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Wednesday, April 19, 2006 Quote of the Day: "Sometimes I wonder if men and women really suit  each other. Perhaps they should live next door and just visit now and then." Katharine Hepburn Born on this Day: Eliot Ness, Jayne Mansfield, Dick Sargent, Dudley Moore, Tim Curry, Paloma Picasso, Al Unser, Jr., Ashley Judd, Bekka Bramlett, and Courtland Mead. On this Day in 1852: The California Historical Society was founded. 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: City of Oceanside: Industrial Waste Inspector City of Signal Hill: Water Maintenance Worker I or II Delta Diablo Sanitation District: Wastewater Treatment Plant Operator III West Valley Water District: Information Technology Support Specialist West Valley Water District: Customer Service Supervisor City of American Canyon: Civil Engineering Tech I Want more? See all postings. Pic of the Week Stafford Lake "This photo shows Stafford Lake with the City of Novato and San Pablo Bay in the Background. Stafford Lake provides about 20% of the water for the City of Novato. The North Marin Water District is finishing up a new Water Treatment Plant Renovation for this water using enhanced coagulation (ballasted sand clarification and filtration) and chlorine dioxide as its treatment scheme for the all of the new surface water treatment regulations," according to Mike McMaster, Operations Superintendent, North Marin Water District. Do you have a photo you'd like to submit? Send us an e-mail. Today's News —  Water Supply DWR increases 2006 SWP allocation to 100% (DWR News Release, 4/19) "In an unprecedented move, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) has announced it is increasing its allocation of 2006 State Water Project (SWP) water for long-term contractors from 80 percent to 100 percent of requests." All-American Canal project's critics file lawsuit (SD Union Tribune, 4/19) "With construction just weeks away, opponents of a plan to line the All-American Canal in Imperial County filed suit yesterday to stop the project, alleging its design presents a peril to humans and animals." Water treatment considered for Mokelumne River (Stockton Record, 4/18) "Public works officials are recommending the city build a water-treatment plant to bring Mokelumne River water up to drinking standards."  Lake Arrowhead controversy continues (San Bernardino Sun, 4/18) "Months after state authorities ordered water officials here to limit the amount of drinking water drawn from the lake, a new ordinance is in the works that could limit how many new permits would be given each year to people seeking connections to the lake's water supply." —  Rainfall Heavy spring runoff predicted (Union Democrat, 4/19) "State hydrologists say the Sierra snowpack — which feeds such popular white-water rivers as the Clavey, Mokelumne, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne — stands at about 150 percent of average for this time of year." Fresno rain in March-April third highest since 1878 (Fresno Bee, 4/18) "The city's combined two-month rainfall is the third highest recorded since 1878. Fresno needs only about a quarter of an inch more to make this year's March-April total the second highest over a 128-year span." Yolo County growers watch the skies and wait (Woodland Daily Democrat, 4/18) "After enduring weeks of rain, local farmers are hoping the sunshine is here to stay. Heavy rain has caused severe delays in most commonly farmed crops around Yolo County, including staples like tomatoes, rice and alfalfa." —  Infrastructure Accord near on big bond proposal (Inside Bay Area, 4/19) "A $30 billion to $34 billion infrastructure bond deal for transportation projects, levee repairs and schools will be struck in coming weeks and put to voters in November, the Legislature's leaders assured the Bay Area business community Tuesday." PID may vote on pipeline cost-sharing plan (Paradise Post, 4/18) "Say the Paradise Irrigation District wants to extend its water pipeline alongside your property. If you signed a Future Pipeline Agreement, you'd have to pay for part of it but just how much you'll owe depends on what the district's board of directors decides on Wednesday night." —  Water Quality Modesto keeping its head above dirty water (Modesto Bee, 4/19) "Modesto's balancing act of allowing the city to grow, yet promising it won't send dirty sewer water into the San Joaquin River, is becoming more precarious." Lawsuit alleges DuPont contamination of water (Associated Press, 4/19) "Drinking water supplies near a DuPont facility in New Jersey have been contaminated with chemicals, including a suspected carcinogen used in the production of Teflon, according to a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday." —  Surface Water and Fish Lake Calavera won't be lowered for dam repairs (SD Union Tribune, 4/19) "The City Council voted unanimously last night to approve a plan to repair the earthen dam at Lake Calavera without drawing water from the reservoir." Pajaro River put on endangered list (Santa Cruz Sentinel, 4/19) "A pending U.S. Army Corps of Engineers levee project for the Pajaro River has landed the local waterway at the top of an environmental advocacy group's list of the nation's most endangered rivers."   Disaster declaration sought for Klamath Basin (Eureka Times Standard, 4/19) "The Board of Supervisors is pushing for a federal disaster declaration after the Pacific Fisheries Management Council proposed a dramatically curtailed commercial and sport salmon season that could cut deep into the pocket books of local businesses." —  Floodwater Sacramento has New Orleans on its mind (NY Times, 4/18) "Like many Californians, Jeffrey Mount, a geologist, has done a lot of thinking about water. He grew up in Los Angeles and remembers trying to save neighbors' homes with sandbags during winter floods in 1969. As a young professor at the University of California, Davis, he watched a severe 1986 storm inundate Yuba City and Marysville." Stewart Tract isn't a flood control device (Sacramento Bee, 4/18) Editorial: "River Islands has spent millions of dollars modeling the hydrology in the region. Before a decision is made to flood an island, we need to consider the impacts downstream." —  Wastewater and Sludge New Clovis sewage plant disguised as farmhouse (LA Times, 4/18) "A new sewage plant will be housed in a building that looks like a farmhouse in an effort to hide it in a planned community." Sludge exporters: Ban in Kern would spur suit (Bakersfield Californian, 4/19) "Kern County can expect a lawsuit if voters ban sewage sludge from cropland, according to Responsible Biosolids Management, which operates a local sludge farm and met with The Californian's editorial board Tuesday." —  Meetings California-Nevada AWWA Spring Conference (Ca-Nev-AWWA, 4/18) April 24-28. "This conference will offer a variety of technical sessions, exhibits, technical tours, the new membership mixer, operator competitions, and much more." 40th Annual Western States Corrosion Seminar (Western States Corrosion, 4/18) May 2-4."This site offers you the opportunity to learn more about the 40th Annual Western States Corrosion Seminar, which was founded in 1966 as a non-profit educational program, the 8th Annual CP Tester Recognition Course, and our new Rectifier Course." —  Local/Agency News County responds to Lake Elsinore plant report (NC Times, 4/19) "Federal officials will soon be receiving a letter from the county criticizing a report that examines the potential environmental effects of a controversial hydroelectric plant planned for the hills southwest of Lake Elsinore." BLM desert advisory board needs five reps (Riverside P/E, 4/19) "Applications to serve on the Bureau of Land Management's California Desert District Advisory Council for the 2007-2009 term are due by May 31." Judge: Witness in LA overbilling case unresponsive (Fresno Bee, 4/19) "A federal judge said a former city official was hostile to prosecutors who will now have more freedom to question him about overbilling by one of the nation's largest public relations firms." Cal Am's smart move (Monterey Herald, 4/19) Opinion. "California American Water has spent a considerable amount over the years on public relations -- paying consultants, holding town hall meetings and buying ads to put itself in the best light as a leading figure in Peninsula water politics. The results, charitably, have been mixed." —  Everything Else EPA honors environmental heroes (Inside Bay Area, 4/19) "James Burgett started as a homeless Dumpster diver, cannibalizing old computer parts to feed a drug habit. Today, he is among 39 western groups and individuals being honored as environmental heroes by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Thirteen, including Burgett, are from the Bay Area." World’s oldest ice could hold climate clues (Reuters, 4/19) "A million-year-old ice sample drilled from nearly two miles under the Antarctic and unveiled in Tokyo on Tuesday could yield vital clues on climate change, Japanese scientists said."   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