Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Drought Proclamation Redux, UCLA Extension Sustainability Certificate Malibu Creek Watershed Tour + Santa Monica Mountains Watersheds Council Newsletter

Dear Santa Monica Mountains Watersheds Council Members,

Feels like the Santa Ana winds in ... April.  

DROUGHT
Drought Proclamation Redux
Governor Jerry Brown has issued a second proclamation about the drought in order to expedite water supply / water conservation related projects. Thanks to Lynn Rodriguez, Project Manager, Watershed Coalition of Ventura County for the update. 
Ms. Rodriguez notes: 

"According to the Administration, this proclamation will enable several important actions to be taken urgently as we head into several months of the dry season.  The proclamation expedites the approval of water transfers, emergency drinking water projects , and habitat monitoring and protection.  It also streamlines normal regulations to enable fire protection, recycled water projects, and purchasing of equipment for emergency drought response.

The proclamation also calls on Californians to  take specific actions to avoid wasting water including limiting lawn watering and car washing, recommends that schools, parks and golf courses limit the use of potable water for irrigation; and asks that hotels and restaurants give customers options to conserve water by only serving water upon request and other measures.  The Water Board will work with local water agencies to ensure such water conservation measures are implemented.

Up-to-date information on the state’s drought response is always available at www.drought.ca.gov."

 See attached.

EVENTS
Malibu Creek Watershed Tour with UCLA Extension Sustainability Certificate Program
Date:Saturday, May 31
Time: 8:30 - 5:00
Location, Starting / Ending point:  Las Virgenes Municipal Water District

On Saturday, May 31, I will be teaching a class for the UCLA Extension Sustainability Certificate program.  

We have an incredible array of speakers including the likes of Councilmember John Sibert from the City of Malibu, Suzanne Goode at State Parks, Dr. Karen Martin from Pepperdine and more and will be looking at a number of restoration venues starting in Calabasas and ending in Malibu.  

UCLA has graciously made this event open to the public. If you want to join us, please register today as the course is filling up.


Further information attached.

Thank you so much to all the people in the Malibu Creek Watershed who are helping to make this event possible.

Headwaters to Ocean H2O Conference: Last Chance for Hotel Discount Tomorrow
Date: May 27-29, 2014
Location: Catamaran Resort Hotel on Mission Bay in San Diego, California
These conferences are always crammed with great talks that leave attendees inspired to go do better. Our watersheds and oceans want you to attend.

RESTORATION OPPORTUNITIES
Owl Boxes: Get One Now

NEWS + RESEARCH
What's the Dam Pricetag?
This information forwarded by Rosi Dagit, RCDSMM:
“A study of 245 large dams carried out at Oxford University shows that big hydropower is uneconomic. Actual costs are typically double pre-construction estimates - and have not improved over 70 years.
Project promoters deceive the decision-makers and the public with strategic misrepresentations.
Researchers at Oxford University have found that planners and policymakers systematically underestimate the costs and time required to implement large dam projects.
The actual costs of large dams were 96% higher than the estimate, on average, and implementation took 44% longer than scheduled.”
The study is based on the most comprehensive economic analysis of large dams ever undertaken. "Large dams" refers to dams with a wall height in excess of 15 meters.

Since 1934, no improvement in economic assessments
The study, which is based on a representative sample of 245 large hydropower dams built in 65 different countries between 1934 and 2007, concludes that cost and time overruns have not improved over time.
 
 
  
Dennis Riecke
2014 SDAFS President-Elect
Can Chimps Sue People?

And As for Trees...
You cannot read the above article on animal rights without reading the classic book "Should Trees Have Standing?" by Christopher Stone as background.

Meandering Mississippi
Hydrology is all about change.  Rivers change their routes over time, sometimes quite rapidly.  
Former Topanga Creek Watershed Coordinator Patricia Lea Watts shared this beauty: http://www.visualnews.com/2011/09/24/vintage-maps-trace-the-meandering-mississippi/

Urban Gardening: Thinking About Soil Safety / Soil Contaminants
Embedded in the article below is this Soil Safety Guide, which gives at least a cursory examination of what could be problematic about urban gardening with some suggested solutions:
Note that if you are in the Santa Monica Mountains, you are probably safe. However, the comments about railway ties, leaching of paint into soils hold true anywhere. We are more likely to have to think about how deep the septic tank is, where it leaches, etc.

Water Quality Testing: the Urban Version

Can Africa Leap-frog the Carbon Energy Age?
Bridget Crocker at Patagonia forwarded this article; a totally heartening look at developing nations' energy needs:

The Last Time I Feed Bread to the Birds...
This article shared by Nancy Hastings, Surfrider, will change your thoughts on feeding the birds.  
Apparently white flour causes "Angel Wing" in which birds' wings and feathers grow in poorly with increased curvature; thisultimately prevents them from flying.
Honestly, it gave me second thoughts about my children's preference for white bread.

Collaboration Between Mexico and the United States to Bring Back the Colorado River Delta
Note that if reading this in Spanish feels too heroic, Google translator can and will help you out nearly instantaneously.

Sunny News
Apparently homeowners can get solar for zero down.  
Sent in by Ruth Taylor Kilday.

Taking the Ban on Rat Poison to the Next Level

Update on the RCDSMM Santa Monica Mountains Watershed Coordinator Program
This week, I am writing on the watershed plan.  The current grant ends this Saturday on May 3rd.

Governor Jerry Brown has agreed to extend some of the California Department of Conservation Watershed Coordinator grants if the Coordinators commit to working on drought reduction related projects, to whit... water conservation, water supply and ... water conservation.  The RCDSMM has been offered a six month extension at fourteen hours a week.    

I will be back when the contract is signed in Sacramento.

Until then, walk in beauty.

Sincerely,
Melina WattsSanta Monica Mountains Watersheds Coordinator
Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains

malibucreekwatershed@gmail.com
http://www.rcdsmm.org/santa-monica-mountains-watersheds-council

310.383.9978

Join the Santa Monica Mountains Watersheds Council on facebook for updates on news and events.

Support the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains: Donate.

The Santa Monica Mountains Watersheds Coordinator Program is a program of  the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains and is funded by a Proposition 84 grant from the California Department of Conservation and via support from the Cities of Agoura Hills and Westlake Village, the California Department of State Parks, the California Association of Conservation Districts, Ozzie Silna, the  National Park Service,  the Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains.

Friday, April 18, 2014

Twitttery

I decided it was time to get with the program: I just joined twitter. First post:

Come take my class #MalibuCreekWatershedTour #uclaextension on Saturday, May 31. See: https://t.co/lV1aOHXFvn pic.twitter.com/TMKCL2ELA0

— Melina Watts (@melinaswatts) April 18, 2014 ">

Tuesday, April 1, 2014

UCLA EXTENSION Sustainability Certificate Program: the Malibu Creek Watershed Tour on Saturday, May 31

https://www.uclaextension.edu/pages/Course.aspx?reg=248276


Malibu Creek Watershed Tour

ENVIRO 701
Reg. #StatusLocationStart DateQtr/YrFee
248276WOpenSanta Monica5/31/2014SP 14$45Add to Cart
Join us on this informative series of visits to sites in the Santa Monica Mountains. Features: Watershed Overview, Calabasas Creek Restoration site tour, Councilmember Mary Sue Maurer and City Engineer Alex Farassati; Discussion: of Upper Las Virgenes Open Space Acquisition, Mountain Lion/Large Mammal corridor needs; Las Virgenes Municipal Water District Rancho Composting Facility; Las Virgenes Municipal Water District Tapia Treatment Facility site tour; King Gillette Ranch Native Plants Garden site tour; Rindge Dam site tour; At Legacy Park: Malibu City Staff + Councilmember John Sibert; Walking Tour by Dr. Richard Ambrose, UCLA; Malibu Lagoon Restoration: Tour by Suzanne Goode, State Parks; Shoreline Tour, Dr. Karen Martin, Pepperdine Talk on Grunion; and California Wildlife Center, Marcella Bell, MPA, Executive Director.

Enrollment limited; advance enrollment required. 

Enrollment deadline: May 15

Santa Monica: Location to be announced
Saturday, 8:30am-5pm,
May 31


1 meeting tota
https://www.uclaextension.edu/pages/Course.aspx?reg=248276