DAILY DIGEST: Congress whiffed, so Interior restarts Westlands drainage work; Reclamation may be owed millions; Diverted river sustains CA wine country, but it’s killing salmon; Lathrop seeks to switch basins for groundwater rules; and more …

In California water news today, Congress whiffed, so Interior restarts Westlands drainage work; Reclamation may be owed millions; Public input needed for DWR community needs assessment, coalition says; Diverted river sustains California wine country, but it’s killing salmon; Vineyard owners given new resources for controlling erosion into the Napa River; Lathrop seeks to switch basins for groundwater rules; Utah spent $33 million on a pipeline application it never finished; the feds approved it anyway; and more …

In the news today …

Congress whiffed, so Interior restarts Westlands drainage work:  “The Interior Department has resumed the long slog toward development of a big California irrigation drainage system, because the controversial alternative remains mired down in Congress.  With a Jan. 15 deadline for Capitol Hill action having passed, officials have advised a federal judge they will return to planning drainage for the Westlands Water District. Interior’s renewed efforts to solve the decades-old problem will continue until lawmakers finish legislation.  “That bill has not received a floor vote in the House and the Senate has yet to take action on legislation to authorize the Westlands Settlement,” the Justice Department noted in a Jan. 19 court filing. “Accordingly, Reclamation will resume work under a control schedule while efforts to secure enactment of authorizing legislation continue.” ... ”  Read more from E&E News here:  Congress whiffed, so Interior restarts Westlands drainage work

Reclamation may be owed millions:  “Water districts that move “non-project” water through federal canals in California may owe the U.S. government hundreds of millions of dollars from the transactions, according to an Interior Department inspector general’s report. ... ”  Read more from Circle of Blue (scroll down to Studies and Reports):  Reclamation may be owed millions

Public input needed for DWR community needs assessment, coalition says:  “Local leaders are pressing the state Department of Water Resources for details on how residents will be involved in the community needs assessment.  Department officials have said that constructing additional infrastructure at Oroville Dam, including a second gated spillway and a fully lined emergency spillway, would be considered as part of the assessment. It is expected to be complete by the end of 2019. … ”  Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here:  Public input needed for DWR community needs assessment, coalition says

Diverted river sustains California wine country, but it’s killing salmon:  “Few people outside Northern California have heard of the Eel River. But if you’re a wine lover, there’s a good chance you’ve enjoyed its water in the form of a golden chardonnay or a rich red merlot.  The Eel River was once home to one of the largest salmon populations on the West Coast. But for nearly a century, a large share of its flow has been diverted for hydroelectric power and irrigation, helping build Northern California into a world powerhouse of winemaking. Much of the wine produced in Mendocino and Sonoma counties would not exist without that diverted Eel River water. … ”  Read more from Water Deeply here:  Diverted river sustains California wine country, but it’s killing salmon

Vineyard owners given new resources for controlling erosion into the Napa River:  “For vineyard owners in the Napa River and Sonoma Creek watersheds, the path to meeting new erosion control regulations became slightly less uphill this past week.  The San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board on Tuesday approved four advisory programs to help grape growers comply with regulations the board passed last year aiming at limiting the amount of sediment that runs off of watershed properties into the Napa River or Sonoma Creek. … ”  Read more from the Napa Valley Register here:  Vineyard owners given new resources for controlling erosion into the Napa River

The lowly seagrass that could save your oysters from an acid death:  “The impacts of climate change aren’t a distant threat for the Pacific shellfish industry. Acidifying seawater is already causing problems for oyster farms along the West Coast and it’s only expected to get worse.  That has one Bay Area oyster farm looking for ways to adapt by teaming up with scientists, who are studying how the local ecosystem could lend a helping hand.  “We need help,” says Terry Sawyer of Hog Island Oyster Company. “That ‘canary in a coalmine’ analogy drives me crazy, but that’s what we are.” ... ”  Read more from KQED here:  The lowly seagrass that could save your oysters from an acid death

Lathrop seeks to switch basins for groundwater rules:  “In addition to showing just how much California is lacking in long-term water storage, the most recent California drought also exposed how dependent cities across the state are on groundwater to keep the taps flowing.  And Lathrop is working to make sure that the next time California goes through an extended dry period, those taps never run dry. Tonight, during a special session of the Lathrop City Council, the city will request approval for a $50,000 contract with EKI Environment and Water Inc. to provide technical support services for a basin boundary modification that would move Lathrop out of the critically overdrawn basin shared with Stockton and into a much more plentiful – and regulation-friendly – basin near Tracy. … ”  Read more from the Manteca Bulletin here:  Lathrop seeks to switch basins for groundwater rules

Persistent dryness ‘worrisome’ for Southern California as drought, water supply shortages loom:  “Unlike the winter of 2016-2017, this season is turning out quite dry for Southern California and the majority of the southwestern United States.  While a seemingly endless string of warm, dry days may make travel and outdoor plans a breeze, this dry spell is threatening to become a prolonged drought.  “There are growing worries for [the] water supply picture, especially in California, but even over more of the Southwest,” warned AccuWeather Meteorologist Jim Andrews. … ”  Read more from Accu-Weather here:  Persistent dryness ‘worrisome’ for Southern California as drought, water supply shortages loom

Along the Colorado River …

Utah spent $33 million on a pipeline application it never finished; the feds approved it anyway:  “If you’re hoping to understand Utah’s drive to build the massive Lake Powell pipeline and what it might cost you, don’t start with the state’s explanation of it all to the U.S. government.  The thousands of pages Utah produced to justify the 140-mile, multibillion-dollar pipeline from Lake Powell to water districts in two southwestern Utah counties are inscrutable to most involved — the project’s opponents, government regulators, and even some of the people who wrote the documents.  “It has been confusing for everyone,” said Jane Whalen, a Hurricane-based environmentalist who has followed the project closely. “Even the lead attorney for the water district seems confused.” ... ”  Read more from the Salt Lake Tribune here:  Utah spent $33 million on a pipeline application it never finished; the feds approved it anyway

More news and commentary in the weekend edition …

• DAILY DIGEST, weekend edition: Costs for Oroville Dam crisis soar to $870M; Delta smelt fail to rebound, despite end to drought; State scores Temperance Flat dam project at a big fat zero; Don’t give control of Delta water to SoCal, says the Mercury News; and more …

Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

• RESERVOIR AND WATER CONDITIONS for January 29
• NEWS WORTH NOTING: Natural Resources Agency seeks public comment on proposed update to State’s environmental review process, announces public review/meeting for the draft Mokelumne River Wild and Scenic River study report
• FEBRUARY CALENDAR EVENTS: Cal Desal Annual Conference; Urban Water Institute Spring Conference; AGWA/AGWT Annual Conference: Everything aquifers and groundwater management; Water 101 Workshop: The basics and beyond

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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.