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Friday, May 26, 2006 Quote of the Day: "Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died." Erma Bombeck Born on this Day: Al Jolson, John Wayne, Peggy Lee, Stevie Nicks, Pam Grier, Hank Williams, Jr., Phillip Michael Thomas, Sally Ride, Genie Francis, Bobcat Goldthwait, Lenny Kravitz, and Helena Bonham-Carter. On this Day in 1937: San Francisco Bay's Golden Gate Bridge opened. Sent to more than 24,000 readers nationwide... and thousands more via our lineup of online ads like the one above that appears on watertechonline.com Latest postings: Golden State Water Company: Operations Superintendent Indian Wells Valley Water District: Assistant Operations Superintendent For Safety And Disaster Preparedness Cucamonga Valley Water District: Water Treatment Plant Operator I Cucamonga Valley Water District: Fleet & Equipment Mechanic I/II City of La Habra: Maintenance Laborer M-20 Portland Water Bureau: Engineer Want more? See all postings. Today's News —  Water Supply SDCWA invests additional funds in conservation (SDCWA, 5/26) NEWS RELEASE. "Addressing the need to increase water conservation efforts as part of the region’s long-term water reliability strategy, the San Diego County Water Authority Board of Directors today approved the addition of $1,327,957 to its fiscal 2007 budget." Nevada lawmakers urged to rein in water authority (Associated Press, 5/26) "Nevada lawmakers have been urged to make sure that this state doesn't duplicate what happened in the Owens Valley in eastern California whose water was taken to supply the booming Los Angeles area." Ventura water main break closes major road (Ventura County Star, 5/26) "Thompson Boulevard between Junipero and Palm streets in downtown Ventura is scheduled to be closed through tonight because of repairs to a water pipe break discovered Thursday, city officials said. Motorists are being asked to avoid the area."   —  Underground Storage EPA seeks public comment on underground storage tank draft grant guidelines (EPA, 5/25) NEWS RELEASE. "EPA has released for public comment three draft documents which contain grant guidelines for underground storage tank systems." —  Water Quality Regulators move to phase out dry cleaning solvent (Associated Press, 5/26) "California air regulators have voted to develop a plan to phase out a hazardous dry cleaning solvent. Thursday's move by the state Air Resources Board could make California the first state to ban perchloroethylene, or 'perc,' the primary chemical used in dry cleaning." —  Levees and Floodwater DWR unveils levee repair Web site (DWR, 5/25) NEWS RELEASE. "DWR today unveiled a new Web site that will provide up-to-date information on repairs to 29 critical erosion sites in the Sacramento region." S.J. bill would fund new dams, levee repairs (Lodi Sentinel, 5/25) "Federal lawmakers approved $88 million for California levee and dam projects, including $6 million specifically for Delta-area levee work." Congress' big bucks aim to fix Yuba-Sutter levees (Marysville Appeal-Democrat, 5/26) "Congress passed a bill this week that could benefit Yuba-Sutter flood control by almost $2 million." Sacramento area's flood-control funding advances (Sacramento Bee, 5/25) "A 2007 spending bill that delivers record funds for Sacramento-area flood control was nearing completion in the House of Representatives late Wednesday." —  Surface Water River development defended in Santa Clarita (LA Daily News, 5/26) "The city of Santa Clarita and Newhall Land defended approval of the developer's River Village subdivision in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday, arguing there is enough water to support the 1,089-home subdivision, a claim four environmental groups dispute." Wildlife on the San Joaquin River (Fresno Bee, 5/25) "A quiet but key location along the San Joaquin River will be available this weekend for people to see a graceful egret, catch a catfish or just make the mud squish between their toes." L.A. park new standard in land use, water filtration (Monterey Herald, 5/25) "A small pocket of land on the banks of the Los Angeles River is working overtime, providing recreational space to a crowded urban area and acting as a filter for garbage that would otherwise end up in the water." China struggles to stop its largest lake shrinking (ENN.com, 5/25) "Lake Qinghai, holy to ethnic Tibetans such as Longben, is shrinking, hit by declining rainfall and desertification partly caused by overgrazing. Some also blame global warming." West Basin and Surfrider Foundation promote beach water quality (West Basin Municipal Water District, 5/25) NEWS RELEASE. "West Basin Municipal Water District was honored by the Surfrider Foundation for its participation in the Teach and Test Program, which pairs local high school students with graduate students from Loyola Marymount to test water quality at local beaches." —  Local/Agency News IID board deadlocks on key issues (IV Press, 5/25) "Tuesday proved the wrong day for Imperial Irrigation District staff to seek action from the district board as directors — down by one member — splintered into factions of two on key issues." Elsinore Valley water district charts strategy (Riverside P/E, 5/25) "Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District directors said Thursday that they would seek an outside public relations consultant to publicize the benefits of a hotly contested hydroelectric power plant proposed for the hills above Lake Elsinore." Judge says no to Fontana water company (Fontana Herald-News, 5/26) "The judge overseeing the water rate dispute between the city of Fontana and San Gabriel Valley Water Company, the parent company of Fontana Water Company, has issued a preliminary ruling saying the water company did not make its case on certain rate increases, city officials said on Tuesday." —  Everything Else UConn scientists probe sea squirt invasion (ENN.com, 5/25) Thanks to Mark Moss for this one: "A blob-like creature is invading Long Island Sound and posing a threat to its lobsters and other shellfish, University of Connecticut scientists say." Global warming even warmer (Vacaville Reporter, 5/25) "Two teams of researchers taking a harder look at air trapped in ancient ice say greenhouse gases could make the planet much warmer than previously projected." 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