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• Stadium 12 theater continues to draw crowds to downtown Lodi

• San Joaquin County registrar's office prepares for recall vote

• Japanese students spend second day in Lodi

• Teen remains hospitalized; brother arrested

• County committee provides money for homeland security

• Council of Governments to discuss state budget

• California Youth Authority workers may lose jobs

November 20th, 2009

• Acampo woman killed

• Salvation Army Kettle Kickoff

• Advocacy groups sue East Bay Municipal Utility District over Pardee expansion

• Regional Roundup

• Galt plans to help residents with energy-efficient projects

• Stable southeast of Lodi approved

• One year after a heart attack, Lodi's Judy Mims thanks rescuers

• National Guard troops return home in time for the holidays

• Real estate market gets on more solid ground

November 19th, 2009

• Lodi Unified School District board votes to cancel summer school for 2010

• Water surges in Mokelumne River yield more salmon

• Lodi City Council will consider redevelopment next June

• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22

• Corrections

• Chase ends in crash

• Operation: Christmas

• Logbook

• Suspect arrested after hiding in fridge

• Galt Joint Union High School Distric hires new superintendent

• Sales tax hike yields dividends: 5 new officers join Galt Police

November 18th, 2009

• Regional Roundup

• Paranormal group conducts second investigation of building

• Congress allocates money for local water projects

• Lodi man finds wife's ashes during police display of stolen property

• Galt City Council rejects study on rent stabilization

• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react

November 17th, 2009

• Clarification

• Lodi Budget and Finance Committee to look into ways to save money on employee benefits

• Regional Roundup

• Decision on summer school expected at tonight's Lodi Unified School District meeting

• Clements gets free water rescue boat

• Redevelopment to be discussed by Lodi City Council again

• Court reinstates death penalty for killer of Lodi grad

• Paying tribute to a Lodian

November 16th, 2009

• Correction

• Public Meetings

• Regional Roundup

• Three members of Lodi-area family fall ill after eating poisonous mushrooms they reportedly found at Lodi Lake

• Sierra Adventure store to close after four years in Downtown Lodi

• Lodi's First Sip event showcases area wineries' latest vintages

• City Council 'triple-dog dared' to ditch cars, use Lodi buses

November 14th, 2009

• Galt school district narrows superintendent search to one

• Regional Roundup

• A first look at 2009 vintages at Lodi's First Sip wine-tasting event

• Watchful neighbor in Lodi helped bust suspected burglars

• Despite budget cuts, some Lodi Unified School District salaries continue to rise

• Despite an increase in homeless students, school districts look to bolster enrollment, raise revenue

• New Galt city manager juggles job, family

November 13th, 2009

• What to expect with new homebuyer tax credit

• Lodi Muslim: Local mosque not involved

• Regional Roundup

• Mayor Larry Hansen points out Lodi's economic progress

• First phase of Lockeford park by 2011?

• Lodi veteran recounts close calls in Vietnam

• Burglary suspects are under arrest

The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.

• The country's mess is our fault (155)
• Obama is not a moderate (130)
• Sarah Palin's book hits the shelves: Locals react (67)
• Despite budget cuts, some Lodi Unified School District salaries continue to rise (58)
• Lodi City Council plans to cap number of taco trucks at 22 (48)
• The haves should help the have-nots (30)
• Public health care is a Christian option (28)
• Lodi Flames slim playoff chances vanish in setback to Tracy Bulldogs (25)
• Tokay in, traveling to unbeaten No. 3 Grant for football playoffs (25)
• Nightmares about America's future (23)

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Array of state and federal regulators oversee water policy

In addition to the myriad of cities and water districts making important water policy decisions in San Joaquin County, they are overseen by an array of state and federal regulators. Among them:

State regulators

California Department of Water Resources: Prepares and updates policies to develop and manage the state's water systems, supplies quality water for all uses, protects Delta water quality, provides flood protection and provides technical assistance to local water agencies.

The department was formed in 1956 through the efforts of former Gov. Goodwin Knight, consolidating four state water agencies.

California Water Resources Control Board: Created by the Legislature in 1967, the board allocates water rights to various agencies. It also oversees water quality issues. Operates under the California Environmental Protection Agency. Board members are appointed to four-year terms by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate.

California Regional Water Quality Control Board: Regulates agricultural drainage in the San Joaquin Valley, which is high in selenium and trace elements, in a manner which protects water resources while at the same time maintaining a viable agricultural industry, according to its Web site.

It is also responsible for controlling salt and nitrate levels in groundwater, controlling storm water runoff, abandoned mine discharges of acids and heavy metals (which impact the Delta) and develop policies governing sewage disposal.

CALFED Bay-Delta Authority: Commonly known as CALFED, the program started in June 1995 as a collaborative effort of state and federal interests to address a declining ecosystem, uncertain water supplies, imperiled water quality, and unstable levees in the Delta and San Francisco Bay.

The mission is to develop a long-term plan to restore ecological health and improve water management for beneficial uses of the Bay-Delta system. One element of the CALFED mission is to correct water quality problems that impact beneficial uses.

California Department of Health Services: Regulates drinking water quality.

California Department of Fish and Game: Charged with protecting, conserving native fish, plants and wildlife.

Federal regulators

U.S. Bureau of Reclamation: Established in 1902, it is best known for the dams, power plants and canals it constructed in 17 western states. The bureau has constructed more than 600 dams and reservoirs, including Folsom, Shasta, Trinity and Friant dams.

The bureau brings water to more than 31 million people and provides one of five Western farmers (140,000) with irrigation water for 10 million acres of farmland that produce 60 percent of the nation's vegetables and 25 percent of its fruits and nuts, according to the bureau's Web site.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Enforces the U.S. Endangered Species Act.

National Marine Fisheries Service: Enforces protection for Chinook and steelhead salmon found to be endangered in the Mokelumne River and other Central Valley waterways.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Enforces federal laws that protect air, water and land.