russia, reports said Sunday." EPA publishes Watershed Handbook (EPA News Release, 1/9) "EPA's Office of Water has published a guide to watershed management as a tool in developing and implementing watershed plans. The draft Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect Our Waters is aimed toward communities, watershed groups, and local, state, tribal, and federal environmental agencies." EPA awards wetlands projects $469,517 (EPA News Release, 1/9) "As part of a new pilot program, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has awarded the California Resources Agency $300,000 to expand wetland monitoring and report on wetland acreage statewide, and also awarded the Humboldt Bay Harbor District $131,686 and the Western Shasta Resource Conservation District $37,831 for wetlands development projects." IID committed to lining canal (IV Press, 1/8) "Despite a request from the Imperial County Farm Bureau to delay a vote, the Imperial Irrigation District Board of Directors stands ready to move ahead Tuesday with a controversial project to build a cement-lined All-American Canal." —  Floodwater Governor Schwarzenegger proposes funds for California water issues (DWR News Release, 1/9) "Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has proposed the largest investment in flood and water management in state history. The Strategic Growth Plan proposes a $35 billion investment over the next ten years, including $9 billion in bond funds." Flood controls in need of upgrading (Fresno Bee, 1/9) Column. "Heavy Christmas week rains gave Californians a muddy taste of the potential danger that killer floods pose as the state's ever-increasing population packs into floodplains, thus becoming ever more dependent on aging and deteriorating river levees." —  Beaches Plant move means water quality on area's beaches will improve (Ventura County Star, 1/9) Opinion. "'It's no worse than L.A. Harbor.' Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Board representative justifying lack of concern about toxic levels found in sediment samples from the Sanjon barranca at San Buenaventura State Beach."   —  Water Rules New rules demand early action by utilities (WaterWeek, 1/8) "The largest US drinking water utilities and smaller systems served by them face deadlines later this year to comply with certain early implementation requirements of the companion Stage 2 Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs) and Long-Term 2 Enhanced Surface Water Treatment (LT2ESWT) rules." —  Local/Agency News Jeffries named water board president (NC Times, 1/8) "The board of directors of the Western Municipal Water District elected District Three Director Kevin Jeffries as board president earlier this week." Plan would spin off Fresno utilities (Fresno Bee, 1/9) "City officials may ask voters this year to decide whether a municipal utility district should be formed to provide Fresno and some unincorporated areas with sewer, water and garbage services." MID weighing immediate rate increases (Modesto Bee, 1/9) "While the recent valley rain and Sierra snowfall have buoyed spirits at the Modesto Irrigation District, don't expect the much-needed precipitation to wash away a planned electricity rate increase." Water rate debate continues in Fontana (Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, 1/9) "The three-year-old fight between the city and the privately owned Fontana Water Co. over water rates comes to a head this week, with an administrative law judge presiding over evidentiary hearings at City Hall beginning today." Hearings to begin on Fontana water rate hike (Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, 1/9) "The 3-year-old fight between the city and the privately owned Fontana Water Co. over water rates will come to a head this week with an administrative law judge presiding over hearings at City Hall beginning this morning." Western Municipal Water District elects officers (WMWD News Release, 1/9) "At its January 4 meeting, the Board of Directors of the Western Municipal Water District elected new officers: Kevin D. Jeffries, president Elizabeth L. Cunnison, vice-president, and Wayne H. Holcomb, secretary-treasurer." New Residential Landscape Irrigation Rebate program (EMWD News Release, 1/9) "Thinking about upgrading your home landscape irrigation system? Our Residential Landscape Rebate program gives EMWD customers the opportunity to receive rebates of up to $185 per household for a controller, rain sensor and high-efficiency sprinkler heads." —  Everything Else Dairy plan faces threat of lawsuit (Fresno Bee, 1/9) "The Center on Race, Poverty and the Environment has asked the state Regional Water Quality Control Board for an environmental impact report, or EIR, on the dairy." Flame retardants pose toxic threat to polar bears (Newsday, 1/9) "Already imperiled by melting ice and a brew of toxic chemicals, polar bears throughout the Arctic, particularly in remote dens near the North Pole, face an additional threat as flame retardants originating largely in the United States are building up in their bodies, according to an international team of wildlife scientists." 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