DAILY DIGEST: Tunnel vision: This water plan might make a splash in the Delta; Floods ‘on steroids’ could bring new dangers to wildfire areas; Felicia Marcus: In praise of Governor Brown’s water leadership; Water supply a perfect target for cybercriminals; and more …

In California water news today, Tunnel vision: This Water Plan Might Make a Splash in the Delta; Floods ‘on steroids’ could bring new dangers to wildfire areas. Are Malibu, Paradise at risk?; What a sinking island can tell us about sea level rise and earthquakes; Felicia Marcus: In praise of Governor Brown’s water leadership; Water supply a perfect target for cybercriminals; and more …

In the news today …

Tunnel vision: This Water Plan Might Make a Splash in the Delta: “A long-debated water plan that could change the course—literally—of water in California, will be up for a vote by the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) next month. Originally scheduled for November, the vote has been postponed until December 11, per California Gov. Jerry Brown and Gov.-elect Gavin Newson’s request. If it passes, the Bay Delta Plan could be a win for environmentalists; by restricting flows to farms and cities throughout California, the plan would redirect freshwater to the San Joaquin River, its tributaries, and the delta it shares with the Sacramento River.  Does the Bay Delta Plan signal the end of the Water Wars, a mere armistice—or the launching point for new battles? … “  Read more from California Magazine here:  Tunnel vision: This Water Plan Might Make a Splash in the Delta

Floods ‘on steroids’ could bring new dangers to wildfire areas. Are Malibu, Paradise at risk?  “First came fire. Now the floods?  With late-season wildfires increasingly common in California, the twinning of the two catastrophes is becoming an alarmingly regular fear. Officials in both Northern and Southern California are planning this week for the possibility of a second set of disasters while still battling the flames of the first. ... ”  Read more from the Sacramento Bee here:  Floods ‘on steroids’ could bring new dangers to wildfire areas. Are Malibu, Paradise at risk? 

Heavy Rains Bring Flood Risk to Fire-Ravaged Landscape: “A series of storms expected to arrive in California starting Tuesday night could bring heavy rains onto landscapes denuded by wildfires. Officials are warning that could mean flooding, mudslides, and more dangerous “debris flows,” where the flowing mud picks up loose debris on the surface, like trees, boulders and remains of destroyed buildings.  A storm forecast to arrive tonight and continue through Wednesday could bring several inches of rain to Butte County, where the deadly Camp Fire has scorched more than 150,000 acres.  “This could quickly become a dangerous situation,” says the National Weather Service flood watch. “Residents, emergency responders, persons traveling within the burn area should remain alert, and take action should heavy rain develop.” ... ”  Read more from KQED here:  Heavy Rains Bring Flood Risk to Fire-Ravaged Landscape

No, The Coming Rain Won’t Be ‘Toxic.’ But Here’s What to Do When the Smoke Clears: “Bay Area residents will soon breathe a healthy sigh of relief. Rain is forecast to start washing away the region’s toxic air as early as tonight. The National Weather Service predicts rain and southerly gusts for the Bay area through Friday evening.  Air quality experts are not predicting a toxic deluge, as some have suggested on social media.  “Although Paradise experienced a large wildfire, that’s not enough smoke to cause acid rain,” says Dar Mims, meteorologist for the California Air Resources Board. “As the winds and rain start to arrive you’re going to wash out the pollution. We will end up with a clean environment after this storm.” ... ”  Read more from KQED here:  No, The Coming Rain Won’t Be ‘Toxic.’ But Here’s What to Do When the Smoke Clears

What a sinking island can tell us about sea level rise and earthquakes:  “One of the most striking features of Santa Catalina Island, southwest of Los Angeles, is an absence. Unlike much of the California coast and its closest islands, Catalina lacks cliffs stepping up and back from the sea – remnants of shorelines carved when the Pacific sloshed higher than it does today and fault movements had yet to push this part of the continent beyond the water’s reach.  Instead, Catalina’s ancient beaches lie hidden beneath the surf. Now, new research led by Stanford University geophysicists explains why: while most islands in southern California are inching upward, Catalina is sinking. … ”  Read more from PhysOrg here:  What a sinking island can tell us about sea level rise and earthquakes

Trump officials cite California fires in renewing call for forest logging policies: “The Trump administration is pointing to the deadly California wildfires to renew its call for Congress to boost the administration’s ability to remove more brush and trees from federal forests.  Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue told reporters Tuesday that the fires, which have killed more than 80 people so far, should spur lawmakers to adopt more “active forest management” policies — a term that refers to increased logging, removing brush, conducting planned burns and other activities. … ”  Read more from The Hill here:  Trump officials cite California fires in renewing call for forest logging policies

Zinke rips ‘radical environmental groups’ over California fires:  “Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is blaming “radical environmental groups” for a lack of forest management that he says are spreading the deadly California wildfires.  In a Tuesday conference call with reporters, Zinke criticized “lawsuit after lawsuit by, yes, the radical environmental groups that would rather burn down the entire forest than cut a single tree or thin the forest.”  Asked which groups, Zinke declined to name names. He acknowledged been an historic drought in California and rising temperatures, but primarily focused on all parties working together to manage forests. ... ”  Read more from CNN here:  Zinke rips ‘radical environmental groups’ over California fires

Trump’s administration’s own analyses indicate many of its new regulations will hurt vulnerable Americans: “President Trump’s push to roll back federal regulations will take a significant toll on Americans’ health and finances, according to a surprising source — the Trump administration itself.  These human costs – which include more deaths from air pollution, higher medical bills and increased student debt – rarely get mentioned by the president, who often touts the economic benefits of his deregulatory campaign. ... ”  Read more from the LA Times here:  Trump’s administration’s own analyses indicate many of its new regulations will hurt vulnerable Americans

In commentary today …

Felicia Marcus:  In praise of Governor Brown’s water leadership:  “In this TPR interview, Marcus recounts the immense progress the state has made on water under Governor Brown’s leadership: integrated water management, data collection and transparency, and conservation, capturing, and recycling—while also noting the infrastructure challenges that await his successor.  Q: With the conclusion of California Governor Jerry Brown’s fourth term just months away, reflect on his signature accomplishments and how he has reframed the water debate. Felicia Marcus:Governor Brown has always been 30 years ahead of his time. Before climate change was as evident is it has now become, he laid the foundation for the energy efficiency and renewables revolution in California. By the time he returned for his third term, he realized that climate change is the overriding issue of our time. He also realized quickly that when it came to water, climate change was going to pack a wallop and we needed to take action now. … ”  Read more from the Planning Report here:  Felicia Marcus:  In praise of Governor Brown’s water leadership

A perfect target for cybercriminals: America’s water supply is increasingly digitized, and increasingly vulnerable. Ari Mahairas and Peter J. Beshar write, “When hackers went after the Onslow Water and Sewer Authority last month, it was the second cyberattack on a North Carolina utility within a year. The hackers, who timed this attack for the aftermath of Hurricane Florence, caused “a catastrophic loss” by encrypting databases and locking out employees. Rather than pay a ransom to the hackers, the utility is rebuilding its information technology systems from scratch.  We need water for everything from cooking to manufacturing. Technological advances that make our water supply smarter — automating chemical treatment, for example, or enabling electronic billing — also make it more vulnerable to cyberattacks. … ”  Read more from the New York Times here:  A perfect target for cybercriminals: America’s water supply is increasingly digitized, and increasingly vulnerable.

In regional news and commentary today …

Report: Sonoma County’s natural resources worth billions:  “Conservation advocates have long touted the need to preserve Sonoma County’s bucolic landscape, but a report released last week for the first time assigned a dollar value to those open spaces and their natural resources.  The value of services provided by undeveloped and working lands, both public and private, in Sonoma County ranges from $2.2 billion to $6.6 billion annually, according to the report from the Healthy Lands and Healthy Economies Initiative. The study stems from a yearslong collaboration between open space and conservation districts in Sonoma, Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties. … ”  Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here:  Report: Sonoma County’s natural resources worth billions

North Coast officials on the lookout for mudslides as Wednesday marks the start of the rainy season: “North Coast officials have their eyes peeled for potential mudslides ahead of Wednesday’s storm, which is expected to drop an inch or more of rain over the next few days on fire-scarred hillsides.  Rainfall is expected to soak local counties ravaged by wildfires, as well as Butte County, where the most destructive fire in California’s history continues to burn.  In addition to claiming lives and destroying buildings, last year’s wildfires burned trees, brush and grass, including hillside vegetation that helped stabilize slopes. ... ”  Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here:  North Coast officials on the lookout for mudslides as Wednesday marks the start of the rainy season

Another big year for salmon on the Mokelumne:  “The Mokelumne River Hatchery in Clements is once again seeing big numbers of fall-run Chinook salmon returning from the ocean this autumn. The run is 1,617 fish behind the numbers seen last year at this time, but this run is still going to be one of the top three recorded on the river.  The count over Woodbridge Dam on the Mokelumne to date is 13,467 salmon, including 8,779 adults, reported William Smith, California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) hatchery manager. That compares to 15,086 fall chinooks by the same time last season. … ”  Read more from the Stockton Record here:  Another big year for salmon on the Mokelumne

Camp Fire smoke, ash won’t impact Bay Area soil, water supply: “Oakland resident, Jeff Zhong, casts his line at Lake Chabot just before sunset. It’s his first time fishing since the Camp Fire broke out. It’s been over a week, but he’s still concerned about contamination.  “The ashes (could) get into the lake, and the fish is going to eat that, and of course, (that can) poison them,” says Zhong.  Particulate matter and ash from wildfires can contaminate soil, which can get into local water sources, like lakes and streams. ... ”  Read more from KGO Channel 7 here:  Camp Fire smoke, ash won’t impact Bay Area soil, water supply

Soquel water district exploring rate increases to fund water supply project: “The Soquel Creek Water District board is contemplating seven years of increases to customers’ bills to pay for a new water supply project.  Assuming that the district will need to borrow as much as $95 million to build a proposed water recycling plant — a project branded by the district as Pure Water Soquel — residents, beginning next year, would experience annual rate increases including five years of 9 percent hikes, tapering off to two final years of 8 percent. If the district is successful in securing a potential $45 million in project grants, it could reduce borrowing to $52 million and annual rate increases would taper off from the initial 9 percent, down to 6 percent in out years, Sanjay Gaur, vice president of Raftelis Financial Consultants, told the district board during a meeting Nov. 6. ... ”  Read more from the Santa Cruz Sentinel here:  Soquel water district exploring rate increases to fund water supply project

Volunteers ready for first flush in Monterey:  “The first big rain of the season means it is First Flush for volunteers with the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.  “We are planning on it, we are ready for it, and we are watching,” said Bridget Hoover with MBNMS.  Hoover organizes the annual testing that coincides with First Flush. If rain comes on Wednesday volunteers will deploy around the bay to take samples of the run-off water for testing. ... ”  Read more from Channel 8 here:  Volunteers ready for first flush in Monterey

Rancho Santa Margarita lake looks at floating plant islands to stop algae blooms, fish kills: “It’s unclear why Lago Santa Margarita has golden algae blooms, releasing toxins and killing the lake’s fishes several times since 2014.  “That’s a million dollar question,” said Jeremy Pipp, the assistant general manager at the Rancho Santa Margarita Landscape and Recreation Corporation, which owns the lake.  But SAMLARC is hoping a water aeration system and 22 floating islands of plants will help bring the lake quality back up for fishing. The company is spending an estimated $175,000 on the project, to be done by Nov. 30. ...  ”  Read more from the OC Register here:  Rancho Santa Margarita lake looks at floating plant islands to stop algae blooms, fish kills

And lastly …

One Tiny Owl: Otherworldly Photos From California’s Woolsey Fire:  “When Los Angeles Times photographer Wally Skalij photographed a tiny owl sitting on the beach in Malibu as the flames of the Woolsey Fire burned in the background, he had no idea how many people would connect with the image.  Since the Times published the photo, it’s been shared thousands of times on social media. The owl and other photos Skalij made — three llamas tied to a lifeguard stand, a father and daughter sifting through the ashes of their home, a firefighter peering over a concrete wall as a torrent of flames rises in front of him — are eerie and otherworldly, capturing the surreal nature of a world consumed by fire. … ”  Read more and view photos from KLCC here:  One Tiny Owl: Otherworldly Photos From California’s Woolsey Fire

Precipitation watch …

Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

• CONSISTENCY DETERMINATION: Yolo Habitat Conservancy Finds Yolo Habitat Conservation Plan / Natural Community Conservation Plan Consistent with Delta Plan
• OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT: Bureau of Reclamation seeks comments on WaterSMART Water and Energy Efficiency Grant funding opportunity evaluation criteria

Sign up for daily email service and you’ll never miss a post …

Sign up for free daily email service and you’ll get all the Notebook’s aggregated and original water news content delivered to your email box by 9AM. And with breaking news alerts, you’ll always be one of the first to know …

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.