In California water news today, Suppressed federal report shows how Trump water plan would endanger California salmon; Flows proposals: Sacramento River water agencies aim for certainty; California Water Board OKs $1.3 Billion for Clean Drinking Water; What you need to know about blue-green algae before heading to CA lakes; Reservoirs sit well above average in late summer months; You Can No Longer Buy Bottled Water At SFO; The 6 things you most need to know about Trump’s new climate plan; East Bay: The Fault Line and the Dams; A Desert Oasis in Western Imperial Valley; and more …
On the calendar today …
- SGMA GSP Reporting Workshop in Bakersfield from 9am to 11am. During the workshop, DWR staff will present information on the updated SGMA Portal, provide step-by-step instructions for GSP submittal, demonstrate the new tool, and answer questions. Click here to register.
- The State Water Resources Control Board will hold a public workshop on the draft System Administrator Policy Handbook for the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water System. beginning at 9:30am. Click here for the agenda.
- Coastal Watershed Flood Risk Reduction Program Workshop in Cypress from 1pm to 3pm. DWR will host a public workshop to provide information about how the Coastal Watershed Flood Risk Reduction Program was established, what the Draft Guidelines cover, and how the solicitation process works. Click here for more information.
In the news today …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
- FEATURE: Reactivating our floodplains: A new way forward
- NEWS WORTH NOTING: Prop 1 Analysis: Striving for equity in public investments in water in California; State Water Contractors releases 2018-2019 Annual Report on Investments in Science; U.S. EPA awards over $8.4 million to California State Water Resources Control Board for water quality protection
- THIS JUST IN … State Water Board Authorizes Nearly Quarter Billion Dollars to Provide Safe and Affordable Drinking Water
- FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: Opportunity to comment, informational webinar, and Board consideration of funding guidelines for Prop 1 stormwater grants
Suppressed federal report shows how Trump water plan would endanger California salmon: “Federal officials suppressed a lengthy environmental document that details how one of California’s unique salmon runs would be imperiled by Trump administration plans to deliver more water to Central Valley farms. The July 1 assessment, obtained by The Times, outlines how proposed changes in government water operations would harm several species protected by the Endangered Species Act, including perilously low populations of winter-run salmon, as well as steelhead trout and killer whales, which feed on salmon. But the 1,123-page document was never released. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Suppressed federal report shows how Trump water plan would endanger California salmon
Flows proposals: Sacramento River water agencies aim for certainty: “As negotiations continue, representatives of Sacramento Valley water agencies say they’re hopeful voluntary agreements will serve as an alternative to state-mandated “unimpaired flows” plans being drafted by the State Water Resources Control Board. A proposal affecting Sacramento Valley tributaries would be the second phase of the water board’s Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan. The board adopted the first phase of the plan late last year, requiring water users in San Joaquin River tributaries to leave 30% to 50% of unimpaired flows in the Stanislaus, Tuolumne and Merced rivers to help fish populations, unless voluntary agreements on the three tributaries can be reached and adopted instead. … ” Read more from Ag Alert here: Flows proposals: Sacramento River water agencies aim for certainty
California Water Board OKs $1.3 Billion for Clean Drinking Water: “California’s water regulator voted Tuesday to spend $1.3 billion over the next 10 years to provide safe drinking water to communities throughout California. The money allocated by the State Water Resources Control Board comes from the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund, created last month when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 200. Also known as the California Safe Drinking Water Act, the legislation written by state Senator Bill Monning, D-Carmel, guarantees $130 million annually for safe drinking water through 2030, using revenue from California’s cap-and-trade program. The budget passed by the Legislature in June provides the funding for this year. ... ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service here: California Water Board OKs $1.3 Billion for Clean Drinking Water
What you need to know about blue-green algae before heading to CA lakes: “Blue-green algae are blooming across the state. In the Valley, the San Luis Reservoir west of Merced has dangerous levels of toxins, but at Hensely Lake in Madera, the levels aren’t as bad. “We’ve had some blue-green algae in the lake. The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board has done a few testing, and it appears that the tests that the conditions are getting better,” said lake manager Dough Plitt. … ” Read more from ABC 30 here: What you need to know about blue-green algae before heading to CA lakes
Reservoirs sit well above average in late summer months: “The driest years on record continue to get farther and farther in the rearview mirror as reservoirs fill to the brim. California’s water masters have socked away a well-above average supply of snowmelt in the state’s reservoirs this summer after a wet year soaked most of the state. The Central Valley Project’s lakes north of the Delta are nicely above normal with total storage at 6,900 thousand acre feet (TAF). Trinity, Shasta, and Folsom reservoirs are at 134%, 134%, and 138% of their 15-year average storages respectively. … ” Read more from the Foothills Sun Gazette here: Reservoirs sit well above average in late summer months
You Can No Longer Buy Bottled Water At SFO: “Air travelers to and from the City by the Bay will now experience water in new ways. Starting Tuesday, those wishing to hydrate at San Francisco International Airport will have to drink from a water fountain, bring their own reusable bottle or prepare to buy an airport-approved glass or aluminum water bottle. ... ” Read more from CBS Sacramento here: You Can No Longer Buy Bottled Water At SFO
Mexican marijuana growers are poisoning Sierra with banned pesticide, task force says: “Law enforcement officials on Tuesday announced a major operation underway targeting illegal marijuana-growing sites in the Sierra Nevada allegedly being operated by Mexican citizens who are using a pesticide banned in the United States. U.S. Attorney McGregor Scott announced Forest Watch 2, a repeat of an operation undertaken last year. Scott was joined by nearly a dozen federal, state and local officials who have teamed for the investigation and eradication of marijuana-growing sites in the mountains. The news conference announcing the operation came just 48 hours after two men from Michoacan, Mexico, were caught operating an illegal marijuana-growing site near Dutch Oven Creek east of Bass Lake. … ” Read more from the Fresno Bee here: Mexican marijuana growers are poisoning Sierra with banned pesticide, task force says
UC Merced Researchers Use Monkey Flower to Study Climate Change: “California’s drought was hard not to notice — the dry lawns, fallowed fields and hot temperatures were evident across the state. To better understand how the drought affected the natural ecosystem in which we live, biology Professor Jason Sexton and his graduate students conducted a study on a California plant known only from the Sierra Nevada — the cut-leaf monkey flower. Sexton, a botanist by trade, studies plant adaptation affected by major ecological changes. To study the influence of the most recent drought that lasted roughly from 2011-2017, Sexton drew upon his seed collection, which he started during his graduate work at UC Davis. Among his gatherings were seeds from the cut-leaf monkey flower plant, which he started collecting in 2005. ... ” Read more from UC Merced here: UC Merced Researchers Use Monkey Flower to Study Climate Change
Farm data management becomes priority: “On the modern farm, soil sensors, well monitors and paperwork abound. The trick is trying to keep all that data organized. To that end, a Monterey County winegrape grower, Scheid Family Wines of Greenfield, came up with its own system, first called VitWatch, to digitize information previously recorded on paper. That system “gave our clients a view into the season as everything progressed, from bud break all the way to preharvest, and what irrigation was going on,” said Greg Gonzalez, director of vineyard operations. … ” Read more from Ag Alert here: Farm data management becomes priority
Banking on soil health: “Farmers implementing conservation practices that improve soil health aren’t just hoping for better crop yields, they’re banking on them. The Natural Resources Conservation Service and American Farmland Trust recently released case studies highlighting the economic benefits of implementing soil health management practices. The four case studies focus on: two corn-soybean farmers in Illinois and Ohio; an almond producer in California; and a diversified crop farmer growing sweet corn, alfalfa, and corn for silage or grain in New York. The four farmers implemented soil health practices like no-till or strip-till, nutrient management, cover crops, compost, and mulching. … ” Read more from the USDA here: Banking on soil health
Radio show: One California Community’s Efforts To Manage Wildfires: “California’s forests aren’t healthy. After a century of preventing and putting out fires, millions of acres of trees are overcrowded, drought-stressed, and more than ready to burn. A couple of hours from the Oregon border, one community is asking how to do better. KQED science reporter Molly Peterson (@Mollydacious) visited Weaverville, California, where people have sought common ground on how to save their forests.” Listen to the radio show at KBUR here: Radio show: One California Community’s Efforts To Manage Wildfires
Number of California Wildfires Way Down in 2019 – But Fall’s Coming: “In a welcome change of pace after back-to-back historic wildfire seasons, the number of fires and total acres burned through August in California is down drastically compared to recent years. The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection says that as of Monday, the total number of acres burned in 2019 is down 90% from the average of the last five years, and down 95% compared to the disastrous and deadly 2018 season. Just 24,000 acres have burned so far in Cal Fire’s territory, compared to 621,000 acres at this time last year. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News here: Number of California Wildfires Way Down in 2019 – But Fall’s Coming
The 6 things you most need to know about Trump’s new climate plan: “In June, the Trump administration unveiled its proposed replacement for the Clean Power Plan, Obama’s program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants. Last week, a coalition of 29 states and cities filed a lawsuit to block the rule, claiming that it violates Trump’s obligations under the Clean Air Act. And on Sunday, nonpartisan research firm Resources for the Future, along with researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Syracuse University, and the Boston University School of Public Health, released new research showing that even Environmental Protection Agency’s meager projected pollution reductions from its rule are likely overestimated. … ” Read more from Vox here: The 6 things you most need to know about Trump’s new climate plan
In commentary today …
Senate Bill 1 tries to limit water supply by stopping time, says Don Wright: He writes, “Senate Bill 1 by California State Senate Pro Tem Toni Atkins (D–San Diego) is causing a great deal of heartburn throughout the San Joaquin Valley. Running 10-pages long, or about 5,200 words, the bill raised a tremendous amount of opposition in the water community. If passed as written, SB 1 freezes the law and regulations for air and water quality, and labor laws to those in effect on the last day of the Obama presidency. … ” Continue reading at the San Joaquin Sun here: Senate Bill 1 tries to limit water supply by stopping time
Sacramento’s misguided attempt to freeze time, says Susan Shelley: She writes, “It’s bad enough that California’s state government is suing the federal government over nearly everything that President Trump does, but now it’s trying to get Californians to sue each other over everything Trump does. That’s what Senate Bill 1, set for a hearing today in the Assembly Appropriations Committee, would do. Sweepingly titled the California Environmental, Public Health, and Workers Defense Act of 2019, SB1 aims to freeze time at the moment President Obama last occupied the Oval Office. … ” Read more from the Daily News here: Sacramento’s misguided attempt to freeze time
Save California’s species from Trump, says the LA Times: They write, “California has its own laws to protect endangered plants and animals from extinction, and they are more important than ever as the Trump administration weakens enforcement of the landmark federal Endangered Species Act. But those state protections will mean little without additional action in Sacramento, where the real issue is water. The U.S. Interior Department on Aug. 12 altered rules that will now make it harder to protect species. In deciding whether to add a species to the list, for example, federal regulators won’t be able to consider the very profound effect of climate change — which President Trump notoriously has claimed was invented by China to undermine U.S. manufacturing. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Save California’s species from Trump
More work needed on state’s drinking water crisis, says Mary Creasman: She writes, “California has a drinking water crisis. More than 1 million people in California lack access to safe, clean, and affordable drinking water. Four hundred schools in our state have lead contamination in their drinking water. About 300 public water systems in our state are not in compliance with drinking water standards. This is a public health and environmental crisis. In late July, Governor Newsom signed a law that will establish the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund. … ” Read more from Capitol Weekly here: More work needed on state’s drinking water crisis
In regional news and commentary today …
Blue Creek part of 50,000 acres of forest re-acquired by Yurok Tribe: “On Aug. 19, the Yurok Tribe, Green Diamond Resource Co. and Western Rivers Conservancy will celebrate a 10-year effort to preserve and place into tribal ownership about 50,000 acres of forest surrounding four salmon sustaining streams, including Blue Creek. “It is a good day for the Yurok people,” said tribal chairman Joseph L. James. “On behalf of the Yurok Tribe, I would like to thank Green Diamond and Western Rivers for assisting us in the re-acquisition of a significant part of our ancestral territory, and putting us in a position to permanently protect the Blue Creek watershed, which is the crown jewel of the Klamath River.” ... ” Read more from the Del Norte Triplicate here: Blue Creek part of 50,000 acres of forest re-acquired by Yurok Tribe
Lake Tahoe Tahoe Summit Boasts Bipartisan Rhetoric, But Division Simmers: “For a moment as columns of sunlight drifted through the pines with the cobalt surface of Lake Tahoe in the background, it seemed as though the partisan rancor so characteristic of this political moment might temporarily evaporate. But such congeniality was short lived, if it ever lived at all. Senator Dianne Feinstein hosted the 23nd annual Lake Tahoe Summit on Tuesday to call attention to pressing environmental concerns like a warming planet and worsening wildfire conditions in California and the rest of the American West. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service here: Lake Tahoe Tahoe Summit Boasts Bipartisan Rhetoric, But Division Simmers
Commentary: Monitoring the effects of our environmental investment at Lake Tahoe: write, “We share the sentiment expressed by Mark Twain nearly 150 years ago when he famously hailed Lake Tahoe as “the fairest picture the whole world affords.” We think it something of a miracle that the lake recovered from the deforestation of its watershed that accompanied silver mining in nearby Virginia City around the time of Twain’s first visit. … ” Read more from the Reno Gazette Journal here: Commentary: Monitoring the effects of our environmental investment at Lake Tahoe
Roseville water update: Groundwater basin recharged: “Increasingly, water management in California is a balancing act where solutions must knit together the needs of people, industry, farming, species and the environment. Managing water to benefit these multiple uses is hard enough if water was a stationary resource – but it’s not. Especially during the winter months, water managers confront complex decisions about when and where water is released from reservoirs for winter flood protection as well as environmental flows and supply needs throughout the year. ... ” Read more from Roseville Today here: Roseville water update: Groundwater basin recharged
Marin supervisors approve San Geronimo Valley watershed environmental report: “A controversial environmental report that could lead to new rules on property changes along San Geronimo Creek was certified by the Marin County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. The supplemental environmental impact report evaluates the potential for future development in the San Geronimo Valley watershed and identifies two significant and one less-than-significant cumulative impacts to the survival of coho, steelhead and chinook salmon. The report finds that the significant impacts can be mitigated. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here: Marin supervisors approve San Geronimo Valley watershed environmental report
East Bay: The Fault Line and the Dams: “The earthquakes that rocked Kern County in early July are a potent reminder of the East Bay’s own seismic risk. Last year, the U.S. Geological Survey imagined what could happen during a 7.0 quake on the Hayward Fault, which stretches 74 miles from north San Pablo Bay past San Jose. This so-called “HayWired Scenario” envisioned 800 people dying, 18,000 more being injured, and widespread damage occurring to property and infrastructure. The study also predicted that the surface of the earth would rupture in places “where the fault is currently creeping.” … ” Read more from the East Bay Express here: The Fault Line and the Dams
Palo Alto: New clues in $875,000 payout to former sewer chief — updated: “Newly released documents shed light on why a sewage processing agency, Silicon Valley Clean Water, paid its general manager $875,000 as part of a severance agreement, and it appears a big part of that was equity the agency gave him in a $4.5 million, six-bedroom home in the hills overlooking Redwood City. The agency — which is owned by the cities of Redwood City, Belmont, San Carlos and Menlo Park’s West Bay Sanitary District — has refused to say why it paid General Manager Dan Child $875,000 when he left the agency. … ” Read more from the PA Post here: Palo Alto: New clues in $875,000 payout to former sewer chief — updated
Development could doom Redwood City salt ponds, environmentalists say: “The Bay Area’s housing crisis is leading some politicians, residents, and environmentalists to worry development could mean doom for areas once off-limits. The 1400-acre Redwood City salt ponds are one such area. It serves as a reminder of how industrialization can alter what was once a pristine bayfront. Now some worry those could be eyed for housing and business development. ... ” Read more from KTVU here: Development could doom Redwood City salt ponds, environmentalists say
Fears of coastal climate change prompt Santa Cruz action: “As coastal climate change concerns heat up, the issue increasingly has been catalyzing political debate locally. Looking to make proactive change, Santa Cruz’s sustainability and climate action manager is about eight months into the city’s Resilient Coast Santa Cruz initiative, which looks at and plans for how the effects of sea-level rise will come home to roost along the city’s West Cliff Drive, via worsening coastal storms, flooding and cliff erosion. … ” Read more from the Santa Cruz Sentinel here: Fears of coastal climate change prompt Santa Cruz action
Monterey: Public water buyout plan reviewed by water board: “It could take two more years before the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District is ready to consider a resolution of necessity to go ahead with eminent domain proceedings aimed at a forced acquisition of California American Water’s local water system. That’s because it could take the water management district’s consulting team that long to complete its current feasibility analysis and then fully develop a detailed plan, while negotiating a potential purchase with the private company, according to water district general manager Dave Stoldt. … ” Read more from the Monterey Herald here: Public water buyout plan reviewed by water board
Monterey County Community Organizes For Clean Tap Water: “A lot of money will soon be flowing into California communities with contaminated drinking water thanks to the new Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund. Today at its meeting, the State Water Board will talk about how to implement that $1.4-billion program. One community that could use the help is north of Moss Landing. That’s where Ignacio Garcia lives with his family. ... ” Read more from KAZU here: Monterey County Community Organizes For Clean Tap Water
Turlock businessman appointed to state water post: “Local businessman Matt Swanson will take his agricultural expertise to the state level after recently being appointed to the California Water Commission. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced last week that Swanson, 51, has been appointed to a four-year term on the CWC — a position which requires Senate confirmation. Members are generally chosen for their expertise related to the control, storage and beneficial use of water or for their knowledge of the environment. Swanson has served as president and chief executive officer at Associated Feed in Turlock since 1998. ... ” Read more from the Turlock Journal here: Turlock businessman appointed to state water post
Irvine Lake is rebounding after seven years of drought conditions: “What a difference a year – and a whole lot of rain – can make for a reservoir. Irvine Lake was created in 1931 with the completion of the Santiago Dam just west of the Santa Ana Mountains. While it can hold as much as 25,000 acre feet of water (an acre foot is enough to cover a football field at one foot deep), through California’s punishing seven-year drought it often held much less. … ” Read more from the OC Register here: Irvine Lake is rebounding after seven years of drought conditions
A Desert Oasis in Western Imperial Valley: “Do you know where your water comes from? For most of the Imperial Valley, the answer is easy. The Colorado River supplies water to irrigation canals for crops and livestock, and to homes and businesses for drinking water and washing. However, on the western side of Imperial Valley, communities like Ocotillo, No Mirage, Yuha Estates, and Coyote Wells get their water from a different source altogether, one that lies in the ground below. Known as the Ocotillo-Coyote Wells Aquifer, the presence and importance of this groundwater has long been known and utilized by the inhabitants and people traveling through the Valley. … ” Continue reading at the Imperial Valley Press here: A Desert Oasis in Western Imperial Valley
Along the Colorado River …
New water cuts for Nevada: will the state be able to handle it? “For the first time, Nevada and other areas are facing mandatory water cuts because of low lake levels. The Bureau of Reclamation runs models of the Colorado River to determine how high lake levels will be. August is a critical month for these tests because historically, it’s the month that projects Lake Mead’s water levels at the start of the following year. August of 2019’s levels have dropped below 1090 feet, which means that because of new regulations put in place from the Drought Contingency Plan, mandatory cuts are put in place. … ” Read more from KTNV here: New water cuts for Nevada: will the state be able to handle it?
Lake Powell pipeline costs can be covered, audit says, but critic wonders if this pricey ‘boondoggle’ is needed: “A new legislative audit has concluded Washington County water bosses will likely be able to generate sufficient revenue to pay the massive costs of building and operating the proposed Lake Powell pipeline, but only through large fee, rate and tax increases and if the county triples its population during the next 50 years. While offering an optimistic picture, the audit outlined several areas of uncertainty that could have a “significant impact” on whether the county covers all the project’s actual costs in a timely way. … ” Read more from the Salt Lake City Tribune here: Lake Powell pipeline costs can be covered, audit says, but critic wonders if this pricey ‘boondoggle’ is needed
And lastly …
California’s “elaborately designed” concrete skateparks captured by Amir Zaki: “Jagged tunnels edged with red trim, scooped walls and wave-like canopies are among the defining features of these vacant concrete skateparks in California, photographed by artist Amir Zaki. The images feature in the California Concrete, a Landscape of Skateparks publication, and document 12 unusual and elaborate skateparks in city’s across the state. … ” Read more from De Zeen here: California’s “elaborately designed” concrete skateparks captured by Amir Zaki
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
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About the Daily Digest: The Daily Digest is a collection of selected news articles, commentaries and editorials appearing in the mainstream press. Items are generally selected to follow the focus of the Notebook blog. The Daily Digest is published every weekday with a weekend edition posting on Sundays.
