In California water news today, Another wet winter or more drought? It all starts this weekend in Northern California; Stanford study probes psychological resistance to recycled water; Oroville Dam: DWR plans to have all Hyatt Powerplant turbines fixed in 2018; City of Fresno making half a million dollar gamble on Temperance Flat; UCLA study highlights water problems in California’s mobile home parks; Extreme rain is keeping sun from doing its job of killing deadly parasites in water; and more …
In the news today …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
Another wet winter or more drought? It all starts this weekend in Northern California: “California’s rainy season gets underway this weekend with more than 2 feet of snow in the Sierra, warnings about dangerous post-wildfire runoff in wine country – and a heavy dose of uncertainty about whether the winter will bring lots of precipitation or a return to drought-like conditions. The short-term forecast calls for a classic winter storm, with up to 30 inches of snow in Lassen Park and 12 to 18 inches at Donner and Carson passes and other regions of the Sierra. Most of the Sacramento Valley will get at least a half-inch of rain over the weekend, with heavier rainfall expected in Auburn, Placerville and Oroville, the National Weather Service said Thursday. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: Another wet winter or more drought? It all starts this weekend in Northern California
Stanford study probes psychological resistance to recycled water: “Stanford researchers have found that Californians’ views on recycled water depend heavily on how that water is eventually used. The study, which appeared in the August 2017 issue of Water and Environment Journal, revealed that psychological resistance to using treated effluent can be reduced, to some extent, by explaining the treatment process to people and informing them of an existing program in Orange County. “In short, adding positive claims boosts support for using recycled water to some degree,” according to the study, “but the public remains resistant to using water that involves ingestion or personal contact.” … ” Read more from Water Deeply here: Stanford study probes psychological resistance to recycled water
Oroville Dam: DWR plans to have all Hyatt Powerplant turbines fixed in 2018: “For the first time in years, the state Department of Water Resources anticipates having all Hyatt Powerplant turbines operational in 2018. Additionally, reconstruction of the Ronald B. Robie Thermalito Powerplant is underway and the department expects to have one unit operational mid-year. That powerplant at the outfall of the Thermalito Forebay has not been functional since a fire broke out there on Thanksgiving Day in 2012. … ” Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here: Oroville Dam: DWR plans to have all Hyatt Powerplant turbines fixed in 2018
City of Fresno making half a million dollar gamble on Temperance Flat: “The proposed Temperance Flat Dam would be built in the middle of Millerton Lake, and could potentially hold a million acre-feet of water. Valley irrigation districts and the city of Fresno see it as an important key to storing water and surviving future droughts. “It’s the ability to store water in a year like this, the water went down the river out to the ocean and we had nowhere to put it, so this would allow us to carry over water for those dry years,” said Thomas Esqueda. ... ” Read more from KFSN here: City of Fresno making half a million dollar gamble on Temperance Flat
UCLA study highlights water problems in California’s mobile home parks: “Although California officially recognizes the right to safe, clean, affordable and accessible water for all citizens, the Human Right to Water law passed in 2012 has no teeth, according to urban planning researchers at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs. In a new study published this month in the journal Environmental Justice, co-authors Gregory Pierce and Silvia González looked at drinking water access and quality in mobile home parks, a significant but often-overlooked segment of the California population. “Right now, I don’t think state and local policymakers are focusing nearly enough attention on this issue,” said Pierce, an adjunct assistant professor of urban planning and a senior researcher on water and transportation initiatives at the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation. ... ” Read more from UCLA Newsroom here: UCLA study highlights water problems in California’s mobile home parks
Extreme rain is keeping sun from doing its job of killing deadly parasites in water: “Climate change is more than just shorter winters and higher air conditioning bills. It is also hampering the sun’s ability to naturally kill waterborne pathogens. In a recent study, a team of scientists found that increased extreme rain events are causing more organic runoff—rotting leaves, branches, and other forest muck—to block out ultraviolet sunlight, which can effectively kill many waterborne pathogens. In the northeastern U.S., extreme precipitation events have increased by 71 percent between 1958 and 2012. That causes a phenomenon called “browning,” when organic runoff decreases the clarity of water. The darker waters block the sun’s UV rays, which can kill pathogens such as cryptosporidium and giardia. … ” Read more from Newsweek here: Extreme rain is keeping sun from doing its job of killing deadly parasites in water
Massive government report says climate is warming and humans are the cause: “It is “extremely likely” that human activities are the “dominant cause” of global warming, according to the most comprehensive study ever of climate science by U.S. government researchers. The climate report, obtained by NPR, notes that the past 115 years are “the warmest in the history of modern civilization.” The global average temperature has increased by about 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit over that period. Greenhouse gases from industry and agriculture are by far the biggest contributor to warming. … ” Read more from NPR here: Massive government report says climate is warming and humans are the cause
In commentary today …
Drop by data-driven drop, conservation is the new front in California’s water wars, says Joe Mathews: He writes, “If you thought California’s water wars were bitter, just wait until you see our water data wars. Digital tools have expanded the ability of governments, companies and nonprofits to measure the uses of California water in detail, and thus build more water-efficient products, boost water conservation, and replace expensive and inefficient infrastructure. But the abundance of water data effectively makes every piece of land and every drop of water in California the subject of measurement – and conflict. The data also exposes the fragmentation and deficiencies of California’s system of water management. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: Drop by data-driven drop, conservation is the new front in California’s water wars
In regional news and commentary today …
Toxic pollutants from North Bay firestorm burn areas could wash into drinking water: “Rain is making its way to the Bay Area, and there are new concerns about the effect on the fire-ravaged North Bay. The cleanup from last month’s devastating wildfires continues but with rain in the forecast. Officials are worried that toxic pollutants from the burn zones could be washed into streams, rivers, and the drinking water supply. With the North Bay fires fully contained, the focus now is cleanup, and the impending arrival of rain has injected a sense of urgency into the effort. … ” Read more from KRON here: Toxic pollutants from North Bay firestorm burn areas could wash into drinking water
Suit over PG&E’s alleged Bay pollution is reinstated: “A federal appeals court reinstated an environmental group’s lawsuit Thursday that accuses Pacific Gas and Electric Co. of contaminating San Francisco and Humboldt bays with potentially dangerous chemicals in a wood preservative used on utility poles. In its 2010 suit, the Ecological Rights Foundation said sawdust and wood chips at 31 PG&E service yards in Northern California contained pentachlorophenol, a preservative and pesticide with dioxins that can increase the risk of cancer, reproductive damage and other health problems. The Environmental Protection Agency has listed the substance as a probable human carcinogen and many nations banned it in 2015, but the U.S. allows limited use. … ” Read more from SF Gate here: Suit over PG&E’s alleged Bay pollution is reinstated
San Francisquito Creek Authority works through options to bolster flood capacity: “In 1998, a major storm flooded the San Francisquito Creek and caused untold damage to the surrounding area, especially in the creek’s downstream portions. Almost 20 years later, that flood is still the high-water mark against which local jurisdictions are working to protect themselves. The San Franciscquito Creek Joint Powers Authority, headed by Executive Director Len Materman and made up of representatives from the cities of Menlo Park, East Palo Alto and Palo Alto, San Mateo County and the Santa Clara Valley Water District, is working on developing a plan to reduce flooding in upstream areas of the creek by containing excess water and diverting it to the Bay. … ” Read more from the Almanac here: San Francisquito Creek Authority works through options to bolster flood capacity
The history of Lake Cachuma: “The creation of Lake Cachuma took almost 20 years. The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors commissioned a report early in 1938 regarding the “utilization of water resources.” This report, completed the following year, called for a new dam “between the mouth of Santa Cruz Creek and Cachuma Creek” on the Santa Ynez River. The report further stated that “the future of Santa Barbara County depends upon the prompt execution” of the proposal. What followed was almost 10 years of political wrangling. … ” Read more from the Santa Barbara Independent here: The history of Lake Cachuma
California State University interns tackle Southern California’s water woes: “The California State University’s Water Resources and Policy Initiatives (WRPI) has launched a grant-funded program this fall that gives students hands-on internship experience while helping to solve water problems impacting Southern California. Funded by a $1.3 million grant from the Department of Water Resources, the Disadvantaged Communities Involvement Program offers Cal State Fullerton and Cal State San Bernardino students a unique educational experience at water agencies within the Santa Ana Watershed, which covers nearly 3,000 square miles of land in Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties. … ” Read more from Newswise here: California State University interns tackle Southern California’s water woes
Why rising temperatures threaten Southern California’s drinking water supply: “Rising temperatures are undermining the source of one-third of Southern California’s drinking water: the Colorado River. A new study by the U.S. Geological Survey finds the river’s flow has shrunk by about 7 percent over the past 30 years. As air temperature rises due to increasing emissions of greenhouse gases, more water is sucked into the atmosphere from the snowpack and the river itself instead of flowing downstream. The amount that has evaporated is equal to approximately 24 percent of the total amount of California’s annual Colorado River allocation. … ” Read more from KQED here: Why rising temperatures threaten Southern California’s drinking water supply
Precipitation watch …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
- NEWS WORTH NOTING: 25th anniversary of CVPIA; Proposed regulation on wasteful water uses; Notice of public meeting and consideration of adoption – bacteria provisions; Weekly water and climate report
- THIS JUST IN … California Fisheries Groups Sue State for Failure to Protect Impaired Waterways
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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.
