In California water news today, Water storage projects compete for bond funds; Speaker Rendon hints at support for Temperance Flat; Officials promise to protect Lake Tahoe with $415 million; Solano County joins challenge of Delta tunnels EIR; Antioch files challenge to final approval of twin tunnels EIR; Lois Henry’s last water column: Water updates large and small; Study reveals the big climate impact of the way drought kills trees; State bills seek to cut children’s exposure to lead; California proves that environmental regulations don’t kill profits; and more …
On the calendar today …
- The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board will hold a public workshop on the 2018 Joint Triennial Review of the Water Quality Control Plans for the Sacramento River and San Joaquin River Basins and the Tulare Lake Basin in Rancho Cordova at 1pm. For more information, click here.
In the news today …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
- Challenges facing irrigated agriculture in the western U.S.
- NEWS WORTH NOTING: Reclamation moves forward on fish passage project in Yolo Bypass; Byron-Bethany Irrigation District makes donation to new California water web initiative; Public Review: Implementing the Open and Transparent Water Data Act (AB 1755)
Water storage projects compete for bond funds: “Now that a dozen applications have been submitted, the California Water Commission begins the process of evaluating water projects that could share in storage money California voters approved as part of the Proposition 1 water bond. The bond, which passed in 2014, contains $2.7 billion to pay for public benefits associated with water-storage projects. The 12 applications requested a total of $5.8 billion from the bond, with total cost to build all the projects adding to more than $13.1 billion. Water Commission spokesman Chris Orrock said bond regulations require that “we have to fund multiple projects, be that two, three, 10. We cannot only fund one project. The goal is to get the best bang for taxpayers’ dollars in public benefits.” … ” Read more from Ag Alert here: Water storage projects compete for bond funds
Speaker Rendon hints at support for Temperance Flat: “During a visit to Fresno Tuesday, Speaker of the California Assembly Anthony Rendon highlighted one key aspect of the Temperance Flat Dam proposal that could give it a boost over other water storage projects. While not specifically favoring one project over another, Rendon says the potential dam and reservoir has a key quality the other proposed mega project does not…location. “In a state where we are dealing with climate change. In a state where we know that some catastrophic event could make things exceptionally difficult for water conveyance out of the delta. We need to make sure we have projects that are flexible enough so they can be used in a multitude of different ways,” says Rendon. … ” Read more from Valley Public Radio here: Speaker Rendon hints at support for Temperance Flat
Officials promise to protect Lake Tahoe with $415 million: “Federal officials are promising to protect Lake Tahoe for future generations, a pledge that one says doesn’t rule out also maintaining a robust regional economy. The U.S. representatives gathered at the cold, deep cobalt lake straddling the California and Nevada borders Tuesday for their 21st annual Lake Tahoe Summit. Democratic U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, who hosted the summit along the lake’s south shore, says a key focus is on countering the effects of climate change. ... ” Read more from KTNV here: Officials promise to protect Lake Tahoe with $415 million
Solano County joins challenge of Delta tunnels EIR: “Solano County joined with other California counties and agencies Monday in filing a lawsuit in Sacramento County Superior Court challenging the Department of Water Resources’ approval of the Environmental Impact Report for the state’s twin-tunnels project. Other agencies in the lawsuit are Contra Costa, San Joaquin and Yolo counties, Contra Costa County Water Agency, Central Delta Water Agency, South Delta Water Agency and Local Agencies of the North Delta. ... ” Read more from The Daily Reporter here: Solano County joins challenge of Delta tunnels EIR
Antioch files challenge to final approval of twin tunnels EIR: “The city has challenged the state Department of Water Resources’ approval of the Twin Tunnels project, alleging that the city itself will still see more salt in the water it uses as a drinking supply. On July 21, the Department of Water Resources certified the analysis from the final 50,000-page Environmental Impact Report that the Twin Tunnels project is “consistent with environmental and wildlife protection standards,” DWR officials stated in a news release. In response to the approval, the city filed an action against DWR on Aug.17, stating that the adverse impacts to the city’s water supply have not been addressed. In particular, the city has argued that diverting fresh water from the Sacramento River before it enters the Delta would increase salinity levels in the Delta. This would then require increased water treatment, which would affect water rates. … ” Read more from the East Bay Times here: Antioch files challenge to final approval of twin tunnels EIR
Lois Henry’s last water column: Water updates large and small: “What’s new in water? Oh, I thought you’d never ask. I’ve got some important tidbits for you. Oh don’t whine, this is the last water column by me you’ll have to slog through so COWGRRRL UP! The biggest, immediate water question right now is: Will they? Or won’t they? I’m talking about the California WaterFix and whether local farmers will help pay for it. … ” Read more from the Bakersfield Californian here: Water updates large and small (Programming note: Tune in next week as the Notebook bids adieu to Lois as she embarks on a new phase of her career.)
Study reveals the big climate impact of the way drought kills trees: “That dead tree in your back yard? You could say drought killed it. Or you could say it died from hydraulic failure through partial or complete loss of xylem function from embolism that inhibits water transport through the vasculature, leading to tissue desiccation. What that means – and why it matters to California and the rest of the world – are part of a new study published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution. “I’m not trying to scare people about climate change but paint a picture with consequences,” said Henry Adams, the study’s lead author and an assistant professor in the department of plant biology, ecology and evolution at Oklahoma State University. ... ” Read more from Water Deeply here: Study reveals the big climate impact of the way drought kills trees
State bills seek to cut children’s exposure to lead: “When a therapy dog refused to drink at a San Diego grade school, it was the first clue that something was wrong with the water. Tests revealed why the pup turned up its nose — the presence of polyvinyl chloride, the polymer in PVC pipes that degrade over time. But further analysis found something else that had gone undetected by the dog, the teachers and students of the San Diego Cooperative Charter School, and the school district: elevated levels of lead. Nor is this an isolated situation. Tests have turned up harmful levels of lead in water fountains and taps at other schools in San Diego and Los Angeles, where the district long ago decided to identify, flush and fix or seal hundreds of contaminated fountains. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: State bills seek to cut children’s exposure to lead
California proves that environmental regulations don’t kill profits: “To anyone who believes environmental regulation is poison for profits, California must be infuriating. The state’s pollution policies rarely wilt its perennially blooming economy. For the past nine years, a Golden State-centric think tank Next 10 has been releasing its California Green Innovation Index. The results this year show a continuing trend: For two and a half decades, California’s GDP and population have continued to rise, while per capita carbon dioxide emissions have stayed flat. But California isn’t done yet. It has two major upcoming goals: reducing emission to to 1990 levels by 2020, and 40 percent below that a decade later. So while California has continued to grow during phase one of its environmental overhaul, it’s still a question whether its long-term green ambitions will turn its economy as chilly as a San Francisco summer. ... ” Read more from WIRED Magazine here: California proves that environmental regulations don’t kill profits
In commentary today …
Fund a public good: Clean water for all, says the San Francisco Chronicle: They write, “In California, a state that considers itself among the most advanced nations in the world, nearly 2 million people live without safe drinking water. These Californians reside in 300 small, sometimes remote, but always impoverished communities where the state’s 2012 first-in-the-nation law guaranteeing a right to safe and affordable drinking water is but an empty promise. It will take every Californian to ensure clean water is available to all. Groundwater in these communities is contaminated by naturally occurring pollutants, such as arsenic, but more typically by agricultural runoff. ... ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Fund a public good: Clean water for all
Bill before California legislature could help supply clean water to all, says Kirsten James: She writes, “California is home to some of the most agriculturally productive regions in the nation. Yet in many small communities scattered throughout those regions, residents lack the most basic commodity of all: clean, safe drinking water. Instead, what comes out of the taps in upward of 300 rural public water systems is water contaminated with arsenic, nitrates and other toxins, according to the State Water Resources Control Board. Each year, around 1 million Californians are exposed to unsafe water to meet their basic human needs. … ” Read more from Water Deeply here: Bill before California legislature could help supply clean water to all
Another scheme for stormwater tax gains steam in Sacramento, says Susan Shelley: She writes, “Money is no object when you’re spending somebody else’s. If those words haven’t yet replaced “Eureka” as the official state motto of California, they soon will. The Legislature is back in session. The chairs were barely warm when lawmakers advanced yet another sneak attack on property owners. This time it’s a gut-and-amend bill to allow the Los Angeles County Flood Control District to levy special taxes for stormwater management projects. ... ” Read more from the LA Daily News here: Another scheme for stormwater tax gains steam in Sacramento
Don’t let Trump rollback California’s environmental gains, says the LA Times: They write, “California has long been an environmental leader, adopting strong laws to protect the air, water and land that often, eventually, become national policy. Yet the task of setting and enforcing environmental standards is a huge one, and even Green California has relied on the federal government to handle much of that work. That hasn’t been a problem for most of the last 50 years. The state has frequently worked hand-in-hand with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S Department of Fish and Wildlife and other federal agencies to safeguard public health and natural resources. ... ” Read more from the LA Times here: Don’t let Trump rollback California’s environmental gains
In regional news and commentary today …
Humboldt County water district calls on the public to oppose water tax: “Humboldt County’s largest water wholesaler is calling on the public to voice their opposition to a state bill that would implement a tax on most water users throughout the state. “It’s a direct impact to every person that is drinking water,” Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District General Manager John Friedenbach said. “A basic human need like water should not be a source of tax revenue for the state of California. That is just unconscionable to me.” … ” Read more from the Eureka Times-Standard here: Humboldt County water district calls on the public to oppose water tax
Did McClellan Air Force Base poison their water? Lawsuits revive neighborhood fears: “Shirley Howell has lived in the shadow of McClellan Air Force Base since 1956, when her husband, Bill, started working there for $1.79 an hour and she began raising a family. Today, Howell, now 81, can tick off the health tragedies her family has faced since they moved into the North Highlands neighborhood: She lost an infant who doctors told her died of sudden infant death syndrome in 1964; her husband was diagnosed with leukemia and died in 2012; her oldest son, Norris, was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 1986 and died three years ago; her son Gregory, 52, developed multiple sclerosis and is now confined to a wheelchair; her daughter, Robin, was diagnosed with MS after that and cannot care for herself; and her great-grandson, Dalton, died at 19 months after being born with deformities and heart problems. ... ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: Did McClellan Air Force Base poison their water? Lawsuits revive neighborhood fears
San Joaquin County ag declines $900 million in two years: “Agriculture in San Joaquin County tumbled 14 percent last year, continuing an unprecedented decline that has seen the county shed roughly $900 million in crop revenue — or nearly one-third of its leading industry. Falling prices for major crops like almonds and walnuts are partly to blame, along with spring rainstorms that devastated last year’s cherry crop, and the drought which still was hanging on at the time. “A lot of things went wrong last year,” county Agricultural Commissioner Tim Pelican said. … ” Read more from the Stockton Record here: San Joaquin County ag declines $900 million in two years
Lakes reopened in Bay Area, but risk of algal blooms persist: “Swimmers can now return to bodies of water that were closed in the Bay Area for most of the summer due to toxic algae blooms. Noxious green blooms were first reported in popular swimming areas in spring, and park officials have been working since then to reduce the risk and reopen the lakes. “We’re thrilled to be able to re-open Lake Temescal and Quarry Lakes,” said Dave Mason of the East Bay Regional Park District. “We’ve been working hard to reduce the risk.” … ” Read more from KQED here: Lakes reopened in Bay Area, but risk of algal blooms persist
Monterey: CPUC desal project hearing delay would allow more time for Pure Water Monterey expansion study: “Pending state Public Utilities Commission hearings to update details of California American Water’s proposed desalination project could be pushed back to November. That’s based on a request from the parties to the CPUC proceeding in an attempt to allow more time to vet key issues, including a potential expansion of the Pure Water Monterey recycled water project that could fill a gap, at least temporarily, left by any further delay or even the demise of the desal project. … ” Read more from the Monterey Herald here: Monterey: CPUC desal project hearing delay would allow more time for Pure Water Monterey expansion study
Santa Barbara County supervisors vote Water Agency won’t take lead in implementing policy: “Although the Santa Barbara County grand jury would like to see the county’s Water Agency become the lead organization for implementing water policy throughout the region, such a move isn’t feasible. On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to submit required responses to a recent grand jury report titled “Managing Regional Water Supplies, Are There Better Solutions?,” which included informing jurors the county won’t be designating its Water Agency the permanent lead agency for implementation of policy to ensure reliability of supplies. ... ” Read more from the Santa Ynez Valley News here: Santa Barbara County supervisors vote Water Agency won’t take lead in implementing policy
Porterville: Clean water hookups resume: “With Phase II of the East Porterville water project underway, more homes there are being connected to a clean and reliable water supply. One year after the new water system in that county area began delivering drinking water to families in the drought-stricken community, 321 homes are now receiving water from the system and an additional 446 homes are expected to be connected by the end of 2017. It was one year ago Aug. 18 that state, county and city officials gathered to celebrate the first hook-up in the emergency project to install a water system where some 500 domestic water wells went dry during the drought. ... ” Read more from the Porterville Recorder here: Porterville: Clean water hookups resume
In Bakersfield, complex web of water systems makes pollution cleanup difficult: “From Keith Prickett’s front yard just east of Bakersfield you can see the trees of where the official city begins. He’s on the board of a tiny water system with less than 30 homes. It’s called the East Wilson Road Water Company and the water he’s washing his dishes with is polluted with nitrates. “It doesn’t taste funny, but because it’s high in nitrates we do not cook with it, we don’t drink it,” says Prickett as he loads his dishwasher with a mug. “But we shower and use it for everything else.” ... ” Read more from Valley Public Radio here: In Bakersfield, complex web of water systems makes pollution cleanup difficult
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
- Challenges facing irrigated agriculture in the western U.S.
- NEWS WORTH NOTING: Reclamation moves forward on fish passage project in Yolo Bypass; Byron-Bethany Irrigation District makes donation to new California water web initiative; Public Review: Implementing the Open and Transparent Water Data Act (AB 1755)
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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.
