DAILY DIGEST: Voters ok’d $2.7 billion for new reservoirs. Critics say California won’t spend it; Sierra Nevada snow picture brightens, but is still just a fraction of normal; New suit seeks huge damages for DWR ‘recklessness’ at Oroville Dam; Trump administration delays expansion of clean water rule; and more …

In California water news today, Voters ok’d $2.7 billion for new reservoirs. Critics say California won’t spend it; Sierra Nevada snow picture brightens, but is still just a fraction of normal; With storms skipping the state, nearly half of California is back in a drought; With no snow, this California ski resort owner wonders how long he can keep it open; New suit seeks huge damages for DWR ‘recklessness’ at Oroville Dam; Oroville Dam: To fix or replace, that is the question; California water board delays affordability report; Rainwater collection systems would get a boost under new California state ballot measure; and more …

On the calendar today …

• The Delta Independent Science Board meets from 9am to 11:30am.  Click here for the agenda.

In the news today …

Voters ok’d $2.7 billion for new reservoirs.  Critics say California won’t spend it:  “It’s a tantalizing pot of money, $2.7 billion for new dams and reservoirs approved by California voters during the worst of the drought.  But is the state willing to spend it?  The California Water Commission, the obscure state agency in charge of allocating the money, stunned the California water world recently by giving a decidedly lukewarm response to the 11 applications it received for funding. Farm irrigation districts and municipal water agencies applying for the money fear that the commission has raised the bar so high that few if any reservoir projects will qualify for the dollars. … ”  Read more from the Sacramento Bee here:  Voters ok’d $2.7 billion for new reservoirs.  Critics say California won’t spend it

Sierra Nevada snow picture brightens, but is still just a fraction of normal:  “The last time California officials conducted their snow survey near Echo Summit, a month ago, the ground was practically barren.  This time there was snow. Just not a lot of it.  The Department of Water Resources’ monthly snow survey at Phillips Station on Thursday revealed a meager 13.6 inches of snow, or 14 percent of historical average. It was the latest evidence of a dry winter that has conjured up fears of another drought. … ”  Read more from the Sacramento Bee here:  Sierra Nevada snow picture brightens, but is still just a fraction of normal

With storms skipping the state, nearly half of California is back in a drought:  “The T-shirt-wearing temperatures and lack of winter rain have combined to push nearly half of California into all-too-familiar territory: a state of drought.  Less than a year after Gov. Jerry Brown declared an end to one of the worst droughts in California history, a consortium of nationwide water experts reported Thursday that 44 percent of the state is again experiencing at least moderate drought conditions.  The plight is worst in Southern California, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Los Angeles and San Diego have received less than 2 inches of rain since July, and temperatures along the state’s southern coast have soared into the 90s this week. … ”  Read more from SF Gate here:  With storms skipping the state, nearly half of California is back in a drought

Nearly half of California gripped by new drought:  “One year after record rainfall quenched California’s persistent thirst and led its lawmakers to declare a devastating 5-year drought over, water woes may have already returned to the Golden State.  The state’s monthly snow survey taken Thursday showed a skimpy snowpack throughout the state, while a federal report says about half of the state is suffering from a moderate drought and some regions are already experiencing severe drought.  “Today’s measurements indicate an anemic snowpack to date,” said Frank Gehrke, who conducted Thursday’s survey on behalf of the California Department of Water Resources. … ”  Read more from the Courthouse News Service here:  Nearly half of California gripped by new drought

With no snow, this California ski resort owner wonders how long he can keep it open:  “This winter marks the 60th anniversary of China Peak, the 1,300-acre ski area in the Sierra National Forest east of Fresno.  But instead of celebrating, owner/operator Tim Cohee is contemplating the ultimate bummer while struggling through what he describes as the worst season he’s experienced during more than 40 years in the business.  “We have reserves, but at some point they’re going to run out,” Cohee said. “At that point you have to shut the resort down. There is a scenario – maybe it’s not this year – but there is a scenario that says the ski area no longer exists because of these droughts. … ”  Read more from the Sacramento Bee here:  With no snow, this California ski resort owner wonders how long he can keep it open

New suit seeks huge damages for DWR ‘recklessness’ at Oroville Dam:  “The California Department of Water Resources is facing a new and potentially very costly lawsuit over the failure of the spillways at Oroville Dam a year ago.  A complaint filed in Butte County Superior Court Wednesday outlines approximately $120 million in losses claimed by more than 40 farms, businesses and other property owners along the Feather River downstream from the nation’s tallest dam.  The suit seeks double or triple damages for the largest claimed losses. Those involve crops and farmland ruined or washed away by wildly fluctuating river flows as the spillway crisis unfolded last February. ... ”  Read more from KQED here:  New suit seeks huge damages for DWR ‘recklessness’ at Oroville Dam

Oroville Dam: To fix or replace, that is the question:  “What to fix, and what to replace? That’s the big question for Orville Dam. It has been almost a year since water brimmed to the top of Oroville reservoir and the tallest dam in the United States suddenly showed signs of possible, even imminent failure. Emergency releases eroded both the primary and secondary spillways with horrifying rapidity, and evacuations were ordered for 200 thousand downstream residents.  Catastrophe ultimately was averted, and crews have since worked furiously to repair the damage. But the problem is unlikely to be remedied by any patch job, warns UC Berkeley professor emeritus of engineering and renowned forensic engineer Robert Bea. Oroville’s problems are so deep and structural that “fixing” it is not realistic. That’s especially the case at the “headworks” for the primary spillway, the structure that controls releases from the reservoir. ... ”  Read more from California Magazine here:  Oroville Dam: To fix or replace, that is the question

STATE POLICY

California water board delays affordability report:  “Citing the need for more deliberation, California regulators delayed publication of a report that will outline their preferred plan to fund and manage a statewide program to help poor residents pay their water bills.  As water rates increase in the United States, governments and utilities are exploring new forms of financial aid. Some utilities run water bill assistance programs, but California is marking unexplored territory. It would be the first state in the nation to operate a state-funded program for water.  The State Water Resources Control Board’s report, required by a state law passed in 2015, was supposed to be submitted to the Legislature on February 1. It has been delayed indefinitely, according to Andrew DiLucca, a board spokesman. ... ”  Read more from the Circle of Blue here:  California water board delays affordability report

Rainwater collection systems would get a boost under new California state ballot measure:  “Worried about California’s dry winter? Interested in installing a rainwater capture system from your roof?  A new state ballot measure written by an East Bay lawmaker and signed by Gov. Jerry Brown late Wednesday will put the issue before voters in four months. If voters approve Proposition 72 — which became the fifth statewide ballot measure to qualify for California’s June 5 primary election  — property owners who install rainwater capture systems won’t be required to have their property reassessed as the law now requires, saving them from paying higher property taxes. … ”  Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here:  Rainwater collection systems would get a boost under new California state ballot measure

State Superintendent: Schools built before 2010 must test drinking water for lead:  “Schools built before 2010 must test their drinking water for lead, California Super Intendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced on Thursday.  In 2017, Governor Brown signed Assembly Bill 746, requiring community water systems to complete lead testing by July 1, 2019.  “Cooperation with local water systems is critical to ensure proper testing,” Torlakson said. … ”  Read more from KEYT here:  State Superintendent: Schools built before 2010 must test drinking water for lead

Jerry Brown’s science-based approach to the proposed state budget:  “For California Governor Jerry Brown and his administration, 2017 was a water year to remember, and one that would figure into the drafting of the state’s 2018–19 budget, which was released early this month. The $190 billion proposed spending plan names California’s drought and the “extreme natural events of 2017” as determining factors in how the cash was divvied up.  The budget, released just days after President Donald Trump mocked the science of climate change on Twitter, specifically outlines a science-based approach to allocating funds, especially with an eye toward the planet’s increasing temperatures and rising sea level. ... ”  Read more from Pacific Standard here:  Jerry Brown’s science-based approach to the proposed state budget

FEDERAL POLICY

EPA blocks Obama-era Clean Water rule:  “The Trump administration has formally suspended a major Obama-era clean water regulation ahead of plans to issue its own version of the rule later this year.  President Trump has taken aim at the bitterly contested rule, known as Waters of the United States, since his campaign, calling it “one of the worst examples of federal regulation.” Among Mr. Trump’s first actions in office was an executive order directing his Environmental Protection Agency administrator, Scott Pruitt, to begin the legal process of rescinding the rule and replacing it with a more industry-friendly alternative. … ”  Read more from the New York Times here:  EPA blocks Obama-era Clean Water rule

Trump administration delays expansion of clean water rule:  “The Trump administration on Wednesday delayed implementation of an Obama-era clean water rule by another two years to give the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers more time to do away with it.  The move follows a Supreme Court ruling last week that said legal challenges to the Waters of the U.S. rule should be decided in federal district courts. That will result in the lifting of a stay issued by an appeals court blocking the 2015 rule from going into effect.  The rule expanded the definitions for wetlands and small waterways under the Clean Water Act — prompting opposition from agribusiness, mining and industry groups. The expansion was intended to reduce sources of pollution dumped in the small tributaries of larger lakes and rivers. ... ”  Read more from the Sacramento Bee here:  Trump administration delays expansion of clean water rule

Trump’s environmental rollbacks were fast.  It could get messy in court:  “As the head of the federal agency controlling billions of acres of public lands and waters, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has spent the past year making bold policy proclamations to advance President Trump’s energy agenda: He would open coastal waters to drilling, shrink national monuments, lift Obama-era fossil fuel regulations and reduce wildlife protections.  But legal experts say many of the moves were made without fully considering the laws and procedures governing changes like these, making them vulnerable to legal challenges that could delay or block them. They say many of the proposals may follow the fate of other bold and hasty moves by the Trump administration, such as the attempts to limit travel from countries with sizable Muslim populations on security grounds. ... ”  Read more from the New York Times here:  Trump’s environmental rollbacks were fast.  It could get messy in court

In commentary today …

Water storage needed, but keep the faith with Prop 1, say Larry Cruff and Frank Zonneveld:  They write, “In the midst of California’s severe drought back in 2014, more than 67-percent of California voters helped to pass Proposition 1, the $7.5 billion water bond to fund water quality, supply, treatment and storage projects.  In the nearly four years since the bond’s passage we have seen the last historic drought come to an end, but the reprieve may be short-lived. And one fact remains unchanged: California still desperately needs to develop additional storage to capture runoff in above-average water years. ... ”  Read more from Capitol Weekly here:  Water storage needed, but keep the faith with Prop 1

No water bond funding for proposed Sites dam, says Noah Oppenheim:  He writes, “Last week salmon fishermen applauded the California Water Commission’s announcement that water storage projects, such as the proposed Sites Reservoir, received a “zero” score in an important Proposition 1 project review. Today the commission will announce its draft final public benefit scores. If you are not following these most arcane developments in the water wars, you’re forgiven. But let me recapitulate: Water agencies are applying for millions of Proposition 1 dollars, the water bond approved by voters in 2014, to help construct their projects. … ”  Read more at SF Gate here:  No water bond funding for proposed Sites dam

There’s a clear difference when it comes to the value of water, says the Chico Enterprise-Record:  They write, “Last week’s meeting in Chico to take public comment on an initiative to maximize water deliveries from the federal Central Valley Project pointed out a fundamental difference between the two sides of the issue.  The meeting was called for a limited objective: to take input on what topics an environmental review should look at.  While some speakers were on task and gave the Bureau of Reclamation some specific issues that needed to be addressed, most spoke instead of the need to protect the north state’s living rivers. ... ” Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here:  There’s a clear difference when it comes to the value of water

Trump’s water plan a threat to salmon and clean water, says Regina Chichizola:  She writes, “This week Klamath and Sacramento River Tribal Members, Fishermen and Northern Farmers rallied at the State Capitol and attended meetings in Chico and Los Banos to voice their opposition against the Trump Administration’s proposal to maximize water and power deliveries to the Central Valley Project. Verbal comments numbered 10 to 1 against maximizing diversions. Commenters instead asked for salmon restoration, clean drinking water and the end of irresponsible water use at desert farms.  There is a reason the North State and North Coast came out. This plan could impact flows on the Sacramento, Feather, American, San Joaquin, Trinity, and Klamath Rivers, and comes at a time when salmon returns have never been lower. ... ”  Read more from the Eureka Times-Herald here:  Trump’s water plan a threat to salmon and clean water, says Regina Chichizola

Column: A ‘birth announcement’ on the San Joaquin River:  Michael Fitzgerald writes, “As long as salmon swim our rivers, The Age of Miracles is not over. So it is heartening to hear that salmon reproduced in the San Joaquin River for the first time in 60 years.  Biologists restoring the San Joaquin took eggs from Northern California streams to a hatchery, raised ’em, released 115 adults and voila: 405 juvenile spring-run salmon counted, so far.  “It is a really encouraging sign,” said Doug Obegi, a senior attorney with the Natural Resources Defense Council.  The one-off success is not conclusive — more testing is required — but, Obegi said, “This is a bit of good news, and in 2018 I will take that wherever I can find it.” … ”  Continue reading at the Stockton Record here:  Column: A ‘birth announcement’ on the San Joaquin River

In regional news and commentary today …

Klamath Basin: Commissioners predict ‘devastating’ summer for water users:  “Klamath County commissioners believe the current dry and warm winter may lead to drought conditions not seen since 2001, which could have deep impacts on the local economy.  Commissioners said they have not given up hope for rain and snow during February and March, but acknowledged current trends are leaving local farmers and ranchers rightfully worried.  “This year, because of what Mother Nature has caused, it could be devastating to agriculture,” said Commissioner Donnie Boyd. ... ” Read more from the Herald and News here:  Klamath Basin: Commissioners predict ‘devastating’ summer for water users

Bay Area: The environmental and personal benefits of adopting storm drains:  “Oakland resident Peter Crigger knows that the street where he has lived for decades is prone to flooding during a big rain. “Water comes down the hillside so hard that it clogs the storm drains with dirt, rocks, and branches — then all this water comes shooting down the street and, since the drains are full, it floods,” he said.  Instead of just complaining, Crigger decided to do something about it: a couple of years ago, he formally adopted six storm drains in his neighborhood through Oakland’s “Adopt a Drain” program. The city provides guidelines and gear for basic drain maintenance, and sends storm alerts via email. Crigger checks his adoptees every time he drives by, shoveling and sandbagging as needed.  … ”  Read more from the Bay Area Monitor here:  The environmental and personal benefits of adopting storm drains

After the worst sewage spill in local history, Monterey One Water builds in redundancies:  “The recent sewage spill into Monterey Bay, which started Jan. 19 and ended the next morning, was the worst in Monterey One Water’s history, and the only one to occur out of the agency’s 29-year-old wastewater treatment plant in Marina. The good news, if it can be called that, is the estimated volume of the spill is continually being revised downward as engineers make assessments.  Initially, the agency estimated that as much as 4.9 million gallons of raw sewage flowed out of the treatment plant’s outfall, which is two miles offshore of Marina. Within a day, the estimate was revised to 4.4 million gallons, and by Jan. 30, to 2.8 million gallons; the estimate is expected to go down further. … ”  Read more from Monterey Weekly here:  After the worst sewage spill in local history, Monterey One Water builds in redundancies

Groundwater, population growth, climate change: Santa Cruz County water leaders discuss the ‘new normal’:  “Halfway through the rain season, water experts across Santa Cruz County are holding their breaths on the same question: Will drought conditions resume after a one-year break?  Water districts and agencies representatives from around the county gathered for the second “Connecting the Drops — Working Together for Water” event Thursday, drawing more than 100 community members to New Brighton Middle School’s auditorium. The panel discussion, focused primarily on the county’s groundwater resources, came on the same day that the annual Sierra Nevada mountain range snow measurements showed the snowpack at 27 percent of the average for that day, said event keynote speaker Taryn Ravazzini, the California Department of Water Resources deputy director. ... ”  Read more from the Santa Cruz Sentinel here:  Groundwater, population growth, climate change: Santa Cruz County water leaders discuss the ‘new normal’

Mud gets a workover at Capinteria, Goleta beaches:  “As convoys of trucks continue to dump mud daily from the Carpinteria Salt Marsh onto the beach at Ash Avenue, the quality of the mud is coming under increasing scrutiny.  As of last week, the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board, a state agency in San Luis Obispo, began requiring the county to sample the quality and size of the grains in the truckloads of mud going to Carpinteria Beach and Goleta Beach in the wake of the catastrophic Jan. 9 debris flow in Montecito. ... ” Read more from Coastal View here:  Mud gets a workover at Capinteria, Goleta beaches

SAWPA and IEUA launch signage project:  “The Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority (SAWPA) and the Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA) have announced the launch of a Santa Ana River Watershed educational signage project.  In December, 64 educational signs were erected throughout the Watershed, which includes northern Orange County and the Inland Empire.  The signs, designed and installed by Bri Communications, include a map of the watershed and the location of major cities and water resources such as tributaries, rivers and lakes. … ”  Read more from the Fontana Herald here:  SAWPA and IEUA launch signage project

Historic step: East Valley Water District is the first of 16 agencies to vote to create a groundwater sustainability council:  “The East Valley Water District took the first historic step to improve the groundwater storage system in the Bunker Hill Basin. The goal is to meet the needs of this growing region.  The board of directors voted unanimously on Wednesday, Jan. 24, to support the formation of the Groundwater Council.  Fifteen other water agencies, cities and assorted entities are scheduled to vote on the memorandum of understanding to create the governance document during the next two months. ... ”  Read more from the Highland Community News here:  Historic step: East Valley Water District is the first of 16 agencies to vote to create a groundwater sustainability council

Plan would transform Los Angeles River into recreational area:  “A long stretch of the Los Angeles River could be getting a state-of-the art makeover, transforming into miles of recreational areas and community space.  “Currently it’s mostly a flood control channel. Sometimes it’s a backdrop for Hollywood’s blockbuster movies, but we have communities that live along the river that could really be taking advantage of the opportunity of having this asset in their community,” said project leader Mark Stanley with the Rivers and Mountains Conservancy. … ”  Read more from ABC 7 here:  Plan would transform Los Angeles River into recreational area

This winter is so hot and dry that ‘severe’ drought has returned to SoCal:  “Large swaths of Southern California have slipped back into severe drought according to a weekly report released by the U.S. Drought Monitor, part of the National Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.  On Thursday, they updated their map to show that conditions have worsened in Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties in the midst of an unusually hot and dry winter. ... ”  Read more from KPCC here:  This winter is so hot and dry that ‘severe’ drought has returned to SoCal

Along the Colorado River …

Unseasonable warmth to fuel brush fire danger, aggravate drought conditions in the southwestern US:  “As storms track well to the north into the middle of February, worsening drought conditions and a heightened fire danger will plague the southwestern United States.  Aside from the rainstorm in early January that triggered extensive mudslides in Southern California, rainfall has largely been absent in the southwestern corner of the nation during what are typically the wettest months of the year.  The drier the winter months, the greater concern for the water supply during the summer months. … ”  Read more from Accu-Weather here:  Unseasonable warmth to fuel brush fire danger, aggravate drought conditions in the southwestern US

Lettuce saves the Colorado River:  “Water levels are up this winter at Lake Mead, a gauge for the Colorado River’s ability to supply 30 million people with water, thanks partly to a surprising hero: lettuce.  Farmers’ switching to lettuce, which uses less water because it’s cultivated only part of the year, from alfalfa, a thirsty year-round crop, helped push the lake to 1,087.6 feet (331.5 meters) above sea level as of Jan. 31. That’s more than 1 foot higher than a year ago and above the benchmark of 1,075 feet, at which point regional water restrictions kick in. … ”  Read more from Bloomberg News here:  Lettuce saves the Colorado River

First-of-a-kind agreement in Colorado could aid West’s ailing rivers:  “There is a new way to put water back in Colorado’s parched rivers.  After more than a year of back and forth with Pitkin County officials, the nonprofit Colorado Water Trust announced on January 23 a pilot agreement with a Carbondale rancher to increase streamflows in the Crystal River during dry years.  The three-year agreement will compensate Bill Fales and Marj Perry, who own the 600-acre Cold Mountain Ranch just west of Carbondale, for retiming their irrigation practices to leave water in the Crystal River when it needs a boost. … ”  Read more from Water Deeply here:  First-of-a-kind agreement in Colorado could aid West’s ailing rivers

Precipitation watch …

Extraordinary winter warmth and dryness to persist as West Coast ridge dominates:  “Despite the calendar, it sure hasn’t felt much like the middle of winter across California in recent days. While well above average temperatures and below average precipitation have been widespread throughout the state, recent warmth and dryness have been especially concentrated across Southern California. Immediately following the warmest autumn (and before that, warmest summer) on record, a legitimate mid-winter heatwave baked the southern third of the state this week, setting numerous high temperature records. In fact, anomalous offshore flow brought daytime temperatures near 90 degrees and overnight lows above 70 degrees near the Pacific coastline–temperatures that would be well above average in these areas in June, let alone January. … ”  Read more from the California Weather Blog here:  Extraordinary winter warmth and dryness to persist as West Coast ridge dominates

Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

• CAL WATER FIX HEARING UPDATE: The NRDC, Defenders of Wildlife, and The Bay Institute request a delay of the hearing due to anticipated changes in the project
• NEWS WORTH NOTING: Reclamation updating agreement to acquire water for the East Bear Creek Unit of the San Luis Refuge; Senator Feinstein, others introduce bipartisan water infrastructure reform legislation; Water and climate report: Western snowpack remains below normal
• SUSTAINABLE GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT PROGRAM NEWS: GSP initial notification system, Guidance docs for stakeholder engagement and communication; Basin boundary requests; more …
• SNOW SURVEY RESULTS … Snowpack Below Average Despite Gains

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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.