As severe drought conditions in California continue to worsen, state officials have started to roll out with new regulations to prioritize various water interests.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!On Wednesday, the State Water Resources Control Board adopted new emergency regulations to protect endangered and threatened fish. Low flows in four tributaries of the Russian River cause “high temperatures, low oxygen levels and isolated pools of water that can kill fish,” such as the coho salmon and steelhead trout.
Starting July 3, roughly 13,000 properties in the watersheds of Dutch Bill Creek, Green Valley Creek, Mark West Creek and Mill Creek will be subject to “enhanced conservation measures” in addition to the existing statewide water restrictions. As reported by the Press Democrat, residents are subject to the following rural water rules:
- “No watering lawns, washing driveways and sidewalks, washing motor vehicles, filling or refilling decorative ponds and fountains, and no use of water in a fountain or water feature not part of a recirculating system.
- “No watering of landscapes (trees and plants, including edible plants) that causes runoff onto adjacent property or non-irrigated areas or within 48 hours after measurable rainfall.
- “Limits landscape watering to two days per week and only from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.
- “Sets no limit on use of graywater — from bathtubs, showers, bathroom washbasins, clothes washing machines and laundry tubs as well as captured rainwater — for lawn and landscape irrigation, washing motor vehicles and use in decorative ponds, fountains and other water features, except for prohibition of irrigation runoff or application within 48 hours after measurable rainfall.”
“This is a very extreme situation,” said Corinne Gray, a senior environmental scientist with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. “There are already fish dying in the streams.” Gray told the SWRCB that the fish merely required a “trickle of water” between pools on the four creeks.
Farm representatives attending the meeting claimed parts of the measure were regulatory overreach. Text in the emergency measure enforces these new regulations “regardless of water seniority.”
This kind of enforcement has led to lawsuits against SWRCB. Just this week, the Banta-Carbona Irrigation District challengedwater restrictions imposed by the state board, the first of potentially many more suits to come.
It remains to be seen whether the state board has the right to overrule century-old rights to water.
Save the Fish – they pay taxes too…….Oops…..Never Mind.
I thought Mill Creek entered Dry Creek a few hundered yards from the Rusian River; and Mill Creek’s source of water is ‘rain;’ what fish lived in Mill Creek? Before the Dam was constructed, what fish lived in Dry Creek?
You in the news media need to check out this drought because it isn’t. I have traveled with my wife to nearly all the lakes and reservoirs this drought has affected. It is a shame and a crime for Browns administration to portray something that is not as serious as they say and give water to fish instead of humans. That in itself should throw up a red flag. What an be done to stop all the false data being given. The drought is man made for the almighty dollar. Check out Congressman Nunes speech and you will certainly have a completely different opinion of this CA drought. Read the speech at Families Protecting the Valley:
http://www.familiesprotectingthevalley.com/ then look for the newsletter titled,Why we’re where we are Very interesting reading.
Buck up Commiefornia, you’re saving the bait-fish don’t you know? Pretty soon they’ll have you down to showers on Saturdays only, so stock up on deodorant!
What Drought?? Went to So Cal a few days ago…Like I said what Drought!! No drought down there. Plenty of water up here for them down there. Time to split the state, and tell them to F— off. As for fish being first…Did you expect any thing else with the LIBs they elect here??
Be prepared to drink reconditioned sewer water because that is where they are going. Too stupid and vapid to delsalinate water they would rather keep the smelt comfortable. Is it any wonder California is in the state it is. They don’t mention over population from our borders or the burden of consumption of all resources here but these sleazy politicians encourage rapid growth mainly illegal because they wish to have yet another Democratic vote. Haven’t they figured it out yet they have enough progressives,liberals and socialists in California to last a life time? Got to get out of here before they ruin the rest of my life by their selfish and hysterical often unbased actions,
They have been protecting the little ‘delta smelt’ for years – diverting water resources to this useless fish and starving farmers of needed water for their crops instead using it for these fish.
The current ‘drought’ is a man made drought with the intent to get people out of California – the ‘undesired’ one – using HAARP to engineer this drought.
After all their goal is to ‘de-populate’ California disposing of the undesirables and allow the ‘selected’ and ‘rich’ few and their help to enjoy their pristine mansions and wealth!