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The Whole Enchilada - A Summary of the Water Bills

November 6, 2009

Posted by Barry Nelson in U.S. Law and Policy

Here is an excellent summary of the water reform package passed by the state legislature on Nov. 4, as well as a summary of the water bond – with links to the final language.  My colleagues and I will be...continued

On Leadership and the Water Package

November 6, 2009

Posted by Barry Nelson in U.S. Law and Policy

Tags:
bay-delta, bills, california, california assembly, california senate, delta, Jared Huffman, legislation, package, policy, pro Tempore, reform, Steinberg, water

A great deal has been written about the substance of the water reform bills that was passed by the legislature in the wee hours Wednesday.  Here’s NRDC’s statement on the three key bills.  And here’s a thoughtful editorial from the Los Angeles...continued

Why do some water users object to the state constitution?

October 28, 2009

Posted by Barry Nelson in U.S. Law and Policy

Tags:
california, californiaconstitution, legislation, waterconservation, waterpolicy

In general, the direction of the legislation currently under consideration in the state legislature is encouraging. However, in addition to the positive developments, a remarkable debate is taking place in the legislature today. Some water users and legislators have asked...continued

The Growing Middle on California Water Legislation

October 28, 2009

Posted by Barry Nelson in Health and the Environment

Tags:
california, californiarivers, californiawater, centralvalleyproject, delta, fishermen, fishing, salmon, water, waterpolicy, watersupply, waterwars, westlands

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Since the end of the legislative session in September, support for ambitious water reform legislation has been growing steadily. Not only is the list of those calling for change long, but it also...continued

Small Fry and Salmon Runs

October 20, 2009

Posted by Barry Nelson in Saving Wildlife and Wild Places

Tags:
california, chinook, Feather river, fish, fisheries, rivers, salmon, water, water policy

Last Saturday, my wife and I took a canoe trip with her nieces and nephew down the Feather River to watch one of California's most dramatic natural spectacles - the fall spawning run of Chinook salmon. The kids get very...continued

California Hits Peak Water, But Virtual River Offers Solution

October 15, 2009

Posted by Barry Nelson in Health and the Environment

Tags:
baydelta, california, californiadrought, californiarivers, californiawater, coloradoriver, klamathriver, losangeles, monolakebasin, owensriver, peakwater, salmon, sandiego, sanjoaquinriver, sb68, trinityriver, virtualriver, waterconservation, waterefficiency, waterrecycling

In the past decade, people have become familiar with the concept of peak oil -- the notion that we have passed the zenith of oil extraction and are facing a steady decline in the amount of oil we can recover....continued

Hope is a Thing with Fins

October 15, 2009

Posted by Barry Nelson in Saving Wildlife and Wild Places

Tags:
baydelta, california, friantdam, sanjoaquinriverrestoration, sb68, waterpolicy

Two weeks ago, the Bureau of Reclamation turned the valves on Friant Dam and sent a big shot of liquid hope down to the Delta.  This hope came in two forms.  First, the San Joaquin has suffered for years from...continued

Horseshoes, Hand Grenades and California Water Policy

September 14, 2009

Posted by Barry Nelson in Health and the Environment

Tags:
california, californiawater, delta, deltavision, salmon, sanjoaquinriver, sanjoaquinsacramentodelta, waterconservation, waterrecycling

Harry Truman once said that "close only counts with horseshoes and hand grenades."  In the coming year, we'll see if close also counts in California water policy.  Last Friday, in the closing hours of the legislative session for the year,...continued

The Delta, California Water Policy and the Legislative Art of Hostage Taking

August 19, 2009

Posted by Barry Nelson in Living Sustainably , Saving Wildlife and Wild Places

Tags:
baydelta, californiawater, dams, deltavisiontaskforce, virtualriver, water

Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 Yesterday, just as the Senate and Assembly water committees began a joint hearing on an ambitious package of Delta and water reform bills, Governor Schwarzenegger released a letter outlining his  requirements for signing any...continued

The California Water Bills: How to Make the Delta More Like the Netherlands than New Orleans

August 14, 2009

Posted by Barry Nelson in Health and the Environment

Tags:
bayconservationanddevelopmentcommission, baydelta, delta, flooding, globalwarming, levees, netherlands, neworleans, sealevelrise

What do Dutch engineers and the new California water governance bills have to do with one another? Quite a lot, I realized the other afternoon, as I listened to a group of engineers explain how the Netherlands is preparing its...continued

Skin in the Game: A Lesson for Planning the Future of the Delta

August 11, 2009

Posted by Barry Nelson in Health and the Environment

Tags:
baydeltaconservationplan, californiawater, delta, peripheralcanal, sanjoaquinsacramentodelta, waterconservation

A recent op-ed written by Delta Senator Lois Wolk points out an obvious truth, but one that she thinks has been forgotten in the Delta: When you are planning the future of a community, you have to involve the community. ...continued

A Rare Opportunity for Change: California's Five New Water Bills

August 10, 2009

Posted by Barry Nelson in Health and the Environment , Solving Global Warming

Tags:
california, californiadrought, centralvalleyproject, delta, deltavisiontaskforce, globalwarming, waterconservation, waterefficiency

I have been working on California water issues for 25 years, and I've learned that major opportunities for transformative change doesn't come around too often. Now is one of those times. Late last week, the California Legislature released a package...continued

New Report Shows Enormous Potential for Agricultural Water Conservation

July 24, 2009

Posted by Barry Nelson in Living Sustainably

Tags:
agriculture, californiaeconomy, drought, water, waterconservation, waterefficiency, watersupply

There’s no single “silver bullet” to meeting California’s future water needs, particularly in light of the likely impacts of our changing climate and the unlikelihood of squeezing more water out of the Colorado River or the Bay-Delta.  Instead, we’re going...continued

America's Water Crisis Gets the Jon Stewart Treatment

July 23, 2009

Posted by Barry Nelson in Living Sustainably

Tags:
drought, glennon, jonstewart, stormwater, virtualriver, wastewaterrecycling, water, waterconservation, waterefficiency

This week, questions about the future of our water supply got the celebrity treatment: a feature on the Daily Show. Robert Glennon, a professor of law and public policy at the University of Arizona, went on the show to talk...continued

A Drought Agenda for California

June 11, 2009

Posted by Barry Nelson in Living Sustainably

Tags:
ab49, californiawater, delta, drought, efficiency, virtualriver

 With a third dry year, reduced water supplies, crashing fisheries and multiple crises in the Bay-Delta, the water challenges facing California have never been greater.  Fortunately, as a result of the drought, the work of the Delta Vision Task Force...continued

Barry Nelson
Barry Nelson
Senior Policy Analyst, Water Program
San Francisco
During the week, I’m the director of the California Vision Project for NRDC’s Water Program,...
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