DAILY DIGEST: Chances for a ‘normal’ rain year now are grim; Robotics, artificial intelligence make headway in the water industry; Congress wants ‘resilient’ rebuilding. What does that mean?; Floods are getting worse, and 2500 chemical waste sites lie in the water’s path; and more …

In California water news today, What’s the chance for a ‘normal’ rain year now? Grim, if history is a gauge; Robotics, artificial intelligence make headway in the water industry; Locals seeking more than $27 million from DWR in lawsuit; Memo shows seven state-operated dams need a closer look in wake of Oroville Dam incident; Time to fight fires with fire, watchdog group says; A Central Valley farming tycoon seemed to weather the drought. But how did he do it?; Could oil firms be forced to pay for climate change? California cities hope so; Congress wants ‘resilient’ rebuilding. What does that mean?;Floods are getting worse, and 2500 chemical waste sites lie in the water’s path; Scott Pruitt pushes back on finding that would restrict pesticide’s use to protect fish; and more …

On the calendar today …

• The State Water Resources Control Board meets beginning at 9:30am. Agenda items include an update on current hydrologic conditions, update on urban water conservation, and consideration of a proposed Resolution to amend the Health and Safety Code to add Permanent Point-of-Use / Point-of-Entry Water Treatment Device Regulations.  Click here for the full agenda.  Click here to watch on webcast.

In the news today …

What’s the chance for a ‘normal’ rain year now?  Grim, if history is a gauge:  “Hoping for a March Miracle to bail out California’s dry winter? It’s not likely.  A review of more than 100 years of rainfall records of major cities in California — including San Jose, Los Angeles, San Diego, Santa Rosa, Redding and Fresno — shows that none have ever finished the rainy season with normal rainfall totals after ending January with the amount of rain they’ve had so far this winter.  In San Francisco, where rainfall records date back to 1849, the odds are only a little better. Just twice has the city’s rainfall total recovered to its normal level of 23.65 inches by June 30 after being where it is now, at 8.53 inches, from July 1 through Jan. 31. … ”  Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here:  What’s the chance for a ‘normal’ rain year now?  Grim, if history is a gauge

Robotics, artificial intelligence make headway in the water industry:  “We hear plenty these days about breakthroughs in green energy, robotics and communications. But as everyday technologies go, water management is virtually invisible to the general public.  One organization that’s working to change that is ImagineH2O, a startup accelerator based in San Francisco. A nonprofit, it provides support to emerging companies working on water problems, helping them find investors and customers. ... ”  Read more from Water Deeply here:  Robotics, artificial intelligence make headway in the water industry

Locals seeking more than $27 million from DWR in lawsuit:  “Nine individuals or entities from Yuba-Sutter are suing the California Department of Water Resources for more than $27 million in damages suffered as a consequence of the Lake Oroville spillway crisis last February.  The action is part of a larger lawsuit involving more than 40 individuals or groups from around the North State that reportedly suffered more than $100 million in damages from the ordeal.  Adam Shapiro, associate attorney with Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, LLP out of the Bay Area, said plaintiffs include people who were forced to evacuate as well as local businesses, homeowners and farmers who lost property as a result of the spillway incident.  … ”  Read more from the Appeal-Democrat here:  Locals seeking more than $27 million from DWR in lawsuit

Memo shows seven state-operated dams need a closer look in wake of Oroville Dam incident:  “NBC Bay Area obtained a memo written by engineers at California’s Department of Water Resources (DWR) in June 2017 that raises safety questions involving seven dams owned and operated by the agency.  The memo was sent by DWR to the state’s Division of Safety of Dams and copied to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which oversees dam safety and regulation around the country. It states the seven dams are in need of immediate evaluation. … ”  Read more from NBC here:  Memo shows seven state-operated dams need a closer look in wake of Oroville Dam incident

Time to fight fires with fire, watchdog group says:  “A California watchdog group is calling to change the way forests are managed — including controlled burns of at least a million acres.  The Little Hoover Commission, a watchdog group tasked with questioning the efficiency of state programs, recommends in its new study, Fire on the Mountain: Rethinking Forest Management in the Sierra Nevada, immediate action when it comes to reducing the risk of damage from fires.  ... ”  Read more from Capital Public Radio here:  Time to fight fires with fire, watchdog group says

A Central Valley farming tycoon seemed to weather the drought.  But how did he do it?  “Billionaire Stewart Resnick seemed almost impervious to California’s drought.  Resnick, the biggest farmer in the country, owns The Wonderful Company with his wife Lynda. They make Pom Wonderful pomegranate juice, Wonderful pistachios and almonds, and Halo mandarins. The Resnicks own about 180,000 acres of land in California and at one point were using more water than every Los Angeles home combined.  Journalist Mark Arax has been covering California’s water wars for decades but was initially baffled at how the Resnicks continued to see good yields, even after the drought essentially emptied a water bank they controlled. … ”  Read more from KPBS here:  A Central Valley farming tycoon seemed to weather the drought.  But how did he do it?

Could oil firms be forced to pay for climate change?  California cities hope so:  “The Bay Area city of Richmond recently made an unlikely move that got the attention of its largest employer and taxpayer, Chevron.  It followed other municipalities and counties across California that have filed lawsuits against oil companies, alleging that the energy giants knowingly contributed to climate change and should begin paying for it. Literally.  Employing the legal strategy that brought states major payouts from tobacco companies decades ago, the plaintiffs are demanding that oil interests begin writing checks to protect Californians against rising seas, crippling drought and harmful air. … ” Read more from Cal Matters here:  Could oil firms be forced to pay for climate change?  California cities hope so

NATIONAL

Congress wants ‘resilient’ rebuilding.  What does that mean?  “Congress is weighing a House-passed $81 billion supplemental aid package for hurricane and wildfire victims in Texas, Florida, California and the territories.  While Republicans are loathe to mention global warming, the measure includes a provision that would require post-disaster rebuilding be done with “resilience” to mitigate “future risks.”  With the threat of unpredictable and more severe weather events looming, lawmakers, engineers, scientists and urban planners are wrestling with what it means to rebuild “resiliently.” And they are divided.  One school of thought maintains resilience can be achieved through stronger building codes. Other advocates want an end to building in flood and fire zones altogether. … ”  Read more from E&E News here:  Congress wants ‘resilient’ rebuilding.  What does that mean?

Floods are getting worse, and 2500 chemical waste sites lie in the water’s path:  “Anchored in flood-prone areas in every American state are more than 2,500 sites that handle toxic chemicals, a New York Times analysis of federal floodplain and industrial data shows. About 1,400 are located in areas at highest risk of flooding.  As flood danger grows — the consequence of a warming climate — the risk is that there will be more toxic spills like the one that struck Baytown, Tex., where Hurricane Harvey swamped a chemicals plant, releasing lye. Or like the ones at a Florida fertilizer plant that leaked phosphoric acid and an Ohio refinery that released benzene. … ”  Read more from the New York Times here:  Floods are getting worse, and 2500 chemical waste sites lie in the water’s path

Scott Pruitt pushes back on finding that would restrict pesticide’s use to protect fish:  “For months, chemical companies have waged a campaign to reverse findings by federal fisheries scientists that could curb the use of pesticides based on the threat they pose to endangered species. They scored a major victory this week, when Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt announced he would press another federal agency to revisit a recent opinion triggering such restrictions.  The struggle over an arcane provision of the Endangered Species Act, in which the EPA must affirm that the pesticides it oversees do not put species’ survival in jeopardy, has become the latest front in the battle over a broad-spectrum insecticide known as chlorpyrifos. … ”  Read more from the Washington Post here:  Scott Pruitt pushes back on finding that would restrict pesticide’s use to protect fish

In commentary today …

State drags its feet on water bond funding, says the Chico Enterprise-Record:  “We’ve been skeptical about the state water bond, Proposition 1, both before and since voters approved it more than three years ago. Now everyone can see why the doubt was warranted.  Doling out the taxpayer money has turned into a subjective exercise managed by an obscure board that is accountable to nobody.  In the midst of a drought, Californians approved a $7.5 billion water bond in November 2014. They were sold on the idea it would lead to more water storage in a state that hasn’t invested in reservoirs in a half-century. … ”  Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here:  State drags its feet on water bond funding

California’s great Sierra forests are dying.  We all have a stake in saving them, says the Sacramento Bee:  They write, “Given the huge sums California has spent staving off wildfires, curbing greenhouse gas and ensuring clean air and clean water, it is surprising that more attention hasn’t been paid to the one factor those challenges have in common: trees.  California’s forests, and in particular the massive forests of the Sierra Nevada, play a role that is as critical to California’s environment as it is misunderstood and taken for granted.  Now a report issued Monday by the governmental watchdog Little Hoover Commission sounds the alarm on the state of the state’s forests, noting something we have warned of before: The Sierra Nevada forests are being mismanaged in ways that affect every Californian. Our approach must change. ... ”  Read more from the Sacramento Bee here:  California’s great Sierra forests are dying.  We all have a stake in saving them

Are we headed towards a drought Day Zero? asks the Ventura County Star:  They write, “Another week has arrived with no rain in the forecast. Another month has passed with rainfall well below average. Another set of measurements in the Sierra Nevada show a dismal snowpack.  If you wonder where all this may be heading, consider Cape Town. Officials in the South African city of 4 million people predict residents’ taps will actually run dry on May 11 without more rain. They even have a name for it — “Day Zero.”  The reason? Three years of drought, including the two driest years on record for Cape Town, caused by stubborn high-pressure systems that push rainstorms away. Sound familiar? A recurring high-pressure system over the West is keeping us dry this winter. … ”  Read more from the Ventura County Star here:  Are we headed towards a drought Day Zero? asks the Ventura County Star

In regional news and commentary today …

Eureka, Arcata, McKinleyville to vet Mercer-Fraser pot project among water safety concerns: “Eureka, Arcata and McKinleyville officials are set to discuss a controversial project by Mercer-Fraser Company to construct a cannabis manufacturing facility near the Mad River about 1,000 feet upriver from a water pump that provides drinking water to two-thirds of the county’s population.  The Eureka City Council will be the first to discuss the project this week, followed by the Arcata City Council and McKinleyville Community Services District Board of Directors on Wednesday. … ”  Read more from the Eureka Times-Standard here:  Eureka, Arcata, McKinleyville to vet Mercer-Fraser pot project among water safety concerns

Signs of life sprout up in North Bay’s burned natural landscapes:  “A rejuvenation of the land brought out about a dozen “fire walk” hikers to open space near the Sonoma Ecology Center recently. This area, known to locals as the Valley of the Moon, burned in the wildfires last fall.  Biologist Caitlin Cornwall leads the hike. She points to a group of madrone trees. These trees usually have a shiny, red and brown bark. These ones are charred, with burned leaves. But Cornwall reminds the group to look up. ... ”  Read more from KQED here:  Signs of life sprout up in North Bay’s burned natural landscapes

West Marin fish habitat project nears comment period:  “A $1.7 million project to remove what remains of houses along Lagunitas Creek to restore a floodplain and improve habitat for endangered coho salmon is now under public review.  West Marin’s Salmon Protection and Watershed Network received a $935,000 grant from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife and another $800,000 from the California State Water Resources Control Board for the work. … ”  Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here:  West Marin fish habitat project nears comment period

State supports Antioch’s plan for desalination plant:  “The City of Antioch’s plan to build a brackish water desalination plant on the San Joaquin River received a boost from the State Department of Water Resources, which is recommending a grant of $10 million in Proposition 1 Water Bond funds to the city for construction of the project.  “I am pleased to see the hard work we put into passing the Water Bond paying off on a local project that will improve the quality and reliability of fresh water for Antioch residents,” said Assemblymember Jim Frazier, D-Discovery Bay. “This is the type of project we envisioned in the Legislature when we passed the Water Bond legislation and asked voters to approve it.” … ”  Read more from The Press here:  State supports Antioch’s plan for desalination plant

Santa Cruz midwinter water supply assessment remains ‘critically dry’:  “Should the past four months’ rain patterns continue for the next two to three months, Santa Cruzans should not be surprised by a return on restricted water use, the city’s water conservation manager said Monday.  “At this time, it is still too early to draw conclusions about what kind of year 2018 will be,” the Water Department’s Toby Goddard wrote in a report to the Water Commission. “Just as there has been extreme year-to-year variability over the last few years, the same variability in weather patterns often occurs on a shorter time scale within a single season.” … ”  Read more from the Santa Cruz Sentinel here:  Santa Cruz midwinter water supply assessment remains ‘critically dry’

Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority policy advisory committee discusses communications plan:  “The Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority’s (IWVGA) Policy Advisory Committee (PAC) met on Thursday, Feb 1 for their monthly committee meeting. The majority of the conversation at this meeting revolved around the PAC’s draft of a Communication and Engagement Plan, which the PAC is developing in order to submit to the IWVGA board of directors for approval.  IWVGA is a new type of government agency in California called a Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA). GSAs popped up around California after the state passed its Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014. The goal of a GSA is to create a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) that meets mandated state guidelines for bringing groundwater basins into sustainability so water users are not pumping groundwater basins into decline year by year until they run dry. ... ”  Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent here:  Groundwater Authority policy advisory committee discusses communications plan

The trouble with Cadiz:  Kim Stringfellow and Julia Sizek write, “Cadiz Inc.’s 34,000-acre property is located just south of the old Santa Fe railroad line between one of the last undeveloped stretches of historic Route 66. Here, a string of alphabetically named desert towns of Amboy, Bolo, Cadiz, Danby, Essex, Fenner and others were first established as eastern Mojave railroad water stops. Below Cadiz Inc.’s holdings lies the Fenner Basin, an ancient aquifer estimated to hold between 17 million and 34 million acre-feet of water, slowly replenished by infrequent rainfall events occurring in the surrounding federally protected desert mountain ranges. The scarce surface water that seeps into the aquifer through gravitational forces is part of an unfathomable aqueous process that has occurred, largely uninterrupted, for thousands of years. A contentious public-private water grab may just change all that. ... ”  Read more from KCET here:  The trouble with Cadiz

Along the Colorado River …

Low snowpack aggravates water supply forecasts for Colorado River basin:  “Be prepared for some of the West’s biggest and most important rivers and streams to see record low flows this spring and summer.  That’s the message of the Colorado Basin River Forecast Center’s latest water supply forecast released Monday.  “Below average precipitation continued to be the norm and not the exception for the month of January,” the forecast report reads. “January marks the fourth consecutive month of the 2018 water year with widespread below average precipitation.” ... ”  Read more from KUNC here:  Low snowpack aggravates water supply forecasts for Colorado River basin

Precipitation watch …

Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

• NEWS WORTH NOTING: PPIC Fact Sheet: Alternative water supplies; Sites JPA: CA Water Commission staff undervalues public benefits of new storage; New tool helps land managers predict tree mortality
• BLOG ROUND-UP: Bloggers weigh in on Prop 1 water storage project benefit scores; Lessons for SGMA from other state-local collaborations; Can spring run salmon rebound on Butte Creek?; The reservoir tucked inside a hillside; and more …

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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.