In California water news today, Report: How Los Angeles could source its water locally; Ski resorts fight climate change with snow blowers and buses; Photos: California wildflowers manage to outsmart the worst drought conditions in a century; Lake Gregory dam project finally underway; Tijuana sewage spills have been an environmental problem for decades, so what’s the solution?; and more …
On the calendar today …
- WEBINAR: California-Nevada Drought & Climate Outlook from 11am to 12:30pm: Click here for more information.
In the news today …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
- RESERVOIR AND WATER CONDITIONS for March 26
- NEWS WORTH NOTING: Reclamation responds to Klamath water users’ motion in District Court; California supports fix to federal fire funding; NRCS seeks partners for easement restoration
- AB 1755 NEWS: Public Review Period Extended / Public Webinar / 2018 Water Board Data Fair
- ANNOUNCEMENT: Posting of Draft Staff Report for Basin Plan Amendment to Incorporate a Central Valley-wide Salt and Nitrate Control Program
Report: How Los Angeles could source its water locally: “Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti believes his city is poised for a “second Mulholland moment.” William Mulholland was responsible for the construction, over a century ago, of the 200-mile-long aqueduct to Owens Valley that helped drive L.A.’s growth. In a recent op-ed, Garcetti wrote, “we have launched a second opportunity to reimagine our water infrastructure.” But this time it will take place closer to home. ... ” Read more from Water Deeply here: Report: How Los Angeles could source its water locally
Ski resorts fight climate change with snow blowers and buses: “After a wimpy winter, spring break has arrived, and skiers and snowboarders from Maine to Mammoth Lakes are stoked. More than 18 feet of snow has dropped at Squaw Valley, Calif., in March; Utah’s famed powder resorts have finally broken the 100-inch mark; and New England has been pummeled by four big storms pushing closing dates to late April. At the same time, there are warning signs about the future of the sport. Climate change has already made winters warmer and shorter, while a March study by researchers at Oregon State University found North America’s snowpack has declined up to 30 percent in the past century. ... ” Read more from WIRED Magazine here: Ski resorts fight climate change with snow blowers and buses
Photos: California wildflowers manage to outsmart the worst drought conditions in a century: “California wildflowers outsmarted the extreme drought that has gripped the state, a new study found. Native wildfires banked seeds underground at a higher rate than normal, proving their resiliency during drought conditions. Researchers at UC Davis found that seeds of native wildflowers increased by 201 percent underground from 2012-2014. Above ground, seeds increased by 14 percent. … ” Read more from Accu-Weather here: Photos: California wildflowers manage to outsmart the worst drought conditions in a century
Spending bill rejects Trump’s effort to gut water cleanups: “President Donald Trump has gotten nowhere in his push to kill federal support for cleaning up some of the nation’s most prized waterways, as Congress voted to keep funding at current levels — and in some cases, boost it. A $1.3 trillion spending package approved Thursday by the House and early Friday by the Senate includes nearly $448 million for Environmental Protection Agency programs benefiting regional waters degraded by pollution, overdevelopment and exotic species invasions. That’s an increase from $436 million in the previous budget. … ” Read more from the Capital Press here: Spending bill rejects Trump’s effort to gut water cleanups
More news and commentary in the weekend edition …
In commentary today …
When won’t state bureaucrats spend money? When it’s for reservoirs, says George Boardman: He writes, “Our very own assemblyman, Brian Dahle, dragged a child’s little red wagon into the august chambers of the California Water Commission recently to discuss the topic of water reservoirs in the Golden State. Given his party affiliation and rural roots, I’ll give Dahle credit for not showing up in camo and driving an ATV. Still, the wagon helped him make a valid point about the state’s do-nothing response to the will of the people the commission theoretically works for. ... ” Read more from The Union here: When won’t state bureaucrats spend money? When it’s for reservoirs
In regional news and commentary today …
Lake Gregory dam project finally underway: “The long-awaited Lake Gregory Dam rehabilitation project is finally underway. In the past week, trees and underbrush within the project area have been cleared in preparation for retrofitting the 80-year-old dam, which has been declared a “high-hazard” dam by the California Division of Safety of Dams. According to a March 16 Board of Supervisors news release, within the next few weeks, motorists will encounter traffic lane modifications on Lake Drive over the dam’s crest to facilitate construction-related activities. … ” Read more from the Alpenhorn News here: Lake Gregory dam project finally underway
How Snow Valley is dealing with climate change: “Over the past several years, California has ricocheted from extreme drought to flooding. From record warmth to the highest Sierra snowpack on record, most years it’s feast or famine. With the exception of the month of March, most of Southern California’s mountains have been seen with lots of brown and not much snow, and when there is snow, the region’s warm winter temperatures quickly melt it. As global temperatures continue to climb, Snow Valley Mountain resort, like other places, is being forced to adapt. … ” Read more from NBC LA here: How Snow Valley is dealing with climate change
El Segundo desal plant faces environmentalists’ opposition: “Environmentalists are ready to do battle against a proposed desalination plant. The location for the $380 million plant is in El Segundo on the Manhattan Beach border. … ” Read more from ABC 7 here: El Segundo desal plant faces environmentalists’ opposition
Tijuana sewage spills have been an environmental problem for decades, so what’s the solution? “There was not a cloud in sight on this winter morning as surfers rode the waves south of the U.S. border fence, off of Playas de Tijuana. Anna Lucía López Avedoy stood on the street above, focusing instead on the stream pouring from a storm drain, splashing down a small rocky cliff, trickling down the sand and finally into the Pacific Ocean. “This is not rain water, this is not water that should be running through a storm drain,” said López, a former Tijuana lifeguard who teaches a class in ecology to tourism students at Tijuana’s largest public university, the Autonomous University of Baja California. “I think it’s time we highlight the situation.” … ” Read more from San Diego Union Tribune here: Tijuana sewage spills have been an environmental problem for decades, so what’s the solution?
Along the Colorado River …
As Big Beer moves in, activists in Mexicali fight to keep their water: “It’s a blustery day in the border town of Mexicali in Baja California, Mexico, and five men are huddled inside a makeshift encampment covered with protest signs outside the city’s government offices. The intense wind makes the tarps serving as walls flap loudly, like Batman’s cape as he propels down a building. And just like Batman, they say they’re there for justice. Jesus Galaz Duarte, Mauricio Villa, Alberto Salcido, Francisco Javier Trujillo and Jorge Benitez all form part of Mexicali Resiste, an activist group fighting the opening of a new brewery by the Fortune 500 company Constellation Brands. … ” Read more from NPR via WAMU here: As Big Beer moves in, activists in Mexicali fight to keep their water
Colorado mountain snowpack still lags, at 72% of normal: “Colorado mountain snowpack still lags, at 72 percent of the norm, and federal forecasters project drought will persist across much of the southwestern United States, threatening agricultural producers. Near-record low snow levels remained at 60 percent of the median or less Sunday in the southern half of Colorado in the Arkansas, Rio Grande, San Miguel, Animas, Dolores and San Juan river basins, the latest federal survey shows. In the northern half of Colorado, snowpack hovered around 84 percent of the median in the Upper Colorado River and South Platte River basins, data show. ... ” Read more from the Denver Post here: Colorado mountain snowpack still lags, at 72% of normal
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
- RESERVOIR AND WATER CONDITIONS for March 26
- NEWS WORTH NOTING: Reclamation responds to Klamath water users’ motion in District Court; California supports fix to federal fire funding; NRCS seeks partners for easement 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.
