Monthly Archives: October 2009

Meet the lovely brown widow

By Alex Breitler | Published: October 30, 2009 | Comments closed
  Did you know there was such thing as a brown widow spider? I didn’t. But a press release with a Halloween hook from U.C. Davis tells us that these nasties, originally from Africa, have invaded Florida, Texas and now Southern California — and may ultimately be headed for the Central Valley. The good news: The brown widow isn’t [...]
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Noon showdown

By Alex Breitler | Published: October 30, 2009 | Comments closed
The state Senate will meet in floor session at noon Monday to take up the water policy bill. Restore the Delta tonight is urging its members to contact their representatives first thing Monday morning. Also, the Delta Counties Coalition — also sometimes called the 5 Counties Coalition — has come out in support of Alyson Huber’s [...]
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Berryhill adds voice

By Alex Breitler | Published: October 30, 2009 | Comments closed
Today’s story on El Dorado Hills democrat Alyson Huber’s bill to block a peripheral canal without legislative vote should have mentioned that Assemblymember Bill Berryhill, R-Ceres, whose district includes much of east San Joaquin County and north Stockton, is a co-sponsor. “It’s a bi-partisan bill,” Berryhill’s spokesman said. Wes Chesbro, D-North Coast, is also a co-sponsor.
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Lotsa $$$$$

By Alex Breitler | Published: October 29, 2009 | Comments closed
A lobbyist for Westlands Water District told legislators at yesterday’s bond hearing that environmental studies for conveyance (a peripheral canal) will top $175 million. Again, that’s for the studies. “It is an enormous expense,” said Westlands’ Ed Manning. The canal itself has wildly disparate cost estimates — from $6-12 billion to $23-54 billion, depending who you ask. The [...]
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The bonds are out

By Alex Breitler | Published: October 28, 2009 | Comments closed
Bond measures to pay for proposed water and Delta improvements are out, and will be discussed today at a 1 p.m. Senate and Assembly joint committee meeting. The proposals are for $9.4 billion or just a shade under. The Republican version from Sen. Dave Cogdill can be read here; the Democrat bill from Senate Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg can [...]
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Word of the day: Evolving

By Alex Breitler | Published: October 27, 2009 | Comments closed
While today’s story on the Delta water bill focused on a comment by a Westlands Water District lobbyist, I think one of the key words in the entire bill is “evolving.” The bill — you can read it here, look for SBX7 1  – talks a lot about achieving the coequal goals of a stable water supply and [...]
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Water bill to be introduced today

By Alex Breitler | Published: October 23, 2009 | Comments closed
This just in, from the press office of Senate Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg: “Senator Steinberg will introduce the water policy bill (SB X7- 1) today once the language is back from legislative counsel.  The bill will be in print and online for review tomorrow (Saturday).  “The bill represents language negotiated up to this point.  “There will be a [...]
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Peripheral canal mailer

By Alex Breitler | Published: October 23, 2009 | Comments closed
Here’s the latest peripheral canal mailer, this time sent out by Assemblywoman Alyson Huber, who represents a portion of the Delta. The image of a canal morphing into a So Cal freeway is nifty, but the mailer is a bit misleading in suggesting that the canal would send “our water to Los Angeles.” It would also [...]
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Here we go again

By Alex Breitler | Published: October 19, 2009 | Comments closed
The Legislature’s special session on water kicks off with a 10 a.m. joint hearing of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water, and the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee. Sounds like some hard details about the latest Delta proposal should come out then, after weeks of speculation. The hearing is in Room 4202 at the [...]
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El Nino delivers?

By Alex Breitler | Published: October 15, 2009 | Comments closed
  On the heels of Tuesday’s storm, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration today released its winter outlook for for the U.S., and it’s promising. “We expect El Niño to strengthen and persist through the winter months, providing clues as to what the weather will be like during the period,” says Mike Halpert, deputy director of the [...]
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