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Monday, January 30, 2006 Quote of the Day: "The habit of giving only enhances the desire to give." Walt Whitman Born on this Day: Franklin D. Roosevelt, John Ireland, Gene Martin, Gene Hackman, Louis Rukeyser, Tammy Grimes, Vanessa Redgrave, Dick Cheney, Charles Dutton, Brett Butler, Jody Watley, and Christian Bale. On this Day in 1847: The town of Yerba Buena was renamed San Francisco. 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: California Rural Water Association: SRF Specialist Long Beach Water Department: Water Resources Manager, Castaic Lake Water Agency Rancho California Water District: Customer Service Manager Otay Water District: Sr. SCADA / Instrumentation Technician Riverside County: Civil Engineers - All Levels Want more? See all postings. Today's News —  Water Supply Colorado River drought plan in peril (AZ Central, 1/30) "Seven states share the Colorado River, but a final agreement about how to manage the waterway in times of drought may turn on a truce between just two of them: Arizona and California." Desal plant hearing delayed (NC Times, 1/28) "A hearing on a proposal to build a large desalination plant along Carlsbad's coastline has been indefinitely delayed because of ongoing negotiations between the city and the proposed developer, the city announced Friday."  Cambria district compromises for tank permit (SLO Tribune, 1/28) "After more than a year of bitter battling, Cambria's services district has a building permit for two water-storage tanks crucial to firefighting supplies." County wants MWD to withdraw filings (Imperial Valley Press, 1/27) "The county Board of Supervisors is asking the Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District of Southern California to withdraw its two filings that would appropriate water from the Alamo and New rivers." —  Water Quality Prescription drugs found in Southland aquifers (LA Times, 1/30) "Behind a tangle of willows, every second of every day for almost half a century, recycled sewage has gushed into an El Monte creek and nourished one of Los Angeles County's most precious resources: the drinking water stored beneath the San Gabriel Valley."   Feinstein criticizes EPA perchlorate standard (Senator Feinstein News Release, 1/27) "The fact that California, the largest state in the union, has set a target for perchlorate remediation at 6 ppb for drinking water, and considers exposure to perchlorate contamination from both water and food sources should cause real concern." —  Dams Pact reached for Oroville Dam (Marysville Appeal-Democrat, 1/28) "The California Department of Water Resources says a milestone has been reached in its relicensing effort for Oroville Dam." —  Surface Water and Critters Scientists discover world's smallest fish (ENN, 1/27) Thanks to Mark Moss for this one: "Scientists say they have discovered the world's smallest known fish in threatened swampland in Indonesia." Man-made marsh almost ready for beavers (Chico Enterprise-Record, 1/27) "While an element of doubt has entered the future of the Highway 149 project, a step to mitigate the environmental impact of the work is nearly complete." Pump, alarm problems blamed for fish deaths (Ukiah Daily Journal, 1/27) "A faulty pump and a dysfunctional alarm were to blame for the deaths of 100 adult and 100,000 yearling steelhead Friday at the Coyote Valley Dam imprinting facility, officials from the Army Corps of Engineers said Wednesday." Steelhead need adequate river flow (Ventura County-Star, 1/27) Commentary. "Those who have been involved over the years with efforts aimed at recovery of the federally endangered Southern California steelhead are hard-pressed to understand how diverting an additional 10,000 acre-feet of water per year from the Santa Clara River at the Freeman Diversion will not harm the prospects for this remarkable fish." —  Wastewater and Runoff Putting a rush on water tests (LA Times, 1/30) "Because some people can't resist when the waves are calling, surfers have been pushing for faster release of water quality tests so they can be sure when the water is free of sewage spills and urban runoff." Salty wastewater a tricky dilemma (Modesto Bee, 1/29) "Water is important to the future of California, yet Hilmar Cheese Co.'s challenge to meet our discharge permit has revealed a greater issue. Salt management is an emerging issue that requires a meaningful discussion and consideration of real solutions that are environmentally and economically sustainable." Fighting beach pollution in the lab (LA Times, 1/29) "With stately multimillion-dollar homes, miles of shade-dappled bridle trails and a private beach below steep bluffs, Hope Ranch is a place of uncommon wealth and serenity. But like other California coastal communities, it has wrestled for years with a mysterious problem that may be rooted in runoff from its own land." —  Breaks and Spills Broken main spills water in Anaheim (Orange County Register, 1/30) "A third water main break in two days shut down all lanes of Broadway between Euclid and Agate streets around 7 p.m. Sunday, police and utility officials said." Crews pump away acid in Modesto (Modesto Bee, 1/30) "Crews worked into the night Sunday emptying a big rig of its toxic contents after the tanker careened off Highway 99 and into a back yard two days earlier." S.D. broken valve spills reclaimed water (NC Times, 1/28) "Broken valves caused the discharge into San Diego's storm drain system of about 3.5 million gallons of reclaimed water, which may have ended up in the Los Penasquitos Lagoon, city officials said Friday."  Reclaimed water spills into San Diego creek (SD Union Tribune, 1/28) "San Diego officials yesterday were assessing possible harm to aquatic life in Peñasquitos Creek after a major spill of reclaimed water in the Scripps Ranch area." San Pedro's sewer line fix is almost done (Daily Breeze, 1/28) "In the latest of several problems that have plagued streets in San Pedro, road crews are finishing up work to repair a collapsed sewer line that was on its way to developing a sinkhole beneath Front Street near Pacific Avenue." —  Meetings 2006 California Water Law Symposium (News Release, 1/27) February 4. "We are proud to present the latest topics in water law affecting our thirsty state. Please join us for a day of stimulating speakers, panels, and opportunities to network." —  Local/Agency News Bannister elected Chairman of the ACWA/JPIA (OCWD News Release, 1/27) "Orange County Water District board member, Wes Bannister, was recently elected president of the board of directors for the Association of California Water Agencies Joint Powers Insurance Authority (ACWA/JPIA)." Buel resigns as Osos CSD general manager (San Luis Obispo Tribune, 1/27) "Bruce Buel, longtime general manager of the agency tasked with building the controversial Los Osos sewer, has resigned after three months on paid administrative leave." —  Everything Else Klamath power ruling thumps irrigators (Times-Standard, 1/27 "Federal energy regulators on Thursday decided that irrigators that use Klamath River water on the central California-Oregon border should not be insulated from anticipated electricity spikes, which could multiply farmers' pumping costs 10 to 20 times." 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