DAILY DIGEST: Sierra snowpack at 164% of normal; Corcoran fears floods, due to subsidence and snowmelt; Congress eyes a bill to speed up dam construction; After Trump orders retreat on climate change policies, states scramble to pick up the fight; and more …

In California water news today, What drought? Sierra snowpack at 164% of normal; That sinking feeling: Corcoran fears floods, due to subsidence and snowmelt; Lake Oroville rises slowly as spillway flows halted; California lawmakers will hear about the dire state of the fishing industry; Congress eyes a bill to speed up dam construction; Trump’s infrastructure plan is caught in a White House turf war; After Trump orders retreat on climate change policies, states scramble to pick up the fight; Famiglietti offers pathway for addressing the global groundwater crisis; and more …

In the news today …

What drought? Sierra snowpack at 164% of normal:  “The biggest blizzards are over. But as state water officials head into the Sierra Nevada on Thursday for the annual April 1 snowpack reading — the most important of the year for planning summer water supplies — California still has a huge amount of snow covering its highest mountain peaks, an avalanche that has buried the state’s punishing drought.  On Tuesday, the statewide Sierra snowpack stood at 164 percent of its historic average, a massive accumulation of new water. It’s the largest snowpack since 2011, when it was 171 percent of normal on April 1.  “In some of the Southern Sierra elevations, it’s kind of amazing,” said Frank Gehrke, chief of the snow survey program for the state Department of Water Resources in Sacramento. “There’s 30 to 50 feet of snow in some areas.” … ”  Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here:  What drought? Sierra snowpack at 164% of normal

That sinking feeling: Corcoran fears floods, due to subsidence and snowmelt:  “A new map released by NASA earlier this year shows that large portions of California are sinking. The worst of it is in the San Joaquin Valley. One of the main reasons is the over pumping of groundwater, especially in the last five years of drought.  All that sinking and all the snow melting in the Sierra has Central Valley water managers like Dustin Fuller worried.  He’s managing an army of earth movers that are scraping top soil off farmland that surrounds the Corcoran State Prison in Kings County. His team is getting ready for what officials feel like could be a big flood, but looking at it now you wouldn’t have a clue that this dry area could become a lake. ... ”  Read more from Valley Public Radio here:  That sinking feeling: Corcoran fears floods, due to subsidence and snowmelt

Lake Oroville rises slowly as spillway flows halted:  “Water releases down the damaged main spillway at Lake Oroville have been halted in order to work on repairs there, and for now the lake is slowly rising.  The state Department of Water Resources stopped spillway releases around 5 p.m. Monday and instead is running water to the Feather River through the Hyatt Powerplant under the dam. About 11,700 cubic-feet per second of water is going through the hydroelectric plant.  As of Tuesday afternoon, Lake Oroville’s surface elevation was just above 837 feet, which is about 64 feet below the lip of the emergency spillway. ... ”  Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here:  Lake Oroville rises slowly as spillway flows halted

California lawmakers will hear about the dire state of the fishing industry:  “In 2014, tens of millions of baby salmon were trucked down the Sacramento River in hopes of improving their chance of survival in the drought. But then ocean temperatures were too warm.  “Once they’re out in the ocean, if the conditions aren’t right, it’s just one of those factors that we can’t control. I think it’s just the suite of compounding adverse conditions that have really led to these depressed stocks this year,” says Stafford Lehr with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.  In the Klamath River, salmon not only had to contend with the drought, but also with a harmful parasite. Lehr says that means very few salmon are available to catch. He says fish managers don’t like to deliver such bad news. … ”  Read more from Capital Public Radio here:  California lawmakers will hear about the dire state of the fishing industry

Congress eyes a bill to speed up dam construction:  “Republicans from arid Western states have set their sights on making dam-building easier. Led by California Representative Tom McClintock, lawmakers from Wyoming, North Dakota, Arizona, and Colorado introduced a bill last week that would try to force federal agencies to complete complex environmental studies for dam-building plans within a year.  But many water scientists, river law experts, and regulators say House Resolution 1664, which is sponsored by California Republican Congressman Tom McClintock, presents an unrealistic timeframe given that any major modern dam proposal includes dozens of detailed scientific, engineering, and safety studies running to thousands of pages. Conservation advocates say the bill would undermine basic environmental laws requiring federal agencies to take a “hard look” at proposed projects on public land. ... ”  Read more from Pacific Standard here:  Congress eyes a bill to speed up dam construction

Trump’s infrastructure plan is caught in a White House turf war:  “When Donald Trump and Mike Pence met this month to discuss a promised $1 trillion infrastructure plan, the Cabinet Room was filled with half a dozen billionaire executives, from Tesla’s Elon Musk to Steve Roth, a New York developer and longtime friend to the president.  One person who wasn’t there? The man who worked for months to line up priority infrastructure projects for the Trump transition team.  Just a few weeks earlier, Dan Slane had been jetting around the country — on his own dime — to meet with governors, contractors, investors, labor union officials and others eager to influence Trump’s infrastructure plan. He developed a 50-project proposal filled with exactly the kind of “shovel-ready” investments the White House wanted – the kind that needed regulatory relief, not federal dollars. … ”  Read more from the Fresno Bee here:  Trump’s infrastructure plan is caught in a White House turf war

After Trump orders retreat on climate change policies, states scramble to pick up the fight:  “Donald Trump’s plan to bring an abrupt halt to America’s crusade against climate change will test California and other states like never before as they seek to wrest control of the nation’s energy future from a hostile White House.  The energy plan Trump unveiled on Tuesday left no doubt that the states are now on their own — and that the White House is already poised to weaken some of their pioneering efforts.  Left uncertain, though, is whether Trump can unilaterally relinquish the nation’s role as a global leader in the fight to curb emissions, or whether the progressive states — with an assist from legally savvy environmental groups — can preserve that mantle. ... ”  Read more from the LA Times here:  After Trump orders retreat on climate change policies, states scramble to pick up the fight

Famiglietti offers pathway for addressing the global groundwater crisis:  “Internationally known hydrologist Jay Famiglietti emphasized the importance of addressing global water issues during his Tuesday [March 28] keynote address at the 2017 SEC Academic Conference hosted by Mississippi State University.  Titled “21st Century Global Freshwater Security as Viewed from Space,” Famiglietti’s presentation featured images from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) Mission that show the cumulative water losses in California, the Middle East and northwestern India.   “Of the world’s 37 major aquifers, about 20 are past sustainability tipping points and correspond to our major food-producing regions,” said Famiglietti, a senior water scientist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology. ... ”  Read more from MSU News here:  Famiglietti offers pathway for addressing the global groundwater crisis

In commentary today …

How California legislators can create a path to water sustainability:  Kirsten James writes, “What a difference a year makes, I’m thinking as I head to Sacramento for meetings with legislators and company members of Connect the Drops, a campaign my organization spearheaded to drive smart water use in California.  Last year, more than 90 percent of the state was experiencing some level of drought – today, just 8 percent is. This winter, our state was inundated by rain and snow, with precipitation beating records going back to before 1895, when they started keeping track. And the Oroville Dam has been the big story of late, replacing last year’s headlines about fallow fields.  It would be nice to think that our water worries are over. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. … ”  Read more from Water Deeply here:  How California legislators can create a path to water sustainability

We must save the Salton Sea to save ourselves, says Frank Ruiz:  “When my father was a miner in southern Mexico in the 1940s he and his coworkers did not have sophisticated safety equipment to protect them. Instead, every day they descended into the mine with a bird in a cage. As long as the bird lived, they could work.  When I stand on the shore of the Salton Sea, I understand how people can so easily see a barren, lifeless landscape. But stand there long enough and you’re certain to see a bird fly by – a Brown Pelican, perhaps. That is your reminder that the Salton Sea and its surrounding communities are full of life, places we have a moral obligation to protect and improve. ... ”  Read more from the Desert Sun here:  We must save the Salton Sea to save ourselves

Consumers need to pay more for water safety and improvements, says Matt Mahan:  He writes, “This past winter’s weather should serve as both a reminder and a warning.  It’s a reminder that the California climate cycles between long periods of extreme drought and short bursts of extreme rainfall, and it’s a warning that climate change is making this cycle more extreme.  The Golden State must adapt to this “new normal” now – and that requires funding.  It’s long past time that our state had a serious discussion about how to fund the kind of water infrastructure we need now and in the future.  Here is an idea: a public goods charge for water. ... ”  Read more from the Mercury News here:  Consumers need to pay more for water safety, improvements

In regional news and commentary today …

Illegal breach? Coastal researcher believes Lakes Earl and Tolowa were recently drained into the ocean intentionally:  “One researcher feels a recent breach of a sandbar keeping Lake Earl and Lake Tolowa from draining into the ocean, was done intentionally.  Craig Strong, a researcher with Crescent Coastal Research, visits the area regularly and on March 21 he noticed someone tried to mechanically breach the sandbar separating Lakes Earl and Tolawa from the ocean.  “There is a great likelihood that the breach was started artificially and illegally…” he said in an email.  While the unknown persons were unsuccessful that day, it appeared to Strong that they returned after dark to complete the job.  “On March 22, I visited the lagoon berm area at 1:30 p.m., approximately 14 hours after the berm was breached, judging from the drop in lake level starting about midnight. A fierce torrent of lake water was rushing through the breach which was about 80 meter wide.” … ”  Read more from the Del Norte Triplicate here:  Illegal breach? Coastal researcher believes Lakes Earl and Tolowa were recently drained into the ocean intentionally

Once feds turn on the tap, storm cleanup will generate jobs:  “This winter’s storms and flooding toppled trees, tore up trails and roads, and caused millions of dollars in damage in Shasta County alone. All that has to be cleaned up and repaired — which means new, temporary jobs will likely come to the area.  But before people can get to work, it will take some additional emergency declarations to be made and local governments to apply for the money.  Most of those jobs will go to cleanup and repair projects in Anderson, Redding and Shasta County such as shoring up eroded river banks, washed-out culverts and damaged trails. … ”  Read more from the Redding Record-Searchlight here:  Once feds turn on the tap, storm cleanup will generate jobs

Sonoma County supervisors to serve on boards of three new groundwater agencies:  “Sonoma County is pressing forward with plans to regulate local groundwater use for the first time as officials move to establish three new agencies that will be charged with managing one of the area’s most critical resources.  The Board of Supervisors weighed in Tuesday on the efforts of county staff members to implement a 2014 state law mandating the creation of so-called groundwater sustainability agencies in certain areas by June 30. Based on the law’s requirements, the county is forming such agencies for three of its groundwater basins: the Santa Rosa Plain, the Petaluma Valley and the Sonoma Valley. … ”  Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here:  Sonoma County supervisors to serve on boards of three new groundwater agencies

San Jose flood:  Water District says San Jose was warned by many other agencies:  “In a scathing response to fingerpointing from San Jose about last month’s devastating Coyote Creek floods, Santa Clara Valley Water District leaders say city officials failed to heed multiple warnings about the rising waters from several agencies.  “Similar to when a hurricane is barreling down on a region, an evacuation decision should not wait for the hurricane to hit to trigger a call for action,” said John Varela, the water district’s board chairman, in a letter Tuesday to Mayor Sam Liccardo. “The city had all the information and warnings necessary, but for whatever reason it failed to act.” … ”  Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here:  San Jose flood:  Water District says San Jose was warned by many other agencies

Conservation groups sue Forest Service over livestock impacts in the Stanislaus Forest:  “Today, two conservation organizations filed suit against the U.S. Forest Service for allowing poorly managed grazing to pollute streams and to damage high elevation meadows and riparian areas in the Sierra Nevada. The groups have joined in a legal challenge aimed at reducing pollution of Stanislaus National Forest streams by livestock. Sierra Forest Legacy (SFL) and the Central Sierra Environmental Resource Center (CSERC) filed the suit to correct repeated violations of water quality standards in streams affected by livestock and to halt longstanding violations of the forest plan that have resulted in damage to sensitive meadows and riparian areas. … ”  Read more from YubaNet here:  Conservation groups sue Forest Service over livestock impacts in the Stanislaus Forest

Stanislaus River: Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride getting wilder:  “This may just be “the” year to raft the Lower Stanislaus River.  The river’s most famous rapids — the Class IV+ Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride in Goodwin Canyon — promises to be at its wildest.  Trying to gain boat access, though, to Beardsley Reservoir at 3,300 feet off Highway 108 in the Stanislaus National Forest won’t happen for a while.  The Stanislaus River watershed has taken a major pounding from storms over the last three months setting the stage for New Melones to approach full capacity for one of the handful of times since it was completed 40 years ago. ... ”  Read more from the Manteca Bulletin here:  Stanislaus River: Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride getting wilder

Lathrop faces underground water drought:  “On Saturday crews from the California Department of Water Resources will conduct what is considered the critical snow survey for gauging the amount of water that will flow into California reservoirs that been severely depleted during the state’s worst drought on record.  But while there’s believed to be enough snow in the Central Sierra to fill reservoirs like New Melones and Don Pedro – giving irrigation districts and even cities their full allotments of water this year – and the drought in California will severely reduced if not completely eliminated, there’s still one major area of concern for many California municipalities who could be facing a completely different type of water crisis in the coming years.  The depletion of groundwater reserves could become the new empty reservoir.  … ”  Read more from the Manteca Bulletin here:  Lathrop faces underground water drought

Why record snow followed by warm temperatures is a dangerous combination for Owens Valley:  “Thousands of feet above the Owens Valley, melting snow dribbles from granite cracks, succumbing to the sun’s warmth and gravity’s pull.  Glistening rivulets streak the recently drought-parched alluvial fans that spill toward U.S. 395, and along Owens River a mosaic of puddles reflects the fang-like peaks of the Sierra Nevada mountains to the west and the Inyo and White ranges to the east.  In sleepy towns such as Lone Pine, Big Pine and Independence, an all-but-forgotten sound adds to the serenity, as water again gurgles in every ditch and drain pipe.  But while a sudden abundance of snowmelt has rendered this landscape particularly stunning this spring, it has also stirred a cacophony throughout the valley, as crews with chainsaws clear culverts, dozers reshape reservoirs and backhoes clank and roar, digging brush from the concrete aqueduct in a frantic effort to protect a key source of Los Angeles’ water. … ”  Read more from the LA Times here:  Why record snow followed by warm temperatures is a dangerous combination for Owens Valley

Along the Colorado River …

Stanford ranks states in the Colorado River basin on water rights transfers:  “A new report from Stanford’s Water in the West program assesses progress among states in the Colorado River Basin with respect to environmental water rights transfers, a legal tool that enables water rights holders to voluntarily transfer their water to rivers, streams and wetlands to benefit the environment and potentially generate revenue.  Wyoming is among Western states ranked by Stanford’s Water in the West program in terms of support for water rights transfers that benefit the environment. … ”  Read more from Stanford University here:  Stanford ranks states in the Colorado River basin on water rights transfers

Precipitation watch …

Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

• SGMA IMPLEMENTATION: Briefing on the Water Available for Replenishment Report
• NEWS WORTH NOTING: Senators Feinstein and Harris reintroduce bill to establish Delta National Heritage Area; Napolitano, Wittman reintroduce bill to boost water research & training; House NRC: ESA consultation delays block critical infrastructure projects, imperil species recovery effort

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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.