Thunk tank

Next Monday, the US House of Representatives Subcommittee on Water and Power will be holding a local hearing at the Los Angeles offices of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. The subject?

“California drought solutions.”

If that seems an odd thing to be contemplating during a deluge, it’s not. Most of our water does not come from local rainfall, but from other places, which, if not in a drought, are definitely in a jam. Last week, that jam became orders of magnitude worse as Sacramento judge Roland Candee struck down something called the Quantification Settlement Agreement.

This 2003 wad of contracts profoundly affects how California may legally divide and manage its share of the Colorado River, which is along with Owens Valley in the Eastern Sierra and the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta in Northern California one of the three main sources of fresh water for Southern California.

Candee’s voiding of the QSA last week is scary…

Western datebook

THE CALIFORNIA State Board of Food and Agriculture will hold its first 2010 Drought Meeting looking at how fluctuating supply affects water quality. The board will hear from speakers from the Central Valley Water Quality Control Board and conduct a panel discussion on “actionable solutions with agricultural farm organizations, water districts and state officials.” The word “actionable” usually refers to law suits, but in this case it connotes seriousness and is code for rent-a-mobs and posturing politicians to stay away. That said, public participation and comment is encouraged. Time: Wednesday, October 14, 10am-2pm. Place: Fresno Farm Bureau, 1274 West Hedges Avenue, Fresno, CA 93728

A walk in the woods with Cleverly and Fleck

SAN ACACIA, NM — When the weather heats up, James Cleverly’s instruments can detect the moisture coming off this little patch of woods alongside the Rio Grande.

Central Valley, observed

THANKS to Aquafornia, the news feed for the Water Education Foundation, for catching this NASA image from the Earth Observatory. From NASA: The image was made from data collected  by NASA’s Terra satellite between July 12 and July 27, 2009. This image shows how vegetation fared in 2009 compared to 2000 and 2008. To see a larger image with key and to read an excellent accompanying article, click here.

Officially dry

LOS ANGELES is poised today to record its fourth year in a row with below normal rainfall, reports the Los Angeles Times. From July 1 of last year to June 30—the period designated the “rain year”—only about 9 inches fell, compared with the average of just over 15 inches. 

For the full story, click here.

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