In California water news this weekend, ‘It would mean total annihilation’ – some farmers sell off fields ahead of groundwater law; Friant-Kern Canal is getting a lot of bipartisan love – but no money so far; Pattern change to bring drier trend to most of California through mid-December; Has recent rain made a dent in the California drought?; Water management grows farm profits; Why our intuition about sea-level rise is wrong; Addressing quality, affordability, and climate change issues in US water policy; Trump takes aim at trickle-down toilets, faucets; and more …
In the news this weekend …
‘It would mean total annihilation’ – some farmers sell off fields ahead of groundwater law: “Even with his eyes closed, Doug Martin can recognize the sound of every tractor on his Hanford ranch. There’s the big silver work horse, and the 40-year-old Oliver that can still run his backup generator, but the one he looks at with love is a tiny green thing from 1958. “The first time I plowed ground with it, I was seven years old,” he says, recalling how he mishandled the plow and feared he had ruined the fields. He hadn’t; his father simply re-plowed them. “This little tractor did a lot,” he says, laughing. … ” Read more from KVPR here: ‘It would mean total annihilation’ – some farmers sell off fields ahead of groundwater law
Friant-Kern Canal is getting a lot of bipartisan love – but no money so far: “Politicians of all persuasions have jumped in to fix the Friant-Kern Canal “sag,” which has severely reduced the canal’s ability to carry a full load of water in recent years. Congressman TJ Cox (D-Fresno) introduced H.R. 5316 on Friday. It would provide $200 million to fix the canal, which brings water 152 miles from Millerton Lake to farms and towns along the east side of the San Joaquin Valley ending in Kern County. The sag, caused by groundwater over pumping, is most pronounced near the Pixley area. … ” Read more from SJV Water here: Friant-Kern Canal is getting a lot of bipartisan love – but no money so far
Cox’s latest bill would repair sinking Friant-Kern Canal: “Congressman TJ Cox (D-Fresno) has introduced a bill that would help fix the failing Friant-Kern Canal. Dubbed the Move Water Now Act, H.R. 5316 would provide $200 million in funds to repair a 33-mile middle section of the 152-mile canal. That amount is expected to cover half of the repair costs. The remainder presumably would come from the state and other sources. The bill’s prospects are promising because President Donald Trump and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy want to see the canal fixed. … ” Read more from GV Wire here: Cox’s latest bill would repair sinking Friant-Kern Canal
WEATHER/HYDROLOGY
Pattern change to bring drier trend to most of California through mid-December: “Several storms have barreled across much of California since before Thanksgiving. But now, a shift in the weather pattern looks to bring calmer weather. Storm after storm dove across the state over the past several weeks, delivering rain, wind and mountain snow. The jet stream, which helps to influence the track storm systems take, was a big part of the reason for the recent storminess. … ” Read more from Accu-Weather here: Pattern change to bring drier trend to most of California through mid-December
From ‘dirt’ to 7 feet in a week: storms dump white gold on Tahoe: “What a difference a week can make in Tahoe. “It went from dirt last Tuesday to enough snow to open almost the entire mountain at most of the ski resorts,” said Bryan Allegretto, a California snow forecaster for the website OpenSnow. “The change in a week was insane.” “We went from about 1% of average [accumulation] to 123% in a week” he said. … ” Read more from KQED here: From ‘dirt’ to 7 feet in a week: storms dump white gold on Tahoe
Has recent rain made a dent in the California drought? “The most recent Drought Monitor for California is mostly unchanged, with 85.3% of the state considered to be abnormally dry, according to data released Thursday. The portion of the state deemed to be in moderate drought — mainly along the Colorado River and the Nevada border — essentially vanished since previous reports, and the portion of the state shown as being drought-free increased by about 5.5% to 14.7%. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Has recent rain made a dent in the California drought?
Central Valley remains ‘abnormally dry’ after 2 major storms: “A “bomb cyclone” and an “atmospheric river” pummeled much of California over the last week, bringing record precipitation and much-needed rainfall to the Golden State. But the two major storms still weren’t enough to keep much of California from registering as “abnormally dry,” according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. “Despite the significant precipitation, much of California was left in D0 (abnormal dryness) after consultation with the state drought monitoring team,” said Deborah Bathke of the National Drought Mitigation Center. “While the precipitation has helped improve conditions, water year to date deficits remain.” ... ” Read more from the Visalia Times-Delta here: Central Valley remains ‘abnormally dry’ after 2 major storms
Photo feature: Tule fog in the Delta: “It’s quiet. Ethereal. Otherworldly. Ghostly, even. As the winter season wears on, the California Delta’s tule fog can be depressing and dangerous. But it can also inspire a person to unbag his camera. Below are a few fog-inspired photographs from past seasons. … ” Read more and view photos at Soundings Magazine here: Tule fog in the Delta
AGRICULTURE
Water management grows farm profits: “A healthy lifestyle consists of a mixture of habits. Diet, exercise, sleep and other factors all must be in balance. Similarly, a sustainable farm operates on a balanced plan of soil, crop, and water management techniques. The western United States is a region with scarce water resources. In this case, water management techniques make up a larger piece of a sustainability plan. There is mounting concern around the globe about water scarcity. This is due to urban sprawl, depleting water supplies in some areas, and predicted water shortages in the future with less snowpack. … ” Read more from PhysOrg here: Water management grows farm profits
UC team helps farmers with climate-smart ag: “Scientists are developing climate-smart farming practices, California is offering financial incentives to implement them, and now a group of 10 UC Cooperative Extension climate-smart educators are taking the program to the next level. To help farmers apply for grants to improve soil quality and enhance irrigation systems, UC Agriculture and Natural Resources partnered with the California Department of Food and Agriculture to put climate smart educators in 10 California communities. The educators are working closely with UCCE advisors to help farmers and ranchers improve soil health, irrigation practices and manure management. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press here: UC team helps farmers with climate-smart ag
CLIMATE CHANGE
Hit by fires and droughts, California voters call climate change their top priority: “Pummeled by fires, drought and floods, California’s Democratic primary voters put fighting climate change at the top of their list of issues for the next president to tackle. Nearly half of likely Democratic primary voters call the issue the No. 1 priority for the next president, according to a new statewide poll conducted by UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies for the Los Angeles Times. By contrast, fewer California primary voters — about 1 in 3 — called healthcare the highest priority, even though differing healthcare proposals have dominated the debate among Democratic presidential candidates for months. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Hit by fires and droughts, California voters call climate change their top priority
Indo-Pacific Ocean warming is changing global rainfall patterns: “New research by NOAA and a visiting scientist from India shows that warming of the Indo-Pacific Ocean is altering rainfall patterns from the tropics to the United States, contributing to declines in rainfall on the United States west and east coasts. In a study published this week in the journal Nature, researchers report a doubling in the size of a warm pool of water spanning the western Pacific and eastern Indian Ocean in recent years. This Indo-Pacific warm pool in what is already the warmest part of the global ocean is expanding each year by an area the size of California. … ” Read more from NOAA here: Indo-Pacific Ocean warming is changing global rainfall patterns
Quitting burgers and planes won’t stop warming, experts say: “Eating less red meat, boarding fewer airplanes and buying efficient lightbulbs can all help reduce planet-warming emissions. But focusing on those individual actions can undermine the global fight against climate change, according to experts. That’s because focusing on individual lifestyles can distract from the need for large-scale solutions, such as getting big corporations to ditch fossil fuels or getting governments to adopt policies like carbon taxes. … ” Continue reading at E&E News here: Quitting burgers and planes won’t stop warming, experts say
Why our intuition about sea-level rise is wrong: “Jerry Mitrovica has been overturning accepted wisdom for decades. A solid Earth geophysicist at Harvard, he studies the internal structure and processes of the Earth, which has implications for fields from climatology to the timing of human migration and even to the search for life on other planets. Early in his career he and colleagues showed that Earth’s tectonic plates not only move from side to side, creating continental drift, but also up and down. By refocusing attention from the horizontal of modern Earth science to the vertical, he helped to found what he has nicknamed postmodern geophysics. Mitrovica has revived and reinvigorated longstanding insights into factors that cause huge geographic variation in sea level, with important implications for the study of climate change today on glaciers and ice sheets. … ” Read more from Pocket here: Why our intuition about sea-level rise is wrong
NATIONAL
Addressing quality, affordability, and climate change issues in US water policy: “Americans have come to expect clean, abundant fresh water for a variety of needs: drinking, industry, healthy ecosystems, recreation, and tourism, just to name a few. As the number of Americans living in urban areas continues to grow, domestic and industrial demand for water will increase and compete with other uses of water, such as irrigation for agriculture, one of the largest destinations for fresh water in the United States. These changes are contributing to a pressing issue: the quality of freshwater available in America is becoming increasingly problematic. … ” Read more from Resources Magazine here: Addressing quality, affordability, and climate change issues in US water policy
U.S. States have eliminated thousands of environmental protection jobs since 2008: “Over the past decade, U.S. states eliminated 4,400 jobs at agencies responsible for protecting the environment, according to a new report from the Environmental Integrity Project, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit. From 2008 to 2018, 30 states also cut funding for environmental agencies, with more than half of those slashing budgets by at least 20 percent. … The new report notes that for many states, the cuts to environmental oversight where not the result of state budget crunches. … ” Read more from Yale E360 here: U.S. States have eliminated thousands of environmental protection jobs since 2008
Ban fracking? Good luck with that, Mr. or Ms. President: “The Democratic presidential candidates who promise to ban fracking are keeping a secret: The president can’t do that. At least five contenders for the Democratic nomination have called for a “fracking ban” in their plans for fighting climate change and shifting to renewable energy. The slogan appeals to the party’s most left-leaning voters. But banning hydraulic fracturing would take an act of Congress. And getting Congress to do it would be difficult, even if the Democrats control both chambers. The oil and gas industry, though, shouldn’t take much comfort from that ... ” Read more from E&E News here: Ban fracking? Good luck with that, Mr. or Ms. President
Trump takes aim at trickle-down toilets, faucets: “President Donald Trump said on Friday he has directed his environmental regulators to find answers to what he said is a big problem – water-conserving showers, faucets and toilets. “We have a situation where we’re looking very strongly at sinks and showers and other elements of bathrooms,” Trump told a meeting of small business leaders at the White House. “You turn the faucet on in areas where there’s tremendous amounts of water … and you don’t get any water,” he added. ... ” Read more from Reuters here: Trump takes aim at trickle-down toilets, faucets
Sunday podcast …
Market solutions for water pollution: “Host Daniel Raimi talks with Catherine Kling, who, among her many titles, is a Tisch University professor at Cornell University and a member of RFF’s Board of Directors. They talk about a recent op-ed that Kling published in the New York Times, called “Polluting Farmers Should Pay,” which focuses on nutrient runoff from agricultural land and how the runoff contributes to harmful algae blooms across the United States. They also talk about potential options for federal and state policies to address this problem, as well as Kling’s early work on developing a social cost of water pollution.”
In commentary this weekend …
Climate change fight a matter of survival, says Dan Jacobson: He writes, “Not long ago, I would have told you that our smart phone addiction was a nuisance. I’d lament to my stepdaughters that they spend too much time staring at a 6-inch screen rather than making human connection. And I’d likely receive an eye roll and an “OK boomer” in reply. Today, I stand corrected. Staring at your smart phone is now a means for survival in California. … ” Continue reading at Capitol Weekly here: Climate change fight a matter of survival
In regional news and commentary this weekend …
Blocked from Potter Valley Project planning group, Lake County interests look ahead: “In recent months, a group calling itself the Two-Basin Partnership barred the County of Lake from becoming a member and hired a firm to examine feasible options for the future of the Potter Valley Project. The PVP diverts water from the Eel River to the Russian River via Scott Dam, which forms Lake Pillsbury in northern Lake County, Cape Horn Dam, which forms Lake Van Arsdale in Mendocino County, and a water diversion tunnel. It also generates hydroelectric power. … ” Read more from the Record-Bee here: Blocked from Potter Valley Project planning group, Lake County interests look ahead
Sonoma County sustained $5 billion damage over 40 years from storms known as atmospheric rivers: “Sonoma County sustained more than $5 billion in damage from megastorms known as atmospheric rivers over 40 years, the hardest hit among 414 counties in 11 western states, according to a new study. The flood-prone county’s economic toll was tops by far, with Lewis County, Oregon in second place with $3 billion in damage, according to the study, which calculated the cost of 1,603 atmospheric rivers from 1978 to 2017. … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here: Sonoma County sustained $5 billion damage over 40 years from storms known as atmospheric rivers
El Dorado County water agency releases Water Resources Development and Management Plan: “The El Dorado County Water Agency (EDCWA) has released its 2019 Water Resources Development and Management Plan (WRDMP). The updated plan outlines the expanded vision that aligns with the El Dorado County General Plan and recommended strategies for securing water supplies and responsibly managing water resources for the future of El Dorado County. … ” Read more from the Mountain Democrat here: El Dorado County water agency releases Water Resources Development and Management Plan
Commentary: Hope springs eternally at Vernalis for everyone but Northern SJ Valley, says Dennis Wyatt: He writes, “Take a trip to ground zero in the California water wars. It is not the pumps at Tracy. It is not the Owens Valley. It is not where Gov. Newsom wants to plop down his myopic tunnel vision to siphon life giving water away from the Delta to guarantee non-native Kentucky bluegrass can make Beverly Hills estates shine like emerald fields while slowly destroying the Delta ecological system. Ground zero is just a short eight mile drive down Airport Way where you will find mid-afternoon farm equipment intermingling with Tracy Amazon commuters eager to return to their homes in northern Modesto via downtown Ripon. … ” Read more from the Manteca Bulletin here: Hope springs eternally at Vernalis for everyone but Northern SJ Valley
Ridgecrest: Proposed pump fee raise delayed: “A proposed pump fee increase to help bolster the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority’s budget in 2020 fell somewhat flat at the Nov. 21 board meeting. The recommended fee hike would have elevated the rate from a monthly $30 per-acre foot pumped to $75/acre-foot, according to IWVGA acting general manager Don Zdeba. It would turn the tables on the IWVGA ending 2020 fiscal year with $465,000 in the red to ending in the positive by $209,000. … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent here: Proposed pump fee raise delayed
Ridgecrest: Groundwater Sustainability Plan workshop set for December 12: “The Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority will hold a public workshop regarding its draft groundwater sustainability plan on Dec. 12, at 6 p.m. at the Kerr McGee Center, 100 W. California Ave. A summary of the GSP will be presented before accepting public comments. All interested persons are invited to attend workshop. The draft GSP is available in its entirety online at www.IWVGA.org/gsp-chapters. The Public Workshop will be video recorded and posted online at “www.IWVGA.org” after the workshop. … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Indpendent here: Groundwater Sustainability Plan workshop set for December 12
Ridgecrest: Water district board meets Monday: “The Indian Wells Valley Water District board of directors meets at 6 p.m. Monday, Dec. 9 at its board room, 500 W. Ridgecrest Blvd. The board will consider the selection of new officers for 2020 as board president Don Cortichiato’s role ends after December. The new board president will decide who will be selected to sit on water district board committees for the new year. … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent here: Water district board meets Monday
West Basin moves proposed desal facility forward despite growing public opposition: “West Basin Board voted 4-1 to pursue its proposed ocean desalination plant despite cries from opposition to first exhaust smarter options. A coalition of environmentalists, climate and public health advocates, and concerned LA County residents gathered outside a West Basin Special Board Meeting to oppose its proposed 20 million gallons-per-day* ocean desalination facility on the coast in El Segundo, citing major fiscal and environmental concerns. … ” Read more from the Culver City Observer here: West Basin moves proposed desal facility forward despite growing public opposition
Huntington Beach desalination plant eyes approval, but foes turn out in force: “With Poseidon Water’s plans for a Huntington Beach desalination plant approaching the homestretch, critics were as adamant as ever at a Friday workshop, where dozens complained the proposal is environmentally flawed, unneeded and would jack up water rates. The meeting of the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board was called to review a draft permit and solicit public comment in advance of a scheduled April 3 vote on the final permit. … ” Read more from the OC Register here: Huntington Beach desalination plant eyes approval, but foes turn out in force
Golf course, CVWD cooperation key to keeping groundwater control local: “Everyone knows the proverb about the man who falls off the Empire State Building and half way to the sidewalk below concludes, “so far, so good.” It’s the story we use to describe the most foolish of complacencies. The proverb is much too extreme to describe the Coachella Valley golf community’s relationship with water. Our complacency is not nearly as irrational, but it too is a complacency unsupported by fact or circumstance. … ” Read more from The Desert Sun here: Golf course, CVWD cooperation key to keeping groundwater control local
Agencies request $5 million to make emergency repairs to Del Mar bluff: “Up to $5 million is needed for immediate emergency repairs to stabilize the railroad tracks on the fragile Del Mar bluffs, transportation officials said Friday. A second round of construction is planned for next weekend to fix erosion caused by the November storms, said North County Transit District Executive Director Matt Tucker. Train passengers will be bused around the site for two days while workers build a steel-reinforced concrete retaining wall to solidify the crumbling cliff. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune here: Agencies request $5 million to make emergency repairs to Del Mar bluff
With water crisis over, Poway businesses regroup: “Restaurants in Poway reopened Saturday morning after six days of darkness, with owners and employees happy to be back at work, but upset about the costly interruption to their businesses and lives. A week ago, restaurants, bars and other businesses that handled food — about 190 in all — were ordered to close by the county’s health department after the state issued a boil-water advisory for the entire city. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune here: With water crisis over, Poway businesses regroup
San Diego County Water Authority asks LAFCO for countywide vote on FPUD/Rainbow reorganization: “The San Diego County Water Authority has asked for a countywide vote in case San Diego County’s Local Agency Formation Commission approves the prior steps for the Fallbrook Public Utility District and the Rainbow Municipal Water District to detach from the SDCWA and become part of the Eastern Municipal Water District. The CWA board voted to request a countywide public vote Nov. 21. The term “countywide” applies only to residents within the CWA boundaries, which does not include the entirety of San Diego County. … ” Read more from Village News here: San Diego County Water Authority asks LAFCO for countywide vote on FPUD/Rainbow reorganization
CA Lands Commission wants federal action on Tijuana sewage pollution: “California’s State Lands Commission and a handful of San Diego County cities announced Friday a coordinated resolution to recommend federal actions on cross-border pollution of the Tijuana River Valley, where raw sewage and pollution flow from Mexico into the Pacific Ocean during rainy season wastewater infrastructure breeches. The resolution calls for the federal government to allocate funds to the Environmental Protection Agency to carry out already identified projects, restore and maintain the chemical, physical and biological integrity of the Tijuana River Valley and directs the EPA and the International Boundary and Water Commission to cooperate and timely execute the projects. ... ” Read more from Courthouse News Service here: CA Lands Commission wants federal action on Tijuana sewage pollution
Along the Colorado River …
Las Vegas groundwater management a success, but overpumping issues loom: “When John Hiatt moved to southwest Las Vegas in 1976, the water level for his domestic well was 115 feet below the surface. A decade and a half later, it dropped to 140 feet. Until 1971, groundwater below the earth’s surface was the only source of water in the Las Vegas Valley, Southern Nevada Water Authority spokesperson Bronson Mack said. By the 1970s, population growth and rampant overpumping of the Las Vegas aquifer forced changes to water management, including a transition away from widespread groundwater use to the current reliance on water from the Colorado River. … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Sun here: Las Vegas groundwater management a success, but overpumping issues loom
Mine near Grand Canyon uses polluted water to control dust: “Arizona’s Department of Environmental Quality is allowing a uranium mine operator to spray water laced with uranium and arsenic on the ground to keep dust down on its site, but it is considering the status of the mine’s permit. The dust suppression tactic is happening at Canyon Mine, a uranium mine in a patch of the Kaibab National Forest, about 10 miles from the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park. While the direct consequences of this specific operation are unknown for now, there is research from government agencies and aggregated research from environmental groups that show the documented, negative effects of uranium mining. … ” Read more from Arizona Capitol Times here: Mine near Grand Canyon uses polluted water to control dust
Sunday video …
The unseen sea: A collection of time lapse photos taken and compiled by Simon Christen from around the San Francisco Bay Area.
The Unseen Sea from Simon Christen on Vimeo.
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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
