In California water news today, How California could make the most of its rainfall; Month’s rains swamp away most years’ January figures; California today: A seemingly endless barrage of rain and snow; Guerneville braces for more flooding from the Russian River; Rice growers hear optimistic view of the future; After years of drought, Sacramento confronts an old foe: Flood risk; Department of Water Resources to begin closing Sacramento Weir gates; Stanislaus County leaders could approve groundwater agencies; Ventura to explore state water connection; Desalination no longer a pipe dream in Southern California; and SoCal: Widespread flooding, mudslides, evacuations as biggest storm in years batters California
On the calendar today …
- California Water Fix Aquatic Science Peer Review (Phase 2B) at 9am: An independent science panel will be evaluating draft sections of the NMFS’ and FWS’ Biological Opinions (BiOps) on WaterFix for all federal Endangered Species Act-listed aquatic species and their critical habitat. Today, the NMFS and FWS will give presentations on the science behind the biological opinions. Click here for more information. Click here to watch on webcast.
In the news today …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
How California could make the most of its rainfall: “The deluge that hit California this month may have eased some people’s concerns about the drought. But it also raised a new question: Is the state doing enough to capture all that excess stormwater for later use? According to Annalisa Kihara, chief planner at the State Water Board’s Strategy to Optimize Resource Management of Storm Water unit (STORMS), the strategies for capturing and conserving rainwater are abundant, and numerous projects are underway. But changing the public’s and urban planners’ negative perception of stormwater – and budgeting for the sizable infrastructure improvements needed to meet ambitious water capture goals – remains a challenge. … ” Read more from Water Deeply here: How California could make the most of its rainfall
Month’s rains swamp away most years’ January figures: “What has felt like an especially wet January in California isn’t an effect of people becoming accustomed to the past half decade of drought. It really has been an exceptionally soaking month. San Francisco is experiencing the seventh-wettest January on record to date, according to the National Weather Service, and it’s nipping at the heels of January 1982, when a historic El Niño caused major flooding in California. “The storms have been one after the other,” said Anna Schneider, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Monterey office. “We’ve gotten lot of rainfall. Most of our sites are at over 100 percent of normal.” … ” Read more from SF Gate here: Month’s rains swamp away most years’ January figures
California today: A seemingly endless barrage of rain and snow: “Stormy weather again unleashed much-needed rain over the weekend. But across Southern California and other parts of the state, it did so with treacherous effect. Among the hardest hit areas were along the coast, including Long Beach, where rainfall at the airport set a daily record on Sunday, 3.87 inches. Los Angeles Airport got 2.78 inches, also a record. … ” Read more from the New York Times here: California today: A seemingly endless barrage of rain and snow
Guerneville braces for more flooding from the Russian River: “While the latest storm has prompted flood watches across the Bay Area for Monday, many eyes were on the Russian River in the North Bay, where residents in Guerneville still had canoes and supplies at the ready from the last floods. Lane Friedman was unloading groceries and supplies from her Toyota Prius, which is too low to the ground to make it home. The final 300 yards of her commute are covered with water, 2 feet deep in some places. … ” Read more from NBC Bay Area here: Guerneville braces for more flooding from the Russian River
Rice growers hear optimistic view of the future: “Northern California rice growers were told that the future of the industry looks promising under the new presidential administration at the California Rice Commission’s annual grower meeting in Yuba City and Colusa. The event Thursday saw six speakers touch on various topics including how the election of Donald Trump might impact California’s agricultural sector and what is being done at the federal level in Washington, D.C., that might influence the industry. Nicole Montna Van Vleck, president and CEO of Montna Farms, said she has been attending the annual event for about a decade. … ” Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here: Rice growers hear optimistic view of the future
After years of drought, Sacramento confronts an old foe: Flood risk: “In the years before California’s drought, it wasn’t unusual for Sacramentans to spend winters worrying about floods. After more than five years with little rain, the past two weeks delivered a bracing reminder that the region remains vulnerable to rising waters and overtopped levees. The recent rainstorms flooded scattered sections of greater Sacramento, from the Garden Highway north of downtown to the rural communities south of Elk Grove. Three small levee breaches added to the havoc caused by the wayward Cosumnes River. The Sacramento Weir, a flood-release valve used to flush excess water from the Sacramento River system into the Yolo Bypass floodplain, had to be opened for the first time in a decade. ... ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: After years of drought, Sacramento confronts an old foe: Flood risk
Department of Water Resources to begin closing Sacramento Weir gates: “The Sacramento Weir opened its gates Jan. 10 to reduce water levels in the Sacramento River, but now those gates may begin closing as early as Monday. Thirty-five of the 48 gates are open. The weir acts as a bridge between West Sacramento and Interstate 5 on Old River Road. Most bridges are over water, but this one is blocked with 1,824 wooden planks — each six feet long, one foot wide and four inches thick. … ” Read more from Capital Public Radio here: Department of Water Resources to begin closing Sacramento Weir gates
Stanislaus County leaders could approve groundwater agencies: “Last year’s El Niño and the recent pounding rainstorms have not stopped an effort to comply with the state’s groundwater sustainability law, which was hatched in the desperate times of drought. Tuesday, the Stanislaus County Board of Supervisors could approve agreements to form two agencies for managing a groundwater basin underlying the southern portion of the county and part of Merced County. The board could create the West Turlock Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Agency and take a second vote to form an agency for the east Turlock subbasin. The entire groundwater basin lies between the Tuolumne and Merced rivers, east of the San Joaquin River. … ” Read more from the Modesto Bee here: Stanislaus County leaders could approve groundwater agencies
Water peddler-in-chief Steve Knell is anything but wet behind the ears: “In this patch of God’s green earth, the most controversial commodity is that which makes it green: water. And in local water bureaucracy, the most polarizing figure might be Steve Knell, general manager of the Oakdale Irrigation District. His counterparts in Stanislaus County’s two other large water agencies make more money but don’t seem to get near the attention. (Greg Salyer and Casey Hashimoto, of the Modesto and Turlock irrigation districts, respectively, earned $312,706 and $316,647 in salary and benefits in 2015, compared with Knell’s $293,101.) … ” Read more from the Modesto Bee here: Water peddler-in-chief Steve Knell is anything but wet behind the ears
Ventura to explore state water connection: “Ventura could begin actively exploring connecting to state water if the City Council approves setting aside money for a comprehensive study evaluating what it would take. The council on Monday will consider spending up to $653,000 to have an outside consultant prepare a report that looks at the cost, design, capacity, environmental impacts and other issues that go with connecting to state water. The city in 1971 entered into an agreement with the Casitas Municipal Water District and the state Department of Water Resources to get state water, according to the city’s staff report. ... ” Read more from the Ventura County Star here: Ventura to explore state water connection
Desalination no longer a pipe dream in Southern California: “Here’s an idea: Let’s use the ocean to create an endless supply of pure water, no matter how much rain and snow falls (or doesn’t) on California. If it sounds like something out of the future, consider: As of today, seven ocean desalination plants are under consideration along the coasts from Dana Point through Monterey Bay. By the mid-2020s, those plants could be using the Pacific to produce about 10 percent of the fresh water needed in parts of Los Angeles and Orange counties. Another project, in Carlsbad, opened about a year ago and is on track to produce about 8 percent of San Diego’s water. ... ” Read more from the Daily Breeze here: Desalination no longer a pipe dream in Southern California
SoCal: Widespread flooding, mudslides, evacuations as biggest storm in years batters California: “The third in a series of powerful winter storms unleashed a deluge in Southern California on Sunday, flooding numerous roads and freeways, setting new rainfall records and stranding some in dangerously rising waters. Forecasters had predicted this storm would be the strongest and several years, and it didn’t disappoint. While earlier storms produced periods of heavy showers, this one delivered several hours of sustained pounding rain, with damaging results. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Widespread flooding, mudslides, evacuations as biggest storm in years batters California
In commentary today …
San Francisco needs to plan for a drier future, says the San Francisco Chronicle: They write, “California’s five-year drought has brought new urgency to balancing our water use — and, even in wet years, water issues always hover close to the political boiling point. Thus the state’s proposal that San Francisco significantly reduce water imports from the Sierra has the water world bubbling. Cutbacks will require political will, creative thinking and sacrifice. Yet the Bay Area must commit to do more to prepare for a drier future. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: San Francisco needs to plan for a drier future
More news and commentary in the weekend edition …
Precipitation watch …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
- RESERVOIR AND WATER CONDITIONS for January 23, 2017
- NEWS WORTH NOTING: Placer County water agencies join proposed Sites Reservoir project; Draft enviro docs for proposed reuse of oil field water in Kern-Tulare Water District
Sign up for daily email service and you’ll never miss a post …
Sign up for free daily email service and you’ll get all the Notebook’s aggregated and original water news content delivered to your email box by 9AM. And with breaking news alerts, you’ll always be one of the first to know …
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.
