In California water news today, Oroville dam: Feds and state ignored warnings 12 years ago; Experts: State left with few options while trying to avert disaster at Oroville Dam; Another rainstorm headed to Oroville after a few days of sunshine; Oroville Dam: Crisis eases but more than 100,000 evacuated; Sacramento mayor says ‘no imminent threat’ to capital city if Oroville spillway fails; Water managers try to bust drought using ground game; One year later, Erin Brockovich’s twin tunnels promise mostly empty; Klamath River dam releases begin for fish health begin shortly after court order; Shasta Lake nears capacity as water releases increase; Yuba County officials confident about the rivers; After controversy, Stockton’s water is safer; and more …
In dam news today …
Oroville dam: Feds and state ignored warnings 12 years ago: “More than a decade ago, federal and state officials and some of California’s largest water agencies rejected concerns that the massive earthen spillway at Oroville Dam — at risk of collapse Sunday night and prompting the evacuation of 185,000 people — could erode during heavy winter rains and cause a catastrophe. Three environmental groups — the Friends of the River, the Sierra Club and the South Yuba Citizens League — filed a motion with the federal government on Oct. 17, 2005, as part of Oroville Dam’s relicensing process, urging federal officials to require that the dam’s emergency spillway be armored with concrete, rather than remain as an earthen hillside. ... ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here: Oroville dam: Feds and state ignored warnings 12 years ago
Experts: State left with few options while trying to avert disaster at Oroville Dam: “As Oroville Dam operators worked into the night Sunday to try to prevent collapse of the emergency spillway, independent engineering experts said the state has few options at its disposal. The collapse of the emergency spillway likely would cause catastrophic flooding along the entire Highway 70 corridor, inundating Oroville, Marysville and much of Sutter County, top engineering and flood-control experts said late Sunday. The emergency spillway – which sits adjacent to the main spillway that fractured Tuesday – is a critical part of the structure holding water in Lake Oroville, California’s second-largest reservoir. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: Experts: State left with few options while trying to avert disaster at Oroville Dam
Another rainstorm headed to Oroville after a few days of sunshine: “The crews working to shore up Lake Oroville’s emergency spillway have three days of mostly sunny weather before the next warm, wet storm moves inland. River levels will rise and continue to pose problems late this week and early next week, according to the National Weather Service. Monday through Wednesday will be mostly rain-free. Valley temperatures will warm into the 60s today and visibility will be clear for helicopters being used in the buttressing of Oroville’s emergency spillway. ... ” Read more from the Fresno Bee here: Another rainstorm headed to Oroville after a few days of sunshine
Oroville Dam: Crisis eases but more than 100,000 evacuated: “The threat of imminent collapse of the Oroville Dam emergency spillway eased Sunday night, hours after authorities ordered the evacuation of more than 100,000 downstream residents upon discovering damage to the structure. But there is still serious concern about the condition of the auxiliary spillway, and it’s unclear when residents will be able to return to their homes. With a storm expected to arrive Wednesday, the state Department of Water Resources needs to make room for the water that will be flowing in. The agency aims to drain about 1.2 million acre feet of water from the reservoir over the next day or so. The capacity of the reservoir, California’s second-largest, is about 35 million feet. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here: Oroville Dam: Crisis eases but more than 100,000 evacuated
Sacramento mayor says ‘no imminent threat’ to capital city if Oroville spillway fails: “Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said Sunday night that “there is no imminent threat” to Sacramento if the Oroville Dam emergency spillway fails. Steinberg said that he and City Manager Howard Chan had spoken to Department of Water Resources officials about the situation and will meet in the morning with them for an update. The mayor said the city had emergency plans for flooding that could be initiated if the threat escalates, but didn’t currently see a need to deploy those measures. ... ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: Sacramento mayor says ‘no imminent threat’ to capital city if Oroville spillway fails
In other water news today …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
Water managers try to bust drought using ground game: “As storms hit California and the Sierra Nevada snowpack keeps building after years of punishing drought, water managers on the San Joaquin Valley floor are replenishing groundwater supplies while the getting is good. Fresno Irrigation District, which encompasses 245,000 acres and includes Fresno, Clovis and Kerman, is urgently getting water from the Kings River, local rivers and storm runoff from the city of Fresno and running it in 600 miles of canals to replenish underground supplies, general manager Gary Serrato said. “We have to take advantage of the opportunity,” he said. “January is the third-wettest on record. I am not complaining about any water. That’s just a blessing.” … ” Read more from the Fresno Bee here: Water managers try to bust drought using ground game
One year later, Erin Brockovich’s twin tunnels promise mostly empty: “Erin Brockovich parachuted into Stockton one year ago to condemn the city’s use of a common method to treat the drinking water. But sitting on a stage before a raucous crowd of 1,200, in the heart of a region deeply opposed to Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed Delta tunnels, the celebrity activist won enthusiastic applause when she accepted a new challenge. “We’re completely sunk if the tunnels come to pass,” Stockton activist Barbara Barrigan-Parrilla told Brockovich that night. “Are you committed to helping the city of Stockton fight the Delta tunnels?” Brockovich replied: “If that’s an invitation, the answer is ‘yes.’ ” And the people cheered. ... ” Read more from the Stockton Record here: One year later, Erin Brockovich’s twin tunnels promise mostly empty
Klamath River dam releases begin for fish health begin shortly after court order: “The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation ramped up flows on the lower Klamath River on Friday morning in an attempt to reduce the risk of threatened fish from contracting a deadly parasite as had occurred in years past. The move came just over a day after a federal judge found that the bureau’s past dam operations had caused harm to threatened juvenile Coho salmon in 2014 and 2015. The judge ordered the agency to draft a new flow plan in collaboration with local Native American tribes to reduce impacts this year. But due to recent storms increasing natural flows of the river, Yurok Tribe Counsel Daniel Cordalis stated Friday evening that the bureau has decided not to increase flows past 6,000 cubic-feet per second because of “flooding concerns.” ... ” Read more from the Eureka Times-Standard here: Klamath River dam releases begin for fish health begin shortly after court order
Shasta Lake nears capacity as water releases increase: “Water releases from Shasta Lake are at the highest they’ve been in 20 years as the lake nears full capacity Monday. The lake stood at 96 percent of capacity and 137 percent of the historical average, as of midnight Monday, according to the California Department of Water Resources. … ” Read more from KCRA Channel 3 here: Shasta Lake nears capacity as water releases increase
Yuba County officials confident about the rivers: “County officials say while they’re still keeping an eye on the levees and any potential issues, water levels are declining — a good sign despite scares following the Oroville Dam spillover early Saturday. Russ Brown, Yuba County public information officer, said the Office of Emergency Services received plenty of phone calls Saturday with residents concerned about possible evacuations. Brown said people see high water, and rumors get started. “What’s interesting is the Yuba river is dropping quickly,” Brown said Saturday afternoon. “Soon, it will be below monitoring stage.” ... ” Read more from the Appeal Democrat here: Yuba County officials confident about the rivers
After controversy, Stockton’s water is safer: “In the end, the much-maligned chloramines did their job. One year after the city of Stockton began treating the north side’s drinking water with the new chemical, levels of a cancer-causing byproduct have plummeted nearly 70 percent, on average, and are now well within federal standards. The widespread public health problems that some people feared have apparently not materialized — at least, not according to the San Joaquin County Department of Public Health, which said this week it has received no such reports from local health providers. ... ” Read more from the Stockton Record here: After controversy, Stockton’s water is safer
Merced Irrigation District offers unlimited water at half of last year’s cost: “The wealth of rain falling on Merced County this year led the Merced Irrigation District board on Friday to approve a budget that will allow district growers to buy as much water as they want. The budget for the 2018 fiscal year sets a water rate for MID growers at $33 per acre-foot and a rate of $75 per acre-foot for growers outside the district. That announcement of unrestricted water sales marked a dramatic turnaround from last year, when the in-district price was $66 per acre foot and farmers were limited to 4 acre-feet per acre. Last year, growers outside the district had to pay $250 per acre-foot if they wanted MID’s water. … ” Read more from the Merced Sun Star here: Merced Irrigation District offers unlimited water at half of last year’s cost
Valley to get short break from rain, but river flooding possible: “Although the central San Joaquin valley will get a brief reprieve from the heavy rain that has caused flooding in some areas, fog is now in the forecast for part of the upcoming week, according to the National Weather Service in Hanford. A flood warning was in place Sunday morning for areas below Friant Dam as the flow release increased to 8,000 cubic feet per second. Areas along the San Joaquin River are susceptible to flooding in the coming days in Fresno and Madera counties. The river will be flowing at high speeds for days, if not weeks, said Kevin Durfee at the weather service office in Hanford. ... ” Read more from the Fresno Bee here: Valley to get short break from rain, but river flooding possible
Catalina Island photo essay: California island and tourist hot spot copes with drought: “Walking south along the coast of Catalina Island, the noises of bustling tourists and the crashing Pacific waves quickly give way to a steady whir. This is the sound of Southern California Edison’s energy plant that not only powers the entire island, but also provides it with potable water through its desalination system. “These are our workhorses,” says Ron Hite, the manager of SCE’s Catalina district, as he points to the diesel engines that power both the island and the desalination plant. “They’re what allow us to produce 200,000 gallons [760,000 liters] of clean freshwater a day.” Hite and his team have helped the community here adapt to the challenges of drought on an island. … ” Read more from Water Deeply here: Catalina Island photo essay: California island and tourist hot spot copes with drought
Column: Can desalination plants quench California’s thirst in a clean way? “California is expected to officially start up its second desalination plant in April, which takes seawater and makes it potable. The first one opened in December 2015 in Carlsbad that is near San Diego while the next one will be in Santa Barbara that is north of Los Angeles. And 15 more are on the table there. Is this a global solution for the billions without access to potable or sanitized water? Can desalination be done in a way that is minimizes harm to the ocean and that uses clean energy to run its operations? … ” Read more from Forbes Magazine here: Can desalination plants quench California’s thirst in a clean way?
In commentary today …
Oroville dam makes clear: Nature is in control, says the Sacramento Bee: They write, “For all our sophistication, for all the widgets created in Silicon Valley and all the doctorates bestowed by our universities, we who live here in California know better than most that nature can be humbling. Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea certainly knows that. On Sunday, state and local officials monitoring Oroville Dam, built in 1968, could see that the emergency spillway was eroding and in danger of collapsing. Failure would cause a surge that could inundate Marysville and Yuba City. ... ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: Oroville dam makes clear: Nature is in control, says the Sacramento Bee
George Skelton: California lawmakers are stuck on Trump, but there’s a problem at home that needs attention: dirty water: ” … What’s normally heard about water in the parched valley — or read on farmers’ crude signs along Interstate 5 and Highway 99 between Bakersfield and Stockton — is that the federal and state governments have cruelly tightened the irrigation spigots. Never mind that we’re only now emerging from a historic drought, caused not by government, but by the supreme rainmaker. And never mind that water also is needed for spawning salmon in the Sacramento and San Joaquin river systems to keep alive the ocean fishing industry. What’s heard about a lot less is that hundreds of thousands of people — mostly low income, and many of them farm workers — are being forced to drink unhealthy, contaminated tap water unless they can get healthy water trucked in or buy it bottled. … ” Continue reading at the LA Times here: George Skelton: California lawmakers are stuck on Trump, but there’s a problem at home that needs attention: dirty water
Plenty more news in the weekend edition …
Precipitation watch …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
- RESERVOIR AND WATER CONDITIONS for February 13, 2017
- GUEST COMMENTARY: Twin tunnels prevent state from genuine water solutions, say Delta county reps
- THIS JUST IN … Governor Brown Issues Emergency Order to Help Response to Situation at Oroville Dam
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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.
