In California water news today, California to draw down Lake Oroville to accommodate dam work; Bob Bea takes us on a deep dive through his dire Oroville Dam report; California orders closer look at these 93 dams after Oroville crisis; Enough water agencies have bought in to Sites Reservoir to get it built even without Prop 1 funding; After drought, California looks to replenish aquifers; Video: Toxic Taps: The fight over funding for clean drinking water projects; California farms produce a lot of food, but what and how much might surprise you; and more …
On the calendar today …
- The Central Valley Flood Protection Board will hold their regular meeting from 9am to 10:30am, and a workshop on the draft Central Valley Flood Protection Plan update 2017 from 10:30am to 1:30pm. Click here for board meeting agenda, materials and webcast link. Click here for workshop agenda and materials.
In the news today …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
- CALIFORNIA WATER FIX: Ruling letter for July 27 denying Sacto Valley water users’ request to hold open part 1 of the hearing
- NEWS WORTH NOTING: Delta Stewardship Council appoints new Lead Scientist; Statewide poll shows Californians want more seawater desalination; Statewide coalition speaks out against Huntington Beach Desal Plant
California to draw down Lake Oroville to accommodate dam work: “A move to draw down Lake Oroville this fall to accommodate rebuilding of the dam won’t immediately affect water contractors, officials said. The state Department of Water Resources plans to take the lake’s surface down to below 700 feet elevation this fall to ensure safety for workers fixing the dam, said Erin Mellon, a project spokeswoman. That’s lower than the lake’s normal mid-autumn levels, she said, and lower than the lake’s current surface level of 800 feet. Weather permitting, draining the lake will enable crews to work past Nov. 1, which was their self-imposed deadline for getting the dam’s spillways ready for next winter’s rain and runoff, she said. … ” Read more from the Capital Press here: California to draw down Lake Oroville to accommodate dam work
Bob Bea takes us on a deep dive through his dire Oroville Dam report: “Like everyone else, Robert Bea was appalled when almost 200,000 Californians living below Oroville Dam were ordered to flee for their lives on February 12th. The evacuation was necessitated by severe erosion of the dam’s primary and emergency spillways caused by massive releases of water following torrential winter rains. But unlike most citizens, Bea knew the incident wasn’t engendered strictly by the vagaries of nature or an act of God. Human error was at play. A UC Berkeley Engineering professor emeritus, one of the nation’s foremost forensic engineers, and the founder of Berkeley’s Center for Catastrophic Risk Management (CCRM), Bea had long been worried about the design and management of the dam. … ” Read more from the California Magazine here: Bob Bea takes us on a deep dive through his dire Oroville Dam report
California orders closer look at these 93 dams after Oroville crisis: “California officials have ordered owners of 93 dams to reinspect their flood-control spillways following the Oroville Dam crisis, saying the spillways need a closer look following a preliminary review. The list released by the Department of Water Resources includes some of the largest dams in California, such as the New Exchequer Dam on the Merced River, New Bullards Bar on the Yuba River, and Lake Almanor Dam on the Feather River in Plumas County. Each holds back reservoirs roughly the size of Folsom Lake, which can store about 977,000 acre-feet of water. Also on the list is New Don Pedro Dam, on the Tuolumne River, which is about twice the size of Folsom and contains the sixth largest reservoir in California. ... ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: California orders closer look at these 93 dams after Oroville crisis
Enough water agencies have bought in to Sites Reservoir to get it built even without Prop 1 funding: “The deadline is Aug. 14 to apply for water storage funding from the Proposition 1 bond measure voters approved in 2014, and while the folks working to build Sites Reservoir will be applying, they don’t need the money. Enough water agencies have agreed to invest in the reservoir near Maxwell that it can be built without taxpayer funds, according to Sites Project Authority General Manager Jim Watson. Twenty-eight agencies have signed on to support the construction in exchange for a share of the water that would be delivered from the lake, according to the authority’s website. Watson said the funds committed would pay the $4.7 billion cost of building the reservoir. … ” Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here: Enough water agencies have bought in to Sites Reservoir to get it built even without Prop 1 funding
After drought, California looks to replenish aquifers: “At the Terranova Ranch near Fresno, California, general manager Don Cameron examines grapes in a vineyard that workers flooded last spring. Winter rains had ended a severe drought and he was engaged in “groundwater recharge,” returning unused water from the North Fork of the Kings River to an underground aquifer, the source of irrigation for this region. Some were skeptical because he was flooding a working vineyard and not a special basin designed for the purpose. “We’ve been through a five-year drought,” Cameron explained. “Our groundwater has been depleted during that period, and long term, we want to rebuild what we’ve lost.” ... ” Read more from the Voice of America here: After drought, California looks to replenish aquifers
Video: Toxic Taps: The fight over funding for clean drinking water projects: “A hundred people gathered in Sacramento in July to stand before California Assembly members in support of Senate Bill 623, which clean water advocates hope will help solve the state’s drinking water crisis. The bill is supported by a diverse coalition of agriculture and environmental justice groups, but it has also been criticized by some environmental groups and water agencies, including the Association of California Water Agencies. A key component of the bill – how it will raise revenue for the fund – is being negotiated and the bill faces its biggest legislative test soon. … ” Read more from Water Deeply here: Video: Toxic Taps: The fight over funding for clean drinking water projects
California farms produce a lot of food, but what and how much might surprise you: “California’s 77,500 farms produce more than 400 commodities, and two-thirds of the nation’s fruits and nuts. About one-quarter of what California produces is exported around the world. Here are some more facts and figures about California agriculture: California remained the nation’s leading state in cash farm receipts in 2015 and produced 13 percent of the U.S. total. Nearly 27 percent of California’s 77,500 farms generated sales over $100,000, greater than the national average of 20 percent. California has 25.5 million acres of farm and ranch land, and the average farm size was 329 acres in 2015. … ” Read more from the OC Register here: California farms produce a lot of food, but what and how much might surprise you
In commentary today …
There’s light at the end of the Delta tunnels, so what’s next for California water policy? The LA Times writes, “Deciding how to give people water to drink and grow food — and to do so without damaging the state’s economy or the environment — shouldn’t have been this hard. For the last dozen years and more, California has been entangled in heated debate over updating the state’s water system. But now we’re closing in on a resolution to that question. That, in turn, opens the way to considering future water policy in a very different political landscape. The state’s WaterFix plan — the focus of contention — proposes to secure drinking water supplies for 25 million people in Southern California and the Bay Area, and enable farmers to continue providing fresh produce to the rest of the country and the world. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: There’s light at the end of the Delta tunnels, so what’s next for California water policy?
Nunes and Valadao joke about Westlands’ water grab; we’re not laughing, says the Fresno Bee: They write, “Rep. Devin Nunes’ tweet was supposed to be funny, we guess. The occasion was the passage of H.R. 23, carried by fellow San Joaquin Valley Republican, Rep. David Valadao of Hanford, although its authorship is clearly at issue. The bill is the House Republicans’ latest attempt to weaken the Endangered Species Act at the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta’s expense, and at the behest of the Westlands Water District, the sprawling irrigation district where some of the state’s wealthiest farmers tend their crops. … ” Read more from the Fresno Bee here: Nunes and Valadao joke about Westlands’ water grab; we’re not laughing, says the Fresno Bee
Needed in California: Unbiased water rights enforcement: Adam Gray writes, “A July 24 Chronicle editorial begins: “Water disputes are a fact of life in California, and the recent drought has only increased the stakes in their outcomes.” I agree, but it’s puzzling to me why The Chronicle then opposes good-governance legislation that will fundamentally improve the process for resolving water disputes. My bill, Assembly Bill 313, restores integrity lacking in California’s water rights enforcement. Because the same government agency acts as judge, jury and prosecution, water rights holders lack access to a neutral appeals process and feel coerced into accepting unfair outcomes. The process is like letting pitchers call their own balls and strikes. We need an umpire. ... ” Read more from SF Gate here: Needed in California: Unbiased water rights enforcement
Sites Reservoir is a good idea coming to pass, says the Chico Enterprise-Record: “Today’s news that Sites Reservoir is likely to be built is proof you can’t keep a good idea down, although clearly you can delay it a heck of a long time. Work on the current version of the reservoir west of Maxwell began more than 20 years ago, when the federal government realized it needed more water to meet the requirements of the Endangered Species Act in California. There was only one large untapped source of surface water in the state, and that was the Sacramento Valley downstream from Shasta Dam. The watershed drains into the Sacramento River through a number of smaller creeks, and damming them individually was unrealistic and unwise. … ” Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here: Sites Reservoir is a good idea coming to pass, says the Chico Enterprise-Record
Three ways California can transform its water data: Matt Ziman writes, “Without adequate record keeping, comprehensive management is impossible. California is facing a critical impasse where water management is in danger of a deadlock from a stifling lack of reliable and accessible information. While water supply once transformed open spaces into teeming cities and bountiful farmland, it now fails to meet increasing demands. Californians are actively working to improve their water infrastructure and managerial practices; however, they are combating yet another bottleneck for effective management – a broken data system. … ” Read more from Water Deeply here: Three ways California can transform its water data
A seemingly simple bill would open the way for 21,000 houses we don’t want: Lynne Plambeck and Stacy Fortner write, “Our fight against the Newhall Ranch development may qualify as historic. It is certainly epic. We’ve been called NIMBYs and sometimes worse. And yet we’ve been vindicated by courts, including the California Supreme Court, which ruled in 2015 that the developer failed to adequately address the environmental impacts of its massive planned community in the foothills north of Los Angeles. Now our fight has taken us to the California Legislature, where a bill that appears completely innocuous would allow the Newhall Land & Farming Co. to stick its wells into our aquifer and pump groundwater on a monumental scale. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: A seemingly simple bill would open the way for 21,000 houses we don’t want
In regional news and commentary today …
Cal Water canal near Oroville breaks: “A broken water canal managed by the California Water Service has cut off water supply for a handful of residents in the area. The main water supply for residents serviced by Cal Water is sourced separately and is not affected, said George Barber, the new local manager who replaced Toni Ruggle. Barber said five people out of nine total customers fed by the canal were affected by the break, which mainly runs along ranches and pastures. The water service was first notified of a crack in the ground by a resident on Saturday and the canal’s water has been shut off since, Barber said. ... ” Read more from the Oroville Mercury Register here: Cal Water canal near Oroville breaks
Sonoma County Supervisor Shirlee Zane to testify before Senate panel about local water initiatives: “Shirlee Zane, the chairwoman of the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors, is set to appear before a Congressional panel in Washington, D.C., next week to discuss the county’s efforts to better manage its water supply and respond to major storms. Zane will testify Wednesday at 10 a.m. Eastern time at a hearing of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources’ Subcommittee on Water and Power. The hearing will focus on boosting water security and preparing for drought. “This idea of water and how we can work together regardless of our party is so instrumental to the health and safety and economy of our communities,” Zane said in an interview. “It’s a local issue, it’s a state issue, it’s a federal issue and it’s a security issue, too.” … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here: Sonoma County Supervisor Shirlee Zane to testify before Senate panel about local water initiatives
A Tahoe ‘secret garden’ opens after a century: “Pink and yellow wildflowers burst from a lush bed of grass hidden from public view for more than a century. Towering trees and snow-capped mountains encircle the wild meadow, beckoning visitors to a largely untouched piece of California’s Sierra Nevada. Conservation groups bought the land in Lower Carpenter Valley north of Lake Tahoe and are opening it for tours. It contains rare carnivorous plants and threatened birds, and serves as a migration corridor for other species. ... ” Read more from KQED here: A Tahoe ‘secret garden’ opens after a century
Lake Tahoe is warming at 14 times the normal rate: “An annual report on Lake Tahoe says the United States’ largest alpine lake is still warming at 14 times the historic average. The finding is in Thursday’s yearly report by UC Davis on the condition of Lake Tahoe, which straddles the California and Nevada borders. Researchers say the giant lake is still warming by half of a degree Fahrenheit each year, continuing a four-year trend driven by climate change. … ” Read more from KQED here: Lake Tahoe is warming at 14 times the normal rate
UC Davis report finds Lake Tahoe has warmer water: “An annual report on Lake Tahoe says the United States’ largest alpine lake is still warming at 14 times the historic average. The finding is in Thursday’s yearly report by UC Davis on the condition of Lake Tahoe. Researchers say the giant lake is still warming by half of a degree Fahrenheit each year, continuing a four-year trend driven by climate change. ... ” Read more from the Woodland Daily Democrat here: UC Davis report finds Lake Tahoe has warmer water
Final requirements met for San Luis Rey Indian water rights settlement: “After almost 50 years of vigorously contested litigation (that went all the way to the Supreme Court), settlement negotiations, several successful efforts in Congress and the California Legislature to obtain the essential legislation, and several more decades of negotiations to resolve all the issues presented in the litigation as well as other issues raised belatedly by the United States, the San Luis Rey Indian Water Rights Settlement finally became a reality and took effect on May 17, 2017. “All of the requirements necessary to conclude the litigation against the city of Escondido and the Vista Irrigation District have now been satisfied,” Chairman Bo Mazzetti announced. … ” Read more from Valley Roadrunner here: Final requirements met for San Luis Rey Indian water rights settlement
Water quality improves in San Diego’s rivers and creeks, but long-term prognosis unknown: “The health of many rivers and streams throughout San Diego County — which flow down canyons and wind through often contaminated urban landscapes — has improved after suffering during several years of drought conditions, according to a report released this week by the nonprofit environmental group San Diego Coastkeeper. While pollution continues to significantly impact all watersheds in the region, Coastkeeper’s annual water-quality monitoring report found markedly cleaner waters in 2016 compared to the previous two years. That includes monitoring done in the San Diego, Sweetwater and Otay watersheds. ... ” Read more from the San Diego Union Tribune here: Water quality improves in San Diego’s rivers and creeks, but long-term prognosis unknown
Friday flight over Oroville …
Electrical towers are removed for relocation and installation begins on drainage pipes for the lower spillway.
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
- CALIFORNIA WATER FIX: Ruling letter for July 27 denying Sacto Valley water users’ request to hold open part 1 of the hearing
- NEWS WORTH NOTING: Delta Stewardship Council appoints new Lead Scientist; Statewide poll shows Californians want more seawater desalination; Statewide coalition speaks out against Huntington Beach Desal Plant
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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.
