In California water news today, DWR wants to stop Oroville spillway flow, doesn’t know when it can; Oroville Dam holding steady below flood stage; FERC OKs Board of Consultants, orders faster forensic review of Oroville Dam; Oroville hoping to turn dam crisis into tourism opportunity; This year’s floods may be good for California’s salmon; Powerful storms continue to batter Northern California amid concern about levees; California’s wet weather has some believing the drought is over; President Trump promised California farmers he would ‘start opening up the water’; Can he?; and more …
On the calendar today …
- The State Water Resources Control Board meets this morning at 9am. Agenda items include consideration of resolutions regarding regional water quality plans for Los Angeles, an annual report on the implementation of the human right to water, Prop 1 funding, and release of the 2015-16 performance measures report. Click here for the full agenda. Click here for the webcast.
In the news today …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
DWR wants to stop Oroville spillway flow, doesn’t know when it can: “The Department of Water Resources plans to remove at least some of the debris at the bottom of the Oroville Dam spillway and study the structure, but just aren’t sure when they’ll have a chance to do that. The workers can’t just move into the Diversion Pool and pull out the concrete, mud and other debris that went into the water after the spillway broke Feb. 7 because water is still flowing at around 60,000 cubic feet per second and they’ll need heavy equipment to get the work done. “Crews are on the banks putting in the infrastructure so that when we decrease the flow, we can move in aggressively and possibly be in and out in a day or two,” said Chris Orrock, a spokesman for the California Department of Water Resources. ... ” Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here: DWR wants to stop Oroville spillway flow, doesn’t know when it can
Oroville Dam holding steady below flood stage: “Lake Oroville water levels have fallen below 850 feet, the flood control stage that officials normally want to keep the lake below this time of year, state figures show. In addition, water continues to flow into Lake Oroville at a slower pace than it is flowing out, meaning that lake levels continue to drop, albeit slowly. Lake levels fell about a foot between midnight and 9 a.m. on Monday. Water was flowing into the lake at roughly 40,000 cubic feet per second at 8 a.m. and flowing out of the lake at roughly 60,000 cubic feet per second. ... ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: Oroville Dam holding steady below flood stage
FERC OKs Board of Consultants, orders faster forensic review of Oroville Dam: “The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the five-member Board of Consultants for Oroville Dam on Tuesday and ordered the state to move faster on a forensic review. In a letter Friday to FERC, William Croyle, the Department of Water Resources’ acting director, said the board will “review and assess operations, conditions and risk reduction measures associated with the dam and appurtenant structures. The BOC will continue in this role during the repair of the main and emergency spillways.” In the same letter, Croyle said the forensic team would be delayed. … ” Read more from the Appeal Democrat here: FERC OKs Board of Consultants, orders faster forensic review of Oroville Dam
Oroville hoping to turn dam crisis into tourism opportunity: “It was just a week ago that this city in the shadow of America’s tallest dam was in a state of crisis. The town of 19,000 had been evacuated — along with dozens of other towns downstream — amid concerns the emergency spillway at the Oroville Dam might collapse, causing a massive flood. Now, the crisis has eased, and the residents of Oroville are beginning to mull over how to move forward as the camera crews begin to depart and the national spotlight moves elsewhere. ... ” Read more from the LA Times here: Oroville hoping to turn dam crisis into tourism opportunity
This year’s floods may be good for California’s salmon: “In the mid-1990s, a scientist named Ted Sommer commuted routinely by bicycle between Davis and Sacramento, on the causeway that passes over the vast floodplain called the Yolo Bypass. At the time, state biologists had observed that numbers of Sacramento River fish increased almost every year following a wet winter. “We wondered what it was about those wet years that was so good for fish,” Sommer said. The answer occurred to him during one of his bike rides. It was a rainy winter, and the Yolo Bypass, sprawling away to the north, was covered with river water—as it often was after unusually heavy rains, and as it is this week. Perhaps, he speculated, those many acres of ephemeral wetland had something to do with the observed spikes in fish numbers. … ” Read more from KCET here: This year’s floods may be good for California’s salmon
Powerful storms continue to batter Northern California amid concern about levees: “An “atmospheric river” continued to batter parts of Northern California on Tuesday, causing widespread flooding. The heavy rains prompted the National Weather Service to warn of a dam failure outside Carson City, Nev., saying that it was “not a drill” and that residents should “move to higher ground now.” … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Powerful storms continue to batter Northern California amid concern about levees See also from the LA Times: Levee system battered by record rainfall from atmospheric river
California’s wet weather has some believing the drought is over: “A statewide downpour brought chaos to Californians this week, but it also provided some welcome relief to the state’s 20 million residents who have suffered from drought conditions for more than four years. The record precipitation now has some experts declaring the drought over. The drought began in 2012, but California Gov. Jerry Brown did not declare a drought state of emergency until January 2014. A response team was later established, and state lawmakers have allocated over $3 billion for drought relief and water management improvements. … ” Read more from ABC News here: California’s wet weather has some believing the drought is over
President Trump promised California farmers he would ‘start opening up the water’; Can he? “Last May, Donald Trump stood in an arena full of farmers from California’s desiccated Central Valley and said words many yearned to hear: “If I win, believe me, we’re going to start opening up the water.” … Trump was repeating an argument used by California’s agricultural industry for decades: That the region’s water woes are not caused by nature, but by regulations. Specifically, those that under certain circumstances keep water in California’s rivers rather than diverting it to farmlands, in the name of protecting a “three-inch fish” — the delta smelt — and other native species that are threatened with extinction. … ” Read more from PBS News Hour here: President Trump promised California farmers he would ‘start opening up the water’; Can he?
In commentary today …
Mind the gaps in dam safety, says the San Francisco Chronicle: “An examination of California’s dam safety precautions by staff writers Joaquin Palomino and Cynthia Dizikes highlighted some unacceptable gaps in both rules and practices. Their report, published Sunday, came at a time of heightened concern about the conditions of all of the state’s 1,585 dams after the deterioration of spillways at the nation’s tallest — the Oroville Dam — at a time when rains were pushing its reservoir levels to the limit. Its precarious condition recently resulted in a mass temporary evacuation of residents and businesses within the Feather River’s potential flood zone. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Mind the gaps in dam safety
Oroville shows importance of flood control projects, says Jamie Johansson: He writes, “Along with the torrents of water released from Oroville Dam this month has come a torrent of ink and words, as writers from every perspective have opined about the dam, the safety of its emergency spillway and what it means for California’s water system in general. I have something of a unique perspective on this. Not only is my farm 4 miles from Oroville Dam—I was actually at its Visitors Center with my Cub Scout group when word came that authorities were ordering evacuation of areas downstream, concerned about failure of the auxiliary spillway within an hour—a surreal moment that now is second in my life only to experiencing the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake in San Francisco. As it turned out, my home and farm were outside the evacuation area, but the order caused worry and dislocation for many of my friends and colleagues. … ” Read more from Ag Alert here: Oroville shows importance of flood control projects
In regional news and commentary today …
Court supports order to divert water to support Klamath salmon: “The federal government can redirect water from a Northern California dam to prevent mass die-offs of salmon in drought years, water that otherwise would be shipped to Central Valley farmers, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation had authority under a 1955 federal law to release Trinity River water from the Lewiston Dam in 2013 into the Klamath River, where salmon were migrating to their spawning grounds, said the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. That law allowed the government to take “appropriate measures” to preserve fish and wildlife, the court said. ... ” Read more from SF Gate here: Court supports order to divert water to support Klamath salmon
Government agencies see link between groundwater and Napa Valley fish: “State and federal agencies are concerned that Napa Valley groundwater pumping could be sapping summer flows in the Napa River, to the detriment of salmon and steelhead trout. They are expressing their concerns to the state Department of Water Resources. The state is considering whether to approve a proposed Napa County report on managing Napa Valley groundwater pumped for wineries, vineyards, rural homes and other uses. No one is suggesting any immediate, new groundwater pumping restrictions. But the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and National Marine Fisheries Service want the county to take an even closer look at whether pumping significantly limits how much groundwater seeps into the river during the hot, dry months. … ” Read more from the Napa Valley Register here: Government agencies see link between groundwater and Napa Valley fish
Water managers may have to ‘spill’ water from Lake Tahoe: “Given the amount of precipitation that has dumped into Lake Tahoe in the past handful of months, water officials may have to send “quite a bit” of water over the emergency spillway located in Tahoe City. That statement from U.S. District Court Water Master Chad Blanchard on Tuesday comes with a caveat: Officials are waiting for an updated forecast that will take into account the impact of the most recent storms on spring runoff. New information outstanding, the need to release, or spill, some water from the lake is looking likely. As of 2 p.m. Tuesday, Lake Tahoe was at 6,226.66 feet, according to provisional data from the United States Geological Survey. That number puts the lake 3.66 inches above its natural rim and within 2 ½ feet of the lake’s “legal limit.” … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune here: Water managers may have to ‘spill’ water from Lake Tahoe
Sonoma County: River rats castigate county over Occidental sewage trucking: “A full house of concerned river residents admonished the Sonoma County Water Agency last week over plans to truck the town of Occidental’s sewage to Guerneville for treatment and disposal. Her neighborhood is “prepared to do anything necessary to stop this absurd idea,” said Guerneville resident Susan Packer, who owns vacation rental property adjacent to the transfer site. With Occidental’s sewage set to be trucked daily to a pumping station on Riverside Drive, where ongoing problems include odors and recent collection system overflows during Russian River flooding, “you certainly can’t handle any increase,” in sewage coming into the pump station, said Packer. … ” Read more from Sonoma West here: Sonoma County: River rats castigate county over Occidental sewage trucking
San Francisco’s pure drinking water about to get a new ingredient: “San Francisco’s famously pure High Sierra water is about to be served with a twist. Starting next month, city water officials will begin adding local groundwater to the Yosemite supplies that have satiated the area’s thirst since the 1930s and made the clean, crisp water here the envy of the nation. While San Francisco’s water supplies are at little risk of running low, thanks to this winter’s drought-busting storms, city officials say diversifying their portfolio remains vital. … ” Read more from SF Gate here: San Francisco’s pure drinking water about to get a new ingredient
Thousands flee, freeway shut in flooding in San Jose: “Rising floodwaters sent at least 14,000 residents fleeing inundated homes in San Jose, California, and forced the shutdown of a major freeway Wednesday. U.S. 101 was closed in both directions south of San Francisco because of water across lanes and officials said there was no estimate when the key commuter artery into Silicon Valley would reopen. Authorities went door-to-door overnight ordering thousands to seek higher ground as creeks and reservoirs overtopped their banks and sent chest-deep water into neighborhoods. The region got a brief break from persistent downpours, but flood warnings were in place through Saturday because waterways were overtaxed. … ” Read more from the AP here: Thousands flee, freeway shut in flooding in San Jose
Manteca: The levee is breaking, so who do you call? Not the government: “A levee along a waterway that the State of California has jurisdiction is being breached. Who do you call for help while you scramble like the mythical Little Dutch Boy who plugged a hole in the dike with his finger until the cavalry arrived? There are state agencies with various acronyms that are charged with doing so. But as south Manteca farmers discovered Monday night don’t expect help unless you file a request in triplicate. That’s essentially he response they got to frantic phone calls asking for help from state contacts at several agencies. … ” Read more from the Manteca Bulletin here: Manteca: The levee is breaking, so who do you call? Not the government
Big test still to come as San Joaquin River keeps rising: “Splashes of sunshine and some modest bits of good news cast San Joaquin County’s flooding problems in a slightly more optimistic light on Tuesday. Still, the same levee that nearly failed one night earlier, forcing evacuations southwest of Manteca, will be working even harder over the next several days as flood releases from Don Pedro Reservoir reach the San Joaquin River and slowly push toward the Delta. Even after that surge passes through, more than 6 million acre-feet of water is pooled in reservoirs that eventually drain into this region, with a bulging snowpack perched above the reservoirs. Our rivers will be running high for some time. … ” Read more from the Stockton Record here: Big test still to come as San Joaquin River keeps rising
Turlock Irrigation District hopes to prolong spillway releases; Tuolumne River over flood stage: “The Tuolumne River in Modesto, struck by a surge of water from the Don Pedro Reservoir’s spillway, rose above the flood stage Tuesday, though it did not result in major flooding. The situation remained precarious, with a full reservoir and swollen rivers downstream. The Turlock Irrigation District is trying to get approval for a plan to lower the reservoir to a more manageable level in the next week. At a briefing Tuesday afternoon, officials said TID has submitted a plan to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to maintain releases from Don Pedro at 16,000 to 17,000 cubic feet per second for eight or nine days to reduce the reservoir to 815 feet. The dam’s maximum level is 830 feet. ... ” Read more from the Modesto Bee here: Turlock Irrigation District hopes to prolong spillway releases; Tuolumne River over flood stage
Central Valley dairy farmers plot Plan B in case of flooding: “Milton O’ Haire is Stanislaus County Agricultural Commissioner. He’s keeping an eye on the 100-year flood plain along the San Joaquin River and the Tuolumne River. The area is home to six cow dairies and one goat dairy. “There’s some concern there if they have to be evacuated under an emergency as far as where we could we get those animals to,” says O’Haire. “One of the dairies has already evacuated because they’ve seen the flooding. But we still have five cow dairies that are holding fast.” ... ” Read more from Capital Public Radio here: Central Valley dairy farmers plot Plan B in case of flooding
Cachuma Lake rises 31 feet after weekend storm: “As the Central Coast continues to recover from the most significant storm in seven years, officials are marveling over the speed at which the water level is rising at Cachuma Lake, as well as at rainfall totals across the region. On Thursday, before the brunt of the deluge hit the area Friday, the lake in the Santa Ynez Valley was at 18-percent capacity. By Monday. Cachuma had reached nearly 40-percent capacity, which translates to a 31-foot rise in water elevation. The lake was one of the last areas in the state to be categorized as being in “extreme drought” before Friday’s storm. … ” Read more from the Lompoc Record here: Cachuma Lake rises 31 feet after weekend storm
Ventura County: Lake Casitas water level slowly increasing: “The most recent storms have made a big difference at Lake Casitas. The lake is now at 42% of capacity. The entire lake has risen by seven feet because of the most recent storm. While the increase is significant, it is not enough to get the area out of drought conditions. ... ” Read more from KEYT here: Ventura County: Lake Casitas water level slowly increasing
L.A. County Supervisor Sheila Kuhl announces stormwater fee framework at VX2017: “At VerdeXchange 2017, Los Angeles County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl announced her plans to introduce a motion to develop a countywide funding measure for stormwater capture and management. … TPR/VX presents an excerpt of the panel. … Sheila Kuhl: “Water governance throughout the greater LA region is, I think by everybody’s measure, inefficient. It is very fractured, and yet overlapping. More often than not, the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand’s doing, and certainly can’t work with it. Even when it does, everything is sort of ad hoc—we’re not thinking overall, or globally. For decades, we didn’t need to do very much about it; that splintered approach was actually kind of working for us. But a variety of stressors—the ever-increasing population, a prolonged drought, the pollution of many local aquifers—have made the status quo untenable. We cannot any longer work in such a splintered fashion. If we want to be water secure in future generations, we have to make a change. … ” Read more from The Planning Report here: L.A. County Supervisor Sheila Kuhl announces stormwater fee framework at VX2017
Along the Colorado River …
Deep Rockies snowpack likely to forestall Colorado River shortage: “With snow piling up in the mountains that feed the Colorado River, the short-term outlook for Lake Mead has suddenly improved. But new research warns of more trouble ahead. First the good news: Federal forecasters now expect the reservoir to avoid its first federal shortage declaration next year, thanks to the boost it should get from what could wind up as the wettest winter on the river’s basin in 20 years. ... ” Read more from the Las Vegas Review Journal here: Deep Rockies snowpack likely to forestall Colorado River shortage
Colorado River flows will keep shrinking as climate warms: “Warming in the 21st century reduced Colorado River flows by at least 0.5 million acre-feet, about the amount of water used by 2 million people for one year, according to new research from the University of Arizona and Colorado State University. The research is the first to quantify the different effects of temperature and precipitation on recent Colorado River flow, said authors Bradley Udall of CSU and Jonathan Overpeck of the UA. … ” Read more from Science Daily here: Colorado River flows will keep shrinking as climate warms
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.
