Federal System Archives - Page 3 of 4

BREAKING: Court issues partial injunction against federal BiOps

May 12, 2020

• by Lois Henry

The U.S. District Court of Eastern California on Monday issued a preliminary injunction against a portion of the new federal biological opinions governing operations in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. From now through May 31, 2020, the court order states, the Bureau of Reclamation must adhere to the 2009 biological opinions as they relate to the…

Dry year, not politics, behind 15-percent water allocation

May 1, 2020

• by Lois Henry

Water may be highly political but dry is dry. And California is exceedingly dry this year, Department of Water Resources Director Karla Nemeth told SJV Water in explaining the state’s low 15-percent allocation for farms and cities that rely on water from the State Water Project. Given the results of Thursday’s final snow survey in…

Drought • Federal System • Groundwater • State System

State’s low water allocation prompts frustration, suspicion

April 29, 2020

• by Lois Henry

Is the State Water Project’s extremely low water allocation based on California’s fickle climate? Or politics? A growing chorus of frustrated water managers are wondering. After a dry January, the Department of Water Resources announced it would only be able to deliver 15 percent of contracted water amounts to farms and cities. That number hasn’t…

Federal System • Rivers • State System

New state water regs cause angst on all sides

April 9, 2020

• by Lois Henry

A new set of water regulations aimed at protecting California’s native fish came down from the state earlier this week to near universal condemnation from both agricultural and environmental water folks. The regulations are contained in a 143-page “incidental take permit” issued by the Department of Fish and Wildlife that lays out when — and…

Federal System

Recent storms boost water allocation for Friant farmers

April 6, 2020

• by Lois Henry

NEWS RELEASE SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Today, the Bureau of Reclamation updated the water supply allocation for Friant Division Central Valley Project contracts for the 2020 contract year. The Friant Division provides water for 15,000 family farms and several cities in the Central Valley. Initial allocations were made on February 25, 2020. Reclamation considered many factors…

Federal System • Rivers • State System

March storms leave so-so snowpack in the north and a cliffhanger on the San Joaquin River

April 1, 2020

• by Lois Henry

March wasn’t exactly miraculous this year but it did OK by California’s snowpack, bringing it from a dismal 40-ish% of average up to above 60% of average in the northern Sierras. The bump wasn’t so great in the southern Sierras where snowpack is still at 40% to 46% of average for the Kaweah, Kern and…

Federal System • Groundwater

District sues to stop salty water exchange

March 25, 2020

• by Lois Henry

The James Irrigation District in western Fresno County has sued the Westlands Water District over its plan to let farmers pump salty groundwater into the Mendota Pool in exchange for water from the San Luis Reservoir. The lawsuit could scuttle Westlands’ plans to create a certain supply for its farmers as they, and farmers throughout…

Drought • Federal System • State System

The atmospheric river is flowing

March 11, 2020

• by Lois Henry

The storm finally arrived in Bakersfield early Tuesday evening. The storm was expected to bring significant rainfall to areas in the San Joaquin Valley after a dry January and even drier February, according to the National Weather Service’s Hanford office: A system will approach the coast of California through Wednesday. Significant rainfall is likely in…

Federal System • Personalities • Rivers

Modesto farmer Bill Lyons resigns as Governor’s ag liaison

February 25, 2020

• by Lois Henry

Bill Lyons resigned his post as agricultural liaison to Gov. Gavin Newsom effective immediately, according to an email from the Governor’s office Monday afternoon. Lyons, a long time Modesto farmer, was touted as being the “voice of the valley” in the Newsom administration when he was appointed to the unique post almost exactly one year…

Drought • Federal System

Initial federal water allocations for valley ag are low at 15 and 20 percent

February 25, 2020

• by Lois Henry

An historically dry February forced the feds to keep initial water allocations to Central Valley Project contractors low in the first round of allocations announced Tuesday during a call with federal water contractors. The Bureau of Reclamation is looking at delivering 15 percent of contracted amounts to agricultural contractors, such as Westlands Water District, south…