Bad legislation is bad legislation. It doesn't matter how many times you try to dress it up. Or bring it back with a new number. We're talking about Senate Bill 1, which is officially titled the California Environmental, Public Health, and Workers Defense Act of 2019. Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins...
Clovis Secures Its Future Growth With FID Water Deals
The Clovis City Council has approved landmark water deals with the Fresno Irrigation District that officials say will secure the city's growth for decades to come. According to the Clovis General Plan, the city expects 280,000 residents in 2083 — 2.5 times its 110,000 population. Plans call for Clovis to...
Trump Said Water Wars 'Easy' to Fix. What Do Farmers Say Now?
Three years ago, presidential candidate Donald Trump got right to the heart of Central Valley agriculture's fight over its most precious resource. “We’re going to solve your water problem. You have a water problem that is so insane," Trump told a campaign audience at Selland Arena in May 2016. "It is...
State Thanks 'Robust' Storms for Higher Water Allocation
Citing the winter's "robust" storms and resulting above-average snowpack, California's Department of Water Resources announced Thursday it will slightly raise the allocation for the State Water Project. The increase from 70% to 75% is the final allocation level for the calendar year, and marks a dramatic increase since the water...
Feds Raise Water Allocations for Farmers. Westlands Isn’t Impressed.
Citing the latest storms sweeping through California, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation approved a slight increase in water allocation to westside farmers. The agency that provides water to those farmers says it's still not enough. Allocations for Central Valley Project South-of-Delta agricultural use were increased from 65% to 70%, the...
Snow Survey Finds California Water Nearly Doubled
PHILLIPS STATION — California water officials say cities and farms can expect ample water supplies this summer after winter storms blanketed the Sierra Nevada, nearly doubling the snowpack average for this time of year. The Department of Water Resources said Thursday the fifth and final survey at Phillips Station recorded...
California Dispute Threatens Plan to Protect Colorado River
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — A dispute between two major California water agencies is threatening to derail a hard-won agreement designed to protect a river that serves 40 million people in the U.S. West. The Imperial Irrigation District, the largest single recipient of Colorado River water, on Tuesday sued a Los Angeles...
BizFed's Wish List for Newsom: Help on Water, Taxes, Immigration
Gov. Gavin Newsom should focus on water access and reliability, taxes, and immigration, according to a poll of BizFed Central Valley members. The other two areas of critical concern were government regulations and compliance, along with taxes and fees, the organization said in a news release Monday. This was the first...
Proposed Rules Mean Fresnans Can Water More, Be Fined Less
Update, 4/11/2019: Fresno city council approved, 6-0, changes in the city's water monitoring program. Additionally, water users can water until 10 a.m. (no watering is allowed on any day between 10 a.m.-6 p.m.). Also, fines won't start until May 2020, giving one year to implement the program. The city will...
Walters: Trumpies Rightfully Reduced Oroville Dam Aid
California’s Democratic political leaders fancy themselves leaders of the anti-Donald Trump “resistance” and are engaged in legal and political conflict with the White House on dozens of specific issues. Thus, when the Trump administration declared last week that it would not reimburse California for $306 million of the $1.1 billion...