The growing leadership of women in water. The Colorado River’s persistent drought and efforts to sign off on a plan to avert worse shortfalls of water from the river. And in California’s Central Valley, promising solutions to vexing water resource challenges.
These were among the topics that Western Water news explored in 2018.
We’re already planning a full slate of stories for 2019. You can sign up here to be alerted when new stories are published. In the meantime, take a look at what we dove into in 2018:
Amy Haas recently became the first non-engineer and the first woman to serve as executive director of the Upper Colorado River Commission in its 70-year history, putting her smack in the center of a host of daunting challenges facing the Upper Colorado River Basin.
Yet those challenges will be quite familiar to Haas, an attorney who for the past year has served as deputy director and general counsel of the commission. (She replaced longtime Executive Director Don Ostler). She has a long history of working within interstate Colorado River governance, including representing New Mexico as its Upper Colorado River commissioner and playing a central role in the negotiation of the recently signed U.S.-Mexico agreement known as Minute 323.
Aquafornia’s Water Word of the Week from sister site Aquapedia, the Water Education Foundation’s vetted, online water encyclopedia, is Hydroelectric Power.
According to an Aquapedia excerpt, “Hydroelectric power is produced when water turns a turbine connected to a generator. This water is stored behind a dam at elevation. Gravity causes water to drop toward a turbine propeller.
“The Obama administration’s announcement Monday of sweeping new rules aimed at curbing global warming emissions from power plants could boost profits at Silicon Valley companies that make solar panels, energy efficiency software and other clean technology.”
From U-T San Diego, in a commentary by Keith Johnson:
“Among all the terrible things that California’s historic drought promises to bring this year — fallow farm land, dead livestock, more wildfires — there are a couple more nasty treats in store: higher electricity prices and rising greenhouse-gas emissions.
“That’s because the drought is hammering California’s ability to generate electricity from hydroelectric power …”
“Never mind the restrictions on watering your lawn. The drought is drying up California’s supply of hydroelectricity, prompting SMUD and other utilities around the state to scramble.”
“A massive set of documents traveled across cyberspace Tuesday, laying out plans by the Modesto and Turlock irrigation districts to keep using Don Pedro Reservoir.
“The Oakdale and South San Joaquin irrigation districts plan to start selling their hydropower to the city of Santa Clara under a 10-year contract that could mean a big boost in income.”
From the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA):
“The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power held a hearing Thursday entitled “Keeping Hydropower Affordable and Reliable: The Protection of Existing Hydropower Investments and the Promotion of New Development.”
“The agency that provides water for much of Placer County has gone public with what it sees as an ominous federal filing by its longtime partner, Pacific Gas and Electric Co.
“For 45 years, the Placer County Water Agency and PG&E have been attached at the hip.”
“A proposed deal for a Southern California city to purchase hydroelectric power from a Lake Nacimiento plant has evaporated, leaving Monterey County water officials looking for a backup plan.”
“A federal agency will have to start from scratch on a new biological opinion on Yuba River fish restoration following a court ruling that effectively scrapped the report.
“Curt Aikens, Yuba County Water Agency general manager, said tossing out the National Marine Fisheries Service’s opinion was the most satisfying part of the court victory.”
From the Association of California Water Agencies:
“Two bills that would streamline regulations for small hydropower projects were passed through unanimous consent by the U.S. Senate on Thursday, Aug. 1, and are awaiting President Obama’s signature.”
“The Kings River Conservation District wants to study a project to install a small hydroelectric unit on the Kings River near Sanger — creating electricity by using the river’s flow at Gould Weir.”
“A giant energy project that would turn an abandoned open pit mine near Joshua Tree National Park into two hydroelectric storage reservoirs got a thumbs-up from California’s main water quality agency this week.”
From the Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA):
“Southern California’s energy supply is expected to be tight for at least the next few years due to the permanent closure of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, so alternative energy sources could be at a premium in the region.
“San Diego already is looking ahead at a possible solution.
