Dan enjoyed a nice two day vacation in Monterey. When he came home, he turned on his tap for a cool drink of water. To his dismay, a foul odor ruined his anticipated drink. When he called the City of Modesto water department to report the problem, someone came out the next day. Dan suspected that something was up because the City had never responded so quickly to a request […]
Environment
“Diversify,” says Water Attorney
The ongoing plaint throughout the room before, during, and after Thursday’s Ag Scholarship Luncheon in Oakdale was about, “sending our water down the river for fish.” Though she’s a partner in the highly-regarded law firm of Paris and O’Laughlin, attorney Valerie Kincaid didn’t offer much in the way of hope for a quick legal fix. Kincaid was the featured speaker for an audience of well over one-hundred concerned citizens, many […]
When Water and Politics Don’t Mix
Before the current drought, the water in the Valley was not discussed much beyond the need for residential customers to conserve. Now, all sorts of political interests are entering the discussion with many selfish and hare-brained ideas. The danger is that some of the hare-brained ideas might actually be implemented. Local water districts are under increasing pressure to do something for special interests, and what they may do could have […]
Our Road(s) to the Future
Looking at the Valley today provides insights into what Stanislaus County may look like in 30 years. New technology and unpredictable events may drastically alter the future of the community. However, absent major changes in direction, the future is easy to predict. In Stanislaus County, the 2015 mantra of politicians and business leaders is to build roads that slice through farm land. Road builders and urban developers make money when […]
Fish vs People? Nonsense!
With rivers running dry, reservoir levels dropping, and no rain in sight, it was probably inevitable that local politicians and their allies try to sell the tattered old false dilemma of, “Fish vs People.” Back in the 1980s and 90s it was “Owls vs People.” That was when the Endangered Species Act was invoked to save old forest habitat for Spotted Owls. Foresters and others whose jobs depended on logging […]
OID Water Scheme Hits CEQA Hurdle: Part II
The Oakdale Irrigation District (OID) Board of Directors got a dose of cold water Tuesday and didn’t like it. Before a standing room only crowd that spilled into a packed hallway, board members learned that their much-heralded fallowing program had virtually no chance of succeeding this year without a thorough Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The On Farm Conservation Program devised by OID management was to begin within weeks and had […]
Can CEQA Save Tulloch Lake?
In 2011, we posted a review of some of the most successful applications of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in the northern San Joaquin Valley. These cases show that CEQA can be an effective planning tool in our region. Unfortunately, because CEQA almost always involves an understanding of environmental law, attorneys’ fees have too often put CEQA review out of the reach of the public citizens it was intended […]
OID CEQA Review Will Change the Water Game
Last year, the Oakdale Irrigation District (OID) pumped a near-record amount of groundwater. Nonetheless, OID General Manager Steve Knell and members of the Board of Directors continue to talk about selling “surplus water.” By way of planning for continuing drought conditions, that same Board of Directors last Tuesday considered draining Tulloch Lake, where waterfront homes, fishing, and skiing offer residents and visitors some of the best of California’s natural attractions. […]
Oakdale Water Scheme Hits CEQA Hurdle: Part I
Only a few days ago, it seemed as if the Oakdale Irrigation District’s (OID) “On Farm Conservation Funding Program” was likely to be instituted as early as this year. Though it features a controversial fallowing element, criticism of the program has been muted by a well-orchestrated publicity campaign conducted through press releases produced by former Modesto Bee editor Dave Lyghtle, who now works for Marcia Hermann Design. The Oakdale Irrigation […]
Will MID Fail on Water?
“We’re in a new world here,” said John Mensinger during last Tuesday’s Water Workshop in the Modesto Irrigation District’s (MID) boardroom. And while many in the audience seemed to agree, his fellow directors apparently weren’t listening. The subject was a modest proposal by MID staff to increase water rates to $29.25 an acre foot by 2017. People in the know about today’s water world might think $29.25 is a misprint, […]