In California water news this weekend, California cedes water to feds in Delta deal with Trump; Bay Area House Democrats take on Feinstein over water bill; Water shortages ahead? Sierra Nevada snow pack on track to shrink 79 percent, new study finds; Rice farmers, duck hunters work to establish ‘world class habitat’ in the Sac Valley; Sewer and water quality issues – a widespread issue across California prisons; More on the State Water Board flows decision; Interior chief Zinke to leave administration, is Denham next in line?; Clean Water Act: Experts predict legal trouble for Scalia-inspired rule; and more …
In the news this weekend …
California cedes water to feds in Delta deal with Trump: (ICYMI, yesterday’s breaking news): “Southern Californians could lose billions of gallons of water a year to Central Valley farmers under a deal Gov. Jerry Brown’s administration has struck with water officials working for President Donald Trump. There’s no guarantee the agreement with Trump will accomplish what Brown’s team is seeking: a lasting compromise on environmental regulations that could stave off significant water shortfalls for farms and cities across California. A powerful state agency, the State Water Resources Control Board, hasn’t yet signed off on Brown’s compromise environmental proposal. Environmental groups have called the governor’s idea woefully insufficient to save ailing fish populations. … “ Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: California cedes water to feds in Delta deal with Trump
Bay Area House Democrats take on Feinstein over water bill: “It’s not smooth sailing for California’s lawmakers in Washington, as a push to extend a controversial water bill is dividing the caucus along unusual lines. On one side: Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat, and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, a Bakersfield Republican, who are looking to extend the bill, possibly as part of the year-end government funding deal. With them are four California Democrats and McCarthy’s fellow Republicans. ... ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Bay Area House Democrats take on Feinstein over water bill
Water shortages ahead? Sierra Nevada snow pack on track to shrink 79 percent, new study finds: “Every year, like a giant frozen reservoir, snow that falls across the Sierra Nevada mountain range slowly melts in spring and summer months, providing roughly one-third of the water supply for California’s cities and farms, from the Bay Area to Los Angeles. But at the current rate at which the climate is warming, the amount of runoff from Sierra snow into California’s largest reservoirs is heading for a dramatic decline — a 54 percent drop in the next 20 to 40 years and 79 percent in the next 60 to 80 years, according to a new study from scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here: Water shortages ahead? Sierra Nevada snow pack on track to shrink 79 percent, new study finds
Maximizing every drop: Rice farmers, duck hunters work with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ducks Unlimited for ‘world class habitat’: “The rice fields are his home away from home. Don Bransford, a third-generation rice farmer in Colusa, California, has been growing the grain since 1980. His 1,200-acre farm is in the Sacramento Valley, which on the whole supplies the country with nearly all of its sushi rice. Each spring, the farmer levels his fields, adds five inches of water, and, by plane, plants soaked rice seed from the air. He maintains the water level until the grain is ready to harvest in the fall. … ” Continue reading at the US FWS here: Maximizing every drop: Rice farmers, duck hunters work with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ducks Unlimited for ‘world class habitat’
Sewer and water quality issues – a widespread issue across California prisons: “When Mule Creek State Prison (MCSP) advertised for bids to install a culvert along the perimeter security road between Tower #1 and Tower #6 in December of 2016, Sierra Communication and Construction, Incorporated (SCCI) reviewed the plan, attended the mandatory meeting, performed pre-inspections, and was awarded the contract. David Anderson, SCCI Supervisor, and a his crew Chris Stoy, SCCI Foreman, Jim Hampton, SCCI laborer, and Matthew Anderson, SCCI Equipment Operator went to work. … ” Read more from the Amador Ledger Dispatch here: Sewer and water quality issues – a widespread issue across California prisons
Can California Improve Forest Management And Prevent Wildfires Without Going Broke? “Deep in the Tahoe National Forest, giant machines pluck trees from the Earth, as if they were toothpicks. Joe Flannery with the Tahoe National Forest watches these “masticators” and “skids” work, then moves as one approaches where he’s standing. “This equipment is taking the branches off of it, placing it in a pile ready to go to the mill,” he explains. The process is called forest-thinning: a fast way to clear flammable material to prevent large-scale wildfires. And it’s important because many of California’s forests are overgrown. The combination of dense forests plus climate change makes California prone to devastating fires. … ” Read more from Capital Public Radio here: Can California Improve Forest Management And Prevent Wildfires Without Going Broke?
UC Merced researchers assess Western forests’ ability to survive next drought: “UC Merced researchers have evidence that California’s forests are especially vulnerable to multi-year droughts because their health depends on water stored several feet below ground. “Each year our forests, grasslands and shrublands depend on water stored underground to survive the dry summers, but during multi-year dry periods there is not enough precipitation in the wet winter season to replenish that supply,” said Joseph Rungee, UC Merced graduate student and lead author on a new paper published in the journal Hydrological Processes. … ” Read more from the Sierra Sun here: UC Merced researchers assess Western forests’ ability to survive next drought
More on the State Water Board flows decision …
Water districts were so close to a deal. Now, lawsuits will contest ‘water grab’: “Some water districts would like to keep negotiating with state officials over river flows. But lawsuits replaced settlements as the most likely path forward, the day after a crucial vote in Sacramento approving the “water grab.” The Oakdale and South San Joaquin irrigation districts had no agreement for flows on the Stanislaus River before Wednesday’s meeting of the State Water Resources Control Board. By virtue of a 4-1 vote approving the latest update to the Bay-Delta water quality plan, the agency will require districts to leave 40 percent of runoff in the Tuolumne, Stanislaus and Merced rivers for salmon. … ” Read more from the Modesto Bee here: Water districts were so close to a deal. Now, lawsuits will contest ‘water grab’
Water board votes to increase flows: “Despite vehement opposition from a broad coalition Valley farmers, governments and organizations, the State Water Resources Control Board on Wednesday voted to approve the contentious Bay-Delta Plan Update, meant to revive dwindling salmon populations by restoring water flows through local rivers. The result of a nine-year process, the Bay-Delta Plan calls for increased allocation of 30 to 50 percent of unimpaired flows along the San Joaquin River and its tributaries — the Stanislaus, Tuolumne and Merced rivers. The plan also makes allowances for reduced river flows on tributaries where stakeholders have reached voluntary agreements to pursue a combination of flow and “non-flow” measures that improve conditions for fish and wildlife, such as habitat restoration and reducing predation. ... ” Read more from the Turlock Journal here: Water board votes to increase flows
Yuba Water Agency prepares for changes in river flow: “State water regulators announced plans earlier this week to implement unimpaired flow requirements along the San Joaquin River, unless water users can establish voluntary agreements with state water and fish and wildlife agencies. The changes were part of the State Water Resources Control Board’s update to its Water Quality Control Plan for the greater Bay-Delta watershed as a way to improve conditions for struggling salmon populations and increase inflow into the Delta. While the action at the moment only establishes flow standards for the San Joaquin River, the board plans to roll out a similar plan in 2019 for the Sacramento River Basin, which includes the Yuba River and Feather River. … ” Read more from the Appeal-Democrat here: Yuba Water Agency prepares for changes in river flow
Mike Dunbar: We offered more water and money; what more does the state want from us? He writes, “What’s worse, the “know-nothings” who deny climate change or the “know-everythings” who sit on the State Water Resources Control Board? For the salmon trying to survive on the Tuolumne, Stanislaus and Merced rivers, the “know-everythings” are doing far more harm. Four board members – chairwoman Felicia Marcus, Tam Doduc, Joaquin Esquivel and neophyte Sean Maguire – took an unnecessary and ill-advised vote Wednesday that has the potential to leave the salmon high and dry. That’s not a good place for salmon to be. It also has the potential to cost hundreds of farmers and thousands of food-industry workers all or part of their livelihoods. Not that the board members care. … ” Read more from the Modesto Bee here: Mike Dunbar: We offered more water and money; what more does the state want from us?
Both salmon and the San Joaquin Valley lose under state’s Bay Delta Plan, say Dave Long and Jeff Marchini: They write, “Wednesday, California’s salmon lost. So too did one of the most disadvantaged communities in the state. And so did any local government or public agency in California. The State Water Resources Control Board adopted the long anticipated Bay-Delta Plan’s Substitute Environmental Document, which calls for diverting up to 50 percent of our region’s water supply to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The Delta is the state’s water hub, providing fresh water to people living on the coast, in the South San Joaquin Valley and to 20 million in Southern California. … ” Read more from the Merced Sun-Star here: Both salmon and the San Joaquin Valley lose under state’s Bay Delta Plan
In national water news this weekend …
Interior chief Zinke to leave administration: “Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke will depart the administration amid growing controversy over allegations that he violated ethics rules, President Trump announced Saturday. Trump tweeted early Saturday that Zinke “will be leaving the Administration at the end of the year after having served for a period of almost two years.” “Ryan has accomplished much during his tenure and I want to thank him for his service to our Nation,” Trump wrote. ... ” Read more from The Hill here: Interior chief Zinke to leave administration
Zinke to step down after tumultuous run: “Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke plans to step down at the end of the month after facing a string of investigations surrounding spending and management. President Trump today announced Zinke’s planned departure on Twitter and praised his past two years of service. He also said Zinke’s successor would be named next week. “Secretary of the Interior @RyanZinke will be leaving the Administration at the end of the year after having served for a period of almost two years. Ryan has accomplished much during his tenure and I want to thank him for his service to our Nation…….,” the president tweeted. “…….The Trump Administration will be announcing the new Secretary of the Interior next week.” … ” Read more from E&E News here: Zinke to step down after tumultuous run
Is Denham next in line for Interior Secretary? “Congressman Jeff Denham (R-Turlock) is under consideration to be the next U.S. Secretary of the Interior, after the announcement that current jobholder Ryan Zinke is leaving at the end of the year. Denham, who lost his re-election bid last month to Democrat Josh Harder, could replace Zinke, according to inside sources who asked not to be named because they are not cleared to speak on the issue. President Donald Trump tweeted this morning (Dec. 15) that Zinke would be leaving his post at the end of the year, and that his replacement would be announced at the end of the week. … ” Read more from GV Wire here: Is Denham next in line for Interior Secretary?
Clean Water Act: Experts predict legal trouble for Scalia-inspired rule: “The Trump administration has broken away from its predecessors by using a 2006 opinion from the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia in a famously muddled wetlands case in a bid to limit Clean Water Act protection of isolated wetlands and waterways. The George W. Bush and Obama administrations based their definitions of “waters of the United States,” or WOTUS, that get federal protection on the opinion of former Justice Anthony Kennedy in the same 2006 case, Rapanos v. United States. In rolling out the Trump rule proposal Tuesday, acting EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said his agency and its regulatory partner, the Army Corps of Engineers, are “clearly defining the differences between federally protected wetlands and state-protected wetlands.” … ” Read more from E&E News here: Clean Water Act: Experts predict legal trouble for Scalia-inspired rule
As PFAS lawsuits proliferate, legal tactics emerge: “Potentially billions of dollars in damages are at stake in more than a hundred lawsuits against chemical companies, manufacturers, the U.S. military, and others for contaminating water supplies with toxic per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a class of more than 4,000 man-made chemicals known collectively as PFASs. The cases include class-action lawsuits in Colorado, Michigan, New York, and Pennsylvania, as well as a nationwide claim, that seek compensation for individuals exposed to the chemicals. Also in the docket are more than a dozen state government and utility lawsuits from Arizona to Florida that are pursuing reimbursement for the cost of environmental cleanup and removing PFAS chemicals from drinking water. ... ” Read more from the Circle of Blue here: As PFAS lawsuits proliferate, legal tactics emerge
Climate and skiing: “Based at the University of Colorado-Boulder, the National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) has no shortage of skiers experienced enough to know good—and bad—ski conditions. “Warm days plus cold nights can really make conditions painful,” opines software developer Matt Fisher. “You get the snow warming up during the day then icing over at night. It’s harder to keep control in icy conditions and when you fall, it really hurts.” Heidi McCann, coordinator of indigenous knowledge exchange agrees, adding that the most desirable snow has low water content, and ideally, eight or more inches of fresh powder. … ” Read more from Climate.gov here: Climate and skiing
In commentary this weekend …
Governor Brown working to save his tunnels, says the San Francisco Chronicle: They write, “In the world of water politics, where change occurs at a glacial pace, the past few weeks have seen enormous swings in how our state’s most precious resource is managed and delivered. The discussions behind these changes are not easily known and even less easy to understand what they ultimately will mean for cities, farms and, yes, fish in California as climate change accelerates. What is apparent however is that Gov. Jerry Brown is working hard to put his delta tunnels project on the glide path to the finish line before he leaves office in January. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Governor Brown working to save his tunnels
In regional news and commentary this weekend …
Weed citizens plan protest at Roseburg’s Oregon headquarters: “The Water for Citizens of Weed CA community organization has planned a protest march for Dec. 18 at Roseburg Forest Products headquarters in Springfield, Ore., near Eugene. In a water rights issue that has gained national attention, the nine members of WCWC have been seeking to establish that the City of Weed, not Roseburg, owns the rights to the town’s Beaughan Springs. Known as the “Weed 9,” the WCWC members were dismissed from a quiet title lawsuit brought by Roseburg last December after they filed a Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation (SLAPP) motion. … ” Read more from the Siskiyou Daily News here: Weed citizens plan protest at Roseburg’s Oregon headquarters
Crews work to prevent debris from washing down five Shasta County creeks post-Carr Fire: “A crew was out this week spreading grass seed and straw on hillsides in west Redding to prevent erosion where the Carr Fire burned last summer. So far the California Conservation Corps crew has finished spreading erosion control on about 20 acres out of a planned 1,640 acres where work is planned. Bryan Smith, a supervising engineer with the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, said the crews will be spreading straw and seed on five key creeks the agency identified as most at risk of carrying erosion from hillsides left barren of vegetation after the Carr Fire. … ” Read more from the Redding Record-Searchlight here: Crews work to prevent debris from washing down five Shasta County creeks post-Carr Fire
Thumbs up: Leaving more water behind Coyote Dam: The Santa Rosa Press Democrat here: “One of our great sources of frustration during the most recent drought was watching water needlessly pour through the spillway at Lake Mendocino. For more than half a century, releases from Coyote Dam have been determined by a calendar-based formula. It didn’t matter if there was room behind the dam and long-term weather forecasts were dry and dryer still, the Army Corps of Engineers had to open the tap. ... ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here: Thumbs up: Leaving more water behind Coyote Dam
Flood protection project finished along Palo Alto creek: “Residents in East Palo Alto can now sleep a little easier after the completion of a major flood control project, announced today by the San Francisquito Creek Joint Powers Authority. The creek has been widened from Highway 101 to the Bay, with new higher rock and dirt levees to protect surrounding homes, businesses, a golf course and the nearby airport. ... ” Read more from KRON here: Flood protection project finished along Palo Alto creek
Report: Dam repair cost could threaten Interlake Tunnel project: “Unless more state funding can be secured, a multimillion-dollar repair or replacement of the San Antonio Dam spillway chute in the wake of the Oroville Dam failure could threaten a critical tax assessment vote and the feasibility of the Interlake Tunnel project. That’s according to a staff report for a special Board of Supervisors legislative workshop set for Monday at 10 a.m. at the County Government Center in Salinas. … ” Read more from the Monterey Herald here: Report: Dam repair cost could threaten Interlake Tunnel project
MIIS project uses software to help Monterey plan for sea level rise: “New pilot software developed by the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey’s Center for the Blue Economy shows that beyond the year 2050, sea level rise is a very likely possibility for the Monterey Peninsula and that making strides to adapt to it sooner rather than later is the best course of action. That’s according to the findings from a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration sea grant research project that had the center using the software to link projections of sea level rise to damage and the way of managing it economically. … ” Read more from the Monterey County Herald here: MIIS project uses software to help Monterey plan for sea level rise
Owens Valley: Great Basin, MCWD reach settlement, dismiss litigation: “Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District (Great Basin) and Mammoth Community Water District (MCWD), having reached a full and complete settlement, Thursday filed a joint stipulation to dismiss pending litigation. The two public agencies, Great Basin and MCWD, believe that withdrawing the lawsuit will foster a more collaborative path forward, allowing the parties to work together to jointly ensure protection for our community’s air and groundwater. Today’s filing formalizes the agreement reached between the two parties to settle the dispute outside of the courtroom. … ” Read more from the Sierra Wave here: Owens Valley: Great Basin, MCWD reach settlement, dismiss litigation
San Diego homeless shelter was washed out by storm, will reopen on same floodplain: “The temporary homeless shelter that was overcome by stormwater earlier this month was set up in the middle of a downtown San Diego flood plain — and city officials are working to reopen the center as quickly as possible. Massive gushes of water inundated the temporary shelter on the night of Dec. 6, hours before a flash-flood warning from the National Weather Service was set to expire. The sudden downpour sent hundreds of people scrambling for help and destroyed many of their worldly possessions. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union Tribune here: San Diego homeless shelter was washed out by storm, will reopen on same floodplain
‘San Diego needs to step up’ to solve sewage spill crisis, Imperial Beach mayor says: “A raw sewage spill from the Mexican city of Tijuana this week forced beaches in Imperial Beach and Coronado to shut down due to the health risk it poses to lifeguards and to surfers — but the problem isn’t new and an ongoing challenge is getting authorities to act, said Serge Dedina. Dedina, mayor of Imperial Beach, expressed frustration after a pipe in Tijuana ruptured on Monday and began spilling as many as 7 million gallons of raw sewage daily into the Tijuana River, which feeds into the Pacific Ocean. Dedina urged city leaders in San Diego to join a lawsuit to force the federal government to take action. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union Tribune here: ‘San Diego needs to step up’ to solve sewage spill crisis, Imperial Beach mayor says
Along the Colorado River …
Arizona is through with Band-Aids. This should be our next big move on water, say Karen Fann and Rodney Glassman: They write, “Arizona must identify our next bucket of water. Championing desalination along the California coastline is one long-term solution that can help secure Arizona’s economic and water future. Like the late Sens. Ernest McFarland, Carl Hayden and Congressman Mo Udall, whose leadership helped to create Arizona’s Central Arizona Project (CAP), it is now time for Arizona’s delegation to champion a 21st-century CAP with the creation of a large-scale, federally funded, Western states desalination solution that will enable Californians to drink from the sea and reduce their draw on the Colorado River. ... ” Read more from the Arizona Central here: Arizona is through with Band-Aids. This should be our next big move on water
A larger issue looms over short-term Colorado River plan: Climate change: “With the water level in Lake Mead hovering near a point that would trigger a first-ever official shortage on the Colorado River, representatives of California, Arizona and Nevada are trying to wrap up a plan to prevent the water situation from spiraling into a major crisis. The plan is formally called the Lower Basin Drought Contingency Plan. But at an annual Colorado River conference this week, many water managers stressed that it’s merely a stopgap plan to get the region through the next several years until 2026. It might also be called an initial step toward planning for a future with less water. Looming over the negotiations is a long-term issue that is intensifying the strains on the river: climate change. … ” Read more from the Arizona Daily Sun here: A larger issue looms over short-term Colorado River plan: Climate change
Precipitation watch …
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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
