DAILY DIGEST: Early review of Delta tunnel project warns of risks to fish; DWR reports largest snowpack in decades; Warm temperatures expected to accelerate snowmelt; Antioch demands equal access to clean, affordable water; 23 environmental rules rolled back in Trump’s first 100 days; and more …

Maven
DAILY DIGEST
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In California water news today, Early review of Delta tunnel project warns of risks to fish; California reports largest snowpack in decades; Warm California temperatures expected to accelerate snowmelt; Biggest May 1 Sierra Nevada snowpack since 1998 raises flood risk; Drought over with a vengeance; now … floods?; Antioch demands equal access to clean, affordable water; California today: Use less water, pay higher bills; The startups that sow cutting-edge tech to save water on California farms; California farmer sues oil companies for allegedly contaminating water supply, killing crops; Reversing climate change?  California author offers 100 reasons for hope; 23 environmental rules rolled back in Trump’s first 100 days; and more …

On the calendar today …

In the news today …

Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

Early review of Delta tunnel project warns of risks to fish:  “California’s ambitious plan to tunnel under the West’s largest estuary has always had two primary goals: to restore imperiled native fish and to improve water deliveries to farms and cities. An early analysis by federal wildlife agencies, however, indicates the project might make life worse for fish.  The so-called WaterFix project calls for building two giant tunnels under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, a tidal estuary that nurtures the largest salmon run on the West Coast. The tunnels, each 40ft (12m) in diameter and 35 miles (56km) long, would shunt a portion of Sacramento River flows out of the estuary and directly to existing water distribution canals south of the Delta, near the city of Tracy. … ”  Read more from Water Deeply here:  Early review of Delta tunnel project warns of risks to fish

California reports largest snowpack in decades:  “Adding more evidence California’s drought is over, state hydrologists on Monday reported the snowpack in the Sierra Nevada at 190 percent of the historic average.  In the final reading of this wet winter, the May 1 snow level in the mountains of Northern California could signal a year of ample water deliveries to Southern California water agencies.  “California’s cities and farms can expect good water supplies this summer,” said Department of Water Resources Acting Director Bill Croyle in a statement. ... ”  Read more from the San Bernardino Sun here:  California reports largest snowpack in decades

Warm California temperatures expected to accelerate snowmelt:  “Melting of this year’s massive Sierra Nevada snowpack will cause California rivers to surge and possibly overflow their banks well into the summer this year, officials said Monday.  Among the first to be affected will be the Merced River running through Yosemite National Park, which is expected to hit flood stage by mid-week with waters rising a foot above its banks, forecasters warned.  Large amounts of water are being released from reservoirs downstream from the Sierra Nevada to lower their levels in anticipation of the heavier-than-normal melt off of snowpack, which is nearly double its normal size. ... ”  Read more from US News and World Report here:  Warm California temperatures expected to acceleratay aye snowmelt

Biggest May 1 Sierra Nevada snowpack since 1998 raises flood risk:  “State officials on Monday reported a near-record May snowpack, but the bountiful winter that demolished California’s five-year drought is now increasing the risk of late spring flooding, as temperatures climb across the Sierra Nevada.  The final monthly snowpack reading of this winter — 190 percent of the historic average — gives California its largest May 1 statewide Sierra Nevada snow level since 1998, when a major El Niño winter that year left the mountains with 201 percent of normal.  The Sierra Nevada snow is a key part of California’s water supply, providing roughly one-third of the state’s water. As the snow melts through every summer, it fills rivers and reservoirs, providing water for farms, cities and fish. … ”  Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here:  Biggest May 1 Sierra Nevada snowpack since 1998 raises flood risk

Drought over with a vengeance; now … floods?  “Citing risk of spring flooding after an historically wet winter, California officials said the Sierra Nevada snowpack is 190 percent of its long-term average for May 1.  The drought-busting winter has the Sierra Nevada snowpack, which provides the state with approximately one-third of its water, at its deepest in May since the El Niño winter of 1998. Regulators said managing the spring and summer snowmelt will present a challenge, as most of the state’s major reservoirs are at or above storage capacity levels, including the largest reservoir, Shasta Lake. … ”  Read more from Courthouse News Service here:  Drought over with a vengeance; now … floods?

Antioch demands equal access to clean, affordable water:  “With discussions having ceased, the city has filed a claim with the state to be “made whole” from the increased impact on the city’s water supply from the state’s WaterFix project.  The claim argues that the Contra Costa Water District’s deal struck last year with the state Department of Water Resources is “substantially more favorable” than the city’s agreement with the state.  The county water district gave up a pending protest over the WaterFix project in exchange for upstream fresh water from the Sacramento River.  “The bottom line is we want to be made whole,” City Manager Ron Bernal said. “We have one of the most superior water rights in the state. We’ve been taking water since 1850 and that source of water is hard to come by these days.” … ”  Read more from the East Bay Times here:  Antioch demands equal access to clean, affordable water

California today: Use less water, pay higher bills:  “During California’s long drought, public officials urged residents to cut back on water usage and imposed temporary bill surcharges to discourage consumption.  Consumers and businesses responded by reducing water consumption an average of 22 percent statewide from June 2015 to January 2017.  Now their reward will be higher water rates.  Although California’s governor, Jerry Brown, officially declared an end to the state’s drought emergency last month, local water agencies are planning major rate increases to make up for the fact that they are selling a lot less water than they used to. ... ”  Read more from the New York Times here:  California today: Use less water, pay higher bills

The startups that sow cutting-edge tech to save water on California farms:  “When George McFadden sits at his computer to analyze crop photos, he looks like a doctor pointing out trouble spots on an X-ray. He identifies unnatural lines, “blob-like” patterns, and streaks clouding a field. All can indicate a troubling diagnosis.  “Can you see these little dots?” McFadden asks, pointing at a thermal shot of a tomato field that has suffered from a defective irrigation system. The dots on the image revealed that the system’s drip line had tears in it, he says. Watering the field became “like taking a straw, putting a bunch of pinholes in it, and trying to pump water through it.” The tomato grower used the image to show the manufacturer that the irrigation line was defective. … ”  Read more from Raw Story here:  The startups that sow cutting-edge tech to save water on California farms

California farmer sues oil companies for allegedly contaminating water supply, killing crops:  “Every day oil companies in California dump millions of gallons of wastewater underground.  Most of it is getting injected deep under the Central Valley, which also happens to be the state’s agricultural heartland.  Now we’re learning some farmers, like Mike Hopkins, suspect that wastewater might be what’s killing their crops, and impacting our food supply. … ”  Read more from CBS Bay Area here:  California farmer sues oil companies for allegedly contaminating water supply, killing crops

Reversing climate change?  California author offers 100 reasons for hope:  “Global climate change is a such a dramatic and vast event, it can be hard to find reasons to believe we can change the momentum.  Environmentalist Paul Hawken, in his new book, offers 100 reasons to hope. Hawken is a seasoned advocate for the power of human action to address climate change. He co-founded the retail and catalog company Smith & Hawken and has written several best-selling books.  His latest is called Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reduce Global Warming. ... ”  Read more from KQED here:  Reversing climate change?  California author offers 100 reasons for hope

23 environmental rules rolled back in Trump’s first 100 days:  “President Trump, with help from his administration and Republicans in Congress, has reversed course on more than a dozen environmental rules, regulations and other Obama-era policies during his first 100 days in office.  Citing federal overreach and burdensome regulations, Mr. Trump has prioritized domestic fossil fuel interests and undone measures aimed at protecting the environment and limiting global warming. … ”  Read more from the New York Times here:  23 environmental rules rolled back in Trump’s first 100 days

In commentary today …

Hertzberg bill kills incentive for smart water management:  Jon Coupal writes, “State Sen. Bob Hertzberg attempted to justify the latest plan to take more of your money in a column appearing in the Los Angeles Daily News. But his plan would result in precisely the opposite of what he claims and would simply be another fleecing of California homeowners.  Sen. Hertzberg states the obvious when he says that California needs to increase its water supply. But for decades, instead of working to meet California’s need for more water, the majority party in Sacramento has done nothing but saddle California taxpayers with bond debt. Voters were told these bonds would expand water supply. Only with the last several years of drought did we find out that no new water sources or water storage facilities were ever built. Consequently, the shortage got so bad that last year we were forced to ration water. … ”  Read more from the Victorville Press here:  Hertzberg bill kills incentive for smart water management

In regional news and commentary today …

DWR Oroville Dam meetings Tuesday, Thursday in Oroville; spillway flows shutoff:  “Informational meetings on the Oroville Dam situation are planned Tuesday and Thursday in Oroville, and flows are being shut down on the damaged main spillway.  The Department of Water Resources began gradually reducing the flows on the main spillway Monday morning, planning to have them stopped by 3 p.m. Tuesday. By that time, 8,000 cubic feet of water per second will be flowing through the Hyatt Powerhouse.  The flow through the part of the river adjacent to downtown Oroville was being cut back from 28,000 cfs to 3,500 cfs, according to DWR. Another 4,500 cfs will be added to the river from the Thermalito Afterbay outlet downstream. … ”  Read more from the Oroville Mercury Register here:  DWR Oroville Dam meetings Tuesday, Thursday in Oroville; spillway flows shutoff

Fish habitats strategically dropped into the Sacramento River:  “Boulders and walnut roots were lowered into the Sacramento River and on Monday crews were in the final stages.  Roger Cornwell, manager of River Garden Farms, said this one of a kind project is all about helping the salmon.  “We started this project a year and a half ago,” he said.  He explained since Shasta Dam was built it has changed the complexity of the river.  “These structures will add complexity back to the river hold the baby salmon up here longer to grow larger before they head out to the ocean,” Cornwell said. “This is important because we are trying to mimic the habitat that’s been lost in the area.” ... ”  Read more from KRCR here:  Fish habitats strategically dropped into the Sacramento River

Truckee River flows expected to be high for months:  “The Truckee River just outside Tahoe City is known for its placid pace for casual summer rafters. Today it looks like there might be some class IV rapids – it’s running that fast and high.  Rafting companies have had to deal with drought for the past few years, and at times didn’t open. Now there is too much water to speculate when to mark an opening date on the calendar.  The patio at the River Ranch restaurant near Alpine Meadows is closed. The water is swirling furiously and nearly reaches the top of the wall.  Water is touching the base of the bridge crossing the river leading to the ski resort. ... ”  Read more from Lake Tahoe News here:  Truckee River flows expected to be high for months

Break in California levee system could contaminate Bay Area drinking water supply:  “A five year survey released by the California Department of Water Resources reveals half of the levees that guard California cities from a major flood don’t meet modern standards, and if a levee were to break in the wrong place, it could cut off the drinking water supply to the Bay Area for months or even years.  The report also indicates 60 percent of the levees that protect the state’s rural areas from flooding — roughly 1,230 miles in all — are at high risk of failure from seepage, boils, structural instability, erosion and even rodents; that includes the levees that protect the drinking water aqueducts for the Bay Area and Southern California. … ”  Read more from NBC Bay Area here:  Break in California levee system could contaminate Bay Area drinking water supply

Bakersfield: Rivers to rise as heat wave blankets region, melts snow: “Have you ever noticed that sometimes the month of May doesn’t seem to know whether it wants to be spring or summer?  Well, get ready for another week of May’s identity crisis as temperatures creep up toward triple digits during the week, then plummet during a potentially drizzly weekend.  “May is a very changeable month,” said Cindy Bean, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service’s Hanford station. “We can often look forward to a roller-coaster ride in May.” Beginning today, and continuing Wednesday and Thursday, Bakersfield will be more summerlike, as high temperatures soar to between 15 and 20 degrees above normal. … ” Read more from the Bakersfield Californian here:  Bakersfield: Rivers to rise as heat wave blankets region, melts snow

Santa Clarita: Water heads eye water deep, deep underground:  “While the Santa Clarita Valley was soaked by continual rain this winter, having received three times more precipitation than usual, many of SCV’s shallow wells rose to only about a quarter of their capacity.  But, that doesn’t mean the region is running out of water, say officials.  Local water heads getting ready to introduce themselves to state water regulators as the Groundwater Sustainability Agency, assembled to manage Santa Clarita Valley’s groundwater, are taking a close look at its deepest reservoir – the Saugus Formation. … ”  Read more from the Santa Clarita Signal here:  Water heads eye water deep, deep underground

Santa Clarita: Local perchlorate tweaked into federal bill: “A bill introduced last week by Congressman Steve Knight (R-Palmdale) that promises to bring more water to the Santa Clarita Valley is hoped to help perchlorate-plagued communities all across the country.  Under the House of Representatives Bill 2116, known as the Perchlorate Reclamation and Water Replenishment Act, the Secretary of the Interior would develop projects with local water agencies to capture, treat and distribute recycled water affected by perchlorate.  The bill is a revamped and expanded version of a similar bill Knight introduced last year but which never found its way to the floor. … ” Read more from the Santa Clarita Signal here:  Local perchlorate tweaked into federal bill

Historic photos: How water flows from the Eastern Sierra mountains to Los Angeles:  “Water flowing from the Sierra Nevada Mountains this spring is the welcomed result of a winter of historic snowfall that helped California recover from one of its worst dry spells on record. Some of that melting water will flow down the mountains and, eventually, into the California Aqueduct, a sprawling system of canals, tunnels and other waterways before it’s used for drinking and irrigation. But decades before that engineering feat began collecting water from the state’s giant natural reservoir in the mountains, there was the Los Angeles Aqueduct.  Completed in 1913, it’s difficult to overstate the water lifeline’s importance and its impact on Los Angeles.  … ”  Read more from NBC LA here:  Historic photos: How water flows from the Eastern Sierra mountains to Los Angeles

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.

 

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