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Friday, August 4, 2006 Quote of the Day: "What we play is life." Louis Armstrong Born on this Day: Louis Armstrong, Harry Cooper, Helen Thomas, Smokin' Joe Leonard, Frankie Ford, Timi Yuro, Richard Belzer, Kristoffer Tabori, Billy Bob Thornton, Roger Clemens, Michael DeLuise, Jeff Gordon, Dylan Sprouse, and Cole Sprouse. On this Day in 1735: Freedom of the press was established with an acquittal of John Peter Zenger. The writer of the New York Weekly Journal had been charged with seditious libel by the royal governor of New York. The jury said that "the truth is not libelous." 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: Castaic Lake Water Agency: Inspector City of Coalinga: Water Operator II Carmichael Water District: Dist. Oper. in Training Carmichael Water District: Conservation Specialist ESA: Senior Project Manager City of Oceanside: Water Dist. Oper. I/II Want more? See all postings. BC EXCLUSIVE                            Super-Mollusk The unstoppable zebra mussel creeps West  "Spreading faster than a river runs, more powerful than a native mollusk, and able to leap onto the hull of any wandering ship. Look! … It's a shellfish. It's a freshwater mollusk. It's a zebra mussel. And this super-nuisance is coming to a waterway near you."   Today's News —  Water Lake Skinner plant meets demand pressure (Riverside P/E, 8/4) "As Southern California sweltered in July, the Lake Skinner water-treatment plant churned out enough water for 88,000 families of four for a year." Fuel leak escapes Point Loma naval base (LA Times, 8/4) "Fuel that leaked from tanks at Point Loma Naval Base has seeped into the ground beyond the facility's boundary. A contractor found a small amount of marine diesel and jet fuel in one of two test wells dug outside the base's north gate." The great fluoride debate (The Acorn, 8/4) "Ed Flanagan was shocked to learn that fluoride, a common toothpaste additive that is believed to protect teeth from decay, will soon be added to tap water throughout Southern California." O.W.L. supply assessment lawsuit resolved (O.W.L. Foundation, 8/3) Thanks to Steve Carle for  this one. "The O.W.L. lawsuit challenging the Water Supply Assessment (WSA) produced by Rohnert Park was resolved on May 31st in Superior Court of Sonoma County." Get rid of water softeners to reduce chloride (Ventura County Star, 8/3) OPINION. "Municipal wastewater treatment systems are not designed to treat salt from the waste stream. For inland dischargers and for coastal cities intending to reclaim wastewater for nonpotable uses, it's no secret that salt, or chloride, can damage agricultural crops, impair beneficial uses, harm freshwater aquatic life and degrade subsurface aquifers."   —  Pesticides EPA to ban one pesticide, lets 32 others stay (LA Times, 8/4) "Nearing the end of a 10-year review of all pesticides, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency plans to ban a farm chemical that has tainted water and proved deadly to birds, but the agency approved continued use of 32 other widely used insecticides." —  Prop 84 Sen. Dianne Feinstein endorses Prop 84 (PRNewswire, 7/31) NEWS RELEASE. "The $5.4 billion bond measure, slated for the November 2006 statewide ballot, would provide critically needed funds to ensure the availability of safe drinking water, improve local water supply reliability, strengthen flood protection, and preserve California's natural landscapes, including parks, lakes, rivers, beaches, bays, ocean and coastline." —  Surface Water Santa Clara River salt fix deadline moved up (LA Daily News, 8/4) "Water regulators voted unanimously Thursday to adopt a plan that will hasten the deadline for lowering salt levels in the Santa Clara River, a move that could quadruple local sewer rates." Emergency funds will help Salton Sea cleanup (The Desert Sun, 8/4) "Cleanup of millions of fish at the Salton Sea has been slowed by a lack of local, state or federal funding to deal with the problem more efficiently." Leeches give Auburn teens a scare (Auburn Journal, 8/4) "A group of Auburn teens swimming in the North Fork of the American River last week didn't know they weren't alone in the water. The swimmers encountered leeches in the water-filled bowls on granite rocks they swam to in the river." Group sues over Klamath salmon quotas (Santa Rosa Press Democrat, 8/4) "A Fort Bragg-based fishing group is accusing federal officials of covering up their own mismanagement of the formerly salmon-rich Klamath River watershed by imposing severe new fishing quotas based on 'bad science.'" Klamath tribes call for removal of dams (The New York Times, 8/3) "Indian tribes along the Klamath River rallied in Portland on Wednesday for the removal of four hydroelectric dams that block salmon from spawning in their historic habitat upriver, and they said they intended to pressure the governors of Oregon and California to help push for removing the dams." Biologists investigate dead fish in Clear Lake (Woodland Daily Democrat, 8/3) "Biologists are searching for clues to determine what has killed scores of fish in Clear Lake." Draft EIR/EA available for Trinity program (Bureau of Reclamation, 8/3) NEWS RELEASE. "The Bureau of Reclamation (the Federal lead agency) and the Trinity County Planning Department (the State lead agency) announce the availability of a Draft Environmental Impact Report/Environmental Assessment (Draft EIR/EA) for the Indian Creek Rehabilitation Site: Trinity River Mile 93.7 to 96.5 (Project)." —  Ocean News NACWA sets record straight on beach closures (NACWA, 8/3) NEWS RELEASE. "The report, Testing the Waters, released today by NRDC highlights the challenges the nation faces to ensure that the beaches and coastal waters are clean and safe for swimming and recreational use." —  Stormwater Flood channel to help Bonita stay dry (SD Union Tribune, 8/4) "Residents afflicted by the chronic overflowing of Bonita Creek may soon see relief with the long-awaited construction of a reinforced flood channel." —  Local/Agency News Critics say Cal Am expenses unchecked (Monterey Herald, 8/4) "California American Water's expenditures on its proposed desalination plant have been largely unchecked by state auditors or the water company, critics said Thursday, citing testimony before a state Public Utilities Commission judge over the past week." DSRSD changing water rates (Contra Costa Times, 8/4) "Dublin San Ramon Services District customers will see either a small decrease or a small increase in their water bills, depending on where they live." Guerin is breaking city laws, critic says (SD Union Tribune, 8/3) "Mayor Christy Guerin has been criticized for missing numerous meetings of regional agencies and for illegally appointing a city staff member to substitute for her at the meetings when city laws dictate that only elected officials can serve in her place." Guerin defends appt. to wastewater board (NC Times, 8/4) "Mayor Christy Guerin on Thursday defended her recent appointment of a staffer as an alternate to a regional waste water board and lashed out at a colleague for criticizing the action." —  Power Crunch ERC considers claims from Calif. power crunch (Jurist Legal News, 8/3) "A federal appeals court Wednesday ordered the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to consider refund petitions filed by California state agencies and California businesses that claim refunds arising from the California energy crisis of 2000-2001 [PBS backgrounder] before the October 2, 2000 date set by the FERC." Feds to revisit energy-market manipulation (San Diego Union Tribune, 8/3) "A federal appeals court ordered energy regulators Wednesday to consider stiffer fines that could reach $1 billion for power companies that manipulated the market and caused blackouts during California's 2000-2001 energy crisis." 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