In California water news this weekend, Watchdogs and feds say San Luis Reservoir at risk if an earthquake strikes; What went wrong at Oroville? Congressional Democrats demand answers; DWR continues recovery efforts, blasts slopes near spillway; Drought’s not over for everybody; New technologies aim to help California conserve; Animation shows California’s dramatic reversal of fortune; For want of a drink; 50 programs scrapped at EPA; and more …
In the news this weekend …
Watchdogs and feds say San Luis Reservoir at risk if an earthquake strikes: “Some of the same people who warned state leaders about the probability of Oroville Dam failing are now sounding the alarm at San Luis Reservoir in Merced County. It’s the first time since before the drought began that San Luis Reservoir in the hills west of Los Banos is nearly full at about 97 percent. Thousands of drivers wrap around the man-made lake daily and many stop at the Romero Overlook Visitors Center to stretch their legs. From the site there’s a view of the dam, rolling hills and the valley floor. That’s where I’m meeting Deirdre Des Jardin. … ” Read more from Valley Public Radio here: Watchdogs and feds say San Luis Reservoir at risk if an earthquake strikes
What went wrong at Oroville? Congressional Democrats demand answers: “Citing the near disaster at Oroville Dam, a group of congressional Democrats is pushing the government’s watchdog agency to investigate federal oversight of dam safety regulations. The group, including Rep. Doris Matsui of Sacramento and five other Californians, called on the Government Accountability Office to look into the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s handling of the licensing of major dams. The February crisis at Oroville “raises questions about deficiencies in FERC’s safety program and concerns over the potential for severe property damage, injury and even possible loss of life,” the group said in a letter released Wednesday. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: What went wrong at Oroville? Congressional Democrats demand answers
DWR continues recovery efforts, blasts slopes near spillway: “For the next four to six weeks, the Department of Water Resources will be conducting controlled blasts on the slopes near the damaged spillway at Lake Oroville to make the site safer for construction workers. The controlled blasts, which were scheduled to begin on Friday, will break up rock on the slopes to be excavated. DWR said the slopes present a significant safety risk for construction workers. In addition to the slope setback efforts, other activities that are part of the Oroville Spillway Recovery project include improvements to access roads, geologic exploration and power line relocation, according to a press release. … ” Read more from the Appeal-Democrat here: DWR continues recovery efforts, blasts slopes near spillway
Drought’s not over for everybody: “Most Californians are – finally – out of the drought, but the record-setting rains have not washed away emergency conditions for all residents. Gov. Jerry Brown’s April 7 executive order lifted the drought state of emergency for 54 of California’s 58 counties. Those excluded were Tulare, Kings and Fresno in the heart of the farm belt, and Tuolomne, which includes part of the high Sierra and the western foothills. By keeping those areas under drought rules, authorities can bypass lengthy contract requirements and quickly provide assistance for areas facing drinking water shortages, said Max Gomberg, the climate and conservation manager for the State Water Resources Control Board, which enforces water regulations. … ” Read more from Capitol Weekly here: Drought’s not over for everybody
New technologies aim to help California conserve: ” … Although drought restrictions are no longer mandatory in the rest of the state, many Californians are concerned that conservation practices should remain in effect because weather patterns are becoming increasingly unpredictable due to the effects of climate change. “This drought emergency is over, but the next drought could be around the corner,” said Governor Brown in a press release. “Conservation must remain a way of life.” John Tecklin, owner of Mountain Bounty Farm in Nevada City, said the recent drought put a lot of pressure on his business. He invested in water-saving technologies of his own, like using more drip irrigation, creating more space for water storage, and selecting crops that need less water. Now that the drought has been officially called off, Tecklin says he’s looking ahead to be more prepared in case California’s water supply is threatened again. … ” Read more from The Union here: New technologies aim to help California conserve
Animation shows California’s dramatic reversal of fortune: “The incredible impact of California’s drought-busting deluges has now become even clearer, thanks to this compelling new animation from NASA. You’re looking at a comparison of snowpack on April 1, 2015 and 2017 in the Tuolumne River Basin of the Sierra Nevada range. Famous Mono Lake is to the right. The entire basin spans more than 1,600 square miles, an area larger than the state of Rhode Island. The data that underlie these images, collected by instruments aboard NASA’s Airborne Snow Observatory, or ASO, tell a dramatic story: Not only is the snowpack in the basin currently 21 times greater than it was in 2015; it is also larger than the four previous years of snowpack — combined. … ” Read more from Discover here: Animation shows California’s dramatic reversal of fortune
For want of a drink: “When the word water appears in print these days, crisis is rarely far behind. Water, it is said, is the new oil: a resource long squandered, now growing expensive and soon to be overwhelmed by insatiable demand. Aquifers are falling, glaciers vanishing, reservoirs drying up and rivers no longer flowing to the sea. Climate change threatens to make the problems worse. Everyone must use less water if famine, pestilence and mass migration are not to sweep the globe. As it is, wars are about to break out between countries squabbling over dams and rivers. If the apocalypse is still a little way off, it is only because the four horsemen and their steeds have stopped to search for something to drink. The language is often overblown, and the remedies sometimes ill conceived, but the basic message is not wrong. … ” Continue reading at the Economist here: For want of a drink
50 programs scrapped at EPA: “President Trump proposes a $54 billion increase in military spending, offset by slashing domestic programs. The Environmental Protection Agency would take the biggest hit, a 31 percent cut that would eliminate a quarter of the staff and save $2.6 billion, returning the agency’s budget to 1970s-era levels. Congress dictates spending, however, and some cuts face bipartisan pushback. The agency has begun offering buyouts to workers. Here is a sample of programs that would be eliminated: … ” Read more from the SF Chronicle here: 50 programs scrapped at EPA
In commentary this weekend …
Jerry Brown ended the drought too soon, says Ralph Shaffer: He writes, “A week into April, in the wake of one of the wettest January/February periods on record, Gov. Jerry Brown declared that the state’s drought emergency was over. Lawn watering, except in the face of an approaching storm, was no longer an uncivil act. Homeowners needn’t snitch on wrong-day irrigating neighbors any longer. Suburban life in Southern California would return to near normal because Mother Nature had resumed a more routine weather cycle. In fact, it hadn’t. The rainfall pattern had already reverted to a drought condition when the governor made his popular but premature announcement. ... ” Continue reading at the Pasadena Star News here: Jerry Brown ended the drought too soon
In regional news and commentary this weekend …
Residents near Oroville Dam spillway tired of dust, damage, and disruption: “Most people don’t know Oregon Gulch Road in Oroville. Usually people arrive there after making a wrong turn along Cherokee Road. An offshoot of Oregon Gulch is View Lane, where residents are content to live in obscurity. Eight houses are along the 1.25-mile unpaved road. Residents enjoy taking walks along the lowest slopes near Lake Oroville, riding horses to familiar granite pools or hiking to the Feather River along a stretch of the Brad Freeman Trail. They can look at the Oroville Dam spillway every day. This week the spillway looks like a continuous geyser — a plume of white water shooting from the base of a green hillside. … ” Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here: Residents near Oroville Dam spillway tired of dust, damage, and disruption
Truckee River out of Lake Tahoe has strongest flows since 2006, prompting advisory: “The National Weather Service in Reno has issued a flood advisory for a section of the Truckee River where it flows out of Lake Tahoe. Water managers increased the flows out of the lake Friday at the dam at Tahoe City, due to the near-record snowpack in the Tahoe Basin. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: Truckee River out of Lake Tahoe has strongest flows since 2006, prompting advisory
Record snowpack makes for wild whitewater rafting on the American River: “The Meat Grinder rapid on the South Fork of the American River looks like a cauldron of bubbling soup, its contents rising and falling, splashing and swirling along its one-third of a mile stretch. For intrepid whitewater enthusiasts, the rapids on the American’s South Fork should bring plenty of fun this summer. For the uninitiated, this season’s high-river flows could bring great risk. “That scared me. I won’t lie,” a budding river guide said this week after paddling through the Meat Grinder during a training exercise. ... ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: Record snowpack makes for wild whitewater rafting on the American River
Yolo County: Hearing scheduled to assess local action on sustainable groundwater management: “A number of hearings have been scheduled as the time draws near for putting in place California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. The groundwater act has been the focus of debate statewide for the past two years with Yolo County primarily because of the involvement of the Water Resources Association of Yolo County. Known as “SGMA,” the act became law on Jan. 1, 2015, and mandates the creation of Groundwater Sustainability Agencies in groundwater basins defined as high or medium priority by the Department of Water Resources by June 30. … ” Read more from the Daily Democrat here: Hearing scheduled to assess local action on sustainable groundwater management
Some boating closures lifted in the Delta: “Emergency officials this week loosened flood-related boating rules in the Delta, though some channels remain off-limits as warm weather returns and more people head to the water. Most significantly, officials have lifted speed limits and time-of-day restrictions that had been in place near Discovery Bay. The San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services made the latest in a series of modifications to the rules last week, winning praise from boaters who say the agency has been responsive to their concerns. ... ” Read more from The Record here: Some boating closures lifted in the Delta
City of Lodi shoring up Mokelumne River levee against increased erosion: “Jeff Hood stood on a levee next to the Mokelumne River on Friday, giving an impromptu lesson on river erosion to a sixth-grade class from Linden that happened upon him as he was inspecting the soil. The ground from which the director of Lodi’s Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services spoke had been about 10 feet from the river’s edge in January. But on Friday, that spot was about four feet from a straight drop into 11 feet of swirling river currents. … ” Read more from the Lodi News-Sentinel here: City of Lodi shoring up Mokelumne River levee against increased erosion
Dixon looks at entering into groundwater agreement: “The Dixon City Council will vote Tuesday on whether they will enter into a Joint Powers Agreement for the Solano Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA). … According to the JPA for the Solano Subbasin, which is a medium-priority basin, the board would include 11 members … ” Read more from the Daily Reporter here: Dixon looks at entering into groundwater agreement
Vacaville looks to go solo on groundwater management: “With a June 30 deadline looming, Vacaville is looking to establish its own exclusive Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) without other stakeholders in the Solano Subbasin. The Vacaville City Council has considered the terms and conditions of a Draft Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) for participation in a potential GSA in the Solano Subbasin to comply with the requirements of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) at its April 11 meeting. However, in order to meet the deadline and maintain local control of groundwater, staff and the council also discussed Vacaville forming its own GSA, and the council directed staff to proceed with this option, according to a staff report from Utilities Director Royce Cunningham. … ” Read more from the Vacaville Recorder here: Vacaville looks to go solo on groundwater management
Plans for major new 800,000 acre-feet reservoir in Santa Clara County moving forward: “Hoping to boost water supplies during future droughts, Silicon Valley’s largest water provider is working on a plan to build a new $800 million dam and reservoir in the remote hills of eastern Santa Clara County, just off Pacheco Pass. The idea, still in the early stages, could result in the construction of one of the largest reservoirs in the Bay Area — a lake that would be twice the size of Crystal Springs Reservoir along Interstate 280 in San Mateo County — and the first new reservoir built in Santa Clara County since 1957, when Uvas Reservoir near Morgan Hill opened. “It remains to be seen if it is feasible. But it definitely is worth exploring,” said Garth Hall, deputy operating officer at the Santa Clara Valley Water District. “This is a major opportunity to find new storage.” … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here: Plans for major new 800,000 acre-feet reservoir in Santa Clara County moving forward
San Benito: Recycled water adds to supply: “California’s unique geography and Mediterranean climate have allowed the state to become one of the most productive agricultural regions in the world. The Sierra Nevada Mountain range that lines the eastern edge of the state capture and store winter precipitation that can be used for summer irrigation in the Central Valley, San Benito County and elsewhere in our state. This water, combined with the Mediterranean climate, permits the growing of a great number of crops. … ” Continue reading at Benitolink here: San Benito: Recycled water adds to supply
Ridgecrest: Groundwater cooperative discusses GSA workshop, LA Aqueduct runoff: “The IWV Cooperative Groundwater Management Group met for their monthly meeting on Thursday afternoon to discuss a number of topics on the state of water management in the local area. Among topics brought up throughout the meeting were the upcoming GSA workshop and the water which continues to run through IWV from the LA aqueduct. The IWVCGMG website states that the group is a “public water data-sharing group consisting of major water producers, other government agencies, and concerned citizens of the Valley.” They meet monthly to hear updates on local water projects from field experts, and invite outside speaker to give presentations which may be relevant to local water users. … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent here: Ridgecrest: Groundwater cooperative discusses GSA workshop, LA Aqueduct runoff
San Diego: Water authority members met more in private than in public: “Members of the San Diego County Water Authority met behind closed doors more than 100 times last year — four times as often as they met in public. State law limits the scope and frequency of such unnoticed, unrecorded meetings so as to prevent officials from hiding their activities from the public, which pays for them. Yet payroll documents, the only records available to describe the get-togethers, show three groups of authority board members met behind closed doors on a monthly basis in 2016. A spokesman did not answer questions about when the groups first formed, though Board Chair Mark Muir said at least one has held regular meetings for nearly two decades. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union Tribune here: San Diego: Water authority members met more in private than in public
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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.
Maven’s Notebook
where California water news never goes home for the weekend
