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Tuesday, August 1, 2006 Quote of the Day: "Get all the fools on your side, and you can be elected to anything." Frank Dane Born on this Day: Francis Scott Key, Herman Melville, Arthur Hill, Dom DeLuise, Yves Saint Laurent, Jerry Garcia, Tim Bachman, Robert Cray, Joe Elliot, Coolio, Adam Duritz, and Tempestt Bledsoe. On this Day in 1779: American composer Francis Scott Key was born. He also was an attorney, poet, and social worker. He was the composer of the poem "Defence of Fort McHenry," which later became known as the "Star-Spangled Banner." Sent to more than 25,000 readers nationwide... and thousands more via our lineup of online ads like the one above that appears on watertechonline.com Latest postings: WVWD: Customer Service Supervisor City of Glendale: Water Facilities Operator City of Ontario: Assistant Utilities Director/Operations Carmichael Water District: Field Superintendent Carmichael Water District: Financial Services Sup. Suburban Water Systems: Engineering Manager Sacramento Suburban Water District: Distribution Operator I/II Want more? See all postings. Today's News —  Water Supply Study predicts a much hotter, drier California (San Francisco Chronicle, 8/1) "California will become significantly hotter and drier by the end of the century, causing severe air pollution, a drop in the water supply, melting of 90 percent of the Sierra snowpack and up to six times more heat-related deaths in major urban centers, according to a sweeping study compiled with help from respected scientists from around the country." Groundwater issue taps into PCWA politics (Auburn Journal, 7/31) "KT Communities is now exploring a plan with the Placer County Water Agency to use surface water at the proposed 1,100-acre regional university project near Roseville, apparently closing out one of the more bizarre chapters in local politics in recent years." Water bank OK'd for Antelope Valley (Bakersfield Californian, 7/31) "Kern County Planning Commissioners blessed a water bank plan near Rosamond that will store water underground for use in dry summers." Corcoran gets new water plant (Fresno Bee, 7/31) "Corcoran officials expect a new water treatment plant to provide safe, clean drinking water for residents for the next 40 to 50 years." Enviros, utilities join for water conservation (Water Tech Online, 7/31) "Environmentalists have joined forces with three big California water utility companies to urge state regulators to provide the companies with rate-related incentives to conserve water, according to a joint press release." Judge keeps Foster Farms' water on (Modesto Bee, 7/30) "City water will keep flowing to Foster Farms, at least for now. Judge Richard Spann, who was visiting from Los Angeles, delayed a ruling until Tuesday, when a Merced County judge will hear the case. Spann filled in because some local judges are vacationing." Inland thirst (Riverside Press-Enterprise, 7/30) OPINION. "There is no way to 'drought-proof' arid Southern California. But Sen. Dianne Feinstein is pushing a worthy bill to help stretch supplies of one of the region's most precious natural resources: water."  Hopes of Colorado River water evaporate (Las Vegas Sun, 7/30) "Those hopes, like the snow on top the Rocky Mountains, are rapidly evaporating. The critical April-through-July runoff period in the mountains, which provides most of the water going to the river, is more than 25 percent off the average. The disappointing results make this the sixth year of the last seven in which flows were significantly below average." Carlsbad desal plant project moving ahead (NC Times, 7/30) "The San Diego County Water Authority's decision Thursday to end its participation in a proposed water desalination plant in Carlsbad does not pose problems for this city's agreement with the plant's builder, Carlsbad city officials said Friday." Australian town rejects recycled water (Reuters, 7/30) Thanks to Mark Moss for this one. "A drought-hit Australian town could not swallow the idea of drinking recycled sewage water and rejected the water-saving option in a referendum on Saturday." —  Water Quality Livermore water tested for smell, taste (Contra Costa Times, 8/1) "John Gonzales grabs a paper cup and fills it with water. He swirls the water around in the cup, takes a sip and swishes it around in his mouth." Chloride levels threaten Ventura agriculture (Ventura County Star, 7/31) OPINION. "Agriculture is our history in Ventura County, and it is under serious threat due to uncontrolled contamination of our water supplies with chloride. Much of that chloride is from the Valencia and Saugus wastewater plants. "   Groundwater-related disease risk to be studied (WaterWeek, 7/31) "As USEPA nears promulgation of a rule aiming to reduce health risks associated with consumption of public supplies of groundwater, research to estimate the risk of pediatric illness linked to groundwater is gearing up in 14 Wisconsin communities." —  Levees Ventura County levees are being examined (Ventura County Star, 7/30) "Local and federal officials have launched an effort to inspect and certify all levees in Ventura County, improving the accuracy of flood-plain maps and possibly allowing some residents to avoid costly flood insurance. =" —  Hetch Hetchy Hetch Hetchy debate still stalled (Fresno Bee, 7/31) EDITORIAL. "Environmentalists heard exactly what they wanted to hear in the Department of Water Resources' study on draining Hetch Hetchy Reservoir in Yosemite National Park: The project is feasible."  —  Surface Water Salmon success: Butte Creek flourishes (Chico ER, 8/1) "Let them eat salmon. That's the wish of Allen Harthorn, one of the directors of Friends of Butte Creek, a local conservation group." Chemical spray double creek toxicity (Sacramento Bee, 7/31) "A chemical sprayed over Sacramento County last summer to control West Nile virus doubled the toxicity of pesticides that had already accumulated in local creeks from urban runoff, a new study has found. " Mono Lake: Water's arising (San Francisco Chronicle, 7/30) "Thirty years ago, a dozen students from Stanford University, UC Davis and elsewhere camped at ancient Mono Lake for more than two months, conducting the first ecological survey of California's largest lake, which was dying as a result of massive water diversions to Los Angeles." Acres of invasive species removed from forest (Olivenhain District, 7/30) NEWS RELEASE. "The District’s Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve Parks Department removed 13 acres of invasive plants such as arundo donax cane, artichoke thistle, and black mustard along the Escondido Creek." —  Runoff SLO County renews dumping opposition (SLO Tribune, 7/31) "On the eve of a final federal decision about where to dispose of selenium-tainted irrigation water from the Central Valley, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors has reiterated its opposition to a proposal that would build a pipeline and deposit the waste in Estero Bay." —  Wastewater Sewer pipes are raising concerns across country (SD Union Tribune, 7/30) "As San Diego struggles to find and eradicate mysterious bacterial contamination in East Mission Bay, it has plenty of company." —  Toxic Cleanups EPA settles on cleanup at site in Oxnard (EPA, 7/31) NEWS RELEASE. "The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently settled with four parties of the now defunct Halaco Engineering Company and agreed to stabilize and secure the former smelter site near Ormond Beach in Oxnard, Calif." —  Local/Agency News Encinitas group spent $9,037 to support Prop. C (NC Times, 8/1) "Financial forms released Monday show that supporters of Proposition C spent $9,037 in an unsuccessful effort last winter to secure a $5-a-month clean-water fee." Pajaro Valley agency’s fee increase approved (Register-Pajaronian, 7/31) Thanks to Dave McCabe for this one. "Not everybody applauded a court decision Wednesday approving the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency’s increased fees, though the agency hoped the order would clear the way for plans to prevent seawater intrusion into wells." —  Everything Else Serious spill on large Russian export pipeline (Associated Press, 8/1) "A serious oil spill has occurred on one of Russia’s largest export pipelines near the border with Ukraine and Belarus, the Natural Resources Ministry said Monday, warning it could cause an environmental disaster." 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