SACRAMENTO – The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) adopted regulations last Tuesday evening requiring all surface water right holders and claimants to report their diversions.

Those who divert more than 10 acre-feet of water per year must also measure their diversions.

The regulations, which apply to about 12,000 water right holders and claimants, require annual reporting of water diversions.

The regulations cover all surface water diversions, including those under pre-1914 and riparian water rights, as well as licenses, permits, registrations for small domestic, small irrigation and livestock stockwatering and stockpond certificates.

Previously, pre-1914 and riparian right holders were only required to report every three years, and measurement requirements could be avoided if the right holder deemed them not locally cost effective. About 70 percent of such diverters claimed that exemption.

The goal of the new regulation is to provide more accurate and timely information on water use in California to enable better management of the state’s water resources.

“Knowing where, when, and how much water is being used is essential to managing the system fairly for all,” said State Water Board Chair Felicia Marcus. “We've historically not had a complete picture, and these past two years have made it even more essential to take this common sense move.”

California’s extended drought has highlighted the need for more accurate, timely information. This information is critical to ensuring that priority water needs are met, that water right holders are informed of water availability and that adequate flows remain instream for more senior downstream beneficial uses.

The regulations provide for phasing in requirements for installing measurement devices and a tiered approach to accuracy and recording frequency standards, all based on the size of the diversion.

For instance, large diverters with a claimed right to take 1,000 acre feet of water or more per year are required to have a measuring device or measuring method capable of recording at least hourly in place by Jan. 1, 2017; those with claimed rights to divert 100 acre feet or more must comply by July 1, 2017 and record at least daily; and those with claimed rights to divert more than 10 acre feet must comply by Jan. 1, 2018 and record at least weekly.

All diverters, regardless of size, are required to report their monthly diversions on an annual basis. The regulations also allow the State Water Board to require more frequent reporting when available water supplies are determined insufficient to serve all water right holders in a watershed or necessary to protect the environment.

Failure to comply with the regulations is a violation subject to civil liability of up to $500 per day under the Water Code.

The new regulations implement Senate Bill 88, passed by the legislature and signed into law by the Governor on June 24, 2015. They are adopted as emergency regulations, exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and will remain in effect until revised. They take effect upon approval of the state Office of Administrative Law.

The regulations were developed with substantial input over the past few months from water rights and water management experts, and stakeholders.

For more information on the regulations, visit http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/board_info/agendas/2016/jan/011916_7_draft_regs.pdf .

LAKEPORT, Calif. – It’s been many years since many older Lake County residents got their driver’s license. Yet the driving experience is significantly different from even a decade ago with changing vehicles, changing technology, changing road rules and even changing roadways.

Residents can refresh their skills and have the opportunity to save money on their car insurance with the new, enhanced AARP Smart Driver Course being offered from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, March 2, at the Lakeport Senior Activity Center, 527 Konocti Ave.

This five-hour refresher course is open to those who have taken the eight-hour course within the last four years.

It helps drivers age 50 and older stay current with driving laws and new technologies inside and outside of vehicles.

Participants will learn defensive driving skills, proven safety strategies and how to manage and accommodate common age-related changes in vision, hearing and reaction time.

“Since 1979, AARP Driver Safety has helped over 15 million drivers stay safe, educated and confident behind the wheel. Every driver can benefit from a refresher,” said Julie E. Lee, retired vice president and national director of AARP Driver Safety.

Attendance is required but there are no tests required to pass the course.

The course requires that the participant contact volunteer instructor Carol Deuel at 707-459-4928, and register for the course with application and payment before the course start date.

The course requires a minimum of 10 participants and a maximum of fifteen 15 participants.

The cost of the course is $15 for AARP members and $20 for non-AARP members.

There will be two 10-minute breaks but no lunch break. Participants can bring snacks to enjoy during class or bring a sack lunch.

Many participants may be eligible for a multi-year insurance discount after taking the course.

Participants are encouraged to check with their insurance agent to see if they are eligible.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – On Saturday, Feb. 13, the Lake County Theatre Company will present “A Travel Through Time,” a prom exclusively for adults 21 and over.

Come dressed in formal wear from your favorite decade.

The evening will include prom portraits, limo rides, raffles, contests, a bar and of course plenty of dancing with music by the Fargo Brothers, as well as a live disk jockey.

Arrive at 7 p.m. for swing dance lessons for only $5 more. Otherwise, the party starts at 8 p.m. at the Lake County Fairgrounds' Fritch Hall.

Tickets are available online at http://www.lakecountytheatrecompany.org/ or at Pieces Boutique in Lakeport. 

They are available for $20 for a single or $30 for a couple in advance, or $25/$40 at the door.

This event is a fundraiser for the future home of LCTC, the Joshua Phillips-Blair Memorial Theater.

For more information call Laura Ewing at 707-533-3406.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA – As preparations continue for the National Football League’s biggest event of the season, the Bay Area is bracing for a surge in motor vehicle, foot, and bicycle traffic that comes with it.

In an effort to give the public a heads-up before they head out, the California Highway Patrol worked with the California Department of Transportation to develop a Super Bowl 50 traffic information Web site www.superbowl50traffic.com .

The Web site, which launches on Monday, January 25, 2016, features resources to help the public travel in and around the Super Bowl as quickly and safely as possible.

Users will find current traffic advisories, detours, closures, alternate transportation links, law enforcement resources, and additional information.

The site also includes a live feed from the CHP’s social media accounts highlighting activity and traffic alerts in and around the various Super Bowl venues.

“Working with our traffic safety partners, we have created a user-friendly, online tool to help the public navigate the influx of traffic leading up to and through the big game,” said CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow. “The crowds are coming, but with a little preparation and a lot of patience behind the wheel, we will all get to our destinations safely.”

MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – In the 1930s most families in America listened closely to Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “fireside chats,” a new and compelling way for a president to bolster the confidence of a depression-ridden nation.

Gibson Museum’s own series of fireside chats will open Saturday, Jan. 30, at 3 p.m. in the museum gallery, 21267 Calistoga Road, Middletown.

The series' kickoff speaker will be Walt Campbell, who was principal at Coyote Valley Elementary for 11 years, before retiring to join the team at Six Sigma ranch and winery.

Those who have enjoyed the opportunity to chat with Campbell know that his humorous approach to just about everything, in his own freewheeling style, can make any subject fun.

He is slated to offer fascinating insights into the formation of Lake County and its earliest days, which in Campbell's hands is sure to mean an enjoyable afternoon.

Everyone is invited to this free two-hour event.

Gibson volunteers advise letting them know you’re planning to come, so they can be sure to have enough seating. Write This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , call Nina Bouska at 707-987-2349 or leave a message at the museum, 707-809-8009.

Plans for the February event including a talk by Lake County Museum Curator Tony Pierucci on the importance of oral histories, and how to do them.

LAKEPORT, Calif. – The Chi Council for the Clear Lake Hitch will hold its first meeting of 2016 on Wednesday, Jan. 27.

The group will meet at 3:30 p.m. at the Lake County Agriculture Center, 883 Lakeport Blvd., Lakeport.

The draft minutes from the Dec. 2 meeting are available at http://lakelive.info/chicouncil/pdffiles/12.2.15minutes.pdf .