In California water news today, California water cutbacks could take large area of farmland out of production; Santa Clara Valley Water celebrates five years of advanced purified water; Here’s how you can weigh in on Santa Ana River Wash plan; Hundreds of gallons of SONGS wastewater released into ocean; NASA airborne campaign catches the drift of snow water; Why a corporate lawyer is sounding the alarm about these common chemicals; Untangling the problem of ocean plastic
In the news today …
California water cutbacks could take large area of farmland out of production: “California is increasing regulations on groundwater. For many farmers in the state, it is a step too far. The law’s critics say it could lead to a loss of half a million acres of farmland in California’s Central Valley. As Kerry Klein of member station KVPR in Fresno reports, some farmers are so worried, they’re quitting. … ” Read more from Jefferson Public Radio here: California water cutbacks could take large area of farmland out of production
Santa Clara Valley Water celebrates five years of advanced purified water: “Innovation is the heart of Silicon Valley. In that spirit of innovation, Valley Water commemorates the 5th anniversary of the Silicon Valley Advanced Water Purification Center (purification center). Opened in July 2014, the purification center is a partnership between Valley Water and the cities of San Jose and Santa Clara to study the safety, cleanliness, and reliability of advanced water purification as a new, locally controlled, and drought-resistant water supply. … ” Read more from Valley Water News here: Santa Clara Valley Water celebrates five years of advanced purified water
Here’s how you can weigh in on Santa Ana River Wash plan: “The public will soon have a chance to weigh in on proposed uses in the Santa Ana River wash. The San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation District and U.S. Fish and Wildlife will hold two meetings Jan. 9 on the draft environmental documents for the Upper Santa Ana River Wash Habitat Conservation Plan. The plan aims to balance land uses in the 4,900-acre wash area, including water and habitat conservation, wells and water infrastructure, construction, mining and recreation. … ” Read more from the Riverside Press-Enterprise here: Here’s how you can weigh in on Santa Ana River Wash plan
Hundreds of gallons of SONGS wastewater released into ocean: “On Dec. 19, 250 gallons of what was supposed to be 19,200 gallons of operational wastewater from the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station was dumped into the ocean just over a mile offshore from the plant. Southern California Edison, the plant’s owner, originally announced on Dec. 17 that it would release 19,200 of operational wastewater just over a mile off the coast 50 feet below the surface on Dec. 19. According to spokesman John Dobken, only 250 gallons were released before the process was stopped due to an equipment issue. … ” Read more from the Coast News here: Hundreds of gallons of SONGS wastewater released into ocean
NASA airborne campaign catches the drift of snow water: “It’s the most wonderful time of the year – the time NASA’s SnowEx campaign hits the skies and ground of the world’s snowy places, measuring snow properties to understand how much water is contained by each winter’s snowfall. Snow is a vital source of water for drinking, agriculture and electrical power in the western United States and other locations around the world. To know how much water will be available the following spring, water resource managers and hydrologists need to know where snow has fallen, how much there is and how is characteristics change as it melts. Measuring snow water equivalent, or SWE, tells them how much water is contained within the snowpack. NASA currently has no global satellite mission to track and study SWE. SnowEx’s airborne measurements, ground measurements and computer modeling are paving the way for future development of a global snow satellite mission. Here are some things they will be watching for in the 2020 campaign. … ” Read more from NASA here: NASA airborne campaign catches the drift of snow water
Why a corporate lawyer is sounding the alarm about these common chemicals: “A conversation with the lawyer Rob Bilott is like a slap across the face. It doesn’t feel good. But it does get your attention. According to Bilott, we face a “unique health threat” from a class of industrial chemicals that most Americans have never heard of. These chemicals are widely used in everyday products such as non-stick cookware and stain-resistant fabrics, even though science shows they are linked to a range of deadly diseases, reproductive problems and other ailments. Powerful corporations are fighting to protect the use of these profitable chemical compounds, Bilott says, and US regulators are doing next to nothing to stop them. … ” Read more from The Guardian here: Why a corporate lawyer is sounding the alarm about these common chemicals
Untangling the problem of ocean plastic: “During the past half century, Mary Crowley has sailed nearly 115,000 miles of ocean, as both a crew member and a sea captain. Over the years, she has noticed that all the places she loves—Greece, Italy, Costa Rica, Palau, French Polynesia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Galápagos Islands—have been gradually filling up with plastic debris. Through her nonprofit, Ocean Voyages Institute (OVI), which is located in Sausalito, California, Crowley organized a 2009 expedition to the North Pacific Gyre to study the problem. She determined that one of the biggest offenders is “ghost nets,” which linger long after they are lost or discarded by commercial fishing operations and end up entrapping and killing marine life. … ” Read more from Sierra Magazine here: Untangling the problem of ocean plastic
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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.
