DAILY DIGEST: Lake Oroville water level on the decline; Brown makes unannounced visit; Why floodplains could be California’s buffer against climate extremes; Is California on pace for the wettest year ever? and more …

In California water news today, Lake Oroville water level on the decline; Brown makes unannounced visit; PG&E power lines rerouted at Oroville spillway; Amid Oroville emergency, California legislature moves to make flood control fixes; Why floodplains could be California’s buffer against climate extremes; Is California on pace for the wettest year ever? We’ll have to wait and see, says one expert; Extreme droughts and floods will be California’s future: Is the state ready?; Rivers in the sky: Why California is flooding; Why desalination alone won’t water the west; America’s aging dams are in need of repair; and more …

On the calendar today …

• The State Water Board will meet this morning beginning at 9am.  Agenda items include informational updates from Cal Trout and Trout Unlimited on restoring ecological functions through coordinated management approaches, and a presentation by the Scientific Evaluation Process group on restoring chinook salmon and steelhead on the Stanislaus River.  Click here for the full agenda.  Click here for the webcast.
• The Delta Stewardship Council meets today at 9am.  The first day of a two day meeting.  Today’s agenda items include Delta Independent Science Board accomplishments and activities; Cal Water Fix update; and consideration of a draft Delta Plan amendment regarding Conveyance, Storage, and Operations. Tomorrow’s agenda is focused mainly on the Delta Levee Investment Program. Click here for more information.  Click here for the webcast.
• Reducing Barriers to Future Production of Groundwater, Recycled Water, Seawater Desalination, and Stormwater at 9:30am: In 2013, Metropolitan’s Board approved a pilot Foundational Actions Funding (FAF) Program that consisted of  technical studies and pilot projects pertaining to the areas of groundwater, recycled water, seawater desalination, and stormwater. Foundational Actions, now referred to as Future Supply Actions, are relatively low-cost, low risk preliminary actions to better prepare the region for unforeseen water supply challenges. This conference will showcase all projects that participated in the FAF Program.  Register here to attend via the Webinar.
• Webinar: Come Rain or Come Shine, Conservation is a California Way of Life from 1pm to 2pm: Join Nossaman attorneys for a timely discussion of the impacts of record-setting winter storms on the statewide drought emergency and on the push to make conservation a “California Way of Life.”  This webinar for CLE credit will update participants on the status of the state’s emergency drought regulations and on the timing and expected implementation of the state’s regulatory and legislative plans aimed to institutionalize the conservation mentality adopted by many Californians in response to the drought.  Click here to register.

In the news today …

Lake Oroville water level on the decline; Brown makes unannounced visit:  “Lake Oroville has survived its first weather challenge since the emergency spillway crisis, and is on the way back down.  The lake water level peaked just under the 853-foot elevation about 4 a.m. Wednesday and had declined about half a foot by 5 p.m. Inflow at that time was about 47,000 cubic-feet per second. Inflow all day has been below the 60,000 cfs that was being released from the dam.  The dam also got an unannounced visit by Gov. Jerry Brown Wednesday, even though he had earlier said he didn’t see a reason to, “hover in and mug for the media.” … ”  Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here:  Lake Oroville water level on the decline; Brown makes unannounced visits

PG&E power lines rerouted at Oroville spillway:  “With helicopters ferrying linemen to the tops of electric towers, PG&E got to work Wednesday rerouting a transmission line around the area affected by the emergency spillway erosion.  The 230,000-volt transmission lines were shut down Feb. 10 as water rose toward the top of the Oroville Dam emergency spillway weir. The transmission towers stood in the area where water could have spilled. … ”  Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here:  PG&E power lines rerouted at Oroville spillway

Amid Oroville emergency, California legislature moves to make flood control fixes:  “As heavy winter storms continue to hammer California, the Legislature is launching a review of dam and levee safety and bracing for major investments necessary to shore up flood control throughout the state.  Amid the ongoing crisis at Oroville Dam, lawmakers have taken only tentative steps so far. The first oversight hearing to review what happened in Oroville is scheduled for next week, and the Senate leader is proposing a one-time funding source for flood protection efforts.  Broader solutions for California’s aging flood-control facilities will likely not emerge for months, until at least the current emergency passes. … ”  Read more from the Sacramento Bee here:  Amid Oroville emergency, California legislature moves to make flood control fixes

Why floodplains could be California’s buffer against climate extremes:  “In just a few short weeks, Californians have been reminded that drought has an evil twin: flooding.  Droughts in the Golden State often end with floods, as seems to be happening this winter. But the state’s political and economic fortunes always seem to swing between the two, leaving precious little opportunity to explore the terrain where they intersect.  One place that happens is on floodplains. When rivers swell, floodplains absorb the excess flow, protecting cities built along rivers, recharging groundwater and providing vital aquatic habitat – all at the same time. When drought swings back, we can pump out the groundwater to serve farms and neighborhoods. ... ”  Read more from Water Deeply here:  Why floodplains could be California’s buffer against climate extremes

Is California on pace for the wettest year ever? We’ll have to wait and see, says one expert:  “Some areas in California are blowing records right out of the water when it comes to rainfall this year.  Santa Rosa is 200 percent of normal, which means it’s had twice the rainfall it normally has this time of years, with 52 inches. Blue Canyon, along the American River, has had 95 inches, where it normally would have 42.5.  But Jan Null, meteorologist with Golden Gate Weather Services, said it’s really hard to say if we’re going to see a “wettest water year ever.” ... ”  Read more from SF Gate here:  Is California on pace for the wettest year ever? We’ll have to wait and see, says one expert

New report: Drought finally over in nearly every part of California:  “The historic drought that plagued California for five years is finally over in nearly every part of the state, federal scientists reported Thursday.  Because of the latest round of soaking storms that crumpled Oroville Dam’s spillway, flooded downtown San Jose and caused mudslides across Southern California, 83 percent of California is now out of drought completely — the lowest level since December  2011, when the drought first began.  That’s the conclusion of the U.S. Drought Monitor, a weekly study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. The study analyzes rainfall, reservoir levels, soil moisture, groundwater levels and other factors. ... ”  Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here:  New report: Drought finally over in nearly every part of California

Extreme droughts and floods will be California’s future: Is the state ready?  “The erosion of the Oroville Dam’s emergency spillway, which triggered the evacuation of 188,000 people, was just the first in a series of notable dam-related events in California last week. Further south in the Central Valley, about halfway between Modesto and Yosemite National Park, the spillway gates of the Don Pedro reservoir opened on Monday afternoon for the first time in two decades. A torrent of blue-green water rushed through into the Tuolumne River and began to flow through the Central Valley.  Even before the reservoir’s spillover reached an agricultural area outside of Manteca, all that rain meant the river was close to flooding. … ”  Read more from The Verge  here:  Extreme droughts and floods will be California’s future: Is the state ready? 

Rivers in the sky: Why California is flooding:  “It’s hard to believe that after five years of record drought, many Californians are hoping that this winter’s weekly deluges will come to a swift conclusion. The latest storm, which struck over the weekend and ended on Tuesday, has forced thousands to evacuate, including urban residents in San Jose, as floodwaters continue to rise and levees are strained.  This winter demonstrates how too much of a good thing — in this case, rain and mountain snow — can lead to severe problems.  This is increasingly important, since human-caused global warming is already causing both ends of the weather extremes spectrum — too little water and too much — to occur more frequently and with greater intensity.  So, what is it about these California storms that separates them from ordinary low pressure systems that affect other parts of the country?  … ”  Read more from Mashable here:  Rivers in the sky: Why California is flooding

Why desalination alone won’t water the west:  “Late last month, a list of infrastructure projects purportedly prioritized by the Trump administration sparked headlines across the country. Several of the projects aim to swell water supplies in the West, including a controversial plan to capture groundwater beneath California’s Cadiz Valley, a venture to pipe water out of an aquifer in New Mexico, and a proposed desalination plant perched on the edge of the Pacific Ocean, in Huntington Beach, California. The nearly $1 billion desalination plant could be operating as soon as 2020, according to Poseidon Water, the company behind the project.  In the West, calling water a contentious issue is an ocean of an understatement. … ”  Read more from The Journal here:  Why desalination alone won’t water the west

America’s aging dams are in need of repair:  “After two weeks that saw evacuations near Oroville, Calif., and flooding in Elko County, Nev., America’s dams are showing their age.  Nearly 2,000 state-regulated high-hazard dams in the United States were listed as being in need of repair in 2015, according to the Association of State Dam Safety Officials. A dam is considered “high hazard” based on the potential for the loss of life as a result of failure.  By 2020, 70 percent of the dams in the United States will be more than 50 years old, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers. ... ”  Read more from the New York Times here:  America’s aging dams are in need of repair

And lastly … This insane hole is pulling water out of a California lake:  “One of California’s weirdest spectacles is back. Record-breaking rainfall has caused water to flow into the manmade hole in Lake Berryessa (70 miles west of Sacramento) for the first time in nearly a decade. Officially called the Monticello Dam Morning Glory Spillway, the hole is designed to keep the dam from overflowing. It works sort of like a sink drain. But instead of the drain being at the bottom of the lake, it sits at the top. When the water rises to a certain level it flows over the top and into the 72-foot-wide, 200-foot-long pipe into a river below. … ”  Read more (and  check out skateboarders skating down the spillway when it’s dry) from Los Angeles Magazine here:  This insane hole is pulling water out of a California lake

And lastlier … Photos show the insane amounts of snow piled up at Lake Tahoe, photo gallery from SF Gate

In commentary today …

Our precious resource is just flowing away, says Senator Anthony Cannella:  He writes, “California has suffered through drought years most of the past decade. It was less than a year ago when San Luis Reservoir stood at half capacity. Today it is nearly full. North of here, we have seen 188,000 people evacuated because Lake Oroville was over capacity. So, as irony would have it, the Department of Water Resources has to increase water flows from reservoirs across the state to protect our dams from failing.  So, where does our water go? Statewide, the agricultural industry contributes nearly $50 billion to California’s economy, which is why we often hear that California is the breadbasket of the world – something to be proud of. ... ”  Read more from the Ceres Courier here:  Our precious resource is just flowing away

California needs water management that matches the weather, says Tom Philp:  He writes, “As a kid growing up in the Southland, I got my weather tips on the television from a mustached meteorologist named Dr. George. He would get quite excited when a big rainstorm was heading our way, breathlessly drawing pressure gradients and furiously waving a wand as if commanding a symphony. It felt like something epic and rare was about to happen.  I still find myself mesmerized by meteorologists and wonder if new insights into atmospheric rivers will move the needle with key California water decisions.  One of the experts in this emerging field of study is Martin Ralph of the University of California, San Diego, who is fast unraveling the mysteries of atmospheric rivers. ... ”  Read more from Water Deeply here:  California needs water management that matches the weather

Who should pay to fix the Oroville Dam?  Barbara Barrigan-Parilla writes, ” … Early estimates for repairs to Oroville’s main and emergency spillways are falling between $100–$200 million. That price will likely go up as the full extent of the damage is evaluated by engineers and geologists working for the California Department of Water Resources. One thing nobody disputes is that this essential component of California’s water infrastructure must be repaired as quickly as possible.  This urgency raises an important question: Who should pay?  The answer is the State Water Contractors, the beneficiaries of the project. … ”  Read more from KCET here:  Who should pay to fix the Oroville Dam?

Injecting wastewater into California oil wells imperils drinking water, says Keith Nakatani:  He writes, “The oil and gas industry has reigned supreme in California ever since the late 1800s, when holes poked in the ground produced gushers. These days, its millions of dollars lavished on elected officials dominate Sacramento, killing common-sense legislation to safeguard our communities. Meanwhile, the state has performed poorly when it comes to protecting the environment and public health from oil and gas pollution.  Groundwater is a critical public resource. It accounts for up to 65 percent of the state’s water supply in drought years, and many communities are increasingly dependent on it for drinking water. … ”  Read more from the Sacramento Bee here:  Injecting wastewater into California oil wells imperils drinking water

In regional news and commentary today …

Shasta Dam gates spill water for first time in 19 years:  “For the first time in 19 years the gates at Shasta Dam were opened Wednesday, sending water cascading down the face of the 602-foot-tall structure.  The gates were opened one at a time as a test to make sure they worked properly, said Don Bader, area manager for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which operates the dam.  “Very, very impressive. That’s part of history right there. I’ve always been impressed with the power of water anyway,” said Michael Brown, operational supervisor for the Rio Alto Water District in Cottonwood. … ”  Read more from the Redding Record Searchlight here:  Shasta Dam gates spill water for first time in 19 years

San Jose mayor: Clear ‘failure’ led to record flooding:  “A day after rescuers boated hundreds of people to safety during San Jose’s worst flooding in decades, city officials Wednesday let many of the 14,000 evacuated residents return home and blamed the sudden overflow of Coyote Creek on bad information about its capacity.  The flooding followed a series of heavy rains that filled Anderson Reservoir to capacity. Downstream, Coyote Creek quickly swelled to four feet above flood level, cresting at 14.4 feet around 3 p.m. Tuesday and breaking a 95-year-old record of 12.8 feet set in 1922.  For many, the flooding came with no warning. … ”  Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here:  San Jose mayor: Clear ‘failure’ led to record flooding

Water level rise at Don Pedro not cause for concern, officials say:  “Those who have been keeping an eye on the numbers at Don Pedro Reservoir the last couple of days might have noticed something that seems troubling: since officials opened a spillway to release water, the level actually has been rising.  Turlock Irrigation District officials are required to open the spillway when the water level at Don Pedro reaches 830 elevation. Monday afternoon, just after the spillway opened, the water surface elevation at Don Pedro was 826.54 feet. On Wednesday at 11 a.m., it measured 829.7 feet.  But that was expected, TID spokesman Herb Smart said. … ”  Read more from the Modesto Bee here:  Water level rise at Don Pedro not cause for concern, officials say

Bill to study viability of using Diablo Canyon desalination plant:  “Assemblyman Jordan Cunningham (R-Templeton) announced legislation -Assembly Bill 457- that will study the viability of using the Diablo Canyon water desalination facility for a future source of local water supply. If feasible, the existing desalination plant could be repurposed to provide the local region with drought-proof water, according to a press release from Cunningham.  The existing facility could have the capacity to deliver potable water to the Central Coast … ”  Read more from the Paso Robles Daily News here:  Bill to study viability of using Diablo Canyon desalination plant

Precipitation watch …

Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

• Broad group of farmers express concerns over State Water Board’s approach to flows
• BAY DELTA SCIENCE CONFERENCE: Lost in translation: The art of interpreting complex science for policymakers
• SCIENCE NEWS: Stormy weather: How the USGS goes to work monitoring its effects; Atmospheric rivers found to carry more wind than thought; NASA: Snow science in support of our nation’s water supply; and more …

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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.