The week that was, 1/3-9/2010
Posted on | January 10, 2010 | 1 Comment
Map: US Geological Survey. Source: "Estimated Use of Water in the Tennessee River Watershed in 2000 and Projections of Water Use to 2030." Click on the image to be taken to the article.
“We weren’t very popular during the drought.” — Chuck Bach, general manager for river scheduling for the Tennessee Valley Authority, in the January 5, 2010 Chattanooga Times Free Press article “High-water mark” on how the TVA began 2010 with more water stored in reservoirs above Chattanooga than at the end of any previous year since the authority erected its network of dams in the 1930s and 1940s
…there is a reason the river carries the name “Tennessee.” — Mike Bell, Representative, Tennessee General Assembly, “High-water mark,” Chattanooga Times Free Press, January 5, 2010
“When you hear people say to Georgia, ‘Leave our water alone,’ they need to remember that Georgia already supplies much of what is in that river to start with.” — David Ashburn, North Georgia Water Planning Council, “High water-mark,” Chattanooga Times Free Press, January 5, 2010
“Bringing Coke from Atlanta would be a great thing.” — Maureen Patterson, vice president of stakeholder relations for the Dayton Development Coalition, developers of the H2OpenforBusiness campaign to lure businesses to Ohio, “Region’s water to be marketed to draw new businesses,” Dayton Daily News, January 5, 2010
Mountaintop removal mining. Photo: Paul Corbit Brown. Source: The Charleston Gazette blog 'Coal Tatoo.' Click on the image to be taken to The Coal Tatoo, which has further links and quotes about the release of the January 8, 2010 Science magazine article "Mountaintop mining consequences."
Clean air and water and coal mining go hand-in-hand. — “EPA’s attack on coal harms us,” op-ed, Charleston Sunday Gazette-Mail, January 2, 2010* by Marty Gearheart, a Republican candidate for US Congress from West Virginia’s 3rd District
Mining permits are being issued despite the preponderance of scientific evidence that impacts are pervasive and irreversible and that mitigation cannot compensate for losses. Considering environmental impacts of mountaintop mining / valley fill, in combination with evidence that the health of people living in the surface mining regions of central Appalachians is compromised by mining activities, we conclude that MTM/VF permits should not be granted unless new methods can be subjected to rigorous peer review and shown to remedy these problems. Regulators should no longer ignore rigorous science. — MA Palmer et al, “Mountaintop mining consequences,” Science magazine, Vol. 327. no. 5962, pp. 148 – 149, January 8, 2010
Representatives of the Environmental Working Group, which rated Eastern Municipal Water District water the fourth worst in the nation, said Wednesday that they changed their Web site to reflect numbers provided by the water district and the result was a worse picture than the one they came up with on their own. That cannot be the case, said Eastern’s director of environmental and regulatory compliance, Jane Joy, because Eastern has not provided Environmental Working Group with any figures. — “EMWD: Water report still not accurate,” The Hemet and San Jacinto Valley Chronicle, January 8, 2010 via Aquafornia
“They’re saying that anything in the water is bad for you.” — Kevin Milligan, assistant general manager of the water department for Riverside, California,”Environmental Working Group posts new data for tap water tests by Riverside Public Utilities and Eastern Municipal Water District,” The Press-Enterprise, January 5, 2010
“It comes out like tamarind juice and then yellow, yellow, yellow.” — Iztapalapa resident Maricela Martinez, “Mexico City battles water crisis with taxes, pleas,” Reuters, January 4, 2010
“I don’t know if it’s going to be worth a warm bucket of spit.” — Bill Jennings, head of Stockton-based California Sportfishing Protection Alliance on the proposed setting of non-binding healthy flow criteria for the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, “Team to tackle Delta water needs,” The Record, January 7, 2010
Tejon Region map. Source: Audubon California. Click on the image to be taken to the society's Tejon webpage.
“Just because you have been operating under the assumption that what you’re doing is legal doesn’t make it so.” — Adam Keats, lawyer for the Center for Biological Diversity, which is challenging a water deal designed to provide Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta water to ‘Tejon Mountain Village‘ hundreds of miles south near Los Angeles, “Luxury Development’s dubious Delta water supply,” Contra Costa Times, January 4, 2010
“This week has probably been one of the worst weeks we’ve had, but it’s not uncommon.” — Gary Robertson, Western Virginia Water Authority executive director for operations on ruptures of WWII-era water mains, “Water authority can’t catch a break,” The Roanoke Times, January 9, 2010
And on the [Las Vegas] strip, City Center is the new jewel — eight billion dollars of environmentally friendly luxury including low flow water fixtures slashing water use more than 100m gallons a year. — Where America stands on water, CBS Evening News, January 8, 2010
“I feel like we’re a pingpong ball.” — Kathy Hill, Snake Valley teacher on quid-pro-quo negotiations between Nevada and Utah over plans to take Great Basin groundwater, including from Snake Valley, to supplement growth in Las Vegas, “Guv ready to make Snake Valley water deal with Nevada,” Salt Lake Tribune, January 7, 2010
Governor Gary Herbert apparently has decided to sign off on the proposed Snake Valley water agreement with Nevada. We join the Utah Medical Association, officials of Salt Lake and Millard counties, and members of the Snake Valley Aquifer Advisory Council in urging him not to do it. — “Don’t sign, governor,” Salt Lake Tribune editorial, January 9, 2010
“… it’s pointless to try to treat everybody the same.” — Mike Clements, general manager of the Lower Republican Natural Resource District, “NRDs looking beyond state’s Republican River options,” Lincoln Journal Star, January 5, 2010
Changes in how the Army manages the Missouri would come only if Congress changes guidelines it set 65 years ago. — “River issues to take center stage,” The Omaha World-Herald, January 3, 2010
… the water plan and an associated bond issue approved last fall by state lawmakers might determine who will become California’s next governor. All major Republican candidates back the plan, while Attorney General Jerry Brown, the lone significant Democrat now running, hasn’t said much about it. — “Water will spur year’s biggest fight in Sacramento,” San Gabriel Valley Tribune, January 8, 2010
India can treat 11,500 million liter of waste water every day — 31 per cent of what is generated. — “Cities laying rivers to waste,” Hindustan Times, January 6, 2010
“We don’t need more guns in this country. This village needs a new water pump and we need new trees that drink less water.” — Yemeni farmer Mohammad Faris, “In Yemen, locals worry about Obama policy on Al Qaeda,” Christian Science Monitor, January 4, 2010
*The Marty Gearheart editorial appeared January 2nd but was included in this 1/3-9/2010 group because I missed it when it originally appeared. An earlier version of this post also mistakenly ascribed a January 2 publication date to the Stockton Record quote about a warm bucket of spit. It appeared January 7.
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North American Native Plant Societies
After the lawn
Garden blogs
January 10th, 2010 @ 11:54 am
Great weekly summary Emily – I’m new to the water blogging scene, but have been maintaining the site (in spite of the weird name) on water rights adjudications in New Mexico for the past year or so. And hopefully I can continue to engage in the kind of comparative analysis and framing you do so well here. Nice. Eric Perramond