Help the makers of the documentary film CRUDE with their legal fees

Chevron seeks all the footage and material collected for the making of the documentary film CRUDE as part of their huge legal fight in Ecuador. Whether you like the film or believe in its message, this legal action is an enormous trampling of journalists and documentarians First Amendment rights and will have a chilling effect on future work. Especially investigations of large corporations.

A Puzzler

From the Chron: "U.S. District Judge Oliver Wanger will consider restoring the water supply and ordering government biologists back to the drawing board during a hearing today that could decide the fate of the state's beleaguered salmon."

It's a puzzler because Wanger is the judge who ruled that diversions were hurting salmon and his rulings are the primary reason why strict water restrictions were placed on Central Valley farmers the past few years.

And it's sad because it means endless legal battles into the future. Farmers and fish won't benefit, only lawyers will.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/05/19/MNFT1DGOGD.DTL#ixzz0oQZqE4dX

New Strategy for Salmon Release

Article in the Bee about changing strategies to assist with the survival of salmon smolt and "imprint" their birth river.

Salmon Summit in San Francisco

Here's an article about the summit in the SF Chronicle.

Study backs efforts to save delta fish

From the SF Chron:

A study by the National Academy of Sciences declared Friday that the efforts to save endangered fish in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta by restricting water delivery are "scientifically justified."

Not Enough Jobs and Not Enough Water

Good, balanced radio story about water and jobs in the Central Valley.

Lots of action in Cal water this week

First there was this: "A topsy-turvy week in a federal courtroom in Fresno, Calif., has led to the imposition of water flow restrictions to aid endangered delta smelt in the San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta." This was after Judge Wanger ruled with Westlands last week and allowed additional pumping. Read more in the New York Times.

Also, yesterday Dianne Feinstein threw her support behind Central Valley farmers with legislation in the Senate. Some strong comments from NorCal House members in this article.

Finally, chinook salmon numbers are out for 2009 and they're dismal. Looks like a third straight year of closure for the commercial salmon fishing season. Lots of jobs and businesses impacted. More here.

Delta environmental review begins amid skepticism

Read the story about the National Academy of Sciences meeting in the Bee. Lots of controversy about the speakers. It seems strange that representatives of the salmon fishing industry and residents of the Delta are not part of the program.

2009 another bad year for Delta ecosystem

It's not just smelt and salmon in decline. The numbers cited at the end of this article are startling.

We went on one of those fish trawling trips in the Delta with Peter Moyle. Look for it in the upcoming documentary.

Fall Salmon Run Down Again

The Fall Chinook Salmon run looks to be about the same (meaning very bad) or worse than 2008, according to this piece by Matt Weiser in the Bee. Also, it appears that the run is increasingly becoming a hatchery based one, with almost 90% of returning salmon coming from hatcheries - which raises other concerns.

And with three straight years of dismal fall salmon returns, there's a good chance the run could be listed on the Endangered Species Act, at a time when the ESA is facing increasing scrutiny, especially from Central Valley water interests. Depressing news all the way around.

From the Jet Propulsion Lab

NASA Data Reveal Major Groundwater Loss in California

December 14, 2009

PASADENA, Calif. – "New space observations reveal that since October 2003, the aquifers for California's primary agricultural region -- the Central Valley -- and its major mountain water source -- the Sierra Nevadas -- have lost nearly enough water combined to fill Lake Mead, America's largest reservoir."

More

More evidence that the amount of water used for agriculture in California - from groundwater pumping in the Central Valley to diversions from the Delta - is unsustainable for the long term.

Where the $ for the water bill are going

The $11 billion water bill is a lot of money, but to understand how much it really is and where the money is slotted to go, read this article in the Bee. Stunning amounts and something for virtually every player in the California water power game.

And here's a cool Google map from KQEDhealth.

Major Water Bill Passes, Huge Fight Ahead

An $11 billion bond initiative will go to the voters next November. Expect an epic California political battle: north vs. south, coastal vs. inland, enviros vs. farmers, water districts vs. water districts. The total package may top $40 billion.

Schwarzenegger wants this as his legacy project and will fight very hard for it as he goes out the door next year. He's also pledged to build the peripheral canal, a huge battle within the battle. And this water package is sure to be a big issue in both the Governor and Senate races.

I'll post some of the analysis as it becomes available. Here's coverage from the NYT and LA Times on passage of the package.

Delta Blues will cover many of these issues. Look for it in early 2010.

Here's Schwarzenegger's Announcement of the Water Package

Warning: It's long

State GOP tries to steal Dems' fire over water

Interesting political aspect to the California water story. Will it work?

Op-Ed in Sacramento BEE

My View: Farm, fishing industries can't remain foes in water debate

The author, Larry Collins, is in Delta Blues. Here's an excerpt:

"...California farmers and fishermen are in the same boat, but the two groups are being pitted against each other in rhetoric used by politicians, activists and the media."

Nice piece in the Fresno Bee on restoring the San Joaquin

For San Joaquin River, a historic reawakening

Sen. Feinstein Urges Outside Review of Calif. Water Restrictions

A puzzler, although Feinstein has always looked after Central Valley interests and enjoys strong support from the typically Republican farming community.

Note the fourth paragraph about the letter from billionaire Stewart Resnick. So now the Obama Administration has to deal with California's Governor, senior Senator and big Ag interests all pressuring it to reopen the two biological opinions.

Here's the article.

UPDATE: Why Feinstein seeks review of delta findings

Interior Secretary Salazar Responds...

...to the Wall Street Journal's editorial on the Delta's problems. Their take: It's all about the smelt.

Here's the original WSJ editorial.
Here's Salazar's response.

Fixing the Delta: How Will We Pay for It?

A new report from the Public Policy Institute of California:

"This report examines the question of how to pay for urgently needed investments in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta."

As the debate gets more contentious, and all the competing interests involved with the Delta become increasingly dug into their positions and slogans like "fish vs. farmers" become the main debating points, the PPIC provides a much-needed analytical perspective on the Delta's problems.

Get the report here.

Another Cause of Delta Woes - Groundwater Pumping

This opinion piece in the Sacramento Bee points to excessive groundwater pumping in Sacramento County as another cause of the environmental decline in the Delta.

The Bee has also started an online page on all things Delta: http://www.sacbee.com/delta/

Ocean Conditions?

One of the reasons given over the last few years for the decline of salmon runs on the west coast is "ocean conditions," which is a euphemism for the lack of food for salmon to fatten up on before they return to the rivers to spawn. The cause can be just about anything: warmer water, tricky currents, not enough upwelling, etc., but it also seems to be one of those excuses that can explain a difficult problem while offering no realistic solution. Some fisheries experts believe this is just another excuse to not focus on the real problem: fixing the Delta.

Here is an interesting eyewitness account of current "ocean conditions"

Give the Delta a Voice! Rally

A rally on the Capitol steps in Sacramento on July 7th.

Delta gates proposal builds support, but environmental impact remains murky

From Matt Weiser at the Bee:

"A plan to build gates across two Delta channels has strong support from state and federal leaders, though little is known about how the project would affect the environment.

The so-called "two gates" project would build moveable gates across Old River and Connection Slough in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta."

Big backer is the Metro Water District of Southern California. More...

Despair flows as fields go dry and unemployment rises

Article in the Los Angeles Times about tough times in the Central Valley for farmers and workers.

Here are the numbers:

"Water scarcity looms as a major challenge to California's $37-billion agricultural industry, which has long relied on imported water to bloom. The consequences of closing the spigot are already evident here in rural Fresno County, about 230 miles north of Los Angeles. Lost farm revenue will top $900 million in the San Joaquin Valley this year, said UC Davis economist Richard Howitt, who estimates that water woes will cost the recession-battered region an additional 30,000 jobs in 2009."