DAILY DIGEST: California: The state of salmon; Oroville Dam construction on schedule, says DWR; How a useless dam nearly destroyed an iconic beach; The latest on SB 623, the drinking water tax; Will there be a water bond on the ballot in 2018?; and more …

Maven
DAILY DIGEST
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In California water news today: California: The state of salmon; Oroville Dam construction on schedule, says DWR; How a useless dam nearly destroyed an iconic beach; Q&A with Jeffrey Kightlinger on California Water Fix; Challenging the tunnels; Proponents of dam on San Joaquin River seek state funding; Sites Reservoir supporters requested half of Prop 1 funds; First-ever water tax proposed to tackle unsafe drinking water in California; California drinking water access bill vote delayed until next week; Will there be a water bond on the ballot in 2018?; and more …

On the calendar today …

In the news today …

Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

California: The state of salmon: Even if the levees are torn down, chinook restoration faces walls: “California, land of almonds, avocados, and Arnold. But beyond its famous edibles and a celebrity governor, California, like its Pacific Northwest neighbors, is also a salmon state. At least, it will be again if salmon advocates have their way.  In the state’s Central Valley, researchers Jacob Katz and Carson Jeffres have spent the past seven winters along the Sacramento River. They have slogged through muddy fields and marshes, netted fish, tagged some with tracking devices, and released them into the water. Katz is a biologist with the nonprofit organization California Trout, and Jeffres is an ecologist with the University of California, Davis. The duo has been gathering evidence to rationalize making a fundamental change to California cropland. … ”  Read more from Hakai Magazine here:  California: The state of salmon

Oroville Dam construction on schedule, says DWR:  “Construction at the Lake Oroville spillways is on schedule to meet a Nov. 1 deadline for this year’s repairs, according to the Department of Water Resources.  The department has passed the midway point on its construction timeline for this year’s repairs on the main spillway, which was badly damaged during high February releases. Construction efforts will remain focused on meeting the Nov. 1 deadline, DWR staff said during a conference call with media. … ”  Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here:  Oroville Dam construction on schedule, says DWR

How a useless dam nearly destroyed an iconic beach:  “Dozens of longboarders caught rolling waves one summer morning off Surfers’ Point, where the Ventura River meets the Pacific Ocean about 65 miles north of Los Angeles.  A wide beach with large, lumpy sand dunes speckled with grasses separates a bike path and the city’s fairgrounds from the ravenous Pacific.  Surfers’ Point appears to be a rare natural California oceanfront. But looks deceive.  The beach is man-made. It was built the length of five football fields with an 8-foot-thick layer of cobblestones topped with enough imported sand to fill nearly 2,000 dump trucks. … ”  Read more from E&E here:  How a useless dam nearly destroyed an iconic beach

CALIFORNIA WATER FIX

Q&A with Jeffrey Kightlinger on California Water Fix:  “TPR: In our interview one year ago, you spoke of California’s upcoming water supply milestones. One of those was Governor Brown’s championed California Water Fix project investment in the Delta. Update our readers on MWD’s plans to insure & maintain reliable water supplies for the state’s most populous region.  Jeff Kightlinger: At that time, we were on the verge of completing the documentation and permitting process for the California’s WaterFix Delta project. We’ve now done that.  The Brown administration has issued the Notice of Determination on the CEQA document, completing the CEQA process. … ”  Continue reading from The Planning Report here:  Q&A with Jeffrey Kightlinger: Update on California Water Fix

Challenging the tunnels:  “The twin tunnels project, aka California WaterFix, seems to have been on a fast track to approval, opponents agree, leading to dozens of lawsuits filed against the Department of Water Resources on Monday (Aug. 21), the last day to take legal recourse.  “This is one of the larger environmental cases in recent memory,” said Bruce Alpert, Butte County counsel. “It certainly has one of the biggest impacts statewide.”  The county filed suit Monday, as did local water advocacy group AquAlliance. Both argue that the DWR, which is overseeing the project, failed to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act in its assessment of potential impacts to our region. They aren’t the only ones. “There are over 54 plaintiffs right now,” Alpert said. “There were so many people filing on Monday, they were handing out numbers in the courthouse.” … ”  Read more from the Chico News and Review here:  Challenging the tunnels

Brown’s tunnels could start in 2018 and farmers say they’ll be devastated:  “Brett Baker steps off Sutter Island Road and scrambles down the bank of a levee to the edge of Steamboat Slough. It’s early August, and at 8 a.m., the thermometer already registers a muggy 75 degrees as the Delta sun rises through an unseasonable gray sky. At Baker’s feet is a 6-inch-wide steel pipe that carries water from the slough through the levee and into his family’s century-old pear orchard.  The farmer begins explaining how three years ago, at the peak of the drought, river flows grew so weak that salty water from San Francisco Bay crept far inland. … ”  Read more from the East Bay Express here:  Brown’s tunnels could start in 2018 and farmers say they’ll be devastated

PROP 1 WATER STORAGE PROJECTS

Proponents of dam on San Joaquin River seek state funding:  “The proposed Temperance Flat dam on the upper San Joaquin River east of Fresno likely will be at the head of the line when the state awards big money for water storage projects.  The San Joaquin Valley Water Infrastructure Authority last week submitted an application seeking $1.3 billion in bond funds from the California Water Commission, which is doling out $2.7 billion of Proposition 1 money for water storage projects around the state.  The Temperance Flat dam is estimated to cost $3 billion. … ”  Read more from the Fresno Bee here:  Proponents of dam on San Joaquin River seek state funding

Sites Reservoir supporters requested half of Prop 1 funds:  “More than a dozen water storage projects are vying for money from the Proposition 1 water bond California voters approved in 2014.  The largest request comes from supporters of Sites Reservoir, which would be built about an hour northwest of Sacramento in Colusa County.  Mary Wells walks along a dirt road tucked into the valley there. She owns a cattle ranch here.  “I’ve been here 47 years I believe, raised my children here. Grandchildren spent a lot of time here. It’s been a wonderful home for us,” says Wells. … ”  Read more from Capital Public Radio here:  Sites Reservoir supporters requested half of Prop 1 funds

SB 623 DRINKING WATER TAX/DRINKING WATER

First-ever water tax proposed to tackle unsafe drinking water in California:  “For the first time Californians would pay a tax on drinking water — 95 cents per month — under legislation aimed at fixing hundreds of public water systems with unsafe tap water.  Senate Bill 623, backed by a strange-bedfellows coalition of the agricultural lobby and environmental groups but opposed by water districts, would generate $2 billion over the next 15 years to clean up contaminated groundwater and improve faulty water systems and wells. The problem is most pervasive in rural areas with agricultural runoff. … ”  Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here:  First-ever water tax proposed to tackle unsafe drinking water in California

California drinking water access bill vote delayed until next week:  “A newly amended bill that would impose a monthly water fee on California water users to fund drinking water quality improvement projects was placed on the suspense file by the California Assembly Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, but is expected to be voted on again next week, according to officials.  Senate Bill 623’s author Sen. Bill Monning (D-Carmel) said the fee revenue will fund improvements that will increase Californians’ access to safe and affordable drinking water.  “In Flint, Michigan, 100,000 people were exposed to unsafe drinking water, but right here in California more than 1 million Californians are annually exposed to unsafe drinking water,” Monning said in a statement Wednesday. … ”  Read more from the Eureka Times-Standard here:  California drinking water access bill vote delayed until next week

Proposed tax for safe drinking water gets support from environmental, agricultural groups:  “State lawmakers are considering a tax to help poor rural communities provide safe drinking water. Agricultural and environmental groups are backing the bill—but water companies, not so much.  More than a million Californians lack safe drinking water, either due to fertilizer runoff from farms or contaminants like arsenic.  The proposal would raise your water bill by around $10 a year. It could be more than $1,000 a year for farmers, says Tim Johnson, CEO of the California Rice Commission, which backs the proposal. ... ”  Read more from Capital Public Radio here:  Proposed tax for safe drinking water gets support from environmental, agricultural groups

Water agencies testify against bill to establish California’s first-ever water tax:  “Today in the Assembly Appropriations Committee, water agencies from throughout California joined with the Association of California Water Agencies to publicly voice their opposition to a bill that would establish the state’s first-ever tax on drinking water and to pledge their commitment to ensuring safe drinking water for communities across the state.  The focus of the hearing was SB 623 by Sen. Bill Monning (D-Carmel). The bill was placed on suspense and may be taken up by the full Assembly later this session. … While ACWA strongly supports the goal of providing assistance to disadvantaged communities without access to safe and reliable drinking water, ACWA is vigorously opposed to this new tax and the precedent it would set. … ”  Read more from ACWA’s Water News here:  Water agencies testify against bill to establish California’s first-ever water tax

California towns tackle nitrate pollution with local solutions:  “Porterville, California, a town of about 50,000 people, lies nestled at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, near the gateways to Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks. It’s an idyllic setting, but in the nearby rural communities of East Porterville, Poplar, Terra Bella and Ducor, many residents get their drinking water from private wells that are rarely tested for contaminants. That’s potentially dangerous because groundwater in the area is known to be polluted with nitrates.  A program in Porterville is trying a new tactic to help people in these communities obtain clean water. It’s one of a number of local responses trying to tackle the state’s nitrate problem. ... ”  Read more from Water Deeply here:  California towns tackle nitrate pollution with local solutions

OTHER STATE LEGISLATION

Will there be a water bond on the ballot in 2018?  “As part of [TPR’s] ongoing coverage of the evolution of water infrastructure, governance, and financing, TPR unpacks the four potential bond measures California voters may face in 2018 to fund new water projects statewide. Brian Jordan, vice president of civil engineering firm TetraTech, offers a private-sector perspective on the need facing infrastructure industries. Advocating the ability of a new bond to fill those gaps is Jerry Meral, who built a deep expertise as longtime executive director of the Planning and Conservation League and at the California Department of Water Resources, the California Natural Resources Agency, and the Environmental Defense Fund.  Brian, what are the needs driving California interests to seek a water bond on the 2018 ballot?  Brian Jordan: It’s been a couple years since voters approved Proposition 1 in 2014. Prop 1 was prompted by the significant drought conditions in the state. Fortunately, those conditions in the state have passed. Now, we have an opportunity to better understand what can be funded and implemented with Prop 1 monies, and assess where we need additional investments. ... ”  Read more from The Planning Report here:  Will there be a water bond on the ballot in 2018? 

FEDERAL ISSUES

Huffman, Pelosi fight Trump at Sausalito forum over marine sanctuaries:  “With the Trump administration considering reducing the size of 11 marine sanctuaries — including two off Marin’s shores — Rep. Jared Huffman, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, former congresswoman Lynn Woolsey and others gathered at the Bay Model in Sausalito on Wednesday morning to rally support for the underwater parks.  In April, President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 13795 that included language that instructed the Department of Commerce to conduct a review of all designations and expansions of National Marine Sanctuaries and Marine National Monuments since April 28, 2007, with an eye toward energy exploration. U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross has until Oct. 25 to submit his review to the president. … ”  Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here:   Huffman, Pelosi fight Trump at Sausalito forum over marine sanctuaries

In commentary today …

Groundwater recharge – a solution for both farmers and fish:  Peter Drekmeier and and Zarine Kakalia write, “If every year were an average water year, the Tuolumne River could provide enough water to sustain a vibrant agricultural economy as well as a healthy river ecosystem. The problem is there are good years and bad years, and when a number of dry years line up we experience water shortages, often pitting economic interests against the environment.  This year we experienced the opposite, as torrential storms dumped near-record precipitation on the Tuolumne River watershed. The reservoirs filled quickly and, beginning in January, maximum allowable releases from Don Pedro Dam were required to prevent future flooding downstream. … ”  Read more from the Modesto Bee here:  Groundwater recharge – a solution for both farmers and fish

In regional news and commentary today …

Tree mortality in Lake Tahoe a growing concern:  “It was a lively conversation about a deadly situation at Wednesday’s Tahoe Region Planning Agency Governing Board meeting.  Trees took up the morning session; specifically dead trees and what is being done about them.  One good winter didn’t cure what ails Lake Tahoe’s forests – or those throughout the Sierra. Part of the problem is drought, part is beetle infestation – though, those are linked. … ”  Read more from the Lake Tahoe News here:  Tree mortality in Lake Tahoe a growing concern

Feds reimburse North Yuba Water District for storm damage:  “The North Yuba Water District was recently notified it would be reimbursed more than $132,000 from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for storm-related damages that occurred this past winter to its Forbestown Ditch.  With FEMA approval, the California Office of Emergency Services issued the district two checks for a total of $132,538.22.  “The funds reimburse the repair cost for two storm-related blowouts on the Forbestown Ditch that occurred earlier this year,” said Jeff Maupin, district manager, in a press release. ... ” Read more from the Appeal-Democrat here:  Feds reimburse North Yuba Water District for storm damage

Mountain View’s green canopy of trees recovering from drought:  “The drastic, five-year drought was bad for Mountain View’s green canopy of trees, said Parks Manager Bruce Hurlburt, but things are looking up following the heavy rains of winter, and aided by residents once again watering their lawns.  “We don’t have a specific number of trees we lost,” Hurlburt said Wednesday, “but we did lose some trees and definitely see impacts from the sustained drought.”  The city is responsible for about 26,000 trees, said Hurlburt, about 19,000 of which are street trees. The others are in parks and along trails. … ”  Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here:  Mountain View’s green canopy of trees recovering from drought

Paso Robles: County joins the Paso Basin Cooperative Committee:  “After approving a memorandum of understanding (MOA) with stakeholders over the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin on Aug. 22, the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors has almost all of the collaborative agreements it needs to try and bring the county’s six water basins into compliance with the state.  Supervisors unanimously decided to join Paso Robles, the San Miguel and Heritage Ranch community service districts (CSDs), and the Shandon-San Juan Water District in forming the Paso Basin Cooperative Committee. … ”  Read more from New Times SLO here:  Paso Robles: County joins the Paso Basin Cooperative Committee

Carpinteria prepares for sea level rise:  “In the year 2100, Carpinteria’s beach neighborhood could be underwater. How to avoid or prepare for that fate and other potentially disastrous effects of sea level rise are being considered by the City of Carpinteria as it updates its long term planning documents—the General Plan and Local Coastal Plan.  At a public meeting held on Aug. 21 at city hall, consultant Dave Revell of Revell Coastal told the city subcommittee made up of councilmembers Al Clark and Brad Stein and planning commissioner John Callender (David Allen was absent) that climate change is complicated and the science is ever-evolving and full of uncertainties. “But it’s happening. Of that we’re certain,” he said. Revell Coastal and Summit Environmental are working with Amec Foster Wheeler, the city contractor helping to prepare the new Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan. … ”  Read more from Coastal View here:  Carpinteria prepares for sea level rise

Appropriations Committee: Santa Clarita water bill would mean loss of tax revenue to the state:  “Water officials waiting for a green light on the bill promising one new all-encompassing water district for the SCV, instead received a yellow light Wednesday from the legislative committee reviewing it’s cost and were told to wait until Sept. 1 to learn its fate.  Members of the Appropriations Committee reviewed Senate Bill 634 Wednesday and decided to place it in the suspense file until Sept. 1 when the committee resumes its scrutiny of the bill’s cost.  Bills go to the suspense file for review anytime there is a “fiscal impact of $150,000 or more.” … ”  Read more from the Signal here:  Appropriations Committee: Santa Clarita water bill would mean loss of tax revenue to the state

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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