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DAILY DIGEST: Key vote on $17 billion Delta tunnels project today in San Jose; The Delta from within; DWR plans lower elevation for Oroville heading into flood season; Water Deeply Talks: Water markets; Western Innovator: Improving crops, waterfowl habitat; and more …

Maven
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In California water news today, Key vote on $17 billion Delta tunnels project today in San Jose; The Delta from within; DWR plans lower elevation for Oroville heading into flood season; Water Deeply Talks: Water markets; Western Innovator: Improving crops, waterfowl habitat; How California’s North Bay fires became the state’s deadliest; Researchers propose an open ‘internet of water’ tracking use, quality, and costs; and more …

On the calendar today …

In the news today …

Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

Key vote on $17 billion Delta tunnels project today in San Jose:  “In its most far-reaching decision in more than 50 years, Silicon Valley’s largest water provider will vote Tuesday on whether to embrace or reject Gov. Jerry Brown’ s $17 billion plan to build two massive tunnels under the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.  The Santa Clara Valley Water District, based in San Jose, is considering contributing at least $620 million to the project — more than $1 billion when financing costs are included. The vote could shape whether the project is ever built or if it is reduced in size.  On Monday, following lobbying from Brown’s top aides and the governor himself, it appeared that a majority of board members was leaning toward supporting a smaller project, with one tunnel, at potentially half the cost. That could send the project back to the drawing board. ... ”  Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here:  Key vote on $17 billion Delta tunnels project today in San Jose

The Delta from within:  “Highway 160 runs along a levee, hugging the Sacramento River as it curves through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Heading north from Rio Vista, blue water sparkles on the left. On the right, vibrant green fields, orchards and vineyards go on forever. A few miles up the winding road, shaggy valley oaks meet over-head, a reminder of what was here before people tamed the water and turned the Delta — where California’s two largest rivers meet on their way to the sea — into a patchwork of islands and meandering sloughs. As an outsider, it’s easy to see the Delta as a mess. ... ”  Continue reading from Estuary News here:  The Delta from within

DWR plans lower elevation for Oroville heading into flood season:  “With just more than two weeks until the initial reconstruction of the main spillway at Lake Oroville is supposed to be completed, the Department of Water Resources released operations plan for the reservoir for this coming flood season. The state plans to drop the lake’s elevation by November to allow enough storage space for inflows this winter.  “This plan puts public safety first, while also meeting our water supply and environmental obligations as we repair and rebuild the Lake Oroville spillways,” said Grant Davis, DWR director, in a press release. “We will operate Lake Oroville conservatively until construction on both spillways is complete in late 2018, early 2019.” … ”  Read more from the Appeal Democrat here:  DWR plans lower elevation for Oroville heading into flood season

Water Deeply Talks: Water markets:  “In this episode of “Deeply Talks,” Tara Lohan, the managing editor of Water Deeply, discusses emerging water markets in California with Maurice Hall, the associate vice president of water for the Ecosystems Program at the Environmental Defense Fund, and Michael Kiparsky, the director of the Wheeler Water Institute at the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment at the University of California, Berkeley. ... ”  Read more and listen to the discussion at Water Deeply here:  Water Deeply Talks: Water markets

Western Innovator: Improving crops, waterfowl habitat: “Fourth-generation farmer Marc Staunton employs one of the most innovative crop rotations in the country.  On different segments of a 3,500-acre plot within the Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge, Staunton makes rotations based on a four-year cycle. He plants grains, then potatoes and then returns to grains, and in the fourth year he fallows the field and floods it to create seasonal wetlands.  About 20 years ago, his family’s Staunton Farms helped spearhead a project called Walking Wetlands, in which growers with co-op contracts or leases to farm within the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuges are bringing wetlands back to an area that was once a massive lake. … ”  Read more from the Capital Press here:  Western Innovator: Improving crops, waterfowl habitat

How California’s North Bay fires became the state’s deadliest:  “A week after more than a dozen devastating wildfires erupted across Northern California, the first hopeful news began to emerge that firefighters were getting many blazes under control and some evacuation orders might be lifted.  On Monday the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) reported that 14 large wildfires had destroyed more than 213,000 acres, torched 5,700 structures and taken 41 lives – making it the most deadly week of wildfires in the state’s history.  So what made these fires so severe and what can communities do to protect themselves from future fires? … ”  Read more from Water Deeply here:  How California’s North Bay fires became the state’s deadliest

Researchers propose an open ‘internet of water’ tracking use, quality, and costs:  “Where did the water coming out of your tap come from? How is it filtered and purified? How much does it cost the city and state per gallon to deliver? How can they improve that? These and other questions come naturally as fresh water becomes more and more valuable a resource — and we need a shared, open ‘internet of water’ to answer them, say researchers from Duke University and the Aspen Institute.  With natural disasters like droughts and flooding, and with man-made problems like overcrowded cities and factory runoff, the water system is frequently overtaxed and understudied. Local authorities and utilities produce reams of data on use, but there is little in the way of national databases, let alone standardized, open datasets. … ”  Read more from Tech Crunch here:  Researchers propose an open ‘internet of water’ tracking use, quality, and costs

In commentary today …

Put an end to governor’s Delta tunnels plan, says the East Bay Times:  They write, “Tuesday is the day the momentum behind Gov. Jerry Brown’s twin-tunnel plan that threatens the health of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta could change — for the better.  The Santa Clara Valley Water District Board will decide whether to commit to raising ratepayer taxes by at least $1 billion to pay for its share of the Big Dud — Gov. Jerry Brown’s $17 billion “WaterFix” plan to build two massive, 35-mile, 40-foot-high tunnels under the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta that won’t add a drop of new water to California’s supply. … ”  Read more from the East Bay Times here:  Put an end to governor’s Delta tunnels plan

State’s own evidence shows tunnel project will harm fish, says Jonathan Rosenfield:  He writes, “Gov. Jerry Brown deserves credit for leading the fight against climate change in the face of Washington’s fact-free narratives. That’s why it’s so frustrating that his administration ignores scientific analyses regarding the impact of his controversial proposal to build two giant tunnels that would divert Sacramento River water under the Delta.  Despite years of assuring Californians that the new $17 billion tunnels would protect the San Francisco Bay estuary and would not increase the total volume of water exported from this ecosystem, the state’s own documents – including the Biological Assessment and Draft Environmental Impact Report/Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement (RDEIR/SDEIS) – show the opposite. … ”  Read more from Water Deeply here:  State’s own evidence shows tunnel project will harm fish

In regional news and commentary today …

Oroville Dam: DWR ‘can’t say for certain’ whether spillway ramp will open:  “The state Department of Water Resources intends to open the spillway boat launch ramp after construction at the dam is complete, but there is a possibility it will stay out of commission, according to a department official.  The spillway boat launch is the largest on the lake, with up to 12 lanes when the water is high enough. DWR confirmed the ramp may remain closed indefinitely for the first time in a press call on Oct. 4.  Erin Mellon, DWR’s assistant director of public affairs, said there would “potentially” not be a boat ramp there in the future, in response to a reporter’s question. … ”  Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here:  Oroville Dam: DWR ‘can’t say for certain’ whether spillway ramp will open

Monterey County hydrologists recommend a moratorium on new wells in some areas:  “In an effort combat seawater intrusion in the Salinas Valley—which is threatening agricultural and municipal water supplies—the board of the Monterey County Water Resources Agency is set to consider a series of strategies at a meeting Monday, Oct. 16. One of those includes a moratorium on new wells in certain areas.  The recommendations come after MCWRA senior hydrologist Howard Franklin unveiled the county’s 2015 seawater intrusion maps (the most recent) to the County Board of Supervisors and the MCWRA board at a meeting in July.  ... ” Read more from Monterey County Weekly here:  Monterey County hydrologists recommend a moratorium on new wells in some areas

The LA DWP responds to concerns about lithium in Valley water supply:  “A local physician studying the health effects of a massive natural gas leak at Aliso Canyon said Monday he warned the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power that high levels of lithium were present in tap water in the San Fernando Valley.  Dr. Jeffrey Nordella, a physician who practiced in Porter Ranch and who had been testing patients who live near the site of the massive 2015 Aliso Canyon natural gas leak, said he notified the LADWP of the lithium levels on Oct. 12, two days before he presented his findings to the public.  He said he sent them two separate e-mails.  “I gave them the findings,” Nordella said of the LADWP. “I did not hear back from them.” ... ”  Read more from the LA Daily News here:  The LA DWP responds to concerns about lithium in Valley water supply

Trump administration green-lights company’s plan to pipe water from the Mojave Desert to cities:  “President Donald Trump’s administration has approved a company’s plan to build a water pipeline to carry billions of gallons from the Mojave Desert to California cities.  The federal Bureau of Land Management told Cadiz Inc. in a letter released Monday that the company won’t need a permit to build the pipeline alongside a railroad. The agency rescinded a 2015 decision by President Barack Obama’s administration that had blocked the project.  The Los Angeles-based company said with no federal permit needed, it now plans to move ahead with designing and building the 43-mile pipeline from its property to the Colorado River Aqueduct. … ”  Read more from the Desert Sun here:  Trump administration green-lights company’s plan to pipe water from the Mojave Desert to cities

Feds remove hurdle for Cadiz desert water project:  “Downtown water developer Cadiz Inc. moved a step closer to building its Mojave Desert water project as a federal agency removed a hurdle for its water pipeline, the company announced Monday.  The Bureau of Land Management reversed a decision that it made two years ago that would have required a planned 43-mile water pipeline from Cadiz’ desert aquifer to the Colorado River Aqueduct to undergo a full environmental review. The reversal means the pipeline now has the necessary federal approvals.  Cadiz still may have to get state approval for the pipeline. … ”  Read more from the LA Business Journal here:  Feds remove hurdle for Cadiz desert water project

Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

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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.

 

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