DAILY DIGEST, weekend edition: Follow the money: Delta tunnel foes try new strategy; Fishing industry concerned about fall salmon season; Parks and water improvements likely to be on California’s 2018 ballot; and more …

Ash Canal, Imperial Valley
In California water news this weekend, Follow the money: Delta tunnel foes try new strategy; Fishing industry concerned about fall salmon season; Parks and water improvements likely to be on California’s 2018 ballot; Governor Brown to decide fate of bond proposal that includes $200 million for the Salton Sea; Last stop: Governor’s call; New technologies for smarter water use efficiency; The great nutrient collapse; and more …

Note: AB 313, Assemblyman Gray’s water rights legislation, passed on Friday and heads now to the Governor’s desk.  Here is the information on the bill; Here is Assemblyman Gray’s press release sent out yesterday.  I couldn’t find any articles written about it (yet), so stay tuned!

In the news this weekend …

Follow the money: Delta tunnel foes try new strategy:  “Opponents of the Delta tunnels proposal, facing a long-shot bid to kill the controversial project on environmental grounds, are now trying to undermine the plan’s financial structure.  Six environmental groups filed court papers late Thursday attempting to derail the state Department of Water Resources’ plans to bankroll the tunnels with billions of dollars in bond financing. The groups said bonds can’t be issued because the tunnels violate California environmental laws and because the project has received illegal subsidies from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. … ”  Read more from the Sacramento Bee here:  Follow the money: Delta tunnel foes try new strategy

Fishing industry concerned about fall salmon season:  “The commercial fishing industry in Northern California is concerned about the upcoming fall salmon season, based on new numbers out from the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.  The Golden Gate Salmon Association says the return of drought-ravaged winter-run Salmon hit rock bottom this summer and that is likely a precursor of what to expect in the months to come, when commercial fall-run salmon are fished. ... ”  Read more from Capital News Radio here:  Fishing industry concerned about fall salmon season

Parks and water improvements likely to be on California’s 2018 ballot:  “Californians likely will see a $4-billion bond to fund improvements to parks and water infrastructure on the 2018 statewide ballot.  State lawmakers passed the bond early Saturday morning, and Gov. Jerry Brown has pledged to sign it.  “This is the single-largest investment in the history of the United States to park-starved communities,” said Sen. President Pro Tem Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles), the author of the measure, SB 5.  … ”  Read more from the LA Times here:  Parks and water improvements likely to be on California’s 2018 ballot

Governor Brown to decide fate of bond proposal that includes $200 million for the Salton Sea:  “A California bond proposal that includes $200 million for Salton Sea restoration has passed the California Legislature and could end up paying for thousands of acres of ponds, wetlands and other dust-control projects — if the voters of California allow it.  The proposal got two-thirds support from Assembly members on Saturday morning, at the end of this year’s legislative session, and it goes next to Gov. Jerry Brown, then possibly the June 2018 ballot. If approved, the proposal would free up a total of $4 billion for water, parks, coastal and climate-related projects across the state. ... ”  Read more from the Desert Sun here:  Governor Brown to decide fate of bond proposal that includes $200 million for the Salton Sea

Last stop: Governor’s call:  (Disclosure: No water bills covered in this article.)  “It was a year of epic dealmaking in Sacramento.  With Democrats holding supermajorities in both houses of the Legislature and Gov. Jerry Brown facing the end of his final term next year, lawmakers took on some contentious issues. .. In the final days of the session, hundreds of bills landed on Brown’s desk. Here are some of the most consequential. … ”  Read more from Cal Matters here:  Last stop: Governor’s call

New technologies for smarter water use efficiency:  “A new generation of water efficiency solutions has been developing over the last decade, accelerated by supporting technologies like CAD and 3D printing.  These new solutions are about to revolutionise how water efficiency is delivered –  and on a similar scale to the change that silicon chips made to how computing power is delivered over the past 20 years.  These new technologies move beyond filtration and chemical treatment approaches; they’re now delivering business innovators and technology adopters significant savings. … ”  Read more from Sourceable here:  New technologies for smarter water use efficiency

The great nutrient collapse: The atmosphere is literally changing the food we eat for the worse.  And almost nobody is watching: Irakli Loladze is a mathematician by training, but he was in a biology lab when he encountered the puzzle that would change his life. It was in 1998, and Loladze was studying for his Ph.D. at Arizona State University. Against a backdrop of glass containers glowing with bright green algae, a biologist told Loladze and a half-dozen other graduate students that scientists had discovered something mysterious about zooplankton.  Zooplankton are microscopic animals that float in the world’s oceans and lakes, and for food they rely on algae, which are essentially tiny plants. Scientists found that they could make algae grow faster by shining more light onto them—increasing the food supply for the zooplankton, which should have flourished. But it didn’t work out that way. … ”  Read more from Politco here:  The great nutrient collapse

In commentary this weekend …

It’s time to approve the Cal Water Fix project, says Lucy Dunn:  “Every day, I walk into the kitchen, turn on the faucet, and clean drinking water magically appears. It’s a miracle, really, and I’ll bet, like me, you don’t even think about it — the water always flows. Even in the years of drought we endured, good local water management and conservation got us through the tough times. The water always flows.  But not all of Orange County’s water is from local groundwater sources. About half the supply is imported from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region in Northern California or the Colorado River from a system that is almost 50 years old, deteriorating and even detrimental to fish and wildlife. A major earthquake could leave Southern California without a reliable water supply for weeks, even months. … ”  Read more from the OC Register here:  It’s time to approve the Cal Water Fix project

In regional news and commentary this weekend …

Forum addresses future economic impacts of dam spillway crisis:  “Oroville’s economic future could be stunted if the Department of Water Resources does not keep up its end of the bargain with dam spillway reparations, some residents and business owners said Saturday.  Panelists addressed future economic issues after the Oroville Dam spillway crisis at a forum Saturday hosted by the Butte County League of Women Voters. A list of reparation demands for the Department of Water Resources and state water contractors were also discussed by some community members, including recreational development and low-cost power. ... ”  Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here:  Forum addresses future economic impacts of dam spillway crisis

No fishery relief funds again in Congress’ $1.2T spending bill:  “For Yurok Tribe member Sammy Gensaw III, the divide between Capitol Hill and his hometown of Requa on the mouth of the Klamath River is measured in more than miles.  The tribe and commercial fishermen across the West Coast learned this past week that the House of Representatives once again did not include fishery disaster relief funds in a $1.2 trillion spending bill it approved. The relief funds would aid fishermen who suffered major losses after the disastrous 2015-2016 crab season and 2016 salmon season. This year’s salmon season was even worse, with the forecast return of Klamath River Chinook salmon being the lowest on record. … ”  Read more from the Eureka Times-Standard here:  No fishery relief funds again in Congress’ $1.2T spending bill

Cherry Lake drawdown nearly complete:  “Dam operators at Cherry Lake plan to continue emptying water out of the reservoir until the end of this month, when it will hold about 10,000 acre-feet of water and be more than 96 percent empty.  Billed as the largest reservoir in the Stanislaus National Forest when it’s full, Cherry Lake was holding about 8 percent of its total capacity as of Thursday, according to the state Department of Water Resources. ... ” Read more from the Union Democrat here:  Cherry Lake drawdown nearly complete

Monterey Peninsula mayors could ask CPUC to maintain larger water supply project despite reduced local demand:  “Monterey Peninsula mayors are poised to consider arguing in written testimony to the state Public Utilities Commission for continuing to pursue enough new water supply through California American Water’s proposed desalination plant and other means to serve lots of record and other needs so the current moratorium on new water connections can be lifted.  In a special meeting set for Monday, the Peninsula’s regional water authority board will address potential testimony on several key water supply and demand issues to be delivered to the CPUC by Sept. 29. The testimony is due two weeks after Cal Am submitted its testimony on Friday ahead of an Oct. 25 evidentiary hearing at CPUC headquarters in San Francisco that could stretch past Halloween. … ”  Read more from the Monterey Herald here:  Monterey Peninsula mayors could ask CPUC to maintain larger water supply project despite reduced local demand

A small condominium complex in Monterey is gobsmacked by their new water bills:  “When California American Water changed its rate structure in March, residential water bills for most customers shot up by more than 60 percent. Those were the lucky ones.  Residents in the Tanglewood community, a 75-unit community of condominiums in the Skyline Forest in Monterey, were not among the lucky. According to Curt Chaffee, board president of Tanglewood’s homeowners association, the community’s water bills jumped from $2,300 per month to $7,300. The increase had nothing to do with water use—it came almost entirely from an 8-inch water meter connected to two fire hydrants, which is used only if the hydrants are used. … ”  Read more from Monterey Weekly here:  A small condominium complex in Monterey is gobsmacked by their new water bills

How the Elsinore water district plans to deal with future shortages:  “While wet weather last winter and spring ended a half-decade of drought in California, a water district that serves much of southwestern Riverside County is preparing for future dry years and water shortages.  Anticipating customer demand to double by 2040 as its water supply shrinks, the Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District has created a proposed Drought Contingency Plan in conjunction.  The 178-page plan prepared by consulting firm Civiltec Engineering is now available for public review on the district’s website and was presented to the  agency’s Board of Directors on Thursday, Sept. 14, in anticipation of full adoption later this year. ... ”  Read more from the Riverside Press-Enterprise here:  How the Elsinore water district plans to deal with future shortages

Orange County Latinos want desal water now, says Cathy Green and Antonio Gonzales:  They write, “The Orange County Water District’s mission is to provide the 2.4 million people it serves with a reliable, adequate, high-quality water supply at the lowest reasonable cost in an environmentally responsible manner. Because of its dependence on climate-challenged, heavily regulated imported water, OCWD’s policy is to develop new local and drought-proof sources of water. In the process of doing this, OCWD has identified the proposed Huntington Beach Desalination Project as the single largest source of new local drinking water supply available to the region. Thus, in May of 2015, OCWD entered into a Term Sheet with Poseidon Water for the purchase of the entire 50 million gallons a day the plant will produce. … ”  Read more from the OC Register here:  Orange County Latinos want desal water now

San Diego County: Wastewater plant overcomes salt crisis:  “Treatment processes at a wastewater plant in California hit a snag recently when the facility was inundated with salt.  Rain and runoff increased the amount of salt at San Elijo Joint Powers Authority (JPA) wastewater treatment plant, according to the San Diego Reader.  “The salty water killed the beneficial bugs, and the water being treated wasn’t fully cleaned, leaving the plant with three days of too many suspended solids in the wastewater pumped into the ocean,” the report said. … ”  Read more from Water Online here: Wastewater plant overcomes salt crisis

Borrego Springs trying to deal with underground crisis:  “Residents of Borrego Springs are reluctantly coming to grips with a problem that threatens the very existence of their community, one they have known about and been slow to solve — until the state threatened to intervene.  There are no aqueducts that bring water to this desert community. There are no desalination plants or any other method of creating drinkable water. Every ounce used by residents, golf courses and especially farmers is pumped from the ground.  The problem: Studies show that each year the underground aquifers that lie below the Borrego Valley are naturally replenished by about 1.8 billion gallons. But on average, each year 6.2 billion gallons are being sucked from the earth by electric pumps. Were that to continue, the cost of pumping would eventually become fiscally unfeasible and the quality of the water would get worse and worse. … ”  Read more from the LA Times here:  Borrego Springs trying to deal with underground crisis

Also on Maven’s Notebook this weekend …

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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

no weekends

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