During the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Wednesday, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda assured that the Aquino government has started to address the concern on the possible water supply shortage in Metro Manila and other parts of the country.

Lacierda cited an on-going study by the Read More >]]> Plans are underway to rehabilitate and strengthen the Angat Dam amid reports that some parts of the country may experience water shortage due to the aggravating impact of weather disturbances, a Palace official said on Wednesday.

During the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Wednesday, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda assured that the Aquino government has started to address the concern on the possible water supply shortage in Metro Manila and other parts of the country.

Lacierda cited an on-going study by the World Bank to strengthen the Angat Dam and to tap other water sources. “There is a World Bank study that is being completed right now that involves water source study, as well as the maximization of the Angat Dam,” he said.

Concerned government agencies, including the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), have studied the proposals to tap other water sources like the Wawa River in Marikina; Laiban Dam in Tanay, Rizal; the Sierra Madre and Laguna Lake with due consideration on reliability, investments; operational cost, water quality and impact on water tariffs.

“Wawa Dam has a very small capacity. And also, it is not entirely reliable, according to Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson. Doing the Laiban Dam will cost around a billion dollars. Wawa is a river that during the summer is low and it is not reliable in terms of volume. Secretary Singson also said that it may be cheaper but it is much smaller in capacity, in volume and it is unreliable during the dry months,” he said.

The government started framing a water supply sector program or water roadmap to be implemented over the next six years.

The public was also urged to cooperate with the government’s efforts to intensify water conservation as well as to protect the water resources or river basin systems.

Sharon Kleyne, host of the Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water syndicated radio talk show, recently interviewed Fred Kirschemnann, PhD, of Iowa State University and President of Kirschenmann Family Farms in South Dakota; on organic farming, soil health, pollution, humidity, water conservation and climate change. The interview may be heard on-demand on World Talk Radio, Voice America, Green Talk Network, Apple iTunes and Read More >]]> Fred Kirschenmann, PhD, Iowa State University, talks with Sharon Kleyne about Organic Dry Land Farming and Climate Change

Sharon Kleyne, host of the Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water syndicated radio talk show, recently interviewed Fred Kirschemnann, PhD, of Iowa State University and President of Kirschenmann Family Farms in South Dakota; on organic farming, soil health, pollution, humidity, water conservation and climate change. The interview may be heard on-demand on World Talk Radio, Voice America, Green Talk Network, Apple iTunes and Twitter.
Dr. Kirschenmann has appeared on the Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water previously, discussing his breakthrough research into dry land farming. He states that he can grow crops with just a few inches of annual rainfall as productively as nearby irrigated farms. The key is the soil’s organic content, which retains moisture better and also increases nutrient content.
Sharon Kleyne inquired about the latest findings in agriculture, water availability and food production. Dr. Kirschenmann noted that energy costs in food production are starting to significantly increase. The expenses of obtaining irrigation water, running tractors, producing petroleum based fertilizers and hauling produce are all rising.
According to Dr. Kirschenmann, the largest natural underground aquifer in North America, the Ogallala Aquifer covering most of the upper and central Great Plains, has been drawn down by 50% since 1960. He added that the situation in China, which must feed four times as many people on the same sized land base, is far worse.
Added factors affecting production, says Dr. Kirschenmann, are the effects of pollution of soil depletion. Again, this is more evident in China than the United States. Maintaining the biological health of soil is critical to productivity and nutritional content. With one-percent organic content in the soil, the wheat yield is 33 pounds per cubic yard of soil. With five-percent organic content, the yield is 195 pounds.
Sharon Kleyne inquired about the effects of humidity on soils, and especially the effects of humidity tainted with air pollution. Dr. Kirschenmann explained that the effect of climate change, humidity and polluted air on soils are not well understood, but he did have some comments on the subject:
Soils, according to Dr. Kirschenmann, are a living organism teeming with microscopic life. He says there are more microorganisms in the soil than there are above ground. While the impact of pollution on soil microorganisms is somewhat reduced by the filtering effect of the soil granules, excessive pollution can displace the soil’s free oxygen level, which could impact soil health and productivity. Polluted water runoff into the soil usually has a negative effect (depending on the specific content of the runoff).
Dr. Kirschenmann noted that over-production of agricultural crops tends to decrease the soil’s ability to retain moisture, resulting in increased moisture evaporation of from the soil into the air. This can increases the humidity in the surrounding air (which could affect annual rainfall).
Sharon asked about locally grown foods versus imported foods. According to Dr. Kirschenmann, the question is not how far food travels but how it travels. A climate controlled 18 wheeler keeps food far better, and is more economical and environmentally friendly, than a farmer’s open, gas guzzling pickup that takes produce to a local Saturday market. However it is transported, Dr. Kirschenmann believes that people should be aware of what they eat, how it was grown and how it was transported. He calls this “being a good food citizen.”

Serving roughly 70,000 customers, LVMWD provides potable water service, wastewater treatment, recycled water service and biosolids composting to the residents and businesses of Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills and Westlake Village.

While water is a very hot topic in Southern California, LVMWD is doing its part ensure the resources will be Read More >]]> From Energy Digital:
“In a report in Energy Digital, Las Virgenes Municpal Water District (LVMWD) shows its customers how to use water more efficiently, an invaluable and limited resource in Southern California.

Serving roughly 70,000 customers, LVMWD provides potable water service, wastewater treatment, recycled water service and biosolids composting to the residents and businesses of Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills and Westlake Village.

While water is a very hot topic in Southern California, LVMWD is doing its part ensure the resources will be available to meet current and future demands as well as the emergency needs of an area prone to fires. Through the aggressive efforts of LVMWD, the public is getting the message about the value of water and learning to use the limited resource more efficiently in a way that will benefit the environment and their future.

“By providing the public with the opportunity to understand that we shouldn’t waste this resource in California—where it’s a very limited resource—they have a better understanding and value of the efforts it takes to get them that water,” says LVMWD General Manager John Mundy. … “

The conference last week brought together business leaders, elected officials and environmentalists to discuss opportunities and challenges for restoring the Everglades’ unique ecosystem.

The 2012 priorities build upon the Coalition’s first-ever statewide legislative education effort, launched in November to educate policymakers and community leaders about the tremendous economic and Read More >]]> During its 27th Annual Conference the Everglades Coalition announced its priorities for 2012, priorities that range from better water conservation in the landscape that surrounds Everglades National Park to prioritization of land acquisition.

The conference last week brought together business leaders, elected officials and environmentalists to discuss opportunities and challenges for restoring the Everglades’ unique ecosystem.

The 2012 priorities build upon the Coalition’s first-ever statewide legislative education effort, launched in November to educate policymakers and community leaders about the tremendous economic and ecological value of restoring America’s Everglades. This year’s conference was hosted by Earthjustice, a public-interest law firm that has represented environmentalists in many key legal cases to protect the Everglades over the past 24 years.

“Everglades restoration is a sound investment that generates at least four-to-one return on every dollar spent,” said Dawn Shirreffs, national co-chair for the Everglades Coalition. “Restoration projects provide key water supply protections, and have generated more than10,500 jobs in the last three years.”

“The unprecedented progress on Everglades restoration continues, bringing with it ecological benefits that make Florida a unique natural wonder,” added Julie Hill-Gabriel, state co-chair for the Coalition. “The economic return on investment in restoration is just another strong argument to continue funding for projects like bridging Tamiami Trail.”

2012 priorities for the Everglades Coalition include:

• Secure sustained and adequate funding to agencies and for projects to ensure restoration momentum continues, including the 5.5 miles of additional bridging for Tamiami Trail. Congress and the Florida Legislature must continue to fund Everglades restoration to demonstrate their commitment to real environmental and economic progress. There is no longer a divide between saving the environment and promoting business interests.

• Protect water resources through strong statewide conservation policies and improved water quality standards that safeguard Florida’s most important resource – America’s Everglades.

• Prioritize the acquisition and conservation of land needed to protect and connect wildlife habitat, and provide water storage and treatment. Complete planning and authorization of critical projects, including the Central Everglades Planning Project, to increase the quality, quantity, timing and distribution of critical freshwater flows into the central Everglades, Everglades and Biscayne Bay National Parks and Florida Bay.

“Getting water flow right is enormously important,” said Earthjustice President Trip Van Noppen. “And so is protecting the water quality in Lake Okeechobee and in the rivers, streams and canals that flow into the Everglades. That’s why we continue to fight for clear, enforceable clean water standards.”

Joining the Coalition for this year’s 27th annual Conference were U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson, famed novelist and Miami Herald Contributor Carl Hiaasen, Florida Gov. Rick Scott, U.S. Senator Bill Nelson, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works Jo-Ellen Darcy, Department of the Interior’s Acting Assistant Secretary for Fish and Wildlife and Parks Rachel Jacobson, Chair, and White House Council on Environmental Quality Nancy Sutley.

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the California Department of Fish and Game, and the San Diego County Water Authority have entered into a long-term agreement that will help conserve San Diego County’s natural heritage for future generations while providing a more efficient endangered species permitting process for the Water Read More >]]> Conservation plan protects endangered species; streamlined permitting benefits ratepayers.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Washington, DC --(Ammoland.com)- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the California Department of Fish and Game, and the San Diego County Water Authority have entered into a long-term agreement that will help conserve San Diego County’s natural heritage for future generations while providing a more efficient endangered species permitting process for the Water Authority as it builds and maintains vital water supply infrastructure.

The Water Authority and the state and federal wildlife agencies signed an Implementing Agreement for a multiple species conservation plan, known as a Natural Community Conservation Plan/Habitat Conservation Plan (NCCP/HCP), that meets the requirements of the state’s Natural Community Conservation Planning Act and the federal Endangered Species Act.

The NCCP/HCP protects 63 plant and animal species and their habitats that may be adversely affected by the construction, operation, repair and maintenance of current and future Water Authority facilities. The 63 covered species include 26 plants, 13 birds, nine reptiles, eight mammals, five invertebrates and two amphibians.

Of the 63 covered species, 18 are currently listed as endangered or threatened pursuant to the state and/or federal Endangered Species Acts. Concurrent with signing the agreement, each wildlife agency issued the Water Authority an incidental take permit that allows limited impacts to those listed species. If any of the 45 covered species currently not listed as endangered or threatened become listed as such in the future, those species will automatically be added to the respective permit.

The comprehensive NCCP/HCP conservation strategy spans roughly 992,000 acres where covered activities could potentially occur in San Diego County and a small portion of south-central Riverside County. The Water Authority already has assembled 705 acres of preserve land to compensate for future impacts and the NCCP/HCP contains provisions for adding more preserve lands.

“This is a great example of innovative and effective environmental planning,” said Jim Bartel, Field Supervisor for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Carlsbad Office. “Our three agencies worked closely and collaboratively to find a way to comprehensively address potential endangered species impacts from the Water Authority’s projects and activities.”

“The assembly, management, and monitoring of the preserve established under the Water Authority’s NCCP will augment and enhance the other biological preserves established under other approved regional NCCPs and several other habitat conservation plans that are in progress,” said Ed Pert, South Coast Regional Manager for the Department of Fish and Game. “We worked collaboratively with the parties involved in the NCCP/HCP to ensure that habitat protection measures would also satisfy the Water Authority’s vital mission to provide the San Diego region with a safe and reliable water supply.”

“The big benefit for our ratepayers is that this plan will save time and money as we build and operate current and future projects,” said Ken Weinberg, Director of Water Resources for the San Diego County Water Authority. “This plan precludes the need to obtain individual federal or state endangered species permits for each of our activities or projects. It also simplifies future compliance with state and federal endangered species regulations. We are very grateful and appreciative for the wildlife agencies’ help and guidance through this process.”

The state’s Natural Community Conservation Planning program and federal Habitat Conservation Plan process promote coordination and cooperation among public agencies, landowners, and other interested parties to minimize conflicts during construction and other activities that may affect endangered or threatened species. The long-term goals of such habitat conservation plans are to provide for the recovery and persistence of populations of covered species and the ecosystems on which they depend.

A copy of the plan is available at: www.sdcwa.org/habitat-conservation.

The San Diego County Water Authority is a public agency serving the San Diego region as a wholesale supplier of water from the Colorado River and Northern California. The Water Authority works through its 24 member agencies to provide a safe, reliable water supply to support the region’s $186 billion economy and the quality of life of 3.1 million residents.

The California Department of Fish and Game manages California‘s diverse fish, wildlife, and plant resources, and the habitats upon which they depend, for their ecological values and for their use and enjoyment by the public.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals, and commitment to public service.

The company is also developing year-over-year efficiency targets as part of its annual environmental business planning process and has established a cross-functional team spanning several divisions to review water usage more holistically.

“Water remains one of our top environmental priorities and our aggressive reduction target helps ensure continued focus on this critical resource,” said Read More >]]> Ford has pledged to reduce the amount of water used to make each of its vehicles by 30pc globally by 2015, compared with the amount used in 2009.

The company is also developing year-over-year efficiency targets as part of its annual environmental business planning process and has established a cross-functional team spanning several divisions to review water usage more holistically.

“Water remains one of our top environmental priorities and our aggressive reduction target helps ensure continued focus on this critical resource,” said Sue Cischke, group vice president, sustainability, environment and safety engineering.

The company said its latest water reduction initiatives are designed to build on the success the company has had with the global water management initiative it launched in 2000. Between 2000 and 2010, Ford reduced its global water use by 62pc, or 10.5 billion gallons.

It said that if it meets its goal for 2015, the amount of water consumed in the manufacture of each vehicle will have dropped from 9.5 cubic meters in 2000 to around 3.5 cubic meters in three years’ time.

Water reduction initiatives
The company reduced water usage at its Hermsillo stamping and assembly plant in Mexico’s Sonoran Desert by 40pc between 2000 and 2010, although production doubled during the same period.

“We applied innovative technology to our Hermosillo plant to reduce water consumption, minimise impact on the community and build vehicles in a more sustainable manner,” said Larry Merritt, manager, environmental quality office.

To reduce water use, a membrane biological reactor – a biological water treatment system – was installed. The complex system is able to make up to 65pc of the plant’s wastewater suitable for high-quality reuse elsewhere in the facility or for irrigation. The water treatment system also is being used at Ford plants in Chennai, India and Chongqing, China.

Another approach has been to cut the amount of water necessary to complete tasks. “As we invest in new and existing facilities globally, our water strategy prioritizes sustainable manufacturing technologies,” said John Fleming, executive vice president, global manufacturing and labor affairs. “This disciplined approach allows us to make significant progress in water reduction and other environmental efforts over time.”

For example, several of Ford’s engine plants around the world are using minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) machining, also known as dry-machining. This technology lubricates the cutting tool with a very small amount of oil sprayed directly on the tip in a finely atomised mist, instead of with a large quantity of coolant/water mixture. According to Ford, for a typical 450,000-unit line, more than 280,000 gallons of water can be saved annually through dry-machining.

Tracking water reduction
Ford said that when it launched the global water management initiative in 2000, many of its facilities had little ability to track water usage. At the start of the initiative, Ford engineers developed software to predict water usage. Further software was developed to track water use at each facility and generate a monthly report.

In addition, water reduction actions are built into Ford’s environmental operating system (EOS), which provides a standardised, streamlined approach to meeting all environmental requirements, including sustainability objectives and targets within each of Ford’s plants around the world.

The EOS allows Ford to track its plants’ performance of fundamental water reduction actions like leak identification and repair, and cooling tower optimisation at every manufacturing site worldwide.

The company’s progress against its water reduction target will be communicated in the its annual sustainability report and through participation in the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) Water Disclosure, which Ford joined in 2010.

“We recognize that these environmental issues are increasingly important to our stakeholders, including our customers, investors and business partners,” said Merritt. “Water conservation is integral to Ford’s global sustainability strategy. By reporting our progress, we support positive social change and reduce the environmental impact of our facilities.”

Grainne Rothery

Nairobi — The acute lack of water in Kenya means families have to trek long distances every day to fetch water.

In both rural and urban areas, people often walk as far as 30 kilometres or more to collect water from rivers, streams or wells. But thanks to self-help projects backed by NGOs, some communities are coming up with solutions.

Over 80 percent of the country’s population of 40 million has no access to clean water, according to the World Water Read More >]]> Protus Onyang

Nairobi — The acute lack of water in Kenya means families have to trek long distances every day to fetch water.

In both rural and urban areas, people often walk as far as 30 kilometres or more to collect water from rivers, streams or wells. But thanks to self-help projects backed by NGOs, some communities are coming up with solutions.

Over 80 percent of the country’s population of 40 million has no access to clean water, according to the World Water Organisation.

Those who live in dry northern or eastern regions and parts of the Rift Valley spend days in search of water for domestic use and for their livestock, their economic mainstay. Fighting and quarrels at water points are rampant as women, men, children and animals battle for the little water available. And women who stay out late fetching water risk getting raped.

“Lack of water in Kenya is associated with the high mortality rate among children under five years old, which is primarily due to waterborne diseases such as diarrhoea, malaria, and amoebic dysentery. Contamination from human and livestock waste also causes water-related diseases,” Dr. Joram Mwangi at Eldoret’s Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital told IPS.

A majority of Kenyans have to cling to the little they have for cooking, and forego other things like washing. “Bathing and washing are a problem. We go even for three days without having a shower, because water is expensive. In fact, more expensive than food,” Gaudensia Achieng from Kondele village, outside of Kisumu city on the shores of lake Victoria, told IPS.

Ironically, Lake Victoria is the second largest fresh water lake in the world.

The Ministry of Water and Irrigation transferred the management and operation of water services to the Water Services Boards (WSBs) in 2005. The ministry and the government as a whole have been blamed for failure to address the problem by adopting policies to provide clean water.

“The government should harvest rainwater, which goes to waste during rainy season, and use it for domestic and agricultural purposes,” Dr Martin Keya, who teaches conservation at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology, told IPS. “It should also conserve its water towers, which are eroded daily, and discourage subdivision of land which depletes the soil and encourages population to move into forests.”

He added that the government should train nomadic people in irrigation, provide them with farm inputs like fertiliser and seeds to embrace agriculture, and work with non-governmental organisations, community-based organisations and other self-help groups to dig boreholes across the country to address the problem.

Community borehole changes lives

It is through the intervention of one such NGO, ActionAid Kenya, that a whole division in the Rift Valley region has water and its residents have embraced farming. The happiness written on the face of Loice Kitilil, one of the residents of the division, shows her life has changed for the better.

Gone are the days when she had to walk up to 20 kilometres to look for water with her child perched on her back. Tired of the harsh conditions faced by women in Tangulbei division of East Pokot, Kitilil joined 27 other women and 22 men to found the Kadokoi community water project in 2009. Tangulbei is a dry area in the Rift Valley region of Kenya, about 350 kilometres from Nairobi, the capital city.

Tangulbei division has 40,000 residents. Divisions and districts are administrative units in Kenya.

A drought in the area recently killed people and livestock. The residents are nomadic pastoralists who depend on livestock for their livelihoods. Women are not allowed to own any property and are supposed to stay at home to bear children and perform domestic chores.

It was the difficult living conditions as well as the failure by the government to implement sound water and agricultural policies that prompted the group, through its committee chaired by Philemon Akwija, to approach ActionAid Kenya and ask them to help solve their water problem by helping them dig a borehole.

ActionAid responded by digging them a borehole and providing them with a water tank and solar panels, while the group members supplied stones, sand and ballast for construction. Then like manna from heaven, over 3,000 families were all smiles when they were able to draw clean water, in 2009.

“It was like a miracle for me. I couldn’t believe that now I will be able to walk for 20 metres to fetch water, instead of the 20 kilometres I used to walk earlier,” said Julia Motii, the group’s director.

Growing fresh produce, drip by drip

But the “miracles” did not stop there. In early 2011, officers from Farming Systems Kenya, a local NGO that specialises in agriculture, came knocking with more good news. They told the group that they could also use the water by engaging in irrigation.

“We knew nothing about farming, but officers from ActionAid and Farming Systems taught us farming basics and told us to adopt drip irrigation which they said suited our area. We then raised money to hire a tractor to till three acres close to the borehole. We have now embraced farming,” William Akeno, the group’s vice chairman, told IPS.

The group members were then given seeds by the government to establish a seed nursery. Their farm now has fresh onions, kale and tomatoes.

“We started harvesting our crops last month. We are the only suppliers of onions, tomatoes and kale in the entire division. We make an average of Ksh700 (8.25 dollars) daily. We alternately sell or give free vegetables to our members,” said Motii.

Esther Orot, a group member, is a very happy woman now. “My family used to go hungry for days because of lack of vegetables. We used to send a matatu (minibus) driver to buy us vegetables from Marigat, 80 kilometres away. Sometimes the minibus crew would fail to come back, or would come back and say that there was no vegetable or the money was lost,” she told IPS.

During a visit to the project’s site, Geoffrey Okoth, ActionAid International advisor for Emergencies and Conflicts for Eastern, Central and Southern Africa, commended the members for their good work.

“This is a successful model that can be replicated in the whole region to prepare communities’ resilience against disasters like hunger. If by tilling three acres, you can harvest this, then it means with good farming methods, you can reap more,” Okoth told IPS.

He challenged the men to shun bad cultural practices and help their women in farming, promising them that if the men responded positively, he could commit more funds to the project.

“ActionAid works closely with women because we know that empowering a woman is empowering the nation. If women have resources, it means their families will have food; their children will go to school. I challenge the men to relinquish their positions in the committee to women and see the results,” Okoth said.

Philip Kilonzo, ActionAid Kenya’s advisor on livelihoods, urged men to play a bigger role and asked the group members to identify hard-working members, divide them into groups and allow them to cultivate different crops on different plots.

“Let the members be trained in basic extension practices so that they can understand the new farming dynamics, so that they can use the shamba (plot of land) sustainably and reap maximum benefits,” he said.

Richard Leting, the District Agriculture Officer, promised to work closely with the members. “I will train them and advise them on which crops to grow. I will also make sure they apply for agricultural grants from the government to expand. I will organise exposure tours for them so that they can learn from others,” Leting told IPS.

That won’t surprise Texans who lived through a year in which wildfires roared through the Lone Star State, cattle went thirsty and many Fourth of July fireworks shows were canceled.

The weather service said the average rainfall in Texas in 2011 was 14.89 inches. The previous Read More >]]> By Marice Richter
FORT WORTH, Texas | Sat Jan 7, 2012 7:05pm EST
(Reuters) – It’s official: 2011 was the driest year on record in Texas, according to the National Weather Service. It was also the second-hottest ever.

That won’t surprise Texans who lived through a year in which wildfires roared through the Lone Star State, cattle went thirsty and many Fourth of July fireworks shows were canceled.

The weather service said the average rainfall in Texas in 2011 was 14.89 inches. The previous record of 14.99 inches of average rainfall was set in 1917.

The average temperature in 2011 was 67.2 degrees. The warmest year on record was 1921, when the average temperature was 67.5 degrees, the weather service said.

The prolonged Texas drought is to blame for devastating agriculture and livestock losses, estimated in the billions of dollars.

The historic drought has killed as many as half a billion trees, not including those that died in wildfires that scorched some 4 million acres in 2011, the Texas Forest Service has reported.

While some parts of Texas received substantial rainfall during December, 97.83 percent of the state remained in severe drought this week, according to a Thursday report by the U.S. Drought Monitor.

In addition, 32.4 percent of Texas lingered in exceptional drought, the most extreme category, according to the Drought Monitor.

The current drought started in fall 2010. The period from October 2010 through September 2011 was the driest period ever, when average rainfall was only 11.18 inches, according to a report by the state climatologist.

The most drought-stricken areas are in southwest Texas as well as through the central and south-central regions of the state.

“We expect the drought to continue at least through the spring,” said Joe Harris, a meteorologist for the weather service in Fort Worth.

“The La Nina weather pattern will continue, meaning more dry weather and above-average temperatures.”

Whether you see a glass of water as half-full or half-empty depends on whether you are pouring or drinking.

Most of us in the greater Austin region get our drinking water from Lakes Travis and Buchanan, and as we start the New Year, our glass is almost two-thirds empty.

The past year brought us the hottest summer and driest 12-month period in recorded Texas history, and our state climatologist has warned that the drought could last until 2020. The Read More >]]> Tom Mason, Local Contributor

Whether you see a glass of water as half-full or half-empty depends on whether you are pouring or drinking.

Most of us in the greater Austin region get our drinking water from Lakes Travis and Buchanan, and as we start the New Year, our glass is almost two-thirds empty.

The past year brought us the hottest summer and driest 12-month period in recorded Texas history, and our state climatologist has warned that the drought could last until 2020. The December rains, while welcome, came nowhere close to ending the current drought. What is a thirsty state to do?

On Jan. 5, the Texas Water Development Board will publish its 2012 State Water Plan that reflects years of work by 16 different regional planning groups from across Texas.

It projects that by the year 2060:

Texas’ population will almost double, to more than 46 million people.

Water demand will increase by 22 percent, but existing water supplies will decrease about 10 percent, largely because of declining groundwater production.

Texas will need 8.3 million acre feet of additional water supply (an acre foot of water is 325,851 gallons, the amount that covers an acre of land one foot deep).

According to the 2012 plan, water management strategies recommended by the regional planning groups, including 562 new water supply projects, could provide an additional 9 million acre feet of water per year at a cost of $53 billion.

Many of the proposals will be controversial — especially when it comes to large new reservoirs and financing major projects. Mark Twain said that “whiskey is for drinking and water is for fighting,” and some claim that we are about to enter a period of intense, jealous infighting over water. Yet to waste time fighting would be selfish and short-sighted. With tough choices ahead, we need to keep these things in mind:

1. Water conservation is the fastest and least expensive way to make more water available. It is a key assumption of the new water plan, but most agree that conservation alone cannot meet projected water demands over the long term.

2. We need to focus on water need, not water greed. Water is a shared, finite resource that everyone needs to survive, and we must work toward a collective sense of reasonable water use so that everyone — cities, farms, business, bays and estuaries — gets their fair share.

3. Water is not going to get any cheaper. Apart from conservation, most water strategies take significant dollar investments. Delay and indecision are not our friends; we should invest now in order to avoid even higher water bills in the future.

4. New reservoirs alone won’t solve our water problem, and many of the reservoir proposals in the new water plan may never be built. Large reservoirs are extremely expensive, and Uncle Sam’s wallet is shut tight. Condemning land for major projects is contentious and costly in a private property rights state like Texas, and important environmental concerns have to be addressed.

5. Groundwater will be an important part of our water future, but inconsistent regulations by different local groundwater districts, many of them inadequately funded and under-resourced, along with the unsettled state of Texas groundwater law, create uncertainty that hampers long-term investment.

6. Finally, successful water planning must be aligned with carefully considered energy choices. It takes water to produce most energy (such as cooling for coal and gas plants), and it takes energy to treat and pump water.

The 2012 State Water Plan is a major achievement.

Now we need to exert the will to end the water wars and begin to work together on solutions that cross political and river basin boundaries — solutions that put the state’s interests ahead of special interests. We must do it as if we believed our state’s future and our children’s lives depend on it. And in truth, they do.

Mason, an attorney with Graves Dougherty Hearon & Moody, is the former general manager of the Lower Colorado River Authority.

To quench the thirst of Southern California’s some 20 million people, water must be imported from hundreds of miles away, across a daunting array of deserts, valleys and mountains. For decades, Angelenos have muttered a doomsday refrain: our water supply isn’t sustainable and we are going to have to get smarter about managing it — at some point. The obviousness of the problem, however, instilled a kind of panicked lassitude. Read More >]]> By JENS ERIK GOULD / LOS ANGELES Monday, Jan. 03, 2011

To quench the thirst of Southern California’s some 20 million people, water must be imported from hundreds of miles away, across a daunting array of deserts, valleys and mountains. For decades, Angelenos have muttered a doomsday refrain: our water supply isn’t sustainable and we are going to have to get smarter about managing it — at some point. The obviousness of the problem, however, instilled a kind of panicked lassitude. The discussion became predictable: alarm would set in during times of drought, as authorities talked of restrictions and plans to boost local water sources. Then rainy years would follow, and L.A. and its surrounding cities would move on to other, supposedly more pressing issues. Through it all, the mentality remained the same: sprinklers outside city buildings and private homes continued to feed large grassy lawns even while it was raining, using water brought from far away.

Now, authorities once again are saying the time has finally come for a change. They say they’re actually going to do it. Should we believe them?

Maybe. Simply because Southern California may no longer have a choice but to stop its lavish ways. Sometime in January, authorities will again limit the amount of water the California Aqueduct transports from northern mountains and substitute it with water from reservoirs. That’s been happening in the winter and spring seasons ever since environmental protections imposed limits on water that passes through the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta in a bid to protect endangered smelt. The measures are designed to protect the fish from being drawn into large pumps and killed when the State Water Project pumps water at high volumes. Conservation groups and fishing groups have championed the measures ever since a judge put them in place four years ago. But the protections are a huge point of contention for local water agencies and farmers who have lost water supply. Both have launched a series of legal challenges that haven’t prevailed. “We’ve been in court nonstop since 2006 on these biological opinions — with either environmental groups suing, saying they’re not strict enough, or us suing, saying they’re too strict,” says Jeffrey Kightlinger, general manager for The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.