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Thursday, August 17, 2006 Quote of the Day: "Treat your friends as you do your pictures, and place them in their best light." Jennie Jerome Churchill (Thanks to Maggi Brooks for this one.) Born on this Day: Davy Crockett, Samuel Goldwyn, Mae West, Robert De Niro, Martha Coolidge, Kevin Welch, Belinda Carlisle, Sean Penn, Gilby Clark, David Conrad, Donnie Wahlberg, and Jim Courier. On this Day in 1903: Joseph Pulitzer donated a million dollars to Columbia University. This started the Pulitzer Prizes in his name. 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: City of Riverside: Senior Env. Comp. Inspector City of Tustin: Management Analyst Mesa Water: Customer Service Supervisor American Water: Engineer, Desal. Pilot Plan Project American Water: CAD Design Drafter American Water: Water Treatment Operator III American Water: Field Serviceperson Want more? See all postings. Today's News —  Water Supply Next step for Moss Landing desal plants (Monterey Herald, 8/17) "Permits for the two pilot seawater desalination plants, and renewal of outfall permits at Moss Landing, will be considered at a public hearing by the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board when it meets Sept. 7 in Monterey." Desal plant test wells near Cambria approved (SLO Tribune, 8/17) "County supervisors Tuesday unanimously approved a plan to install test wells near the mouth of San Simeon Creek, despite the objections of the local Sierra Club and other environmentalists." Carlsbad desalination project given permit (North County Times, 8/17) "With no debate and little comment, San Diego County's regional water cops unanimously approved awarding a key permit Wednesday to a project that could eventually turn millions of gallons a day of the Pacific Ocean off Carlsbad into 'drought-proof' drinking water." Water board OKs high-salt discharge permit (SD Union Tribune, 8/17) "State water-quality regulators approved a permit yesterday allowing the operator of a proposed ocean-water desalination plant to discharge water with a high salt concentration into the Pacific Ocean." Crucial permits; Board shouldn't balk at desal (S.D. Union-Tribune, 8/16) EDITORIAL. "An adequate supply of water in the region should get a boost tomorrow from the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board. It should grant a discharge permit to the planned desalination plant in Carlsbad." Use less water to cut valley greenhouse gases (San Jose Mercury, 8/16) OPINION. "Climatologists and other scientists are confident that continuing changes in the climate pose significant threats to the water resources of the West Coast. They tell us we'll see less snowfall and earlier melts, jeopardizing a key source of water for Santa Clara County and the rest of the Bay Area. Runoff disappearing earlier in the years will probably spawn more droughts." Rich countries like poor face water crisis (Reuters, 8/16) "Rich countries have to make drastic changes to policies if they are to avoid the water crisis that is facing poorer nations, the WWF environmental organization said on Wednesday." Diet Stroh and the MMWD '70's water crisis (Novato Advance, 8/16) "In an average winter, 30 billion gallons of rainwater flow into MMWD's reservoirs. But the rainy season of 1975-1976 saw less than 10 billion gallons." —  Water Quality 10 reasons that fluoride should not be added (Agoura Hills Acorn, 8/16) EDITORIAL. "Many parts of the country began adding fluoride to tap water 50 years ago because it was said to help prevent tooth decay. That's why it's also in many brands of toothpaste. Thanks to fluoridated water, people get fewer cavities."   USGS to examine IWV water quality (Ridgecrest Daily Independent, 8/16) "The US Geological Survey has embarked on an ambitious effort to sample and assess ground-water throughout California. On August 23, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., three representatives of this project will be in Ridgecrest to introduce their Ground-Water Ambient Monitoring and Assessment (GAMA) Program." —  Hetch Hetchy Star power joins debate (Sonora Union Democrat, 8/16) "Well-known movie star Harrison Ford flew into Tuolumne County yesterday morning to narrate a documentary calling for the removal of O'Shaughnessy Dam and the restoration of the Hetch Hetchy Valley." —  Surface Water and Wetlands Applicants sought for watershed grants (EPA, 8/17) NEWS RELEASE. "EPA plans to award up to $19 million in grants to help clean up and restore the nation's waterways. Proposals must reach EPA by October 16, 2006, for capacity-building grants and November 13, 2006, for project-implementation grants." EPA sued over outdated beach water testing (Point Reyes Light, 8/17) "Stinson beachgoers were not told Friday that a section of the water they swam in had unhealthy levels of bacteria from fecal contamination. If ingested, the bacteria could cause rashes, diarrhea, headaches, fever, and ear, nose and throat infections." Risk seen at Bolsa Chica (OC Register, 8/16) "Filling part of the Bolsa Chica wetlands with seawater could subject the area to an oil spill risk, an oil company representative has told wildlife officials – a potentially serious 11th-hour glitch in plans to open the newly restored wetlands to the ocean Aug. 24." Teachers learn about delta’s importance (Petaluma Argus-Courier, 8/16) "To many residents, the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta area is a nice, scenic place to visit, but not particularly relevant to everyday life in Petaluma." Congress in a swamp over vernal pool rules (Sacramento Bee, 8/16) EDITORIAL. "The Building Industry Association can exercise considerable clout when its members become agitated. Lately, builders in the Sacramento region have become hyper-energized by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the agency that issues federal permits to fill wetlands." —  Dams and Levees PacifiCorp says Klamath dams negotiable (Mount Shasta Herald, 8/17) "In the long complicated saga of the Klamath River, a new twist has been added with a recent statement from PacifiCorp Energy that says the company is willing to consider removing five power dams as part of settlement negotiations to solve Native American, farm irrigator and fishing issues." Wary Lathrop locals eye levee bill (Tracy Press, 8/17) "San Joaquin County and the city of Lathrop oppose a proposed bill to strengthen levees because, critics say, it could cost local governments a deluge of money." —  Ocean News U.S. EPA, NOAA fine dredging company (EPA, 8/16) NEWS RELEASE. "The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently reached two settlements with San Rafael-based Dutra Dredging Company, requiring the company to pay a combined $735,000 fine for ocean dumping violations." —  Wastewater Pendleton unveils new wastewater plant (NC Times, 8/17) "The Marines took a major step Wednesday toward conquering one of the region's bigger water pollution problems." Wastewater plant accusation leads to arrest (Monterey Herald, 8/17) "A Santa Cruz man has been arrested on charges of running a wastewater treatment plant in Monterey County without a license." Florez calls on L.A. mayor to respect Kern voters (Herald and News, 8/16) "Upon learning that the City of Los Angeles has filed suit to overturn Kern County’s voter-approved ban on the land application of sewage sludge, Senator Dean Florez, D-Shafter, called on Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to live up to his own claims of being a 'green' mayor." —  Meetings "1st Water Quality, Drought, Human Health & Engineering Conference" Oct. 18-20. (ASME, 8/16)  "The purpose of the conference is to provide a solutions-based forum and to exchange information regarding activities and plans for improving the quantity and quality of water, the impact on human health and engineering, and current policies from state and federal agencies."  —  Local/Agency News Longville to Water Resources Institute (Highland Community News, 8/17) "Cal State San Bernardino has appointed former San Bernardino City Council woman Susan Lien Longville as director of the university's Water Resources Institute." Rebates on water-saving devices approved (MWD, 8/16) NEWS RELEASE. "For the second time in nine months, the list of cutting-edge, water-saving devices eligible for rebates in Southern California has been expanded as Metropolitan Water District's Board of Directors today continued to refine the agency's core conservation program." —  Global Warming Study: Warming affects hurricane intensity (Reuters, 8/16) Thanks to Mark Moss for this one. "Global warming is affecting the intensity of Atlantic hurricanes, according to a new study by a university professor in Florida who says his research provides the first direct link between climate change and storm strength." 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