Today, the Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners have renewed their call for immediate, extraordinary conservation measures after the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced that despite a normal snow pack, the water supply outlook for southern California remains poor.
The 2008 winter snow survey conducted today by the DWR is indicating that the water content of the Sierra snow pack is near normal, but State Water Project deliveries continue to remain at near record lows due to last year’s federal court ruling that significantly restricts Delta pumping from December through June, to protect an endangered fish. "The snow pack is back to normal, but a broken Delta means water deliveries to millions of Californians will be far below normal this year," said DWR Director Lester Snow.
"Once again, we call on the Metropolitan Water District and the southern California water supply community to join Long Beach and take a more aggressive, long-term, public stance on the need to immediately conserve water," stated Bill Townsend, President of the Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners. "Implementation of strict prohibitions on certain outdoor water uses, bolstered with aggressive public communications, is the future for southern California. We're asking our colleagues to embrace this future, today. We, collectively, need to engineer a permanent lifestyle change in the way we all see and use our water, so that inefficient and wasteful uses are no longer tolerated by anyone. The only way a successful effort is going to be sustained, is if we have all of Southern California on board."
Currently, the State Water Project is projected to deliver only 35 percent of requested amounts this year to cities, farmers and businesses in the Bay Area, Central Valley and Southern California. Last year, State Water Project deliveries were around 60 percent. "We have twice the snow pack and only half the water supply as we did at this time last year, stated Kevin L. Wattier, General Manager of the Long Beach Water Department. "This demonstrates the real implications of last year’s federal Delta Smelt ruling."
Earlier this month, during a joint Senate Committee hearing held in Sacramento, Roger Patterson, Assistant General Manager with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD), read a prepared statement into the record, stating that "despite a healthy snow pack and a series of wet storms, deliveries from the State Water Project in 2008 are dramatically curtailed. Metropolitan is rapidly depleting its existing water supply reserves with no relief in sight." The MWD wholesales imported water supplies to communities throughout southern California. Fifty percent of Long Beach’s water supply is purchased from the MWD.
Since June of last year, the Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners has implemented extraordinary conservation measures, including enforcement of new citywide restrictions on certain outdoor uses of water. These efforts have achieved an additional 8 percent reduction in water use citywide through February of this year.
The Long Beach Water Department is an urban, southern California retail water supply agency and the standard in water conservation and environmental stewardship.
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
35% and counting...
Today, the expected allocation of imported water to southern California, from northern California sources, via the California Aqueduct, is set at 35%. A fact that's not changed since early February of this year. Due to last year's Delta Smelt ruling, pumping from the Delta is currently restricted, which in turn, is degrading Delta water quality.
During a joint Committee hearing held March 11, in Sacramento, an official from the Metropolitan Water District read a prepared statement into the record. The following is an excerpt from that statement:
"Despite a healthy snow pack and a series of wet storms, deliveries from the State Water Project in 2008 are dramatically curtailed. Deliveries could be impacted further due to the potential listing of another fish species, the Long Fin Smelt. Listing of additional species is also possible. Metropolitan is rapidly depleting its existing water supply reserves with no relief in sight. This depletion of reserves is occurring despite significant long-term water use efficiency investments (conservation, recycling and groundwater treatment) that have been made over the past two decades. Last month, Metropolitan’s Board of Directors approved a method of allocating water when our reserves are no longer available to avoid region-wide shortages. We have already reduced deliveries to our agricultural customers by 30 percent. In San Diego County, avocado farmers are severely pruning their trees, a technique known as stunting, as a method of keeping them alive on minimal amounts of water in hopes that the orchards could be productive again in the future."
"Once again, we call on the Metropolitan Water District and the Southern California water supply community to join Long Beach and take a more aggressive, long-term, public stance on the need to immediately conserve water," stated Bill Townsend, President of the Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners. "Implementation of strict prohibitions on certain outdoor water uses, bolstered with aggressive public communications, is the future for southern California. We're asking our colleagues to embrace this future, today. We, collectively, need to engineer a permanent lifestyle change in the way we all see and use our water, so that inefficient and wasteful uses are no longer tolerated by anyone. The only way this kind of effort is going to be sustained, is if we have all of Southern California on board."
During a joint Committee hearing held March 11, in Sacramento, an official from the Metropolitan Water District read a prepared statement into the record. The following is an excerpt from that statement:
"Despite a healthy snow pack and a series of wet storms, deliveries from the State Water Project in 2008 are dramatically curtailed. Deliveries could be impacted further due to the potential listing of another fish species, the Long Fin Smelt. Listing of additional species is also possible. Metropolitan is rapidly depleting its existing water supply reserves with no relief in sight. This depletion of reserves is occurring despite significant long-term water use efficiency investments (conservation, recycling and groundwater treatment) that have been made over the past two decades. Last month, Metropolitan’s Board of Directors approved a method of allocating water when our reserves are no longer available to avoid region-wide shortages. We have already reduced deliveries to our agricultural customers by 30 percent. In San Diego County, avocado farmers are severely pruning their trees, a technique known as stunting, as a method of keeping them alive on minimal amounts of water in hopes that the orchards could be productive again in the future."
"Once again, we call on the Metropolitan Water District and the Southern California water supply community to join Long Beach and take a more aggressive, long-term, public stance on the need to immediately conserve water," stated Bill Townsend, President of the Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners. "Implementation of strict prohibitions on certain outdoor water uses, bolstered with aggressive public communications, is the future for southern California. We're asking our colleagues to embrace this future, today. We, collectively, need to engineer a permanent lifestyle change in the way we all see and use our water, so that inefficient and wasteful uses are no longer tolerated by anyone. The only way this kind of effort is going to be sustained, is if we have all of Southern California on board."
BIG Beach Clean Up - Sat., March 22nd!
HELP CLEAN UP THIS SATURDAY!
The Community Action Team's "30-Minute Beach Cleanup" and Justin Rudd are co-hosting -- with Edwin Dayrit Jr. (a QUEST student at Millikan High School) -- a special beach cleanup this Sat., Mar. 22 from 11-1 at 1 54th Place, just east of Claremont Ave. and just 10 blocks east of the regular 30-Minute Beach Cleanups at Granada Ave.
Free parking, gloves, bags, refreshments, door prizes and volunteer credit forms if anyone wants to hop on down this Easter weekend and help Mother Nature.
You must be present at 1 p.m. in order to be eligible for a prize.
The Community Action Team's "30-Minute Beach Cleanup" and Justin Rudd are co-hosting -- with Edwin Dayrit Jr. (a QUEST student at Millikan High School) -- a special beach cleanup this Sat., Mar. 22 from 11-1 at 1 54th Place, just east of Claremont Ave. and just 10 blocks east of the regular 30-Minute Beach Cleanups at Granada Ave.
Free parking, gloves, bags, refreshments, door prizes and volunteer credit forms if anyone wants to hop on down this Easter weekend and help Mother Nature.
You must be present at 1 p.m. in order to be eligible for a prize.
Redoing your landscape? Go Native! Everybody is doing it!
What look are you going for? Classic Craftsman, Japanese Garden, Spanish Mission or Desert Riviera? All of these looks are possible using plants that are native to California. Going native not only improves the look of your home, it requires less water and maintenance; it attracts wildlife, like humming birds and butterflies; and it helps protect our coastal environment from harmful run-off, which is usually loaded with chemicals and other contaminants.
Fact: Typical grass lawns require 82 inches of rain per year. Long Beach receives, on average, around 13 inches of rainfall per year. Plants native to California only require around 12 inches of rain, or much less in some instances, per year.
You can learn more about California native plants and landscapes by visiting, www.lbwater.org, or going to www.bewaterwise.org.
Get design templates, local native plant retailers, a list of popular native plants, schedule of FREE professional landscape classes, hundreds of FREE resources, and landscape grants...all at our website.
Fact: Typical grass lawns require 82 inches of rain per year. Long Beach receives, on average, around 13 inches of rainfall per year. Plants native to California only require around 12 inches of rain, or much less in some instances, per year.
You can learn more about California native plants and landscapes by visiting, www.lbwater.org, or going to www.bewaterwise.org.
Get design templates, local native plant retailers, a list of popular native plants, schedule of FREE professional landscape classes, hundreds of FREE resources, and landscape grants...all at our website.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Want to report that person who seems to be unaware that southern California's water supply reserves are rapidly being depleted? Here's how.
Everyone has seen a water waster. Whether living next door, down the street or a colleague at work, water wasters are everywhere. In fact, all of us waste water on occassion. The only way we are going to create a permanent lifestyle change in the way people think about and use our precious water supplies is to make inefficient and wasteful uses of water socially unacceptable. Hosing down paved areas, overwatering lawns and landscaped areas, and watering in the middle of the day, in full sun, should be as socially unacceptable in southern California as lighting up a cigarette in a crowded room. You can help help make this change!
If you see someone or something using excessive amounts of water or violating any of the City's prohibited uses of water, there are two ways you can help educate that person or entinty on the immediate need to conserve water and the City's new prohibitions...chances are, these people have not been made aware.
1. You can email us at waterwaster@lbwater.org. In your email, you may list the address, date, and approximate time of the violation. Please give us a detailed accounting of the violation.
2. You can also visit www.lbwater.org, and submit an online water waster report, including address, date, approximate time and type of violation.
When the Water Department receives a report, we immediately send a letter to the account holder of the address reported. The letter simply informs that account holder that certain uses of water are now prohibited do to extraordinary water supply conditions. The letter also invites that account holder to contact the Department with any questions they may have.
Thank you for your continued support.
If you see someone or something using excessive amounts of water or violating any of the City's prohibited uses of water, there are two ways you can help educate that person or entinty on the immediate need to conserve water and the City's new prohibitions...chances are, these people have not been made aware.
1. You can email us at waterwaster@lbwater.org. In your email, you may list the address, date, and approximate time of the violation. Please give us a detailed accounting of the violation.
2. You can also visit www.lbwater.org, and submit an online water waster report, including address, date, approximate time and type of violation.
When the Water Department receives a report, we immediately send a letter to the account holder of the address reported. The letter simply informs that account holder that certain uses of water are now prohibited do to extraordinary water supply conditions. The letter also invites that account holder to contact the Department with any questions they may have.
Thank you for your continued support.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Bluff Park Beach Cleanup
On Saturday, March 15, 2008, the Long Beach Water Department hosted another successful quarterly Beach Cleanup event. In 2006, the Department adopted the beach along Bluff Park and to date, has held 11th such events. The latest event had over 60 dedicated participants and volunteers, roaming the beach and bluff area, picking up a total of over 500 pounds of trash and debris.
Thanks to all who participated.
Thanks to all who participated.
Long Beach Honors Earth Day - Sat. April 26th!
Come, bring the kids to Recreation Park, and celebrate Earth Day, Saturday, April 26th, from 10:00 a.m to 2:00 p.m. Free prizes, food, games and tons of fun...and lots of environmental info to take home. Participating in the event: The Aquarium of the Pacific, C and L Plumbing, Eco-Link, El Dorado Audubon Society, EWaste Disposal Inc., Frinds of the Colorado Lagoon, Long Beach City College, Long Beach Parks Recreation and Marine, Long Beach Stormwater Management, Los Cerritos Wetland Land Trust, Los Cerritos Wetland Stewards, Sierra Club and The Surfrider Foundation!
We'll see you there!
We'll see you there!
Monday, March 17, 2008
Official: Imported Water Supply Sources Rapidly Depleting
Roger Patterson, Assistant General Manager for Stragtegic Water Initiatives at the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) of Southern California, provided testimony to State Senators at a joint informational hearing of the Natural Resources and Water Committee and the Budget and Fiscal Review, Subcommittee No. 2, on the water supply outlook for his agency and "the increasing precariousness of Southern California's water picture." The MWD imports, treats and sells water to local, Southern California water suppliers and their 18 million customers. The Long Beach Water Department purchases nearly half of its water from the MWD.
During the joint Committee held on March 11th in Sacramento, Mr. Patterson read a prepared statement into the record. The following is an excerpt from that statement:
"Despite a healthy snow pack and a series of wet storms, deliveries from the State Water Project in 2008 are dramatically curtailed. Deliveries could be impacted further due to the potential listing of another fish species, the Long Fin Smelt. Listing of additional species is also possible. Metropolitan is rapidly depleting its existing water supply reserves with no relief in sight. This depletion of reserves is occurring despite significant long-term water use efficiency investments (conservation, recycling and groundwater treatment) that have been made over the past two decades. Last month, Metropolitan’s Board of Directors approved a method of allocating water when our reserves are no longer available to avoid region-wide shortages. We have already reduced deliveries to our agricultural customers by 30 percent. In San Diego County, avocado farmers are severely pruning their trees, a technique known as stunting, as a method of keeping them alive on minimal amounts of water in hopes that the orchards could be productive again in the future."
In June of last year, the Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners made a Declaration of Immediate and Extraordinary Water Conservation, followed by a Declaration of an Imminent Water Supply Shortage in September, triggering certain citywide water use restrictions, enforcement of those restrictions and aggressive public communication with its customers on the need to immediately reduce water use, particularly outdoors. These actions were the direct result of climate conditions, a rapid depletion of statewide water supply reserves and the imminent interruption in the supply of water from the Bay Delta are
During the joint Committee held on March 11th in Sacramento, Mr. Patterson read a prepared statement into the record. The following is an excerpt from that statement:
"Despite a healthy snow pack and a series of wet storms, deliveries from the State Water Project in 2008 are dramatically curtailed. Deliveries could be impacted further due to the potential listing of another fish species, the Long Fin Smelt. Listing of additional species is also possible. Metropolitan is rapidly depleting its existing water supply reserves with no relief in sight. This depletion of reserves is occurring despite significant long-term water use efficiency investments (conservation, recycling and groundwater treatment) that have been made over the past two decades. Last month, Metropolitan’s Board of Directors approved a method of allocating water when our reserves are no longer available to avoid region-wide shortages. We have already reduced deliveries to our agricultural customers by 30 percent. In San Diego County, avocado farmers are severely pruning their trees, a technique known as stunting, as a method of keeping them alive on minimal amounts of water in hopes that the orchards could be productive again in the future."
In June of last year, the Long Beach Board of Water Commissioners made a Declaration of Immediate and Extraordinary Water Conservation, followed by a Declaration of an Imminent Water Supply Shortage in September, triggering certain citywide water use restrictions, enforcement of those restrictions and aggressive public communication with its customers on the need to immediately reduce water use, particularly outdoors. These actions were the direct result of climate conditions, a rapid depletion of statewide water supply reserves and the imminent interruption in the supply of water from the Bay Delta are
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