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Thursday, July 20, 2006 Quote of the Day: "Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." Henry Ford (Thanks to Kelvin Harris for this one.) Born on this Day: Michael Gielen, Sally Ann Howes, Chuck Daly, Natalie Wood, Jo Ann Campbell, T.G. Shepherd, Kim Carnes, Carlos Santana, Frank Whaley, Michael Anthony, Donna Dixon, Dino Esposito, Reed Diamond, and Charlie Korsmo. On this Day in 1881: Sioux Indian leader Sitting Bull,  a fugitive since the Battle of the Little Big Horn, surrendered to federal troops. 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: Nevada County: Principal Civil Engineer CVWD: Web Site Editor/Designer CVWD: Civil Engineer, Electrical CVWD: Civil Engineer, Flood Control EMWD: Potable Water Treatment Oper. III Want more? See all postings. Do you ride a motorcycle? Then you should read Blake Anderson's invitation to become a Water Buffalo and support good causes such as Water for People. Your Crusty Editor, of course, rides...in the past and again when that pesky leg heals! Today's News —  Water Oxnard water project is step closer to reality (Ventura County Star, 7/20) "Oxnard has moved a step closer toward its goal of securing millions of federal dollars to help pay for a major overhaul of its water division."   Jurupa district cited for water violations (Riverside P/E, 7/20) "State water officials announced this week that they are preparing to fine the Jurupa Community Services District for repeated violations of the agency's domestic water supply permit." NID, Lincoln stuck in water fight (Grass Valley Union, 7/19) "It will take a lot of haggling before the Nevada Irrigation District delivers a drop of water to the booming town of Lincoln." West Basin expands conservation efforts (WBMWD, 7/19) NEWS RELEASE. "Conserving water in Southern California is of vital importance. To meet regional conservation goals most effectively, West Basin Municipal Water District has adopted a Conservation Master Plan and formed partnerships, in concert with the Plan, with the South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG) and South Bay Workforce Investment Board (SBWIB) to further expand its conservation programs throughout the community." —  Hetch Hetchy DWR: Hetch Hetchy study released (DWR, 7/20) NEWS RELEASE. "DWR and State Parks Department today released the Hetch Hetchy Restoration Study. The report is an objective review of many complex issues associated with the restoration of Hetch Hetchy Valley." Should they drain Hetch Hetchy? (San Jose Mercury, 7/20) "It is technically feasible to tear down the dam and drain the reservoir at Yosemite National Park's Hetch Hetchy Valley, a wilderness area considered as magnificent as Yosemite Valley before it was submerged 82 years ago, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration announced Wednesday." A hefty price tag on restoring Hetch Hetchy (LA Times, 7/20) "The cost of dismantling the dam that created Yosemite's Hetch Hetchy Reservoir and restoring the glacial gorge that John Muir considered one of the national park's scenic treasures could range from $3 billion to nearly $10 billion, according to a state report released Wednesday." State study says valley can be restored (Contra Costa Times, 7/20) "It is one of the biggest and boldest -- some say craziest -- ideas among conservationists today: Drain San Francisco's water supply and restore Hetch Hetchy to its previous life as Yosemite Valley's smaller twin." Governor noncommittal on Hetch Hetchy (Daily Breeze, 7/20) "Normally aggressive on environmental issues, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has not committed to restoring a lost treasure near Yosemite Valley even as a new state report concludes that a movement to drain the Hetch Hetchy reservoir and turn off its power production contains 'no fatal flaws'." A dam high price (San Francisco Chronicle, 7/20) EDITORIAL. "Damming the granite-ribbed Hetch Hetchy Valley was a bad idea nearly a century ago when San Francisco's water and power system was created." Refuting the myths about Hetch Hetchy (Restore Hetch Hetchy, 7/19) "Myth: Hetch Hetchy is a huge part of the California water system. Fact: There are 19 reservoirs in California larger than Hetch Hetchy. In fact, it holds only 1% of all the water stored in reservoirs in California." Feinstein  Cost too high to drain Hetch Hetchy YubaNet.com, 7/19) "I hope this report lays to rest any further consideration at the State and Federal level of dismantling Hetch Hetchy —a truly remarkable system which provides exceptionally high-quality, reliable water to 2.4 million residents in the San Francisco Bay area." Awe-inspiring price tag to drain Hetch Hetchy (San Francisco Chronicle, 7/19) COLUMN. "That is the conclusion of a report worked up by the state Department of Water Resources, analyzing what it would take to bring back Hetch Hetchy Valley and find alternative sources of water and power for San Francisco, which operates the valley's O'Shaughnessy Dam." —  Levees and Dams Senate voting today on funds to fix levees (Sacramento Bee, 7/20) "The Senate is expected to approve today a water resources bill authorizing $106 million in levee repairs and improvement work in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, a $16 million jump from the last authorization bill two years ago." Bladder dam coming for Sycamore Pool (Chico ER, 7/20) "Installation is planned for the late summer or early fall of 2007 when the creek is at its lowest, according to General Services Director Dennis Beardsley." —  Runoff Putting urban runoff on the run (OC Register, 7/19) Thanks to Marilyn Smith for this one: "The ocean water quality off Orange County's beaches needs to be improved. There isn't much debate about that. Whether you are a surfer who has experienced sickness after catching rights on a Saturday morning; or a businessperson suffering losses after another summer day with the beach closed by high bacteria levels in the ocean; or someone who just believes it's the right thing to do, there is agreement that our economic and environmental health is well-served by dealing with the problem of urban runoff polluting our beaches." —  Surface Water and Wetlands New approach taken to save American River (Associated Press, 7/19) "Bernard Flynn pushes branches aside as he walks down a dirt path toward the American River, stopping to point out the variety of shrubs and trees that have blossomed along its banks." Tracy to get wetlands (Tracy Press, 7/19) "The city will turn farmland into a wetland and run treated sewage through it to give endangered wildlife a home and help the city comply with a state wastewater law." Louisiana looks to oil to restore wetlands (MSNBC, 7/19) "Louisiana is focusing its hopes for restoring coastal wetlands that could help protect it from another Hurricane Katrina on an unexpected savior: oil." —  Wastewater Sanders against sending treated sewage to tap (SD Union Tribune, 7/20) "San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders said yesterday he opposes a proposal to turn wastewater into drinking water – after the city's staff has spent more than two years and about $1 million researching the option. " Water reuse (SD Union Tribune, 7/20) "Turning wastewater into drinking water is one proposal highlighted in a report about water reuse that will be considered Wednesday by the San Diego City Council's Natural Resources Committee. " Strategies for Los Osos mistakenly disclosed (SLO Tribune, 7/20) "One option the services district’s lawyer suggested was dissolution, which would shift debt to county taxpayers; also, the midtown sewer site has a bidder." —  Local/Agency News Cal Am takes rate hike to PUC (Monterey Herald, 7/20) "California American Water will bring its Coastal Water Project and related rate hike and surcharge proposals before the state Public Utilities Commission at an evidentiary hearing in San Francisco on Tuesday." Eshoo backs FLOW, bashes Bush (Press Banner, 7/19) Thanks to Jim Graham for this one: "Rep. Anna Eshoo said Sunday, July 16, that she has allied herself with Felton Friends of Locally Owned Water by writing to the state Public Utilities Commission and urging it to require utility giant RWE to negotiate divestiture of its Felton water system." —  Everything Else Europe's glaciers gone by 2100 (Discovery Channel, 7/19) "The summer ice and famed glaciers of the European Alps will likely be gone by the end of the century, confirm Swiss climate modelers. The change reflects similar warming trends seen in the already glacier-free U.S. Rockies and Sierra Nevada of California." Ofwat planning to fine Thames Water (BBC, 7/19) "UK water regulator Ofwat is planning to fine Thames Water for failing to meet adequate levels of customer service. " AWWA report: Fluence Monitoring in UV Disinfection Systems: Development of a Fluence Meter (AWWA, 7/19) "The research described in this report focused on the photolysis of a chemical substance giving a linear relation between the formation level of the photo product and the applied dose."   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