In California water news today, Ninth Circuit Orders Feds to Reexamine Army Corps’ Harm to Native Fish; Trump administration opens California to new oil drilling; possibly Bay Area, too; Success Dam renamed after Tulare County water official ahead of expansion; California is feuding with Del Mar over ‘planned retreat’ from sea level rise; Trump administration axes federal panels on marine sanctuaries, invasive species; This week in water podcast; and more …
In the news today …
Ninth Circuit Orders Feds to Reexamine Army Corps’ Harm to Native Fish: “The National Marine Fisheries Service owes an explanation for why it decided that two dams on the Yuba River do not adversely affect threatened Chinook salmon, steelhead and green sturgeon, three Ninth Circuit judges ruled Thursday. “The Ninth Circuit said you’re entitled to change your mind, but you’ve got to explain yourself and you haven’t,” said Christopher Sproul, an attorney with San Francisco-based Environmental Advocates. “We think this is an excellent win vindicating good government. If agencies are going to have environmental rollbacks, they can’t do it without good reasoning.” ... ” Read more from Courthouse News Service here: Ninth Circuit Orders Feds to Reexamine Army Corps’ Harm to Native Fish
Trump administration opens California to new oil drilling: “The Trump administration’s latest effort to dramatically boost oil and gas production is landing in California, with the Interior Department on Friday opening up 720,000 acres between the Bay Area and Fresno to potential drilling. The move gives an immediate go-ahead to 14 drilling leases in San Benito, Monterey and Fresno counties, mostly projects near existing drill sites, projects that have been pursued for years by fossil fuel companies looking to expand. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Trump administration opens California to new oil drilling; possibly Bay Area, too
Santa Cruz commentary: Protecting our groundwater, and our future: J. Miles Reiter writes, “The single greatest risk to the future of farms in California is a severe lack of water. As a berry farmer in Coastal California my entire life, I have been a vocal supporter of groundwater regulation. This may surprise some, as ready access to water is the very lifeblood of our business. Our production areas have little to no surface water supplies, so we are almost completely dependent upon abundant, quality groundwater; something that has been deceptively available for the last 150 years. We are now seeing the profound risk of losing this critical resource, unless we collectively act soon to preserve groundwater resources for both the next decade and future generations. … ” Read more from the Santa Cruz Sentinel here: Protecting our groundwater, and our future
Success Dam renamed after Tulare County water official ahead of expansion: “Success Dam is now Richard L. Schafer Dam. The dam, which has shielded the San Joaquin Valley floor from Sierra snowmelt while providing much-needed irrigation water to Tulare County farmers since 1961, was rechristened in a crowded ceremony along Lake Success last week. Schafer has served as the Tule River Water Master since 1963. At 93, he remains an integral part of the Central Valley water community, sitting on several water boards and consulting for more than a dozen water management organizations. … ” Read more from the Visalia Times-Delta here: Success Dam renamed after Tulare County water official ahead of expansion
City of Ventura and SB Channelkeeper Sign Interim Settlement on Ventura River Litigation: “The City of San Buenaventura and Santa Barbara Channelkeeper are pleased to announce an interim settlement in the lawsuit regarding the pumping and diversion of water from the Ventura River Watershed. Both Channelkeeper and the City are dedicated to ensuring the protection of this finite water source and the habitat and species that rely on it while providing water now and for the future. This collaborative agreement brings us another step closer towards this goal. … ” Read more from Edhat here: City of Ventura and SB Channelkeeper Sign Interim Settlement on Ventura River Litigation
Lake Elsinore Fish Survey nets its goal: “The morning dawned hot and sticky Tuesday, Sept. 24, when a slew of volunteers and scientists clad in T-shirts and hip waders along the Lake Elsinore shoreline. Their goal? To catch, measure, tag and release fish in the city’s namesake lake all in the name of conservation. The Lake Elsinore Fish Survey, consisting of three fish-capturing events, was designed to help Lake Elsinore and San Jacinto Watersheds Authority identify both short and long-term projects improve water quality in the sometimes-troubled lake. ... ” Read more from Valley News here: Lake Elsinore Fish Survey nets its goal
California is feuding with Del Mar over ‘planned retreat’ from sea level rise: “Del Mar is gearing up for a tussle with the California Coastal Commission over the best way to adapt to rising sea levels, an issue with statewide implications. The city north of San Diego has taken the position that one of the Coastal Commission’s basic strategies, called “managed retreat” or sometimes “planned retreat,” will not work in Del Mar. “We have a plan, and we stand by our plan,” Del Mar Councilman Dwight Worden said Friday. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: California is feuding with this SoCal city over ‘planned retreat’ from sea level rise
San Diego: Sand replenishment begins at Cardiff State Beach: “Sand replenishment began last week at Cardiff State Beach, one of the first milestones in a $120 million, four-year effort to restore the San Elijo Lagoon. Improved water quality, greater wildlife diversity, more public recreational trails and a greater resilience to environmental change are among the long-term goals of the restoration, which has been planned for decades. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune here: San Diego: Sand replenishment begins at Cardiff State Beach
Report: San Diego has unique edge to tackle climate change: “The Earth’s coastal and polar areas are on thin ice, a new climate report warns, but San Diego may be in a better place than others to weather those changes if it acts swiftly, several authors said. “The Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate,” released last week by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, explored the effects of warming on the world’s oceans and frozen places. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune here: Report: San Diego has unique edge to tackle climate change
Trump administration axes federal panels on marine sanctuaries, invasive species: “The Trump administration, earlier this week, quietly and without warning, eliminated federal advisory boards for America’s marine protected areas, and on potential dangers posed by invasive species. Gone are the Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee, an offshoot of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Invasive Species Advisory Committee, reporting to the U.S. Department of the Interior. ... ” Read more from the Seattle PI here: Trump administration axes federal panels on marine sanctuaries, invasive species
In the Mountains, Climate Change Is Disrupting Everything, from How Water Flows to When Plants Flower: “With ominous orange-gray smoke clouds seething on the western horizon, it’s easy to understand how Colorado’s highest city and other mountain communities are directly threatened by global warming. Mountain snowpack is shrinking and melting earlier in the spring. Warmer and longer summers dry out vegetation and increase the threat of wildfires in western mountain forests, where the fire season has lengthened by at least a month since 1979. … ” Read more from Inside Climate News here: In the Mountains, Climate Change Is Disrupting Everything, from How Water Flows to When Plants Flower
This week in water podcast …
Glen Canyon Dam, septic systems and climate change, gel that prevents wildfire, and more … From H2ORadio.
In commentary today …
George Skelton: Trump is under fire in Washington. But he’s winning big in California: “President Trump is getting pounded in Washington. But in California’s leftist capital, he’s receiving nifty gifts. The unlikely givers are Democrats, although it’s certainly not their intention. Trump is still their favorite party piñata. The president was recently handed two very nice freebies. … The second gift was Newsom’s siding with Trump — although the Democratic governor is ignoring that fact — in a water fight over protection of salmon and other endangered species. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: George Skelton: Trump is under fire in Washington. But he’s winning big in California
More news and commentary in the weekend edition …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
NOTICE: State Water Board to consider CV-SALTS Amendment at October 16 public meeting
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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.
