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Tuesday, February 28, 2006 Quote of the Day: "If something comes to life in others because of you, then you have made an approach toward immortality." Norman Cousins (Another one from OCSD's Sonja Wassgren Morgan) Born on this Day: Vincente Minnelli, Charles Durning, Gavin MacLeod, Tommy Tune, Mario Andretti, Frank Bonne,r Brian Jones,  Bubba Smith, Mercedes Ruehl, Bernadette Peters, John Turturro,  Rae Dawn Chong, and Pat Monahan. On this Day in 1954: In San Francisco "Birth of a Planet" was aired. It was the first American phase-contrast cinemicrography film to be presented on television. Sent to more than 23,000 readers nationwide... and thousands more via our lineup of online ads like the one above that appears on watertechonline.com Latest postings: Santa Fe Irrigation District: Systems Administrator Metropolitan Water District of So CA: Operations Control Center System Operator Contra Costa Water District: Chemist/Microbiologist Santa Fe Irrigation District: Human Resources Technician Valley County Water District: General Manager Want more? See all postings. Today's News —  Water Supply Critics seek water answers (OC Register, 2/28) "Frustrated members of Congress vented their anger Monday at efforts to save California's most crucial water source, saying millions of dollars have been spent to study problems in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta with little to show for it." Tank will keep Shasta Lake water flowing (Record-Searchlight, 2/28) "A new 2.9 million-gallon water tank filling here will help this city weather hot summer days, serve future customers and provide more water for firefighting, city officials said Monday." Looser water rules at Ford Ord (Monterey County Herald, 2/28) "As long as the water doesn't come from the Carmel River or Seaside aquifers, permits will not be required on the part of Fort Ord that falls within the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District, according to an amended ordinance the district board will consider this spring." Rain masks Marin supply shortage, officials say (Marin Independent-Journal, 2/27) "A new poll shows half of Marin Municipal Water District customers believe there is plenty of water for residents, even though most fully expect another serious drought in the future." Las Vegas saves water by listening for leaks (Associated Press, 2/27) "Las Vegas' water authority has saved more than 575 million gallons of water by listening carefully for leaks with a $2.1 million high-tech surveillance system, an official said." —  Levees Governor Schwarzenegger urges state levee work (SD Union Tribune, 2/28) "Preventing catastrophic floods in California and avoiding reductions to the state's National Guard troops were at the top of Gov. Schwarzenegger's agenda yesterday as he met with President Bush and Cabinet secretaries." Chertoff commits to touring levees (Associated Press, 2/28) "Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff will visit California to tour Sacramento’s levees and assess the need for federal help, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said Monday after meeting with the secretary." Funding sought for levee repairs (Mercury News, 2/28) "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger pressed his case here Monday for federal help to fix vulnerable Sacramento River delta levees, securing a commitment from Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff to come to California to see the fragile, century-old flood-protection system." House members see levee woes firsthand (Sacramento Bee, 2/27) "Two influential leaders of the House of Representatives studied Sacramento area rivers and levees from every vantage point this past weekend, and on Sunday declared their commitment to helping solve the area's flooding risks." Levees - State of Emergency (DWR News Release, 02/27) "The Governor has declared a state of emergency for the state's levee system. By declaring this state of emergency, the state can provide additional funding and streamline the process to repair critical erosion sites in the levee system. Critical Sites Map Critical Sites List Governor's Office Press Release   —  Water Cleanups Testing the Central Coast waters (SLO Tribune, 2/28) "Creek Environmental Laboratories measures and analyzes contaminants in the soil and water throughout the Central Coast." Got whey, the grime-fighter? (Los Angeles Daily News, 2/27) "A cheese-making byproduct best known for being eaten by Little Miss Muffet is being tested to clean up underground contamination left over from long-ago aircraft testing." —  Clean Water Act Court should not dilute Clean Water Act (Daily Breeze, 2/28) OPINION. "Since water flows downhill, at what point do you regulate it to prevent pollution: at the mouth of a river, where a stream meets that river, or even farther up into wetlands that cover about 100 million acres in the lower 48 states?" —  Delta/Wetlands Delta proponents unite for common purpose (Tracy Press, 2/28) "A handful of protesters demonstrating against Rep. Richard Pombo’s positions on the environment would hardly be unusual, especially gathered outside a field hearing the House Resources Committee chairman called here Monday to discuss declining fish populations in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta." Rep. Miller: Water needs could trump Delta fix (Contra Costa Times, 2/27) "Rep. George Miller expressed doubt today that scientists' advice for fixing the Delta's declining ecosystem will be heeded if they conclude water deliveries are causing the problem." Scientists to speak on decline in species (Contra Costa Times, 2/27) "A key congressional committee today for the first time will hear the leading explanations for why the Delta ecosystem appears to be in an alarming downhill slide." Restore wetlands: May have toxic foundation (Contra Costa Times, 2/27) "The push to restore wetlands around the Bay Area could unintentionally add to an already serious mercury pollution problem." —  Other Surface Water Rush hour said to fuel pollution in Lake Tahoe (Contra Costa Times, 2/28) "Air pollution from Asia's coal-powered energy plants and Gobi Desert dust storms could be minor factors in Lake Tahoe's declining clarity. But scientists believe a lot of the lake's pollutants come straight from rush-hour traffic in the Tahoe Basin." —  Wastewater Radioactive wastewater leak due to faulty gasket (SD Union Tribune, 2/28) "Last week's leak from a truck tanker carrying radioactive wastewater from the San Onofre Power Plant to Utah was caused by a faulty gasket and valve mount, investigators said yesterday." BBARWA recharge project wind down (Big Bear Valley News, 2/27) "At the Big Bear Area Regional Wastewater Agency (BBARWA) held on Wednesday, Feb. 22nd, the Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Recycled Water Master Plan was presented to the board for their approval." —  Hazardous Waste Clean up cost of former dump site could fall to Escondido homeowners (NC Times, 2/28) "The state agency is working in conjunction with the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health, which oversees the clean up of the Benton dump and 38 other such sites in the county." CA bill would bar toxins in cell phones, iPods (Reuters, 2/27) "California would require manufacturers to phase out the use of hazardous materials in making cell phones, iPods and other electronic devices under a bill introduced by a state lawmaker." —  Publications Water Conservation Programs--A Planning Manual (AWWA, 02/28) "This manual is a planning guide for developing a complete water-conservation program for a municipality. The purpose of this manual is to provide information on how to develop a utility water conservation program, implement it, and measure its success."   —  Local/Agency News We need a Water Resources Department (Lake County-Record Bee, 2/27) Editorial: "Earlier this month, the Board of Supervisors discussed separating the Water Resources Division from the Public Works Department and making it a free-standing department. The idea is an excellent one. We encourage the board to pursue it and make it a reality." —  Everything Else Agencies find environmental equilibrium (MSNBC, 2/27) Commentary by Michael J. Bean, chair the Wildlife Program of Environmental Defense and John Carlon, president of River Partners: "While Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plans for beefed up flood control have garnered big headlines, too little attention was paid to an important agreement among the state's often-sparring conservation and flood control agencies. It breaks a long impasse on ecological restoration along the state's rivers by allowing restoration of endangered species habitat in the floodway between the levees on the Department of Fish and Game's Feather River Wildlife Area."   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