On Day 2 of the DSC meeting, Dr. Richard Norgaard, chair of the Delta Independent Science Board, reported to the DSC about the ISB’s work on stressors.  Norgaard told the council that there is no scientifically objective, agreed upon method for ranking stressors.  Said Norgaard, “We’re giving you a report on addressing multiple stressors to...Read More

This week Governor Brown compared a proposed ballot measure relating to the state budget to the peripheral canal; make it bigger and you get support from those down stream, but increase the opposition at the same time – and vice versa. “The genius is in determining the size of the pipe,” he said. So far,...Read More

Senator Dianne Feinstein has been named chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development. The subcommittee’s jurisdiction includes the Department of Energy, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the Department of the Interior water programs. Feinstein said that she is honored to chair a subcommittee “tasked with funding and oversight for some of...Read More

At scoping meetings in January, the Delta Stewardship Council heard from seven California regions that will be affected by the Delta Plan, either because they are in Delta watershed areas or because they get water from the Delta.  The Proposed Planning Area for the Delta Plan Environmental Impact Report covers half the state. At the...Read More

The California Water Commission is hard at work coming up with various regulations for SBx7-7 – statewide water conservation required by the 2009 Comprehensive Water Package.  At least, DWR staff is hard at work.  At its January meeting, the CWC was briefed on Emergency Regulations for Process Water and for Agricultural Water Measurement. Stakeholder meetings...Read More

The CWC received a briefing on the Bay Delta Conservation Plan from Jerry (Dr. Gerald) Meral and Karla Nemeth.  On the day of the briefing, Meral was sworn in as the Deputy Secretary of the California Natural Resources Agency in charge of the Bay Delta Conservation Planning program. Meral, who retired as the Executive Director...Read More

The most unexpected part of the meeting was the information briefing on the State Water Project Current Issues and Challenges, delivered by Ralph Torres, Deputy Director for the State Water Project.   (To view the PowerPoint presentation, go here and click on Attachment 1: Presentation under Agenda Item 10.) Turns out that from an operations and...Read More

This year’s California Water Law Symposium on January 22, titled “The End of Paper Water: Unlimited Demands, Natural Limits & Reliable Supply,” sounded promising.  Unfortunately, half of the panels danced around this thorny issue rather than addressing it head-on. The symposium started strong, with a panel that discussed recent “show me the water” laws SB...Read More

Save the Date! Art, Wine, & Edible Delight A Benefit for Restore the Delta When: February 26, 2011 Where: The Old Sugar Mill in Clarksburg, CA Time and Details: Stay posted on upcoming emailsRead More

Meeting attracts southern perspective Speaker says Delta board should spread message about needs to L.A.   By Alex Breitler Record Staff Writer STOCKTON – The guy hired to run the sound system got the last word at a meeting Tuesday about the fate of the Delta and water exports to the south. “I’m from Southern...Read More