In California water news today, Friant-Kern Canal slows by 60%, subsidence to blame; How much drinking water has California lost to oil industry waste? Nobody knows; How water became the new focus of corporate water sustainability; Last Ghost Fleet ship leaves Suisun Bay after long pollution fight; Gustine: Pilot project explores groundwater banking; the latest video from Oroville, and more …
In the news today …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
Friant-Kern Canal slows by 60%, subsidence to blame: “A section of the the Friant-Kern Canal in Tulare County is sinking so much that it’s lost about 60 percent of its flow. Doug DeFlitch with the Friant Water Authority says the canal that helps irrigate a million acres of farmland has sunk two to three feet in some places over about a 25 mile area. The original design capacity in the area is about 4,000 cubic feet per second and he says it’s dropped to 1,600 cfs. The 152-mile canal from Millerton Lake to Kern County was built in the 1940s. It also supplies water to places like Lindsey, Orange Cove and Terra Bella. ... ” Read more from Valley Public Radio here: Friant-Kern Canal slows by 60%, subsidence to blame
How much drinking water has California lost to oil industry waste? Nobody knows: “California survived its historic drought, in large part by using groundwater. It was a lifeline in the Central Valley, where it was the only source of water for many farmers. California regulators are charged with protecting that groundwater, but for years they failed to do so. Through a series of mistakes and miscommunication, they allowed oil companies to put wastewater into drinking water aquifers that were supposed to be safeguarded. Now, a KQED investigation reveals that regulators still know little about the actual impact on the state’s groundwater reserves. One of those errors was discovered by an unlikely person: Bill Samarin, a farmer in California’s San Joaquin Valley. … ” Read more from KQED here: How much drinking water has California lost to oil industry waste? Nobody knows
How water became the new focus of corporate water sustainability: “Can a water-dependent product – beer, for example – achieve sustainability in its water use? And how should we evaluate such a claim? Chronic water scarcity in the West has prompted a surge in examples of this kind of marketing. Companies that rely heavily on water have begun to test various “green” marketing strategies, just as companies have long attached sustainability goals to the air pollution they cause or the habitat they impact. Beverage companies are claiming they’ve reduced their water consumption, neutralized it somehow, or even achieved some kind of net benefit in water supply through various kinds of watershed enhancement projects. Some are experimenting with using recycled wastewater in their products. What is the right path for companies interested in these efforts? How should consumers react to these claims? Is it even possible to achieve sustainability in a water-dependent product? ... ” Read more from Water Deeply here: How water became the new focus of corporate water sustainability
In commentary today …
All-out push to pass twin tunnels must be halted, says the East Bay Times: They write, “Gov. Jerry Brown’s cheerleading squad was in high-spirits recently with the latest news that his twin tunnels project in the Delta inched a step closer to reality. The state Department of Water Resources gave its approval to the tunnels by certifying the environmental reviews for the project. Really, what did you expect? The DWR answers to Brown and Brown wants to build those four-story tunnels to funnel north state water from the Sacramento River, under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, to farmers and cities in the south. ... ” Read more from the East Bay Times here: All-out push to pass twin tunnels must be halted
House-passed bill would eviscerate state water, environmental laws, says Richard Frank: He writes, “Public attention has focused on the Trump administration’s many proposals that would harm our environment and endanger public health. But it would be a mistake for Californians and the media to focus exclusively on White House efforts to roll back existing environmental protections. That’s because, largely under the radar, the Republican-controlled Congress is pursuing its own antienvironment agenda. One of the most dangerous and sweeping such congressional proposals is HR23, the deceptively named “Gaining Responsibility on Water Act.” … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: House-passed bill would eviscerate state water, environmental laws
In regional news and commentary today …
Work to fix damaged levee begins in Yuba City: “Work crews with heavy machinery started emergency repairs Thursday to a levee that protects Yuba City, and was damaged by high flows during the Oroville Dam spillway emergency. The $28.5 million project will create a seepage cutoff wall and rebuild 2.9-miles of levee along the west side of the Feather River that protect 80,000 people. “If that levee broke, the city of Yuba City would flood,” said Assemblyman James Gallagher, R-Yuba City, during a press conference announcing the start of the work. The levee in question runs downstream from near the junction of the Feather and Yuba rivers. Seepage was noted during the spillway crisis, necessitating the emergency repairs. … ” Read more from the Oroville Mercury Register here: Work to fix damaged levee begins in Yuba City
Harmful algae still a problem at Russian River beaches: “Signs cautioning visitors about the potential dangers of harmful algae in the Russian River will remain posted at Sonoma County beaches after very low levels of a naturally produced neurotoxin were detected in the water again this week, county health officials said. Weekly sampling at 10 popular beaches turned up Anatoxin-a at two of them: Steelhead Beach in Forestville and Johnson’s Beach in Guerneville, the county’s environmental health division said. … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here: Harmful algae still a problem at Russian River beaches
Last Ghost Fleet ship leaves Suisun Bay after long pollution fight: “The last of 57 decaying vessels in the federal government’s iconic “Ghost Fleet” is set to leave Suisun Bay Friday, ending a long struggle over the toxic pollution leached from the old ships into waters near a major fish nursery and migration area. State water pollution regulators announced Thursday that the cargo ship Cape Borda cargo is leaving — the last of the ships required to leave Suisun Bay under a legal settlement between the federal Maritime Administration and state environmental regulators and groups. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here: Last Ghost Fleet ship leaves Suisun Bay after long pollution fight
Calaveras sherriff to illegal growers: Stay out of our county: “Over the past four days, the Calaveras County Sheriff’s Office executed an illegal marijuana eradication campaign called Operation Terminus, arresting 35 people and destroying 27,000 marijuana plants throughout Calaveras County. At a press conference Thursday afternoon in San Andreas, Calaveras County Sheriff Rick DiBasilio issued a warning to prospective illegal growers that the crackdown was not over. ... ” Read more from the Union Democrat here: Calaveras sherriff to illegal growers: Stay out of our county
Gustine: Pilot project explores groundwater banking: “A pilot project involving two local ag water agencies will explore the feasibility of storing water supplies in underground aquifers. The project, a joint effort of the Central California Irrigation District and Del Puerto Water District, involves construction of a shallow, 20-acre basin into which the agencies will pump water to recharge the aquifer. The concept is straightforward: Develop a basin which can be used to percolate water supplies into the aquifer, which in turn can be pumped out and used when needed at a later date. The pilot project follows an earlier test involving a one-acre basin that was promising enough to move ahead with an expanded endeavor, explained Chris White, CCID general manager. … ” Read more from the Gustine Press-Standard here: Gustine: Pilot project explores groundwater banking
Seville hemorrhaging water leaks, waiting for a new system: “The area of Seville received a new well in the middle of the drought, the summer of 2014. In February of this year, the county secured funds to replace the aging pipe system. Today, the 500 residents of the area still do not have enough water pressure to shower, do laundry, or even flush a toilet. The water is still unsuitable to drink. The new 300-foot well boosted the water pressure, temporarily supplying much needed water to everyone in the area – but the force of the new well and pump also put pressure through the old pipes, pressure they just couldn’t handle. Leaks have been springing up on a weekly basis ever since, said Eric Coyne, spokesman for the Tulare County Resource Management Agency. ... ” Read more from the Valley Voice here: Seville hemorrhaging water leaks, waiting for a new system
San Luis Obispo County well users can have water tested for free: “Rural San Luis Obispo County residents who rely on private wells as their primary source of drinking water may be unknowingly ingesting contaminants such as arsenic or nitrates, both of which can be bad for health. Now, free testing is available through a pilot project for residents of areas where data show there may be high levels of arsenic or the water quality is unknown. … ” Read more from the San Luis Obispo Tribune here: San Luis Obispo County well users can have water tested for free
Acton residents devastated by monsoonal flood sending river of sludge through town: “The town of Acton was stunned Thursday by a sudden flash flood brought on by unseasonal monsoonal weather that left vehicles stranded in the street and forced residents from their homes. Frequent lightning was visible as a strong thunderstorm moved into the area around 4:30 p.m., dumping more than 1.5 inches of rain in just 30 minutes, according to the National Weather Service and Los Angeles County sheriff’s officials. … ” Read more from KTLA here: Acton residents devastated by monsoonal flood sending river of sludge through town
Storms bring more than 2 inches of rain, flooding to parts of the Inland Empire: “Strong thunderstorms once again turned streets into rivers in parts of the Inland Empire on Thursday, but drier conditions are expected to return to most of the region Friday. After a late-afternoon storm passed over Beaumont — dropping almost 2 inches of rain, according to a radar analysis — Richard Shanklin and his kids took advantage of a catch basin near their house that filled with water. He loaded up daughter Leilynn Shanklin, 6, son Elijah Shanklin, 10, and stepson Isiah Scott, 14, into an inflatable boat and they began paddling around in the calf-deep water. … ” Read more from the San Bernardino Sun here: Storms bring more than 2 inches of rain, flooding to parts of the Inland Empire
A pile of dirt at Redlands airport frustrates pilots – here’s why: “Pilots are continuing their yearslong fight to get a large dirt stockpile removed from the end of a runway at the Redlands Municipal Airport. The stockpile, which was formed in 2012 as a result of the construction of a nearby water reservoir, has shortened in height, but is still proving to be an obstruction to pilots taking off and landing at the airport. ... ” Read more from the Redlands Daily Facts here: A pile of dirt at Redlands airport frustrates pilots – here’s why
Along the Colorado River …
Despite best efforts, years of drought leave Arizona little room for error: “Arizona’s top water official told a congressional committee Wednesday that even though the state has done a lot right, years of drought still threaten to push the region into a water emergency in the next few years. Tom Buschatzke, the director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources, said his office needs better coordination with other states and federal agencies and expressed concern that proposed cuts in federal funding for state could force agencies like his to do “more with less.” His comments came as part of a Senate Energy and Natural Resources subcommittee hearing on “increasing water security and drought preparedness through infrastructure, management and innovation.” ... ” Read more from the Havasu News Herald here: Despite best efforts, years of drought leave Arizona little room for error
Friday flight over Oroville …
Construction continues on the lower spillway, building forms and installing drains. The rotary drilling machine begins to expand the holes for the emergency spillway cutoff wall. Concrete goes in on the upper spillway and Kiewit works through the night laying roller-compacted concrete.
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.
