What about the drought?

[Mink]

For months we have been told we are in a drought for years and face water shortages this summer because of the drought and lack of rain this past winter.

Today's paper says conservation will now be voluntary?? What?
Water rates will go up....well, duh. This makes no sense. I can see rationing and even rate hikes, but to make conservation voluntary at this point may cause tempers to flair.....


www.pressdemocrat.com/article/20090403/ARTICLES/904039891/1350?Title=Water-conservation-to-be-voluntary-water-costs-to-go-up

[The New Guy]

not sure what your point is. your post seems to conflict with itself.

you seem to be upset that people are being asked to conserve but you don't have a problem with rates going up.

[Mink]

I'm just sounding off here. For months we are being told there would be manditory water rationing due to an onging drought and very little rain this winter. Now, conserving will be voluntary and rates will go up regardless. It just makes no sense to me.

[harpman1]

Whenever the Govt. is the source, prices will rise as they see fit, not as the market sees fit.
Expecting Govt. to have your best interests at heart is a childish wish.
They have their interests at heart.
Theirs, not yours.
It is always thus.
Learn it; love it; live it.

[jgaffney]

If you have been reading the newspaper accounts, thin though they may be, you have learned how the federal government regulates our water supply. Given that the majority of Sonoma County residents get their water from the Russian River in one way or another, you would think that we could work to maximize that resource.

But, no, that is not the case. Over 100 years ago, an enterprising man dug a tunnel through the mountain ridge and connected the Eel River to the upper reaches of the Russian River. It was that diversion that kept the Russian River wet all year long, and filled Lake Mendocino, an important water and recreation resource. About 10 years ago, a group of "concerned citizens," including our very own David Keller, former Petaluma City Councilman, worked hard at the federal level to get the diversion reduced. We have all seen the results: Lake Mendocino now goes nearly dry in dry years. It didn't used to do that.

The Sonoma County Water Agency operates Coyote Dam, which forms Lake Mendocino. The Water Agency would like to save water up behind the dam during the spring, so that there will still be a lake in October. However, the Fed, in the person of the Fish and Wildlife Service, requires a certain minimum release from the dam to keep water in the river between Asti and Healdsburg. The Water Agency can only reduce that outflow in an declared "dry year." However, the Fish and Wildlife Service has not yet realized the fact that the diversion from the Eel River has dwindled, so, even though the Eel River basin is doing well, the Russian River basin is not, but the releases have to continue.

Those of us who live in Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park, Cotati, Petaluma, Sonoma, and most of Marin County get most of our water from Lake Sonoma. The Water Agency built Warm Springs Dam and controls releases downstream into Dry Creek. The water in Dry Creek enters the Russian River above Wohler, where it is diverted into the settling basins, and pumped out by the extraxction wells. The system works great and is a reliable source of clean water.

However, those "concerned citizens" have again turned the fed on us. Fish and Wildlife, while requiring a minimum flow in the Russian River for the fish, now mandates a maximum flow in Dry Creek, again, for the fish. The end result is that the Water Agency cannot release as much water as it would like from Lake Sonoma, to make up for the restricted flows from Lake Mendocino. So, they are planning a pipeline to carry the Lake Sonoma water down to Wohler, where it will be released into the river, then divered back out again. If you live in one of those cities lised above, you will see your water rates go up to pay for that pipeline.

The moral of this story is that we have plenty of water in Sonoma Count, as long as we manage it well. However, those "concerned citizens," who profess to care about the fish but actually want to stop all new development, have checkmated every move the Water Agency has tried to bring more water to Sonoma County.

Think about it: the county population grows at about 2-3% per year, exclusive of new people moving into the county, but just from net births/deaths. Shouldn't our water supply grow at nearly the same rate? Instead, we face further and further restrictions, all in the name of the environment. As a result, Mink, your water rates go up.

[Mink]

Thanks for explaining the rate hike Gaffney. (very interesting) I don't mind helping the salmon at all, but this does not explain the governor's manditory water rationing earlier this year and the newly decided voluntary conserving. We are currently at 65% in April, so I would expect a rate hike and manidtory rationing, not including the needed pipeline.......

[jgaffney]

The interesting part is that, when the State Water Board approved a different flow regime for the Russian River, finally realizing that the link to the Eel River has been broken, they took the opportunity to slap on a 25% reduction in water deliveries from SCWA to the member cities. Where's the nexus in that?

[heckheckle]

Harpman 1: Right on.

[pie]

Drought or no drought, the facts is that there are a LOT more people using water, and that is growing exponentially.
If that isn't bad enough, think about the other ends of the stream, how about them turd farms and the fragrance of the dumps.
But the deal is: There is only so much water to go around. What's going to happen is the years and decades ahead?

And remember Evian spelled backwards is Naive.

[heckheckle]

Feb 22, 2010 23:18:11 GMT -5 @pie said:

Drought or no drought, the facts is that there are a LOT more people using water, and that is growing exponentially.
If that isn't bad enough, think about the other ends of the stream, how about them turd farms and the fragrance of the dumps.
But the deal is: There is only so much water to go around. What's going to happen is the years and decades ahead?
And remember Evian spelled backwards is Naive.

;D There will be Desalination Plants to solve some of the problem.
There is plenty of water off the shores of California. Plants could be erected there and the water "Piped" to where it is needed.
Power of the Ocean could make Electric Power too.

The Salty Ocean water could be piped all over the country to
supply towns that would need water. They could do what they want with it. [After Desalination].

Oh yes. Water can be brought to America by Ships. And Reservoirs
can be created and water that is not being used can fill them. There are lots of ways to increase the water supply storage.

There could be research into removing salt from the water that would be altogether different than what is talked about now.
Where are all these "Brainheads" that are supposed to be so
smart?

The Island of Curacao has no water supply of it's own, and makes their own. It tasted OK to me.

Oh, WTH.

[jgaffney]

Heck, before you run out and spread the good news about desalination, you should look into the energy costs to run that process. A common measure in the industry is the cost per acre-foot to deliver treated water to the customers. Desal water is three to five times more expensive that surface or ground water.

I once heard a man in the industry say that 70% off the cost of water is the electricity to push it around. With the current movements at the state and national level to move us away from the cheaper sources of electricity in the name of global warming - oops, I mean "climate change" - advocating for a water supply that uses more electricity is not a good move.

Another important issue you might look into is how the State requires PG&E to obtain a growing percentage of its electricity from renewable resources. However, the State will not allow PG&E to include hydroelectric resources in the equation. Why not? With the geography we have in the Sierras, Cascades and costal ranges, this one seems like a no-brainer. Maybe that's the problem - the no-brainers who are making the rules.

[capttankona]

You got jgaffney, our government has moved away from sound economic principles, with an eight year exception, since the time of Herbert Hoover. And that move was heavily accelerated by FDR.