Subsidence and socialism are two “S” words that wouldn’t seem to have much in common, especially here in the San Joaquin Valley. Nevertheless, for insiders in the Valley’s intricate water game, the words are inextricably linked. Subsidence is caused by overpumping groundwater. Pump too much groundwater and the land sinks. Pump too much water over decades, and the land sinks a lot. According the United States Geological Survey (USGS), “The […]
Environment
Fallow Me to Water? Not Likely
For the better part of thirty years, Modesto’s Vance Kennedy has been trying to tell people we don’t have enough water. Now in his mid-nineties, Kennedy is a retired hydrologist who received the highest possible service award from the Environmental Protection Agency when he was with the United States Geological Survey. In an announcement bound to foment even more than the usual furor over water issues, the Public Policy Institute […]
Caltrans Can Eliminate Opposition to the 132 Freeway Project
In Modesto, a determined group of citizens has formed to oppose construction of the 132 Freeway. Speaking on condition of anonymity, the group may take legal action to stop or delay the project. The 132 Freeway is opposed for an assortment of reasons. Logically, Caltrans can eliminate the opposition and possible litigation by improving the proposed project to address the known objections. In the 132 Freeway Right of Way, between […]
Strong Economy Means Longer Commute Times
On Friday, December 21, 2018, the 90 mile afternoon drive from Mountain View in Silicon Valley to Modesto took over four hours. The average speed was about 20 miles per hour. A stalled vehicle on Interstate 680 at Andrade Road at the beginning of the commute created a traffic jam that didn’t clear for six hours. Another jam on I-580 from Castro Valley to I-205 cost an hour. Routes I-205/120/99 and […]
Another Huge Loss for Oakdale Irrigation District
For any other public entity, the loss suffered on November 27 by Oakdale Irrigation District (OID) in Fresno’s Fifth Appellate District Court would amount to a wake-up call, but given the resistance to facts of three of its board members, General Manager and water attorney, it’s unlikely any of them will come away with a lesson learned. This, after all, is the water district whose own attorney told them they […]
Is Modesto Vulnerable to Destruction by Fire?
Just outside the northern edge of the Central Valley, the Town of Paradise has been destroyed by fire. The destruction should be called a holocaust as over 6500 structures were damaged, including the town’s central core. In light of last year’s Santa Rosa holocaust and this year’s Redding and Paradise disasters, how vulnerable is Modesto to a comparable event? Modesto has never had a fire that destroyed an entire neighborhood, […]
Contamination of Valley Groundwater a Hidden Threat
The City of Modesto has a large plume of toxic chemicals below ground. As time goes by, the plume is spreading via groundwater migration. Multiple sources of contamination are making wells around the community unusable. Though serious, groundwater depletion is only one of our problems. Every year, more wells are taken out of service. In the long run, unless a way is found to clean out the chemicals, very few […]
Caltrans Touts Plan for Second Phase of Freeway Project
Caltrans has rolled out a plan to extend the 132 Freeway project from Dakota to Gates Roads with an advertisement in the Modesto Bee. Caltrans will hold an event before the November election to get public comments on the new phase. In order for the new phase to proceed, voters must reject Proposition 6 in November. The proposition would repeal the 12 cent per gallon gasoline tax enacted in 2017 by […]
Notions of Surplus Water a Costly Mirage
According to UC Davis, 99,000 residents of the San Joaquin Valley have unsafe drinking water. Even more alarming, a recent study by the University of Michigan “predicts that ‘the percentage of U.S. households who will find water bills unaffordable could triple from 11.9% to 35.6%” over the next five years.’” Many people who lack safe drinking water aren’t far from water utilities, but simply lack the infrastructure that would bring […]
Denham and Zinke: Crimes against Nature
There was a time when Ryan Zinke’s claim to be a Teddy Roosevelt Republican would have elicited laughter heard from Don Pedro Dam to Mount Rushmore. Teddy Roosevelt was one of the first and strongest ever defenders of public lands and wildlife; Donald Trump’s Secretary of the Interior might go down in history as the worst-ever enemy of those same public lands and wildlife. Consider this: Ryan Zinke has already […]