In California water news this weekend …
Pattern flip to bring a cooldown to the Southwest, some rain, snow
“Cooler weather is on the horizon for California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, and New Mexico residents. The record-setting heat that overtook the region in days leading up to the weekend will depart from much of the American Southwest, and lower temperatures will take its place. … As the storm arrives along the Northwest coast Sunday night, cooler air will expand southward throughout the West. Showers and mountain snow will dampen portions of Washington, Oregon, Northern California, and the northern Rockies Sunday night. By Monday, the storm can begin spreading snow as far south as the Klamath Mountains, the southernmost extent of the Cascade Range, and the Sierra Nevada Range. ... ” Read more from AccuWeather here: Pattern flip to bring a cooldown to the Southwest
Winter advisory: More than a foot of snow possible for Tahoe
“A strong, fast-moving storm could drop more than a foot of snow on the mountains early next week at Lake Tahoe. The National Weather Service in Reno has issued a winter weather advisory that goes into effect at 5 a.m. on Monday and lasts through 8 p.m. The service said 2-8 inches of snow are possible at Lake Tahoe with 8-14 inches possible above 7,000 feet. Strong winds may reach near 50-60 mph with 100 mph gusts possible in the high Sierra. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune here: Winter advisory: More than a foot of snow possible for Tahoe
Few strong landfalling atmospheric rivers reach California
“Few landfalling atmospheric rivers in the current water year have reached California, now in the third year of a statewide drought. The latest update from the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes, Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, shows that Water Year 2022 started strong in October, but weaker storms did not ease dry conditions. The CW3E report, Distribution of Landfalling Atmospheric Rivers over the U.S. West Coast During Water Year 2022: Summary Through March, was published April 7. “While Water Year 2022 began with an exceptional AR over California in October, the state only experienced strong or greater magnitude AR conditions FIVE times, resulting in three straight water years of below normal activity,” according the report. … ” Read more from the Water News Network here: Few strong landfalling atmospheric rivers reach California
DWR making investments in much-needed canal repairs
“The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) is investing more than $33 million to assist with needed canal repairs. Issues of subsidence were highlighted during the last drought that California experienced. The latest drought conditions have exacerbated the need to strengthen existing water infrastructure. DWR has released $29.8 million in funding to the Friant Water Authority (FWA) as part of the effort. FWA will use the funding to make repairs to the Friant-Kern Canal, which serves a critical role in delivering water to one million acres of farmland. ... ” Read more from Ag Net West here: DWR making investments in much-needed canal repairs
A California water board assured the public that oil wastewater is safe for irrigation. Experts say evidence is flimsy.
“After years of controversy, the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board assured the public in the fall that eating California crops grown with oil field wastewater “creates no identifiable increased health risks,” based on studies commissioned as part of an extensive Food Safety Project. Yet a review of the science and interviews with a public health scientist affiliated with the project and other experts show that there is scant evidence to support the board’s safety claims. The “neutral, third-party consultant” the board retained to conduct the studies, GSI Environmental, has regularly worked for the oil industry. … ” Read more from Grist here: A California water board assured the public that oil wastewater is safe for irrigation. Experts say evidence is flimsy.
California-Nevada drought status update
“January through March 2022 was the driest on record for these three months for much of California and Nevada. The dry end of the wet season leaves California and parts of Nevada in a third year of drought—with drought conditions worse in California than a year ago according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Since October 2019, the beginning of the current drought, much of the region is missing over half a year’s worth of normal precipitation. Some locations are missing as much as 1.25–1.75 years’ worth of precipitation. In NOAA’s spring outlook, for the second year in a row forecasters predict prolonged, persistent drought in the West, including California and Nevada. Significant wildland fire potential is forecasted for parts of the region starting in May. Drought impacts will continue to intensify and expand given a third dry year. Applying lessons learned from past droughts and drought preparedness are key.” Read the full update from NIDIS here: California-Nevada drought status update
No return to normal: Low mountain snowpack reflects the West’s grim climate outlook
“As the wet season comes to an end, scientists with the U.S. Department of Agriculture are warning that the dry winter across the Mountain West broke records for its meager mountain snowfall. “January, February, and March this year added up to the lowest precipitation for those three months that we’ve ever seen at SNOTEL sites, going back to the early ‘80s,” said Jeff Anderson. SNOTEL – short for snow telemetry – is the automated system that tracks how much water is stored in hard-to-reach areas like the eastern Sierra Nevada mountains. That’s where Anderson, a hydrologist with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service, measures seasonal snowpack. … ” Read more from KUNR here: No return to normal: Low mountain snowpack reflects the West’s grim climate outlook
Column: La Niña — the ‘diva of drought’ — remains doggedly in place
Columnist John Lindsey writes, “The first three months of 2022 were the driest on record at Cal Poly since 1869. Cal Poly has recorded an inch of rain so far this year. The previous most-parched start to the year was in 1972, when 1.89 inches fell. … Many readers have asked if we’re likely to see an El Niño condition develop next rainfall season and, with it, typical or above-average rainfall. Regrettably, the current , the “diva of drought,” according to Bill Patzert, a retired climate scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, remains doggedly in place. … ” Read more from the San Luis Obispo Tribune here: Column: La Niña — the ‘diva of drought’ — remains doggedly in place
Photos: As drought puts growing strains on fish, hatcheries serve as lifelines for California salmon
“When Shasta Dam was built on the Sacramento River in the 1940s, the government also established Coleman National Fish Hatchery about 30 miles away on the tributary Battle Creek, aiming to make up for the loss of upstream habitat by raising fish for release. The hatchery’s staff runs an elaborate spawning operation that this year is raising 12 million fall-run Chinook salmon, supporting California’s commercial and recreational fisheries. The hatchery also raises other types of salmon and steelhead. ... ” Read more from the LA Times here: Photos: As drought puts growing strains on fish, hatcheries serve as lifelines for California salmon
Expert says California fire season could start early as May due to heatwaves, drought
“Plenty of residents went out to enjoy the beautiful record-breaking weather across the Bay Area Tuesday, but climate scientists were not necessarily enjoying the warm temps. One wildfire expert believes hot days like today could lead to an increased risk of fire danger. March 2022 in the Bay Area feels more like a taste of summer with temperatures in the 70s and 80s and record highs falling across the region. It made for a perfect day to go enjoy the sunshine. “The human body likes warm and sunny skies,” San Jose resident Chris Mulcaster said. “This is one of the days that we’ve had this week that’s been nice. It’s great, the rain is not as desirable as the sunshine that’s for sure.” Well, don’t tell that to anyone following the drought and climate closely. … ” Read more from KGO here: Expert says California fire season could start early as May due to heatwaves, drought
Podcasts …
Engineering with Nature collaboration with the California Department of Water Resources
From flood risk to extreme drought and wildfire, California is feeling the brunt of climate change impacts and is, by necessity, at the forefront of climate change innovation. In this episode, we’re talking about the unique challenges of managing California’s precious water resources and about a new collaboration between the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and Engineering With Nature®. Our guests are Dr. Todd Bridges, Senior Research Scientist for Environmental Science with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and National Lead for EWN, and Kris Tjernell, Deputy Director, Integrated Watershed Management for the California Department of Water Resources. The goal of the collaboration on EWN is to advance opportunities for truly integrated solutions to water resource challenges.
Integrating Engineering with Nature into critical watershed projects in California
In Part 2 of Episode 7, we continue our discussion with Todd Bridges, Senior Research Scientist for Environmental Science with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and National Lead for EWN; and Kris Tjernell, Deputy Director, Integrated Watershed Management for the California Department of Water Resources. We discuss their plans to fully integrate EWN into critical watershed projects in California. They hope these projects will showcase innovation and new ways of thinking about climate change adaptation and resilience on a broad scale, while accelerating the multi-benefits of water management, habitat restoration and community resilience. As Kris notes, “because California is such a focal point now for the impacts of climate change, we’re positioned perfectly to be an innovator, to be a leader, to show that you can deliver landscape-level projects at the pace required to, not only keep up with the impacts of climate change, but to really get out ahead of it and prepare our landscape for those inevitable changes.”
KQED PODCAST: Joaquin Esquivel carries Coachella Valley roots in management of California water
Marisa and Guy Marzorati discuss the rush to political responses after Sunday’s mass shooting in Sacramento and the flood of spending in special legislative elections. Then, E. Joaquin Esquivel, chair of the State Water Resources Control Board, joins to discuss his childhood in the Coachella Valley and family roots in agriculture, his path into government and the challenges and opportunities facing the state amid a historic drought. Click here to listen at KQED.
SEI PODCAST: A vision of water management in California
In this episode, our guests are and , scientists from the Stockholm Environment Institute who have worked on many different aspects of water management in California for 20 years. They share with us the importance of managing water under climate variability and climate change, their impacts on water systems, and the sustainability of groundwater in California.
WATER TALK PODCAST: California Native water rights, stewardship, and protection
A conversation with Dr. Beth Rose Middleton Manning (UC Davis) about water rights, hydroelectric infrastructure, easements, and conservation in California.
WEST COAST WATER JUSTICE: Klamath Dam Removal, a confluence of indigenous and western sciences
Keith Parker, Senior Fisheries Biologist for the Yurok Tribe explains some of the basics that make up a healthy fishery and river ecosystem. We learn about the different salmon runs and basic salmon genetics. He shares his background in Indigenous ecological knowledge and Western science and how together they inform the Klamath Dam Removal process. Keith makes it clear that the loss of these fish and traditional foods are as much a social justice issue as a biological issue. To lose species like salmon is more than just a loss of biodiversity, it is a loss of cultural heritage.
USC ANNENBERG MEDIA: California drought compounds climate change concerns: “We cannot afford to wait any longer”
Experts stress the importance of water conservation efforts in light of worsening drought and low precipitation levels.
WATER IS A MANY SPLENDOR’ED THING PODCAST: Collateral Damage
Have you ever wondered why large-scale management plans are met with borage of complaints and criticisms? Water policy is no exception. It is another deja vu moment from 2009 and may become this years’ experience once again. Water is a Many Splendor’ed Thing brings you another water relationship that has a personally significant impact to your life. Podcast produced by Steven Baker, Bringing People Together to Solve Water Problems, water@operationunite.co
In regional water news this weekend …
NORTH COAST
‘History the correct way’: Yurok Tribe cuts ribbon on renovated Stone Lagoon center
“The visitor center at Stone Lagoon reopened under Yurok tribal stewardship and with a new name following a long period of inactivity with a ceremony held on Thursday afternoon. Yurok leaders cut the ribbon on the Chah-pekw O’ Ket’-toh “Stone Lagoon” Visitor Center in a ceremony attended by tribal members, representatives from the California State Parks system, Redwoods State and National Park leaders, California Assemblyman Jim Wood (D-Santa Rosa) and U.S. representative Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael), among others. The day’s festivities included keynote speeches, ceremonial songs, tours of the center, an update on native condor reintroduction efforts and a salmon pit cookout. … ” Read more from the Eureka Times-Standard here: ‘History the correct way’: Yurok Tribe cuts ribbon on renovated Stone Lagoon center
Lady of the Lake: Private, small and individual drinking water systems
“Dear Lady of the Lake, We have a private, single drinking water intake that takes in water from Clear Lake and provides tap water and wash water to our lakeside summer vacation cottage. With the drought and algae concerns this year, what do I need to know about being able to safely drink and use our water? Dear Carly, Thank you for reaching out about this topic! I am also glad that you are asking this topical question and thinking ahead. Right now is a good time to be preparing for the summer season, with expected low water levels due to drought combined with warm summer temperatures, we can expect a very heavy cyanobacteria season. Heavy cyanobacteria means that drinking water systems, both public and private, will require more attention to operate safely.… ” Read the full article at the Lake County News here: Lady of the Lake: Private, small and individual drinking water systems
NAPA/SONOMA
Could Berryessa provide Napa water in a pinch?
“Napa County contains massive Lake Berryessa, the seventh-largest reservoir in California, and receives what in the water world amounts to a thimbleful from it. Almost all of Lake Berryessa’s water goes to neighboring Solano County. Only a small portion goes to Napa County and none to Napa Valley cities or its world-famous wine country vineyards. Amid a drought, it’s like being parched next to an oasis. This oasis is mostly off-limits because Napa County during the 1940s and 1950s didn’t help fund — and in fact opposed — the creation of a federal reservoir that submerged a townsite and farmland. ... ” Read more from the Napa Register here: Could Berryessa provide Napa water in a pinch?
Napa RCD one of county’s best-kept secrets
“The Napa County Resource Conservation District is one of the Napa Valley’s best-kept secrets, doing exceptional work to save fish and the environment. According to naparcd.org, it was established in June 1945 as a special district under Division 9 of the California Public Resources Code. Created to develop and further soil and water conservation, the RCD, like its many counterparts throughout the state and nation, is an autonomous, self-governing local government agency. The RCD is truly a grass-roots organization dedicated to implementing projects on public and private lands and educating landowners and the public about resource conservation on a voluntary basis. ... ” Read more from the Napa Register here: Napa RCD one of county’s best-kept secrets
BAY AREA
How rising sea levels could push up a ‘toxic soup’ into Bay Area neighborhoods
“Phoenix Armenta is worried about the future of neighborhoods along the edge of San Francisco Bay. Contaminated sites litter shoreline communities like West Oakland, where Armenta works as a community organizer. As climate change pushes bay water higher, floodwaters could mix with toxic pollution and threaten people’s health. “I’m concerned that water is going to get into people’s homes,” said Armenta, regional resilience manager for the West Oakland Environmental Indicators Project. “They’ll be polluted with a toxic soup.” … ” Read more from KQED here: How rising sea levels could push up a ‘toxic soup’ into bay area neighborhoods
State rejects Point Reyes water contamination, climate plan
“The California Coastal Commission has rejected what it called a lackluster federal strategy to address water contamination and environmental impacts caused by cattle ranching in the Point Reyes National Seashore. The commission’s decision on Thursday came nearly a year after it narrowly voted to endorse the National Park Service’s plan to extend leases for the beef cattle and dairy ranches renting land in the seashore to terms of up to 20 years. The plan, adopted by the Biden administration in September, also allows park staff to shoot some of the park’s free-roaming tule elk to reduce conflicts with the ranches over damaged property and competition for grazing forage. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here: State rejects Point Reyes water contamination, climate plan
Marin Water taps additional supply
“Marin will soon be able to access additional water supplies, the county’s largest water agency said. The recent completion of the Kastania Pump Station Rehabilitation Project will allow the Marin Municipal Water District to tap into supplemental water from Sonoma County, the agency announced Thursday. … ” Continue reading at the Patch here: Marin Water taps additional supply
Port, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center launch living seawall pilot project along Embarcadero
“The Port of San Francisco and the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center jointly announced Friday the launch of a pilot project studying the use of special seawall tiles along the Embarcadero. The Living Seawall Pilot will span at least two years, according to the two organizations, and will test the use of textured tiles along three portions of the Embarcadero Seawall. The tiles are intended to promote biodiversity and support native aquatic species better than a traditional seawall made of exposed concrete. … ” Read more from SF Gate here: Port, Smithsonian Environmental Research Center launch living seawall pilot project along Embarcadero
Water and wildlife returning to Pacheco Marsh, Walnut Creek
“Since the levees to Suisun Bay were breached nearly six months ago, the landscape of Pacheco Marsh has changed dramatically. It’s closer to being a waterscape now, with the 5.32 miles of channels cut by earthmovers last year now full of bay water, flowing upstream or down, depending on the tide. Ribbons of yellow wildflowers — dotted with orange poppies — wind through the marsh. Waterbirds are starting to appear. … ” Continue reading at the Patch here: Water and wildlife returning to Pacheco Marsh, Walnut Creek
Residents shocked to find aquatic fern completely covering Tilden Regional Park’s Lake Anza
“People hoping to cool off or enjoy the scenery at Lake Anza at Tilden Regional Park were shocked to find it blanketed in some sort of green and brown plant. “It’s literally green. I thought it was a football field,” said Berkeley resident Ahmed Hamida. According to the East Bay Regional Park District, these are small aquatic ferns called “Azolla” or “mosquito fern.” Azolla grows extremely fast, and in a matter of weeks completely covered the 10-acre lake. ... ” Read more from KTVU here: Residents shocked to find aquatic fern completely covering Tilden Regional Park’s Lake Anza
Boat catches fire in Sacramento delta charring a dock, one acre of vegetation, officials say
“A fire, which officials say started on a boat in the Sacramento delta, destroyed a dock and at least one acre of vegetation Friday. According to a Facebook post from the River Delta Fire District, firefighters were called to Steamboat Landing in Sacramento County, along Highway 160 Friday around 6 p.m. on reports of a boat fire. Firefighters found a 70-foot boat on fire after arriving. The fire spread to a dock and at least one acre of vegetation, fire officials say. … ” Read more from Channel 10 here: Boat catches fire in Sacramento delta charring a dock, one acre of vegetation, officials say
CENTRAL COAST
San Lorenzo Valley Water Districts move closer to consolidation with fire-damaged systems
“The CZU August Lightning Complex fire continues to impact Santa Cruz County water reliability more than one and a half years after the fire erupted, but some customers are getting closer to relief. On Thursday, the San Lorenzo Valley Water District Board of Directors accepted a legal document during a meeting that further solidifies a consolidation between the purveyor and two small community water systems that suffered serious fire damage. Big Basin Water Co. was particularly hard hit in the blaze, losing nearly all its crucial water infrastructure. The company has served some 500 customers off of a single well as result, meaning erratic water service and weeks-long outages. The San Lorenzo Valley Water District also suffered serious damage, with nearly all of its surface water sources burning, but the purveyor has wider access to aquifer sources and more manpower to provide reliable drinking water. … ” Read more from the Santa Cruz Sentinel here: San Lorenzo Valley Water Districts move closer to consolidation with fire-damaged systems
Monterey Peninsula water district sues county agency
“The Monterey Peninsula water district has filed a lawsuit against an inter-governmental agency for what it claims was an illegal blocking of the district’s voter-mandated effort to acquire the assets of California American Water Co. The lawsuit stems from a set of decisions made by the Local Area Formation Commission of Monterey County, or LAFCO, to deny the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District its ability to move forward with what voters required the district to do with the passage of Measure J in 2018. The April 1 filing in Monterey County Superior Court cites a number of allegations that the decisions made by LAFCO in December 2021 and again earlier this year violated statutes for unbiased decision making as a governmental body as well as violating the Cortese-Knox-Hertzberg Local Government Reorganization Act of 2000 that established what a LAFCO board can and cannot do, as well as the California Environmental Quality Act. … ” Read more from the Monterey Herald here: Monterey Peninsula water district sues county agency
Montecito Sanitary District considers merger with water district, sees high staff turnover
“A merger of Montecito’s small, independent water and wastewater treatment districts, the dream of a group of wealthy Montecitans who raised more than $250,000 to win control of both agencies during recent elections, is now under study by a Los Angeles consulting firm. In February, the boards of the Montecito Water District and the Montecito Sanitary District voted overwhelmingly to split the $47,000 cost of a study on consolidation “to determine if there is a business case affirming that the two districts can and should consolidate.” “This is just to see if this is something that would work or not work for our community,” sanitary district board president Dorinne Johnson said at a Feb. 24 board meeting. “We’re not trying to rush anything.” … ” Read more from Noozhawk here: Montecito Sanitary District considers merger with water district, sees high staff turnover
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Staff hired to target Manteca water waste
“Manteca is stepping up its water conservation efforts as California enters its third year of drought. A water conservation worker — whose primary duty would be to drive the city looking for water use violations and issue warnings in a bid to secure compliance — is expected to start on May 1. That will augment efforts of the water division staff that places door hangers listing the city’s watering rules whenever they come across wasteful water usage. … ” Read more from the Manteca Bulletin here: Staff hired to target Manteca water waste
Merced County community divided over farmer’s proposal to expand dairy
“It’s a windy day in LeGrand as Eddie Hoekstra drives through rows of cattle on his farm. Hoekstra manages about 8,000 cows on his 2,290-acre farm called Hillcrest Dairy. He’s 53 years old and has managed the farm for over 20 years. As he gets older, he says, he thinks a lot about how he wants to leave the farm to his sons. Two of them have degrees in agriculture and a third son works at the dairy as well. “If they want to stay in the dairy business in California, we have to be competitive,” he said. It’s one reason Hoekstra has submitted a proposal to the county to increase the number of cows on his farm by 1,700. … ” Read more from KVPR here: Merced County community divided over farmer’s proposal to expand dairy
Precision ag project to help farmers measure plant moisture
“The base robot for the new plant-moisture-measuring system researchers are developing will navigate rows of crops to reach individual leaves and stems. One of the biggest challenges in managing crops, especially in large fields, is knowing how much water each section of a field needs. Determining that accurately is a cumbersome process that requires people to hand-pluck individual leaves from plants, put them in pressure chambers and apply air pressure to see when water begins to leak from the leaf stems. That kind of testing is time consuming and means that farmers can only reach so many areas of a field each day and cannot test as frequently as they should. … ” Read more from the Turlock Journal here: Precision ag project to help farmers measure plant moisture
Turlock water project moving along
“Crews were out working along Berkeley and Taylor roads this week fitting pipeline that will bring the residents of Turlock a new source of drinking water, hopefully, by next year. Through the Regional Surface Water Supply Project, Tuolumne River water will be treated at a new state-of-the-art water treatment plant to provide Ceres and Turlock with clean, safe, reliable drinking water. The City of Turlock has been working for 30 years to secure this alternate drinking source, as its current drinking water supply is 100% groundwater — and dwindling. … ” Read more from the Turlock Journal here: Turlock water project moving along
Why Central Valley rivers are not a cool place to be
“The Central Valley has experienced warmer than normal temperatures over the past few days. Although the heat is set to subside, this weekend may see many try to cool off at one of the many rivers flowing through the area. While this time of year can be warm for those on the valley floor, the water flowing from the higher elevations can be cold. In fact, data released by river monitoring stations show that the water is substantially cooler than one would probably expect. … ” Read more from Your Central Valley here: Why Central Valley rivers are not a cool place to be
Cal Water proposes water system improvements to Bakersfield, Kern River Valley
“The fight for clean water continues in Kern County. Every three years, Cal Water submits its Infrastructure Improvement Plan to the California Public Utilities Commission. The most recent plan, filed in July 2021, focuses heavily on replacing aged water main, or pipelines, in both Bakersfield and the Kern River Valley. Kevin McCusker with Cal Water says the agency wants to offer an affordable solution to customers while maintaining functional infrastructure. … ” Read more from Bakersfield Now here: Cal Water proposes water system improvements to Bakersfield, Kern River Valley
Kern County agricultural water district begins mining mountain stream under pilot program
“Water flowing down the south fork of the Kern River began running through Lake Isabella earlier this month with a name and destination attached for the first time in its history. The water will eventually make its way 60 miles down river to its owner, the Rosedale-Rio Bravo Water Storage District in northwest Bakersfield under a two-year pilot program that began April 1. “We got it going and that’s a huge accomplishment,” said Dan Bartel, General Manager of Rosedale-Rio Bravo, which bought the Onyx Ranch and some other properties with rights to the south fork of the Kern back in 2013 for $25 million in hopes of bringing that water to valley farms. … ” Read more from SJV Water here: Kern County agricultural water district begins mining mountain stream under pilot program
Despite drought, wildflowers in Kern hanging tough
“California has so much going for it, it almost feels like an embarrassment of riches: The mountains, the valleys, the forests, the deserts, the shoreline — and yes, the wildflowers — are, for most Californians, love at first sight. The Golden State’s rainfall is at historic lows, blooms may not be as bountiful, so assessing the situation before you head out is even more crucial this year,” the BLM said in a news release Tuesday. According to the National Weather Service, some areas in central and southern California have received less than 20 percent of their normal precipitation this year. The temperatures and dry conditions have resulted in drier soils and vegetation. And that can affect the growth of wildflowers. … ” Read more from the Bakersfield Californian here: Despite drought, wildflowers in Kern hanging tough
EASTERN SIERRA
LADWP files motion contesting air pollution control order
“The city of Los Angeles, acting by and through its Department of Water and Power, filed a motion Wednesday against the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District to ensure the protection of significant cultural resources on the Owens Lake playa, LADWP announced Friday. The motion is in response to a July 21, 2021, Great Basin order (and subsequent order fining more than $500,000 in penalties) directing LADWP to begin dust mitigation on an artifact-dense cultural resource site known as Sibi Patsiata-wae-tü Cultural Resource located on the playa. According to LADWP, this order violates both Great Basin’s own regulations and the sovereignty of at least one Native American Tribe. … ” Read more from the Sierra Wave here: LADWP files motion contesting air pollution control order
SAN DIEGO
East County nears vote on new wastewater plant amid historic drought
“East County is moving closer to building a new wastewater treatment plant to recycle millions of gallons a day, amid a severe lack of rainfall that’s pushed the region into its driest period in a millennium. Officials with the local Helix Water District have announced they and other project leaders are more than halfway done designing a system to make the region less reliant on outside water. The governing body overseeing the project is scheduled to vote May 19 on a final price with contractors, a spokeswoman said. Construction should begin as soon as June so the plant can be up and running by 2025. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune here: East County nears vote on new wastewater plant amid historic drought
Also on Maven’s Notebook this weekend …
BULLETIN 120 and Water Supply Index Forecast – April 1, 2022
CDFW GRANTS: Draft 2022 Cannabis Restoration Grant Program Public Land Cleanup and Remediation Solicitation and Watershed Enhancement Solicitation Released for Public Review
NOTICE: Draft Research proposals deadline for the Tracy Fish Facility Improvement Program FY23 projects
