DAILY DIGEST: Westlands vote deals major blow to Delta tunnels project; Coalition reopens fight for improved emergency spillway at Oroville Dam; PPIC recommends action to protect headwater forests; More water bonds may be put before voters in 2018; and more …

In California water news today, Westlands Water District says it won’t pay for Delta tunnels in a vote that could kill the project; Coalition reopens fight for improved emergency spillway at Oroville Dam; PPIC recommends action to protect headwater forests; Key water-related bills held at end of legislative session; More water bonds may be put before California voters in 2018; The West’s wildfires are taking a toll on reservoirs; and more …

On the calendar today …

• The State Water Resources Control Board will hold a Public Hearing beginning at 9:30 am on the proposed draft amendment to the Policy on Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEP Policy).  Click here for the agenda.
• The California Water Commission meets this morning at 9:30 am.  Agenda items include an overview of the Water Storage Investment Program and a preparatory briefing on public benefit ratios and appeal process; an overview of the Central Valley Project; and a panel on 21st century infrastructure.  Note: ending time is approximate.  Click here for the full agenda and webcast link.
• The PPIC will hold an event, Improving the Health of California’s headwater forests, from 11:45 to 1:30 pm.  Click here to register to watch on webcast.
• The Department of Water Resources will hold a Groundwater Sustainability Plan workshop in Clovis from 1pm to 5pm today.  Click here for more information.

In the news today …

DELTA TUNNELS

Westlands Water District says it won’t pay for Delta tunnels in a vote that could kill the project:  “A large agricultural district Tuesday dealt a potentially fatal blow to Gov. Jerry Brown’s Delta tunnels project, voting overwhelmingly not to help pay for the $17 billion plan to remake the fragile estuary that serves as the hub of California’s water delivery network.  Westlands Water District’s board of directors, following more than an hour of debate over the tunnels’ costs, voted 7-1 against participating in the project, known officially as California WaterFix. … ”  Read more from the Sacramento Bee here:  Westlands Water District says it won’t pay for Delta tunnels in a vote that could kill the project

Westlands vote deals major blow to Delta tunnels project:  “The board of the Westlands Water District on Tuesday dealt a potentially fatal blow to the most ambitious California water project planned in decades.  By a 7-1 vote, the board of the state’s largest irrigation district decided not to join the California WaterFix, a $17-billion project that would re-engineer the way Northern California supplies are moved to the San Joaquin Valley and Southland cities.  “This doesn’t work for Westlands Water District,” said board member Todd Neves, who led the move against joining the project. … ”  Read more from the LA Times here:  Westlands vote deals major blow to Delta tunnels project

Big setback for Delta tunnels project:  “California’s biggest agricultural water supplier said Tuesday that it’s not ready to spend money on Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed delta-tunnels plan, a decision that could threaten the future of the $17 billion project.  The Westlands Water District, the powerful San Joaquin Valley supplier that irrigates some of the state’s biggest farms, was widely expected to pay as much as a fifth of the bill for two 35-mile-long tunnels that would help move water from Northern California to fields and cities to the south, including the Bay Area. ... ”  Read more from SF Gate here:  Big setback for Delta tunnels project

Delta tunnels plan in trouble as key water agency backs out:  “In a major and potentially fatal setback to Gov. Jerry Brown’s $17 billion plan to build two huge tunnels under the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, America’s largest irrigation district voted Tuesday to pull out of the project.  The board of Westlands Water District, based in Fresno, voted 7-1 following an hour of debate and discussion over the costs of the project, which is intended to make it easier to move water from north to south.  Westlands was going to pay roughly $3 billion of the total bill. Now, those costs will have to be shouldered by other water agencies that decide to participate, which means higher-than-expected water bills in those areas. … ”  Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here:  Delta tunnels plan in trouble as key water agency backs out

OROVILLE DAM REPORT

Group that issued 2005 warning still wants full emergency spillway at Oroville Dam:  “The group that 12 years ago warned the Oroville Dam emergency spillway could fail, Tuesday released a new set of recommendations for operation of the dam and the Feather River flood control system.  “It’s not enough to be right in the rearview mirror,” said Eric Wesselman, executive director of Friends of the River in a media call Tuesday morning. “Existing infrastructure needs to be fixed now.” ... ”  Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here:  Group that issued 2005 warning still wants full emergency spillway at Oroville Dam

Coalition reopens fight for improved emergency spillway at Oroville Dam:  “A coalition of California environmental groups is calling on the California Department of Water Resources to build a complete, functional emergency spillway at Oroville Dam as part of a sweeping program to improve dam safety and flood control practices across the state and beyond.  The conservation coalition — including Friends of the River, the California Sports Fishing Alliance, the South Yuba River Citizens League and American Whitewater — released a 53-page report seeking to apply lessons learned from February’s Oroville spillway crisis. ... ”  Read more from the KQED here:  Coalition reopens fight for improved emergency spillway at Oroville Dam

PPIC HEADWATERS REPORT

PPIC recommends action to protect headwater forests:  “A newly released report by the Water Policy Center of the Public Policy Institute of California urges new commitment and specific management techniques to improve the health of California’s headwater forests.  The report, Improving the Health of California’s Headwater Forests, was released Monday.  Headwater forests provide two-thirds of the state’s surface water, and their condition affects both the quantity and quality of that supply. The long-standing policy of fire suppression has severely increased the density of trees and other fuels, resulting in massive tree die-offs and large, severe wildfires. The Water Policy Center recommends management techniques such as prescribed fire, managed wildfire, and mechanical thinning to help rebuild forest resilience. … ”  Read more from ACWA’s Water News here:  PPIC recommends action to protect headwater forests

STATE LEGISLATION

Key water-related bills held at end of legislative session:  “The 2017-’18 Legislative Session has been challenging by all accounts. ACWA staff, working with members and other stakeholders, were a formidable team, and successfully pushed major high-priority water-related bills to next session. The following is a summary of the status of key bills following the Sept. 15 end of the first of year of the 2017-’18 Legislative Session. ... ”  Read more from ACWA’s Water News here:  Key water-related bills held at end of legislative session

More water bonds may be put before California voters in 2018:  “Voters in California may see two more water-related bond measures on their ballots next year as proponents try to build on the success of Proposition 1.  Gerald Meral, a former deputy secretary of the state Natural Resources Agency, is about to begin gathering signatures for an $8.9 billion measure for such water-related projects as repairs to the sinking Friant-Kern Canal in Tulare and Kern counties.  Meral told the Capital Press his initiative is “a follow-up” to Proposition 1, the $7.5 billion water bond voters overwhelmingly passed in 2014. ... ”  Read more from the Capital Press here:  More water bonds may be put before California voters in 2018

WESTERN WILDFIRES

The West’s wildfires are taking a toll on reservoirs:  “Around California, the country and the world, reservoirs are silently filling with sediment, and only a few people are thinking about it. Among them is Tim Randle, a civil engineer with the United States Bureau of Reclamation’s Sedimentation and River Hydraulics Group.  “We used to be gaining water storage capacity with dam building,” said Randle, who is based in Denver. “Now, around the world, the pace is slowing down as sediment builds up. This is true in the U.S., too.”  In the Paonia Reservoir, completed in 1962 in Gunnison County, Colorado, for example, the dam’s outlet was built 60ft off the lake’s bottom. Now, Randle says, the bottom of the lake is above the outlet. ... ” Read more from Water Deeply here:  The West’s wildfires are taking a toll on reservoirs

In commentary today …

As California sinks, Sacramento fiddles with the twin tunnels, says Dennis Wyatt:  He writes, “It is 131 miles from Never Never Land to Chowchilla.  The distance between Sacramento and a sinking piece of reality might as well as be a billion miles given  how the self-proclaimed water gods are hell-bent on squandering $16 billion and counting on the Twin Tunnels.  The justification for the Twin Tunnels, we are told, is not to send more water south but to prevent the disruption of water supplies for La La Land swimming pools should Mother Nature opt to do a sequel to Dwayne Johnson’s feel good movie “San Andreas.” ... ”  Read more from the Manteca Bulletin here:  As California sinks, Sacramento fiddles with the twin tunnels

In regional news and commentary today …

Sacramento Valley rice harvest races start of autumn rains:  “After being held up by late spring rains that led to a hectic planting schedule, California rice farmers have begun harvesting what is expected to be a smaller crop.  With an estimated 458,000 acres in production this year, California rice acreage declined by 78,000 acres from 2016, according to a forecast this month from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Farmers have attributed that drop to the difficult spring weather that did not allow them to finish on time. ... ”  Read more from Ag Alert here:  Rice harvest races start of autumn rains

Sonoma County program makes water management careers accessible:  “Mario Luna slipped off a pair of grimy gloves, relieved the workday was almost over after spending much of it wading through murky water to clear brush and other vegetation from a channel in Petaluma.  It’s a tough job, but one he hopes eventually will lead to a career with the Sonoma County Water Agency.  Luna, who for the past year has been with Conservation Corps North Bay, was among eight people selected for a new yearlong paid internship program aimed at exposing 18- to 24-year-olds to careers in the water management industry. … ”  Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here:  Sonoma County program makes water management careers accessible

Feds attempt to ward off flooding, other problems after Stanislaus fire:  “A federal Burned Area Emergency Response team has been assigned to the lightning-strike McCormick Fire that’s burned more than 4,300 acres on mountain slopes above Clarks Fork Road and upstream from the Middle Fork Stanislaus River and Donnells Reservoir.  Roads, trailheads, parking lots and campgrounds, including Clarks Fork Road, Fence Creek Road, also known as Forest Road 6N06, and Fence Creek Campground, are directly below the McCormick Fire burn area. ... ”  Read more from the Union Democrat here:  Feds attempt to ward off flooding, other problems after Stanislaus fire

Santa Monica: Water project breaks ground at the beach:  “Local dignitaries gathered at the Santa Monica Beach on Monday to officially break ground on a new water reuse project designed to help the city reduce its dependency on imported water.  The Santa Monica Clean Beached Project will install a large catchment tank under the parking lot near the Santa Monica Pier. The water will be passed through a pre-treatment system before being pumped to the sewer or the SMURFF facility depending on capacity. It will collect up to 1.6 million gallons at a time and officials said it could result in savings of 560 acre feet per year, equal to 275 Olympic sized pools or about 182 million gallons per year. That water could save the city more than $31 million in imported water fees over the next 30 years. ... ”  Read more from the Santa Monica Daily Press here:  Santa Monica: Water project breaks ground at the beach

Floods are a serious threat to Southern California, says CSUF geologist:  “Seeing the devastation that Hurricanes Harvey and Irma inflicted, it’s tempting to take solace that Southern California escapes anything but the rare remnant of a tropical storm.  But that doesn’t mean we’re spared flooding, reminded two Cal State Fullerton geologists in the wake of Harvey and Irma.  Our water events might not have names, but they can wreak havoc on our beaches, canyons and low-lying communities. Just ask anyone who lived here in 1938.  “Floods are a serious threat to our region,” said Matthew E. Kirby, professor of geological sciences, after Hurricane Harvey left vast swaths of Texas underwater. “Land-falling hurricanes are highly unlikely in Southern California, but they are not out of the realm of possibility.” ... ”  Read more from the OC Register here:  Floods are a serious threat to Southern California, says CSUF geologist

Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority selects Richard Haller as new General Manager:  “The Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority (SAWPA) Commission has announced the appointment of Richard E. Haller of Highland as General Manager. Haller most recently served as Interim General Manager, having been appointed July 1, 2017.  Prior to July, he served as the Engineering & Operations Manager and has held several positions at SAWPA since 2001. Under his innovative leadership, Haller successfully directed all aspects of SAWPA’s 73-mile, $165 million regional brine line, achieved an 800% decrease in spill frequency, improved in-house staff efficiency resulting in enhanced quality and decreased operation costs, and managed over $50 million in capital improvements protects. ... ”  Read more from Highland Community News here:  Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority selects Richard Haller as new General Manager

The Colorado River: One ecosystem, many managers:  “As you float down the Colorado River from Glen Canyon Dam to Lake Mead you may not realize that river right, the north side of the river, is owned and managed by the National Park Service and river left is managed by several groups including the Hualapai and Havasupai Indian nations.  Hualapai and surrounding tribes have inhabited the Grand Canyon region since 700 AD. They survived harsh desert conditions using their knowledge of plants and wildlife behavior, for example using their understanding of the seasonal movements of antelope, sheep and deer to procure food.   … ”  Read more from Utah Public Radio here:  The Colorado River: One ecosystem, many managers

Precipitation watch …

Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

• REACTIONS to Westlands vote against the Delta tunnels
• NEWS WORTH NOTING: NorCal water stakeholders unite to oppose DWR bonds for Delta tunnels; San Joaquin County issues call to all water districts to withdraw support for Delta tunnels; Lessons from Oroville: New report calls for action in era of climate change
• DR. ANDY FISHER: Enhancing groundwater recharge with stormwater

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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.