DAILY DIGEST: California approves rescue plan for the Salton Sea; Water managers prepare for new rainfall season; What do we know about mountain snowpack and runoff? Far too little; Coming together in the name of salmon; The Clean Water Act and the scope of federal power; and more …

In California water news today, California commits to timetable for Salton Sea projects; California approves rescue plan for the Salton Sea; Water managers prepare for new rainfall season; What do we know about mountain snowpack and runoff? Far too little; Coming together in the name of salmon; Congressman introduce dam safety amendment; Wildfire-ravaged areas face elevated risk for flooding, mudslides this winter; How can we save America’s vanishing beaches? California shows the way, according to a Surfrider report; The Clean Water Act and The Scope of Federal Power; and more …

On the calendar today …

• Public Forum on Managed Groundwater Recharge to Support Sustainable Water Management from 8:30 to 4:30pm at the Sacramento Convention Center. Click here for webcast.
• The State Water Resources Control Board will meet at 9:30am at the Metropolitan Water District Headquarters in Los Angeles.  On the agenda, an information item on LA River instream flow needs and a public workshop on Prop 1 groundwater grant program.  Click here for full agenda.  Click here to watch on webcast.
• Jeff Goodell: The Water Will Come at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco from 6:30 to 8:00pm.  Click here for more information and to register.

In the news today …

California commits to timetable for Salton Sea projects:  “California’s top water regulators adopted an agreement that commits the state to following through on plans of building wetlands and controlling dust around the shrinking Salton Sea over the next 10 years. The order approved Tuesday by the State Water Resources Control Board sets targets for state agencies in building thousands of acres of ponds, wetlands and other dust-control projects around the lake. ... ”  Read more from The Desert Sun here:  California commits to timetable for Salton Sea projects

California approves rescue plan for the Salton Sea:  “California regulators on Tuesday approved a plan to spend nearly $400 million over 10 years to slow the shrinking of the state’s largest lake, a vital migratory stop for birds and a buffer against swirling dust in farming towns.  Funding for the Salton Sea is unclear but the plan enjoyed support of major water agencies and environmental advocacy groups and preserves a fragile peace among urban and rural areas in California on distributing the state’s share of Colorado River water. Authorities in Imperial Valley, home to the 350-square-mile (560-square-kilometer) lake, had threatened to derail a landmark water-sharing agreement unless California did more to honor its commitment to a long-term fix. … ”  Read more from the Washington Post here:  California approves rescue plan for the Salton Sea

Water managers prepare for new rainfall season:  “The state finds itself in an improved water-supply position going into the 2017-18 winter, thanks to the precipitation and snowpack the previous winter that filled reservoirs, topped rivers, replenished aquifers and flooded land.  “We’re much better than we were last year, and extraordinarily better than we were two years ago at this time, and that is definitely good news for the urban and agricultural regions of the state,” said Doug Carlson, a spokesman for the California Department of Water Resources. “We have 25.9 million acre-feet in the 154 reservoirs that we track. The historical average for those reservoirs is 21.7 million acre-feet, so we were 120 percent of the historical average.” ... ”  Read more from Ag Alert here:  Water managers prepare for new rainfall season

What do we know about mountain snowpack and runoff?  Far too little:  “Most Americans may not realize it, but we really don’t know with a lot of accuracy how much snow there is sitting in the mountains during winter. We also don’t always have a precise picture of where the snow level is when a storm moves in, or how much will run off when the snow melts.  One reason for this is that, in most areas, the weather sensor network in the mountains simply isn’t very dense. Gauges that measure rain and snow are often placed for convenient access. The highest elevations and forested areas often have no sensors, leaving huge data gaps in many watersheds. ... ”  Read more from Water Deeply here:  What do we know about mountain snowpack and runoff?  Far too little

Coming together in the name of salmon:  “California may have experienced record rainfalls this past winter, but negative impacts due to the unprecedented five-year statewide drought continue for Chinook salmon produced at the Coleman National Fish Hatchery.  In a unique partnership that hasn’t been utilized in 40 years, the state of California has stepped in to help out.  The Coleman hatchery, located in Anderson, California is the only federally operated fish hatchery in the state with an annual production of 12 million fall-run salmon smolts that are typically released into nearby Battle Creek each spring. This allows them to complete the imprinting cycle during their outmigration to the ocean. … ”  Read more from California Sportsman here:  Coming together in the name of salmon

Congressman introduce dam safety amendment:  “U.S. Reps. John Garamendi, a Democrat from Fairfield, and Doug LaMalfa, a Republican from Richvale, Monday night introduced an amendment requiring the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to make certain requirements of Oroville Dam before relicensing it.  Garamendi reported late in the evening, however, that the proposal failed to advance.  “Unfortunately, the Republican Rules Committee didn’t think it was important enough to do an environmental study following the new disaster last year,” he said. “So we’ll have to continue working on this. Hopefully, FERC will go ahead and do one on their own.” … ” Read more from the Appeal Democrat here:  Congressman introduce dam safety amendment

Wildfire-ravaged areas face elevated risk for flooding, mudslides this winter:  “Wildfires burned millions of acres of land across the western United States over the past several months, leaving many areas at risk of flooding and mudslides during winter.  As of Nov. 6, wildfires have burned over 8.8 million acres across the United States, more than 2 million acres above normal, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. Some of the most devastating fires scorched Northern California in early October, leaving behind large burn scars, or areas of scorched earth with little vegetation remaining. … ”  Read more from Accu-Weather here:  Wildfire-ravaged areas face elevated risk for flooding, mudslides this winter

How can we save America’s vanishing beaches? California shows the way, according to a Surfrider report:  “Shorelines are shrinking. Storms are flooding streets and battering homes. Coastlines around the country are being hit by climate change.  And, perhaps surprisingly, California is offering an example of how the coast can be saved.  So says the latest annual State of the Beach Report Card released Tuesday by the Surfrider Foundation.  The report grades 30 states and Puerto Rico on policies that address coastal erosion, sea level rise and extreme weather events. The San Clemente-based nonprofit has compiled the report annually since 2000. … ”  Read more from the LA Daily News here:  How can we save America’s vanishing beaches? California shows the way, according to a Surfrider report

The Clean Water Act and The Scope of Federal Power: “For this panel discussion, David Ivester, Melinda Kassen, Peter Nichols, and Paul Kibel each spoke about a different aspect of the Clean Water Act (“CWA”) and its various intersections with federal power.  First, David Ivester, partner at the land use, environmental, and water law firm Briscoe Ivester & Bazel, detailed the background of the CWA and the two different types of jurisdiction contained within it. Simply put, the CWA regulates discharges of pollutants from point sources into navigable waters. Under the relevant definitions, pollutants include dredge or fill material and navigable waters are simply “waters of the United States.” … ”  Continue reading at the University of Denver Water Law Review here:  The Clean Water Act and The Scope of Federal Power

Interior vacancies vex leaders and lawmakers alike:  “Key Interior Department vacancies have lingered for an unusually long time, leaving Secretary Ryan Zinke’s management team problematically short-handed.  By early November 2009, 12 top Interior nominees had cleared the Senate and were on the job for the Obama administration. During the same period in 2001, the Senate confirmed seven George W. Bush administration Interior nominees.  But this year, four Interior nominees, including Zinke, have been confirmed to date by the Republican-controlled Senate.  “I think it’s a problem, on a host of issues where we’re trying to figure out where to go,” said Rep. Jim Costa (D-Calif.). “We’re trying to find staff that’s appointed and up to speed.” … ” Read more from E&E here: Interior vacancies vex leaders and lawmakers alike

In commentary today …

Two ways Congress can create more incentives for water savings:  Kerry Stackpole writes, “Congress has a marvelous opportunity as members negotiate the various elements of tax reform and the federal budget. Our senators and representatives have the chance to revise tax rules to reward consumers who save water and to authorize the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s WaterSense program, which has saved 2.1 trillion gallons of water over a little more than a decade. Authorization, or codification, would provide the WaterSense program with greater permanence by giving it a direct annual congressional appropriation rather than leaving its annual budget up to the EPA’s discretion. ... ”  Read more from the Water Deeply here: Two ways Congress can create more incentives for water savings

In regional news and commentary today …

Pure Water Monterey, Marina Coast alternative water supply proposals get attention:  “A state Public Utilities Commission judge has left the door open for additional hearings next spring on potential expansion of the Pure Water Monterey recycled water project. That could lead to a smaller California American Water desalination plant or serve as a bridge if the desal project is delayed, even as Monterey Peninsula water officials ponder a Marina Coast Water District proposal to provide an additional temporary water supply.  During CPUC hearings last week to address a number of key desal project issues, Judge Gary Weatherford suggested the Pure Water Monterey expansion proposal could be addressed in more detail at subsequent hearings, perhaps in April, if a formal request is made. ... ” Read more from the Monterey Herald here:  Pure Water Monterey, Marina Coast alternative water supply proposals get attention

Recharge Fresno chugs ahead of schedule, with one large HSR-caused speed bump:  “The mightiest public works project in Fresno’s 132-year history is nearing a successful finish.  But leave it to that ol’ bullet train to remind us of government’s occasional and ineradicable foolishness.  Those were my thoughts as I walked home from Monday’s meeting at City Hall of the Capital Projects Oversight Board.  The board’s agenda was simple: Approve the previous meeting’s minutes, receive an update on the Recharge Fresno campaign, consider the fate of a handful of project change orders. … ”  Read more from The Observer here:  Recharge Fresno chugs ahead of schedule, with one large HSR-caused speed bump

LADWP says no cause for alarm after Porter Ranch doctor warns of lithium in water:  “A report from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power expected to be released Wednesday states there is no direct link between the Aliso Canyon Gas leak and levels of lithium in the city’s water supply.  A Los Angeles City Council committee approved a motion on Tuesday to release the report, which studies lithium levels and any connection to the massive gas leak two years ago at the Aliso Canyon Natural Gas Storage Facility in Porter Ranch.  Lithium is a naturally occurring element, and found in varying concentrations depending on region in the United States. ... ”  Read more from the LA Daily News here:  LADWP says no cause for alarm after Porter Ranch doctor warns of lithium in water

A record year for water flowing into the Coachella Valley:  “During California’s five-year drought, the row of ponds in the desert north of the Palm Springs often lay empty and dry. But this year, the ponds have been filled to the brim with a record amount of water from the Colorado River.   The Coachella Valley’s water utilities are using the influx of imported water to chip away at the long-term problem of groundwater overdraft. For months, water has been flowing into the ponds at the Whitewater River Groundwater Replenishment Facility and seeping into the sandy soil to replenish the desert aquifer.   … ”  Read more from the Desert Sun here:  A record year for water flowing into the Coachella Valley

Precipitation watch …

Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

• METROPOLITAN’S BAY DELTA COMMITTEE: Update on Cal Water Fix cost and benefit allocation discussions for State Water Project contractors
• NEWS WORTH NOTING, Salton Sea edition: State Water Board Adopts Order on Long-Term Management of Salton Sea
• NEWS WORTH NOTING: DWR finds Decker Island Restoration Project consistent with Delta Plan; Industry magazine highlights MIH as cutting-edge biological treatment technology; Environmental groups unite to back Ballona Wetlands Restoration

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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.