Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Capital press. (Salem, OR) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (March 6, 2015)
March 6, 2015 CapitalPress.com 11 California Subscribe to our weekly California email newsletter at CapitalPress.com/newsletters Bill aims to speed completion of Sites Reservoir study By TIM HEARDEN Capital Press MAXWELL, Calif. — A Northern California congress- man says he hopes his bill in Congress will motivate state and federal planners to complete a feasibility study of the proposed Sites Reservoir near here. Rep. John Garamendi, D-Calif., has cosponsored a bill with Rep. Doug LaMalfa, R-Ca- lif., to set a deadline of late next year for the study and to autho- rize construction of the project if needed. “The bill is a statement of support by the two representa- tives in the area,” Garamendi told the Capital Press. “It also has the purpose of stimulating discussion in Congress and within the administration — the Interior Department, the Com- merce Department and (Envi- ronmental Protection Agency). This issue is alive and it is going to move.” Tim Hearden/Capital Press A ranch sits in the heart of a valley west of Maxwell, Calif., that would be under water if the proposed Sites Reservoir were built. California Reps. John Garamendi and Doug LaMalfa have intro- duced a bill to expedite a feasibility study of the project. Photo courtesy of ACWA California Reps. John Garamendi, left, a Democrat, and Doug LaMalfa, a Republican, give an overview of their bill expediting a feasibility study on the proposed Sites Reservoir near Maxwell, Calif. The bill would authorize construction for the project if it is found to be feasible. The U.S. Bureau of Recla- mation, the state Department of Water Resources and other agencies have been studying the workability of the planned 1.8 million acre-foot reservoir since before the CALFED Bay-Delta Program’s record of decision in 2000 listed Sites as a potential project. Talk of building the reservoir heated up again with the cam- paign to pass a $7.5 billion state water bond, which voters ap- proved in November. The Cali- fornia Water Commission could begin awarding bond money to storage projects as early as De- cember 2016. Garamendi’s and LaMal- fa’s House Resolution 1060 would require the feasibility study to be done in time for funding from the bond and would authorize the federal government to lead construc- tion of the project if needed. “We think California vot- ers have spoken loud and clear that they support new storage,” LaMalfa spokesman Kevin Eastman said. “We’re trying to create an avenue to meet that need.” The $3.6 billion Sites Res- ervoir project is one of several around the state that has been identified for potential funding from the bond’s $2.7 billion al- located for storage. Others in- clude the proposed $2.5 billion Temperance Flat Reservoir near Fresno and a plan to raise Shasta Dam by as much as 18 feet. For the Sites project in west- ern Colusa and Glenn counties, a joint powers authority formed in 2009 has been gathering com- mitments from those that would benefit from the additional wa- ter supply, as bond funds would only pay for such public benefits as recreation and environmental enhancement. The bill comes as the state Department of Water Resourc- es reported on Feb. 20 that Sites could generate as much as 900,000 acre-feet of additional water storage during drought years. An acre-foot is enough water to serve a family house- hold for a year. The feasibility study and environmental reviews will “be- come very important in quanti- fying” environmental benefits from the reservoir project, Gara- mendi said. Calif. shuts down oil wells Study: Onion seed producers should limit pesticides to protect ground water Garlic and Onion Research and pollen germination.” By TIM HEARDEN Associated Press FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — A dozen wells used to pump oil- and-gas in California’s Central Valley have been ordered to stop production to protect un- derground drinking-water from contamination, officials said Tuesday. The operators of 10 oil wells in Kern County voluntarily stopped production, while two were issued cease-and-desist orders, said Steven Bohlen, head of oil, gas and geothermal resources for the California De- partment of Conservation. Groundwater surrounding the wells will be tested for trac- es of contamination. The action came after a re- view found more than 2,500 instances when the state au- thorized the injection of oil- field waste into protected water aquifers that could be used for drinking or irrigating crops. In addition, California — the nation’s leading agricultural state — enters a fourth drought year with farmers relying heav- ily on scarce underground wa- ter supplies. “It doesn’t necessarily mean that the aquifers have been spoiled,” Bohlen said in a tele- phone call with reporters. He said another 11 wells were shut down last year, and so far testing has found no ev- idence of contamination. Years of confusion, lax oversight and miscommunica- tion among state and federal regulators are to blame for in- jecting protected groundwater with the waste, says a separate report made public Tuesday by California’s Environmental Protection Agency. Capital Press WOODLAND, Calif. — A farm advisor here is urging onion seed growers to take steps to protect their crop in light of new research showing that pesticide applications can repel the honeybees that are crucial to production. A four-year study by Uni- versity of California Agricul- ture and Natural Resources scientists found that if pesti- cides are applied repeatedly before onion bloom, honey- bees are less likely to visit when the flowers opened up. Honeybee visitation has a di- rect impact on seed yield, they said. The study suggests grow- ers should limit their insecti- cide applications in fields, as researchers started seeing re- duced honeybee activity with three or more applications, Courtesy of Kathy Keatley Garve, UCANR A honeybee collects nectar on an onion blossom. said Rachael Long, a UC Co- operative Extension advisor here who led the study. “Number one, they should definitely really be careful when using pesticide sprays not to apply it close to bloom,” Long said. “That’s when we saw the greatest impact … on bee activity Growers should also watch their water use, as fields that are too saturated or too dry are more susceptible to the iris yellow spot virus spread by the onion thrips for which they have to spray, she said. Weed control is important, too, as weeds can harbor the virus, she said. The southern Sacramento Valley is a big player in onion seed production, as many dif- ferent varieties are grown in the region to produce the seed that’s used on onion farms throughout the world, the UC explains in a news release. Growers and onion compa- nies started seeing lower seed yields several years ago, and Long noticed a trend in the insecticides that growers were using, she said. The use of fun- gicides doesn’t appear to affect bees, she said. The UC and the California Advisory Board received a $250,000 specialty-crop grant from the state Department of Food and Agriculture to look into the problem. The garlic and onion board also provided some funding for research. The study didn’t find that applications harmed bees, as appeared to be the case when some orchard applications at the end of almond bloom last year led to a massive bee die- off. The incident prompted the Almond Board of California to issue best-practices guidelines and urge growers to consult with beekeepers when plan- ning their sprays. Onion-seed acreage is much smaller than that of al- monds, and growers and seed companies tend to have close relationships with the bee pro- ducers they hire, said Bob Ehn, the onion and garlic board’s chief executive officer. 10-4/#6 By SCOTT SMITH 10-4/#6