In California water news this weekend, Will California’s water wars create a constitutional conundrum?; Storms to steer needed rain, mountain snow into California this week; Where is the snow?; Cutbacks, policy shifts pummel morale at EPA office in San Francisco; and more …
In the news this weekend …
Will California’s water wars create a constitutional conundrum? “With nearly half the state back in drought, California’s water regulator held a contentious hearing in Sacramento on Tuesday on whether to make permanent the temporary water bans enacted by Governor Jerry Brown during the 2014-2017 drought. The board announced it will revisit the proposed measures in March while it makes some minor revisions to the draft proposals. Some of the proposed measures relate to restrictions against over watering lawns; hosing down driveways and sidewalks; washing vehicles with hoses not equipped with a shut-off nozzle; and running non-recirculated water in an ornamental fountain. Certain exceptions would apply for public health and safety reasons or commercial agricultural purposes. … “ Read more from KQED here: Will California’s water wars create a constitutional conundrum?
Storms to steer needed rain, mountain snow into California this week: “A pair of storms will swing into California this week, potentially unleashing the most significant precipitation to impact the state in over a month. As the state contends with a worsening drought, depleted snowpack and renewed fears for the water supply in the coming months, the unsettled pattern will help to alleviate, but not fully wipe out, these concerns. Abnormally dry winter months have caused moderate to severe drought conditions to blossom in much of central and Southern California, according to the latest report from the U.S. Drought Monitor. … “ Read more from AccuWeather here: Storms to steer needed rain, mountain snow into California this week
Where is the snow? “Outside of the Northern Rockies and Washington State, the U.S. is desperately seeking snow. Hot, dry weather has been the norm for much of this winter in the West, setting the region up for a summer of water woes. The snow drought is most severe in California and the Southwest. California’s Sierra Nevada are averaging just 19 percent of their normal snowpack, trending in record-low territory. At the start of the water year, which began Oct. 1, there was nary a hint of drought to be seen in the Southwest. Now, nearly the entire region is in drought. The epicenter is right at the Four Corners, where extreme drought expanded this week to engulf 10 percent of the region, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. … “ Read more from Earther here: Where is the snow?
Cutbacks, policy shifts pummel morale at EPA office in San Francisco: “Lynda Deschambault knew her career at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had taken a hard turn in July when, she said, her supervisor told her during a performance review to “be as invisible as possible.” The next month, she took early retirement. The request, she said, was jarring for a woman who had spent two decades enforcing pollution laws and the cleanup of toxic lands for the EPA’s Pacific Southwest region, based in San Francisco. Managing Superfund sites is not a position that lends itself to blending in. … “ Read more from the SF Chronicle here: Cutbacks, policy shifts pummel morale at EPA office in San Francisco
US lands agency makeover would diminish Washington’s power: “U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke disclosed Friday in an Associated Press interview that he’s revamping a sweeping overhaul of his department that’s supposed to speed up permitting for development on public lands, but Democrats asserted it was just a ploy to let the energy industry get its way. The changes follow complaints from a bipartisan group of Western state governors that Zinke did not consult them before unveiling a plan last month to decentralize the Interior Department. The agency oversees vast public lands, primarily in the U.S. West, ranging from protected national parks and wildlife refuges to areas where coal mining and energy exploration dominate the landscape. … “ Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: US lands agency makeover would diminish Washington’s power
In commentary this weekend …
Dan Walters: The next big front in California’s water war: “After one year of torrential respite, drought may have returned to California, and with it, a renewal of the state’s perpetual conflict over water management. State and federal water systems have told farmers not to expect more than a fifth of their paper allocations, the state Water Resources Control Board is weighing a new regime of mandatory conservation, and supporters of more reservoirs are complaining about the glacial pace of spending $2.7 billion set aside in a water bond for more storage. … “ Read more from Cal Matters here: The next big front in California’s water war
Water bond blame belongs with the legislators, says the Chico Enterprise-Record: They write, ‘We watch with wonder as legislators lash out at the California Water Commission for its handling of the water storage money included in Proposition 1. That’s because the commission is doing exactly what those legislators — and the public — told it to do. Clearly a lot of voters thought they were voting to get Sites and Temperance Flat reservoirs built. But that’s not what Proposition 1 said. … “ Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here: Water bond blame belongs with the legislators
In regional news and commentary this weekend …
Benzene found outside of Fountaingrove contamination area: “Santa Rosa may be zeroing in on the cause of the contamination in the water supply of the devastated Fountaingrove neighborhood, but there are also troubling signs that the problem may extend beyond the immediate advisory area. Since Jan. 24, when the city last released detailed test results, the city has found 58 additional instances of benzene in the drinking water in the Fountaingrove area. The vast majority came from the 184-acre area north and south of Fountain Grove Parkway around Fir Ridge Drive, an area once home to 350 families. Only 13 homes remain following the October wildfires. … “ Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here: Benzene found outside of Fountaingrove contamination area
Vallejo gets first look at rising sea level solutions: “Imagine the waterfront flanked with gorgeous levees that double as parks or even play areas for children. Or raised walkways that meander over to Mare Island. These are just some of the things that have been done in other cities, and the group that’s working on developing a proposal here shared ideas with the community on Saturday at the Farmer’s Market on Georgia Street. Resilience By Design brings together experts from many regions and fields that want to put their experience and skill behind helping communities tackle rising sea levels. … “ Read more from the Vallejo Times-Herald here: Vallejo gets first look at rising sea level solutions
Monterey: Addressing the problem of sewage spills: “When nearly three million gallons of untreated sewage spilled into the ocean two miles off the coast of the Monterey Bay last month, the general manager of the organization responsible for the spill called it a “wake up call.” But by many accounts, the Monterey Peninsula has been awake for years to the problem of sewage spills. Pacific Grove began replacing its system in 2004, Monterey has entered the second phase of a new sewer plan in 2013. The number of calls have decreased and spills are now tracked electronically. … “ Read more from the Monterey County Herald here: Addressing the problem of sewage spills
Wonder how much water Tehachapi can have? Water district manager explains: “Ever wonder how much water is available to Tehachapi residents — including unincorporated areas? What preparation is made to store this needed resource and have extra supplies in case of disaster? Tom Neisler, general manager of the Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District, talked with Tehachapi News, giving an update on this precious resource. The district provides agriculture and urban water to more than 450 square miles of land including Tehachapi, Golden Hills, Bear Valley Springs, Stallion Springs and California Correctional Institution Tehachapi. … “ Read more from the Tehachapi News here: Wonder how much water Tehachapi can have? Water district manager explains
How El Monte is making polluted water drinkable: “El Monte celebrated the opening of a new water treatment plant expected to create drinkable water from polluted groundwater in the San Gabriel Basin. The plant has the capacity to treat 750 gallons per minute, which adds up to more than 394 million gallons of water treated per year, according to a city report. The city supplies its own water to its nearly 18,000 residents and relies on underground water from the San Gabriel Basin as its primary water source. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency had ordered the city to treat the basin, which has tested positive for pollutants. … “ Read more from the San Gabriel Valley Tribune here: How El Monte is making polluted water drinkable
San Bernardino: Water officials digging for more water from Plunge Creek: “Local water officials are moving forward with a plan to clear out channels around Plunge Creek that haven’t been used for 50 years. The goal of the Plunge Creek Conservation Project is twofold: to increase groundwater storage and protect endangered species. Another goal is to keep the flood-control system working efficiently. … “ Continue reading from the Highland Community News here: Water officials digging for more water from Plunge Creek
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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.
Maven’s Notebook
where California water news never goes home for the weekend
