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Friday, August 25, 2006 Quote of the Day: "Tell me and I'll forget, show me and I may remember,  involve me and I'll understand." (Chinese proverb) Thanks to Annette Hubbell, GM for the Rincon del Diablo MWD, for this one.) Born on this Day: Clara Bow, Leonard Bernstein, Monty Hall, Sean Connery, Regis Philbin, Tom Skerritt, David Canary, Marshall Brickman, Anne Archer, Gene Simmons, Elvis Costello, Tim Burton, Ally Walker, Billy Ray Cyrus, Blair Underwood, Joanne Whalley-Kilmer, Albert Belle, Robert Horry, Jo Dee Messina, and Kel Mitchell. On this Day in 1941: U.S. President Roosevelt signed the bill appropriating funds for construction of the Pentagon. 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: Golden State Water Company: Water Quality Engineer LADWP: Director of Public Affairs City of Santa Cruz: Environmental Projects Analyst Valley Center MWD: Engineering Technician II Castaic Lake Water Agency: Inspector Castaic Lake Water Agency: Safety Officer Want more? See all postings. Today's News —  Water High Desert agency is stashing water (San Bernardino Sun, 8/25) "Most of us save for a rainy day, but a High Desert agency is banking for dry days - in fact, for dry years. The Apple Valley-based Mojave Water Agency is storing water for potential drought years." MWD: Rialto pipeline improvements will bring enhanced reliability (dBusinessNews Los Angeles, 8/25) NEWS RELEASE. "Improvements to a major pipeline bringing imported water to 1.5 million residents in eastern Los Angeles and western San Bernardino counties have been authorized by the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California." Monterey golf course water main breaks (Monterey Herald, 8/25) "A broken water main at the Old Del Monte Golf Course in Monterey gushed upward of 450,000 gallons of water during a five-hour period Thursday morning." Alarm bells sound as China goes dry (India E-news, 8/24) Thanks to John Dickerson for this one. "China’s worst drought in half a century is putting the spotlight on a far larger problem: its water is running out. The 1.3 billion people of the world’s most populous country have at their disposal only a quarter of the water per person that is available on average around the world." Imperial Valley district could ration water (MSNBC, 8/24) "Water was the lifeblood that gave birth to the Imperial Valley more than 100 years ago, and from one decade to the next the Colorado River seemed to offer a boundless supply to satisfy the Valley’s needs." —  Hetch Hetchy Hetch Hetchy restoration debate builds (Union Democrat, 8/24) "Is restoration of the valley affordable, practical and at all likely to happen? Or is it a romantic, pie-in-the-sky dream of a few environmentalists?" Groveland water source at issue, too (Union Democrat, 8/24) "Groveland residents get their water from Hetch Hetchy Reservoir. If it's gone, how will they wash dishes, brush their teeth or take showers" Dam's history dates decades back (Union Democrat, 8/24) "When thirsty San Franciscans first lifted their glance to the snow-capped Sierra in the 1880s, little did they suspect what impacts their plans would have." —  Wetlands and Watersheds Salton Sea caretaker readies for fish kills (The Desert Sun, 8/25) "Fish die-offs such as the one that clogged Varner Harbor at the Salton Sea earlier this month would be cleaned more quickly under a plan floated Thursday." IID backs sea plan, sort of (Imperial Valley Press, 8/24) "Imperial Irrigation District President Andy Horne found himself at odds Tuesday with the district’s lead attorney over how strongly IID should back a Salton Sea Authority plan to save the dying sea." —  Other Wetlands and Watersheds Bolsa Chica Wetlands: $100 million plan is fulfilled (LA Daily News, 8/25) "Environmentalists who worked for 30 years to restore the massive Bolsa Chica tidal wetlands cheered and sipped champagne in the early morning light as bulldozers peeled away the last of an earthen dam that has choked the fragile ecosystem of its lifeblood for decades." Study boosts case for Los Vaqueros expansion (Contra Costa Times, 8/24) "Nearly tripling the size of Los Vaqueros Reservoir appears worth the more than $500 million cost, according to a study released Wednesday." Port of Stockton in compliance with dredge permit (Stockton Record, 8/24) "The Port of Stockton has complied with a state-issued permit to deepen two berths and allow seagoing ships access to the docks at Rough and Ready Island, state officials said Wednesday." China says chemical spill in river contained (Reuters, 8/24) Thank to Mark Moss for this one. "China has contained a chemical spill that threatened water supplies for millions and triggered panic buying of bottled drinking water, state media said on Thursday. The pollution occurred in the northeastern province of Jilin in a tributary of the Songhua River, contaminated in November with toxic benzene after a blast at a chemicals plant." New England marshes dying, but why? (MSNBC, 8/23) "Pockmarked muck blots this formerly lush marsh on Cape Cod. Dead plant roots jut from barren mud once covered with wavy mats of marsh hay." DWR: Fish Passage Improvement is now available (DWR, 8/22) NEWS RELEASE. "The Fish Passage Improvement Program uses data collection to identify and evaluate the potential to modify or remove structures in waterways that impede migration and spawning of anadromous fish species within the Central Valley and Bay Area of California." —  Wastewater Sewer plant discharges:  River may be fouled in Stockton (Stockton Record, 8/25) "A longtime advocate for area rivers is crying foul after regional water pollution officials said the Calaveras County Water District could have five years to send sewer plant discharges that violate water quality standards downstream toward Stockton." —  Sludge Los Angeles files suit over 'fertilizer' (Associated Press, 8/25) "Green Acres is a farm where corn stalks grow twice as tall as men and wheat sprouts lush and green. Green Acres is also Los Angeles' outhouse."  —  Toxic Cleanups Ditch discharge tied to landfill, contradicting San Marcos report (SD Union Tribune, 8/24) "The rust-colored water discovered in a Bradley Park drainage ditch contained contaminants from an old landfill beneath the park, according to a letter released by the California Regional Water Quality Control Board." EPA removes Fresno Superfund site from cleanup list (EPA, 8/24) NEWS RELEASE. "Earlier this week the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency removed the Thompson Hayward Agriculture and Nutrition site, located in Fresno, Calif., from the National Priorities List of Superfund hazardous waste sites." —  Local/Agency News SSJID makes $80-million bid for PG&E's area electric system (PR Newswire, 8/25) NEWS RELEASE. "In a move that would cut electric rates to 35,000 area residents by at least 15 percent, the South San Joaquin Irrigation District (SSJID) today formally offered an estimated $80-million to Pacific Gas & Electric Company for its electric facilities in the area."  —  Everything Else AWWA announces new edition of manual "M20: Water Chlorination/Chloramination Practices and Principles, 2nd Edition" (AWWA, 8/24) "Completed updated from the 1973 edition, this brand new edition provides the latest on chlorination practices and strategies. Its covers distribution system chlorination, equipment, chlorination principles and safe handling practices. The manual includes numerous tables, figures, references and a glossary of common terms."   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