DAILY DIGEST: Drought deja vu: CA snowpack at 30% of normal; State Water Project contractors get small bump in water allocation; Desalination projects move forward with new state funding; Climate change and Colorado’s ski slopes; and more …

In California water news today, Drought deja vu: California snowpack at 30% of normal; Rain’s below average and snowpack is meager, but don’t worry – things are going to get worse; Specter of drought looms as California’s weather turns dry again; State Water Project contractors get small bump in water allocation; Dry winter means less water for California water districts; California desalination projects move forward with new state funding; Napa Valley tree removal ballot proposal brings wine business, environmental clash; Farm Bureau declares opposition to proposed Salinas Valley new wells moratorium; ‘This is the weather and climate we fear’: Climate change and Colorado’s ski slopes; and more …

In the news today …

Drought deja vu: California snowpack at 30% of normal:  “Yosemite’s Half Dome saw a picturesque dusting of snow this past week while skiers in Tahoe welcomed a shot of fresh powder. Yet California’s Sierra Nevada is plunging deeper into a warm, dry winter that shows little sign of a turnaround.  Mile-high mountainsides were low on snow Monday and alpine skies remained a stubborn summer blue. The forecast called for above-average temperatures and virtually no precipitation through at least the first 10 days of February — the third and final month of the state’s peak wet season. ... ”  Read more from SF Gate here:  Drought deja vu: California snowpack at 30% of normal

Rain’s below average and snowpack is meager, but don’t worry – things are going to get worse:  “This Thursday, a crew from the California Department of Water Resources will drive up to a meadow above Lake Tahoe to measure how much snow is there.  Media will be on hand to record the ritual, staged once a month between early January and May. The assembled reporters and camera-people will hear DWR’s official pronouncement on the State of the Snowpack — the snowpack and the moisture it contains being a key indicator of what kind of statewide water situation we’re looking at in coming months. … ”  Read more from KQED here:  Rain’s below average and snowpack is meager, but don’t worry – things are going to get worse

Specter of drought looms as California’s weather turns dry again:  “The storms have passed and California’s dry winter has returned, raising the specter that the state could be entering another drought less than a year after the last one officially ended.  After a brief spell of rain and snow improved California’s water conditions last week, the National Weather Service said Monday it’s forecasting at least two weeks of dry weather.  A strong high-pressure ridge has settled over the Pacific Ocean. The ridge will block any storms from reaching the state, and “is going to stick around for a while,” said Michelle Mead, a weather service meteorologist in Sacramento. … ”  Read more from the Sacramento Bee here:  Specter of drought looms as California’s weather turns dry again

State Water Project contractors get small bump in water allocation:  “The Department of Water Resources has announced a statewide increase in water allocations to 20 percent of requests for most contractors.  The season’s initial water allocation was 15 percent. ... ”  Read more from Bakersfield Now here:  State Water Project contractors get small bump in water allocation

Dry winter means less water for California water districts:  “California is planning on doling out smaller amounts of water to cities and farms after a dry start to the winter.  The Department of Water Resources said Monday it currently expects to provide customers of the State Water Project with just 20 percent of their requested amounts. … ”  Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here:  Dry winter means less water for California water districts

California desalination projects move forward with new state funding:  “California water officials have approved $34.4 million in grants to eight desalination projects across the state, including one in the East Bay city of Antioch, as part of an effort to boost the water supply in the wake of the state’s historic, five-year drought.  The money comes from Proposition 1, a water bond passed by state voters in November 2014 during the depths of the drought, and it highlights a new trend in purifying salty water for human consumption: only one of the projects is dependent on the ocean. … ”  Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here:  California desalination projects move forward with new state funding

Report looks at groundwater management in the West:  “California is just getting started regulating groundwater, something Arizona has done for over 30 years. California’s new groundwater laws require local communities to set up agencies and come up with plans to conserve. To give those communities some information, the Environmental Defense Fund released a report on Monday looking at examples from across the West. … ”  Read more from KJZZ here:  Report looks at groundwater management in the West

In commentary today …

What is the benefit of Sites Reservoir?  Duane Chamberlain and Matt Rexroad write,  “Last week, state regulators released their initial findings for potential dam and reservoir projects that could receive funds from Proposition 1, the $7.5 billion water bond passed by voters in 2014 in response to California’s record drought. The bond was approved with the promise of at least $2.7 billion for increased water storage but based on what was released last week, none of the projects that applied met the criteria for this money. Water agencies were alarmed when the results were released and many were caught off guard.  One critical factor for deciding if a project will receive funding is its so-called “public benefit.” According to state regulator’s evaluations, none of the 11 storage projects that applied for funding met the mark for sufficient public benefit, half coming back with zero benefits. How can this be? … ”  Continue reading from the Daily Democrat here:  What is the benefit of Sites Reservoir?

California’s lawmakers can ensure our environment is protected:  Jared Blumenfeld writes, “Today, the environmental protections we take for granted face an existential threat. California, with our capable state environmental institutions and political will, is uniquely positioned to respond to President Trump’s anti-environmental agenda. We can do this by enacting state backstops for environmental protections the Trump Administration targets for elimination. The health of California’s citizens and our magnificent environment demand nothing less. ... ”  Read more from The Desert Sun here:  California’s lawmakers can ensure our environment is protected

In regional news and commentary today …

Full reservoirs mean Sierra snowmelt flows out of NID water system:  “In spring 2017 at Combie Lake, icy water gushed over the spillway and into the Bear River, 24 miles south of Grass Valley. It was the same at other reservoirs that store water for western Nevada County.  The Sierra Nevada snowpack of 2017 was the third-deepest on record, according to state meteorologists. Snow in the local watershed stood at 196 percent of average on May 1 that year, according to local officials. But little of that year’s abundant snowmelt benefitted western Nevada County. Reservoirs, filled earlier by wintertime rain, had little room left for the spring surge, and most of it flowed on downstream. ... ”  Read more from The Union here:  Full reservoirs mean Sierra snowmelt flows out of NID water system

NID exploring alternative trail option at Scotts Flat:  “The spillway at Nevada Irrigation District’s Scotts Flat reservoir is open for pedestrian crossing, but it may not remain that way for long.  The district is considering building a new trail across Deer Creek below Scotts Flat and closing the spillway for good.  That idea is still in the planning stages, NID’s Assistant General Manager Greg Jones said Monday. … ”  Read more from The Union here:  NID exploring alternative trail option at Scotts Flat

Water contamination plagues surviving homes in Santa Rosa’s Fountain Grove neighborhood:  “Santa Rosa officials are scrambling to figure out why the drinking water in a wildfire-ravaged section of Fountaingrove is contaminated with a chemical commonly found in plastics and gasoline.  A team of local water quality officials, regulators and experts has been working for 2½ months to understand how the volatile hydrocarbon benzene is getting into the water system and how to fix the problem.  They suspect the heat of the Tubbs fire, which incinerated 1,400 homes in the area, may have damaged parts of the water delivery system, such as plastic water pipes or meters, and caused the dangerous carcinogen to leech into the neighborhood’s water supply. … ”  Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here:  Water contamination plagues surviving homes in Santa Rosa’s Fountain Grove neighborhood

Napa Valley tree removal ballot proposal brings wine business, environmental clash:  “It’s literally an uphill battle.  As new vineyards spread from the crowded Napa Valley floor to the hillsides, environmentalists have succeeded in getting enough votes to qualify for the June 5 ballot that aims to protect the county’s watershed and oak woodlands by placing restrictions on the number of trees cut down.  The Watershed Protection Committee, authors of the initiative, say expansion or creation of new vineyards into oak and other woodlands in California’s premier winegrowing region is adversely affecting fish and wildlife. ... ”  Read more from Sonoma News here:  Napa Valley tree removal ballot proposal brings wine business, environmental clash

Marin officials seek flood study at Manzanita hub:  “The oft-flooded Highway 101/1 interchange in Southern Marin could be the subject of a first-ever study focused on fixing the waterlogged area.  High tides — and king tides close to 7 feet — can send bay water sweeping into the junction of Highway 101 and Highway 1, also known as Shoreline Highway.  The high tides can also force closure of the northbound Highway 101 offramp into the Tamalpais Valley. The ramp leads to a road underneath the freeway and it sometimes has been turned into a 3- to 4-foot-deep concrete-lined lake during high tides in the past several years. … ”  Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here:  Marin officials seek flood study at Manzanita hub

Farm Bureau declares opposition to proposed Salinas Valley new wells moratorium:  “A key agricultural organization has declared its opposition to a proposed moratorium on new wells in parts of the northern Salinas Valley due to worsening seawater intrusion.  In a letter to Monterey County officials and the Salinas Valley basin groundwater sustainability agency board of directors, the Monterey County Farm Bureau called the proposed moratorium “unnecessary” and a “hasty reaction” to what the letter called a “long known and substantially documented” problem in place for decades. … ”  Read  more from the Monterey County Herald here:  Farm Bureau declares opposition to proposed Salinas Valley new wells moratorium

Conservation groups ask judge to block approval of oil well project near Santa Paula creek: “Conservation groups appeared in court Monday to ask a judge to block the approval of an oil well project near Santa Paula Creek and order an intensive environmental review.  Los Padres ForestWatch, the Center for Biological Diversity and Citizens for Responsible Oil & Gas sued Ventura County in November 2015, a month after the Ventura County Board of Supervisors narrowly approved a permit allowing 19 new wells to be drilled. … ”  Read more from the Ventura County Star here:  Conservation groups ask judge to block approval of oil well project near Santa Paula creek

River improvement plan includes several Long Beach-centric ideas:  “A plan to transform 19 miles of the Los Angeles River from Long Beach to Vernon imagines a waterway that passes through various industrial zones and neighborhoods becoming a place where residents can find recreation, relaxation or economic development.  “The L.A. river will be as cool as the beach in many communities,” Long Beach Councilman Al Austin said.  The draft Lower L.A. River Revitalization Plan is a product of nearly two years’ worth of meetings, bicycle tours and outreach efforts. Its proposals include possible improvements for nearly 150 sites along the lower river’s course. ... ”  Read more from the Long Beach Press Telegram here:  River improvement plan includes several Long Beach-centric ideas

SoCal saved a record amount of water last year thanks to torn-out lawns:  “Semi-arid Southern California’s residents saved a record amount of water last year, more than 1 million acre feet, according to the Metropolitan Water District, the region’s biggest water wholesaler.  That’s a year’s supply for two million households.  MWD’s report says most of the water savings were accomplished through using less outdoors, as drought-tolerant landscaping replaced turf lawns, and smart timers controlled sprinklers to not overwater. … ”  Read more from KPCC here:  SoCal saved a record amount of water last year thanks to torn-out lawns

Along the Colorado River …

‘This is the weather and climate we fear’: Climate change and Colorado’s ski slopes:  “Drew Van Patter’s Epic Local Pass isn’t getting much air time this season.  Van Patter, a 32-year-old Fort Collins snowboarder who moved to Colorado five years ago but has frequented the state’s ski areas since he was 10 years old, hit the slopes for the fourth time this season in early January.  Like most ski areas in Colorado this season, the runs were icy. Throughout the state, a day of skiing this season has often meant a day spent dodging the grass and rocks peeking from a threadbare blanket of snow. “It was probably the worst day I’ve had since I lived in Colorado,” Van Patter said of his runs at Breckenridge Ski Resort. … ”  Read more from the Reno Gazette Journal here:  ‘This is the weather and climate we fear’: Climate change and Colorado’s ski slopes

Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

• BLOG ROUND-UP: Ecological incentives for Delta water exports; Delta & river advocates stand up for salmon and Delta smelt; Seven lessons from a California water leader on managing for the future; Farming wetlands to grow birds; and more …
• NEWS WORTH NOTING: DWR increases SWP allocation to 20%; New report uncovers 5 hallmarks of successful groundwater management; Natural Resources Agency releases updated report on climate resiliency strategies; Water LA 2018 Report for Phase 1 Pilot now available

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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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