It took long months of delicate negotiations - and the last-minute deletion of a project dear to the heart of the state's most powerful legislator - for California lawmakers to craft what could turn out to be one of the most pivotal water deals in state history. »

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Monday endorsed the $11 billion water bond included as part of the five-bill package approved by state legislators last week. The bill, if passed by voters one year from now, will fund major dam and canal projects to help the state combat serious drought conditions that have plagued the region since 2005. »

The National Marine Fisheries Service announced that it will develop a recovery plan for threatened green sturgeon. The notice will appear in Thursday’s Federal Register. A recovery plan is a legally mandated roadmap to how an endangered animal or plant species can be brought back from the brink and eventually be secure enough from the risk of extinction to be removed from the endangered species list. »

With willow trees, migrating geese and local politicians as his backdrop, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday visited San Jose to sign a new water conservation law that aims to reduce urban use 20 percent statewide by 2020. »

California for the first time will require water users to disclose ground-water levels as a result of legislation recently approved by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and lawmakers. »

Butte County water leaders are fine-tuning a program for tracking groundwater levels to make it easier to take action when water levels drop.  »

Sutter Pointe remains only a spot on the south Sutter County map. But a disagreement already has developed over whether the county — or a private company — will slake the planned city's thirst. »

Locally, there are disparate groups of players, many that have different goals including surface water districts with a history of water transfers, environmental groups with a history of lawsuits, watershed groups, groundwater users, city water users, etc. The state would like these groups to work together on the key issues, which include drought, floods, population increase and environmental protection — all under the looming umbrella of unknown climate changes.  »

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Yuba City updates water ordinance Marysville Appeal-Democrat-11/17/09 By Ashley Gebb The Yuba City City Council adopted a new water system ordinance on Tuesday that will eliminate out-of-city surcharges for some customers, allow others to connect to surface water for a decreased cost and establish procedures for rental accounts, among other updates. Most residents likely will not see any impacts, said Utilities Director Bill Lewis. »

The Sacramento River Conservation Area Forum is back to work after a nine-month hiatus resulting from state budget cuts in January. Refunding allows staff to resume working to protect the private landowners along the river, while helping to see the river's health protected and enhanced for Northern California.  »

With no significant rain for months, it's odd to see water in Lindo Channel, but there's a reason for it. Beavers. Again. Chico General Services Director Dennis Beardsley said there has been beaver activity noted near the weir at Five-Mile Dam.  »

Lassen is the latest California county to be designated a primary natural disaster area by the federal government because of this year's drought. »

Lawmakers want voters to borrow $11 billion next year to keep California supplied with clean water, but more than $1 billion of the money is earmarked for projects that have little or nothing to do with quenching the state's thirst. »

The number of Chinook salmon returning to spawn this autumn in Central Valley rivers is fluctuating wildly - from improved returns in the Feather, Mokelumne and American rivers to returns as poor as 60 percent below last year's counts in Battle Creek, the most important spawning stream in the Sacramento River system. »

Voters who will decide whether to fund levee fixes along the Feather River now have a cost estimate. Officials with the Sutter Butte Flood Control Agency on Wednesday placed an estimated $200 million price tag on a project to bolster levees along the Feather's west bank.  »

Flood control and tobacco retailer licensing dominated the Woodland City Council meeting Tuesday night. Gary Hester from the Central Valley Flood Protection Board and the Department of Water Recourses shared with the council a statewide initiative dealing with flood safety called the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan (CVFPP). The plan impacts Woodland because it dictates development must have 200-year flood protection. »

According to documents filed on November 5 with the Superior Court of Nevada County, Nevada Irrigation District and its board of directors are being sued for violations of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). Trevor and Sue Robbins, property owners along the district's DS Canal, are the petitioners/plaintiffs in the case. »

A tentative wastewater treatment permit has been issued to Yuba City, which — if approved — would save residents about $65 million. »

Lawmakers in August banned suction dredging throughout the state until an environmental report is finished, which DFG officials said Wednesday won't be until the middle of 2011. About 200 people were at the meeting and many questioned why DFG officials would close down suction dredging before completing a full study. »

A proposal for a water bottling plant received a steady barrage of criticism Wednesday at a meeting of the Orland Technical Advisory Committee. After nearly five hours of testimony by the public, officials postponed making a decision about the Crystal Geyser sparkling mineral water bottling plant.  »

The Red Bluff City Manager presented a project for River Park and the area around Red Bank Creek that would require removing the sand bar in front of River Park and dredging a channel to create a shallow spot for migrating fish to rest as they travel upstream something of a fish hotel. »

While Californians worry about the three-year drought dragging on another season, researchers say climate change soon could create much longer dry spells – lasting decades or even centuries. »

Compared to building new reservoirs, recycling or seawater desalination, conservation is one of the cheapest, quickest and least environmentally damaging ways for the state to get more water. »

Heartfelt Designs Gallery, a Patagonia dealer, presented a check for a Patagonia Conservation grant to the Sacramento River Discovery Center. »

Environmentalists are appealing a federal judge's decision to keep more than 100 water contracts on the books. They claim water deliveries could harm a fish species native to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.  »