DAILY DIGEST: Assm. Gray proposes legislation to overhaul state’s water management system; Delta county officials push for water storage; Delta legislators seek clout; Why dirt will be as valuable as water in a warming world; and more …

Maven
DAILY DIGEST
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In California water news today, Assemblyman Gray proposes legislation to overhaul state’s water management system; Delta county officials push for water storage, say Delta is losing out on recent rainfall; Delta legislators seek clout; Why dirt will be as valuable as water in a warming world; Storm, dam releases have rivers swelling; California water board to reevaluate emergency drought restrictions; California struggles with groundwater depletion following end of the drought; In California, dead trees present a lucrative opportunity for loggers; and more …

On the calendar today …

  • This morning, the State Water Resources Control Board will meet beginning at 9am.  Agenda items include an update on California’s ongoing drought emergency and a public hearing on Part 2 of the Water Quality Control Plan for Inland Surface Waters, Enclosed Bays, and Estuaries of California – Tribal and Subsistence Fishing Beneficial Uses and Mercury Provisions.  Click here for the full agenda.  Click here for the webcast.
  • The Colorado Basin River Forecast Center will hold a webinar at 11am to give a briefing on current and forecasted conditions on the Colorado River.  Click here for more information.
  • The Assembly Committee on Water Parks and Wildlife will hold a hearing at 2pm in Room 437 at the state capitol on AB 13, California Clean Water, Climate, and Coastal Protection and Outdoor Access For All Act of 2018.  Click here for more information.  Click here to watch on webcast.

In the news today …

Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

Assemblyman Gray proposes legislation to overhaul state’s water management system:  “After five years of punishing drought and the state’s plan to allocate more irrigation water for fish, Assemblyman Adam Gray is rolling out newly proposed legislation to restructure the state’s water management to improve communication and simplify the network of power.  Gray, D-Merced, announced Assembly Bill 313 on Monday, saying the drought revealed how broken the state’s water management system is.  “Anyone who has tried to work with the state on water knows the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing, conflicts of interest are the norm, and state agencies act as their own prosecution, judge and jury,” he said in a statement. ... ”  Read more from the Merced Sun-Star here:  Assemblyman Gray proposes legislation to overhaul state’s water management system

Delta county officials push for water storage, say Delta is losing out on recent rainfall:  “Take one look out at the Mokelumne River today and you might see the flows are fast and high out on the water. All of the recent rains have created an abundance of water in Northern California, but there’s nowhere to store it all.  The Delta Counties Coalition, represented by San Joaquin, Contra Costa, Sacramento, Solano and Yolo counties, is now arguing that if the state continues to focus on the $15 billion Twin Tunnels project, it will keep missing opportunities to invest in more cost-efficient and sustainable solutions like surface and groundwater storage. … ”  Read more from the Lodi News-Sentinel here:  Delta county officials push for water storage, say Delta is losing out on recent rainfall

Delta legislators seek clout:  “With 2017 poised to be a big year for the Delta, legislators representing portions of the estuary are banding together in a new way.  Nine members of the state Senate and Assembly have launched an informal caucus which they say will improve their organization and influence with state agencies seeking to build the $15 billion Delta tunnels, among other projects.  “There’s strength in numbers,” said Assemblyman Jim Frazier of Oakley, who will co-chair the new caucus. ... ”  Read more from the Stockton Record here:  Delta legislators seek clout

Why dirt will be as valuable as water in a warming world:  “After five years of historic drought, Californians have come to view water as a valuable natural resource. But there is another resource they probably haven’t thought about that may be just as valuable: Mud.  Or more specifically, sediment.  Water makes sediment by the process of erosion, and the two are intimately connected by natural laws. We have been slow to realize that, and we’ve spent centuries trying to separate them. Dams are the most obvious example.  Dams cause sediment to settle out of moving water and become trapped in the reservoirs they form. This causes a host of problems that are only beginning to get the attention they deserve. ... ”  Read more from Water Deeply here:  Why dirt will be as valuable as water in a warming world

Storm, dam releases have rivers swelling:  “State and federal water managers ramped up water releases from Sacramento Valley dams Monday afternoon to make space for the water due to come from the storm that was expected to arrive overnight.  Meanwhile, the National Weather Service was expecting the Sacramento River to hit flood stage Tuesday morning at Tehama, with Woodson and Ord Ferry bridges hitting that point later Tuesday. … ”  Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here:   Storm, dam releases have rivers swelling

California water board to reevaluate emergency drought restrictions:  “A series of winter storms have eased drought concerns in many parts of California.  A healthy snow pack and steady rain have offered a fresh outlook to over five years of drought in California but the State Water Resources Control Board is expected to extend emergency regulations due to water supply problems in areas such as the Central Coast.  Sarge Green of the California Water Institute says not all agencies have an oversupply of water. ... ”  Read more from KFSN here:  California water board to reevaluate emergency drought restrictions

California struggles with groundwater depletion following end of the drought:  “Perhaps a bit of good news on the climate change front? Although does it come at a cost. Recent California storms dramatically eased the State’s years long drought by replenishing depleted reservoirs. The State, which has been parched by its worst drought on record, was inundated with floods after a brutal storm that lashed the West coast in mid-January. Now, although headlines read, that “California Drought is Almost Over”, the storms alleviated about 42% of the State’s extreme drought. And according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, environmentalists, farmers and scientists, are still concerned over fresh water scarcity issues in California. And in other parts of the country, and indeed, in and around the world. And to discuss this further, we’re joined with Heather Cooley. … ”  Read more from The Real News Network here:  California struggles with groundwater depletion following end of the drought

In California, dead trees present a lucrative opportunity for loggers:  “The giants outside Dana Smith’s office in Shaver Lake, California, are spindly like the neck of a brachiosaurus, so tall that he has to throw back his head to see all the way to the top.  They are 10 majestic ponderosa pines that grew 200 feet over about 250 years, a regal presence that lured Smith to the spot where he runs a business renting vacation cottages a few miles south of Yosemite National Park.  The trees are also dead, marked with bright spray paint by state contractors, destined for a date with a chain saw. They are victims of a massacre, a five-year drought – the longest and worst in state history – that has wiped out 102 million trees in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. … ”  Read more from the AP via The Journal here:  In California, dead trees present a lucrative opportunity for loggers

In commentary today …

California should protect the most vulnerable people affected by drought, says Laura Feinstein:  She writes, “Is the way we manage water in California fair?  Do we ensure that, while nobody has all the water they want, everyone has enough clean, affordable water to drink, cook and clean? Do those relying on water for their jobs – farmers, farmworkers and fishermen – feel the pain equally when there isn’t as much water as everyone would like?  The simple answer is no.  We just experienced the driest five-year period on record. During the drought, large water utilities and farms had to make adjustments to cope with limited water supplies but demonstrated great resiliency overall. … ”  Read more from the Sacramento Bee here:  California should protect the most vulnerable people affected by drought

Drought, flood, and flow: Time for changes, says John Kingsbury:  He writes, “In California, drought and flood cycles seem to go hand in hand. It is part of nature.  Citizens are forced to ration water one year and watch it go out the Golden Gate the next year.  For decades, State officials rally around a water crisis, yet grapple with making hard decisions to reduce risk of the next water crisis.  This year is no different.  Now the state has more water than it can store.  Drought over? You would think, but not necessarily.  Unless the posturing changes, State Water Officials appear determined to continue the emergency drought mandate for another 270 days.  Why, you might ask?  The surface water drought has been eliminated in northern California, as well as, the so-called snow-drought. Now it is because of the ground water basin deficit. ... ”  Read more from the Mountain Counties Water Resources Association here:  Drought, flood, and flow: Time for changes

State should be honest about drought, says the Ventura County Star:  They write, “After another dose of heavy rain Monday, you may be ready to declare the end of California’s drought. About 20 percent of the state, however, was still in a “severe drought” or worse as of Jan. 31, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. And about 2 percent of the state — including much of Ventura County — was still in an “extreme drought.”  Against that backdrop, the State Water Resources Control Board on Wednesday will consider the future of statewide emergency water-use regulations, which expire Feb. 28. The board’s staff is taking a conservative approach and recommending it extend the regulations for another nine months. ... ”  Read more from the Ventura County Star here:  State should be honest about drought

All wet: Extending California drought rules a bad idea, says the San Diego Union Tribune:  They write, “With storm after storm filling reservoirs and swelling the Sierra Nevada snowpack to 171 percent of its historic average, Californians might be surprised that officials with the State Water Resources Control Board want to extend emergency statewide drought rules for 270 days instead of letting them expire Feb. 28. They argue that the snowpack can be rapidly depleted and say there are still dry conditions and unfilled reservoirs in parts of the state.  The agency’s oversight board will vote on the drought extension Wednesday. If members want to keep their credibility, they should vote no and instead choose only to extend the regulations for the handful of areas — starting with Santa Barbara and Ventura counties — where they still make sense. … ”  Read more from the San Diego Union Tribune here:  All wet: Extending California drought rules a bad idea

In California, scarcer water will mean deeper trouble, says Alex Hall:  He writes, “Water, the lifeblood of California, will be where the state experiences the most severe impacts of climate change. Unfortunately, most water agencies have yet to adjust to this “new normal” and are operating on outmoded assumptions and practices that place the state at risk of water shortages and worse. And while the recent rains may convince some that no action is needed, the science tells a different story.  Gov. Jerry Brown has set California on a smart course by calling for new long-term water-use targets for urban water agencies, targets that focus on the efficient use of this precious resource. Now it is up to the state Legislature to adopt a package that puts that plan into statute.  California has the most variable climate in North America, and a few storms can make the difference between a wet and a dry year. ... ”  Read more from the Long Beach Press Telegram here:  In California, scarcer water will mean deeper trouble

In regional news and commentary today …

Weed water rights should favor locals, say Jim Taylor and Michael Yates: They write, “On Jan. 26 there was an excellent turnout and community response at the Weed town hall meeting held by Water for Citizens of Weed at the College of the Siskiyous.  We covered the historical basis for our uses of water and discussed how we are going to protect our community’s interests through a Citizens Water Ballot Initiative. It would impose a fee on the production of bottled water in Weed, and would pay for legal efforts to permanently secure our decreed uses to the Beaughan Springs water upon which our community has always depended. … ”  Read more from the Redding Record Searchlight here: Weed water rights should favor locals

North state lawmakers call for end to water restrictions:  “As sections of California experience flooding due to heavy rains, a group of Northern California lawmakers want Gov. Jerry Brown to end the emergency drought declaration.  Sen. Jim Nielsen, R-Tehama, and Assembly members Brian Dahle, R-Bieber, and Kevin Kiley, R-Roseville, called on the Water Resource Control Board and the Governor’s Office to end the drought declaration during a news conference Monday morning.  Nielsen said the five-year drought California experienced was severe, but sections of the state are recovering and residents have made permanent lifestyle changes to conserve water, such as removing lawns or reducing water use. … ” Read more from the Redding Record Searchlight here:  North state lawmakers call for end to water restrictions

Abandoned mercury mine tainting Russian River fish:  “A KPIX 5 investigation into an abandoned mercury mine near Guerneville has revealed that the state plans to issue a serious health warning that certain fish in the Russian River are not safe to eat.  Toxic dirt has been washing into a local creek which feeds into the Russian River. But the public may not know this because there are no warning signs posted, and there won’t be signs for months.  Why isn’t the public being warned about this health danger? ... ”  Read more from CBS Bay Area here:  Abandoned mercury mine tainting Russian River fish

Two-thirds of Clear Lake fish recently tested above acceptable mercury levels:  “On a weekday morning, Johnnie Heal caught four largemouth bass from a pier in Clearlake Oaks, but tossed three back in the water.  “I don’t eat anything out of this lake,” said Heal, 32, who likes fishing for sport. “They say you can eat so many a month. But if you have to put a limit on it, I’m not going eat it.”  But the fourth bass he gave to an elderly woman who wanted it for her meal.  Because of high mercury levels in Clear Lake fish, women older than 45 and all men should eat only one serving per week of largemouth bass, according to guidelines issued by California’s Office of Environmental Assessment. … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here:  Two-thirds of Clear Lake fish recently tested above acceptable mercury levels

Floodwaters create crucial habitat in Yolo Bypass:  “If you’ve ever driven west on Interstate 80 or north on I-5 out of Sacramento, then you’ve driven over the Yolo Bypass.  The bypass diverts Sacramento River water around Sacramento to flood 59,000 acres of land. The water eventually rejoins the Sacramento River near Rio Vista.  It’s been years since floodwaters this high have inundated the bypass, and scientists are eager to see the changes. ... ”  Read more from Capital Public Radio here:  Floodwaters create crucial habitat in Yolo Bypass

Los Vaqueros reservoir reaches record high water mark:  “Winter storms are paying off big for a Contra Costa County water supplier that has filled its Los Vaqueros Reservoir to record water levels.  Water volumes in Los Vaqueros surpassed 133,540-acre feet on Sunday, breaking a record of 132,900-acre feet set in 2013, the Contra Costa Water District reported Monday.  Storm-fed high water flows in lakes and streams has created good conditions for the district to pump water from the Sacramento San Joaquin River Delta into Los Vaqueros, an off-stream reservoir, officials said.  “The water levels continue rising as we pump in more water to refill it after five years of drought,” said Jennifer Allen, a water district spokeswoman. … ”  Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here:  Los Vaqueros reservoir reaches record high water mark

With dam gone, Carmel River comes back to life:  “Tommy Williams—a fisheries biologist whose enthusiasm bubbles forth so swiftly, he’s often interrupting himself mid-sentence—is pacing on the banks of the Carmel River.  “Amazing,” he says, snapping pictures of newly formed sandbanks and twigs wedged in between white alder, black cottonwood and willow trunks.  It’s not the trees or twigs that delight him. It’s the thundering flow of a river that has been dammed for the last 94 years—and the sediment (dirt and rocks) that are pushing everything downstream.  “These trees have been growing in a place that haven’t had this kind of sediment flow here for 100 years,” says Williams, who works in the Santa Cruz office for NOAA Fisheries. “This is rocking their world right now.”  … ”  Read more from KQED here:  With dam gone, California river comes back to life

$900 million Folsom Dam spillway project nearing completion:  “The Folsom Dam auxiliary spillway project is in its last phase and on schedule to finish by October, according to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Sacramento District.  The $900 million structure, which runs parallel to Folsom Lake Crossing, has been in construction since 2008 and is a joint project between several federal and state agencies: the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, State of California and Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency. The Corps of Engineers built the dam, while the Bureau of Reclamation excavated the spillway chute and will operate the dam when it is finished. … ”  Read more from the Press Tribune here:  $900 million Folsom Dam spillway project nearing completion

Stockton: Landmarks, no more: Iconic water towers coming down:  “Visitors never get lost on the way to Deborah Sanchez’s home. “If you see the big water tower, you’ll know you’re going in the right direction,” she tells them.  That 100-foot-tall landmark, which has stood over El Dorado Street since the early 1940s, will be torn down as soon as next month in favor of a safer ground-level tank. The privately owned California Water Service Co. plans to remove five other towers as well, fundamentally changing Stockton’s skyline in the years to come. No one wants an earthquake jarring a tower off its skinny legs, dumping 2,000 tons of water onto a residential neighborhood. In documents filed with the California Public Utilities Commission, an engineer concluded that Cal Water’s older towers, built before seismic standards were implemented, are “a potential life safety concern.” … ”  Read more from the Stockton Record here:  Landmarks, no more: Iconic water towers coming down

New solutions for long-standing drinking water pollution in the Central Valley:  “Millions of Californians depend on a polluted water supply, but in the vast majority of places, the contamination is removed, and clean fresh water flows into homes, schools and businesses. Not so for as many as 160,000 people who regularly get doses of arsenic, nitrates, industrial solvents or bacterial contamination as they drink, cook and bathe. In some parts of the state, particularly in the San Joaquin Valley, water supplies are drying up altogether, because of the state’s drought. More than 100 water systems have run short of water, and the state has spent millions of dollars on emergency measures like providing bottled water to homes and schools. … ”  Read more from the California Health Report here:  New solutions for long-standing drinking water pollution in the Central Valley

Is the San Joaquin Valley still in a drought?  “As storms continue to pummel the San Joaquín Valley and water approaches capacity in numerous reservoirs, the memories of dried-out wells, public showers and other impacts from California’s drought seem distant.  Only a few months ago, the Valley was thirsty for water.  Politicians, officials and some residents are optimistic over how much precipitation the state is receiving, but at the California Department of Water Resources in Sacramento, the reality is that it’s just too early to tell if the drought is eradicated because the state’s weather is unpredictable. … ”  Read more from Vida en la Valle here:  Is the San Joaquin Valley still in a drought?

Report from Inyo County water commission:  “After five years of drought, the question of what to do with mass quantities of spring runoff is a welcome problem, one that Inyo County Water Commissioner Craig Patten suggested area residents can weigh in on.  “We’re at 244 percent of normal,” Patten said at Wednesday’s Commission meeting. “There could be a million acre-feet of run-off.” While Patten said Los Angeles Department of Water and Power has indicated “they’ll put the water where they can get it when they need it,” this may be the time to store some of it in the Owens Valley. … ”  Read more from the Sierra Wave here:  Report from Inyo County water commission

Municipal Water District of Orange County says we’re no longer in an emergency state of drought:  “Enough rain has fallen this winter to keep Orange County from being in an emergency state of drought, according to the Municipal Water District of Orange County (MWDOC). Yesterday the MWDOC Board of Directors unanimously declared an end to emergency drought conditions, and they’re urging the state to halt the emergency regulations that are currently in place, as well.  While the State Water Resources Control Board has mulled over extending special regulations under the drought state of emergency, 50 of California’s 58 counties  have been under “flood-emergency” as a result of all the rain and extensive snowfall in the mountains. According to MWDOC statistics, only a fraction of the state remains in drought— and Orange County isn’t one of them. ... ”  Read more from the OC Weekly here:  Municipal Water District of Orange County says we’re no longer in an emergency state of drought

High desert water treatment authority mismanaged millions in federal funds, audit says:  “A wastewater treatment authority that serves large parts of the high desert, including Victorville, Hesperia and Apple Valley, mismanaged millions of dollars in federal emergency management funds, a U.S. audit has found.  The Victor Valley Water Reclamation Authority, which received the funds after major flooding six years ago led to a ruptured pipeline, did not comply with numerous federal regulations on Federal Emergency Management Agency contracts worth $31.7 million, according to the report by the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security. … ”  Read more from the LA Times here:  High desert water treatment authority mismanaged millions in federal funds, audit says

Precipitation watch …

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.

 

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