DAILY DIGEST: With snow piling up in the Sierra, what will it take to end the drought?; Even mighty oaks are dying from drought; California’s stressed water system: A primer; California about to be pummeled by an atmospheric river storms; and more …

In California water news today, Despite recent storms, California’s snow drought continues; Sierra snowpack survey prompts drought watchers to be optimistic; With snow piling up in the Sierra, what will it take to end the drought?; Even California’s mighty oaks are dying from drought; California’s Drought to be Pummeled by an Atmospheric River With Feet of Sierra Snow, Flooding Rain Into Next Week; Radio show: Protecting bird habitats in California; San Joaquin River flow proposal examined in hearing; California eyes treated wastewater for human consumption; and more …

On the calendar today …

• The State Water Resources Control Board meets this morning at 9am. Agenda items include California’s ongoing drought emergency and an update on Emergency Water Conservation Regulation.  Click here for the agenda. Click here for the webcast.

In the news today …

Despite recent storms, California’s snow drought continues:  “Around the start of each year, California water officials make a big show out of measuring the Sierra Nevada snowpack for reporters. Tuesday’s measurement before a throng of cameras was fairly bleak: Water content in the snowpack stood at just 53 percent of average, about a third as much water as the same time last year at that site.  But as snowflakes drifted down, Frank Gehrke, director of snow surveys for the Department of Water Resources, struck a positive tone after taking the state’s first official manual snowpack reading of 2017 near Echo Summit.  “I think it’s a very encouraging start to the winter,” he said. Minutes earlier, he had traversed a snowy field on cross-country skis, plunging a hollow aluminum tube into the three-foot-deep snow at seven different points over a 200-yard stretch. … ”  Read more from the Sacramento Bee here:  Despite recent storms, California’s snow drought continues

Sierra snowpack survey prompts drought watchers to be optimistic:  “A series of sopping storms taking aim on drought-ravaged California this week will provide much needed relief as state reservoirs continue to rise, and the once-abysmal Sierra snowpack is on track to return to normal.  While the snow at Phillips Station off Highway 50 was more than 5 inches below normal on Tuesday, snow surveyors for the California Department of Water Resources were optimistic when they trudged up to manually measure the snow’s water content.  At the measuring site about 90 miles east of Sacramento, a core sample of snow had a water content of 6 inches – 53 percent of average for that location. Statewide, snowpack levels were at 70 percent of average, despite a wetter-than-normal October and December.  ... ”  Read more from SF Gate here:  Sierra snowpack survey prompts drought watchers to be optimistic

With snow piling up in the Sierra, what will it take to end the drought?  “The resort town of Phillips high in the Sierra Nevada has long been a barometer of California’s drought.  Snow measuring station 3 in the El Dorado County town was where Gov. Jerry Brown came in April 2015 to announce major drought restrictions, using the dry, snow-less landscape as a stark backdrop.  On Tuesday, Frank Gehrke of the California Department of Water Resources performed the manual measurement at the same spot, this time covered in three feet of snow.  It measured just 53% of the seasonal average, but officials took that as further proof California’s six-year drought was easing. ... ”  Read more from the LA Times here:  With snow piling up in the Sierra, what will it take to end the drought?

Even California’s mighty oaks are dying from drought:  “The ongoing California drought has killed more than 100 million trees, according to a recent U.S. Forest Service estimate. Many of these, it turns out, are very old oaks – trees that are known to be drought resilient and have survived numerous droughts in the past.  So what happened to these oak trees?  Todd Dawson, a biology professor at U.C. Berkeley, and several colleagues investigated that issue at three sites in Central California over the past couple of years. They found that these stately, mature oak trees fell victim to severe groundwater depletion. … ”  Read more from Water Deeply here:  Even California’s mighty oaks are dying from drought

California’s Drought to be Pummeled by an Atmospheric River With Feet of Sierra Snow, Flooding Rain Into Next Week:  “California residents still thirsting for relief from a five-year drought may get too much of a good thing into next week.  A persistent Pacific pattern, featuring an atmospheric river, will deliver multiple rounds of heavy mountain snow and flooding, lower-elevation rain in the Golden State.  It has been five years since California’s current long-term drought first began. Owing to earlier-season high snow-level events, water content in the Sierra snowpack – an important parameter for monitoring replenishment of the state’s reservoirs during the spring melt – was actually running lower than average on Jan. 3. ... ”  Read more from the Weather Channel here:  California’s Drought to be Pummeled by an Atmospheric River With Feet of Sierra Snow, Flooding Rain Into Next Week

Radio show: Protecting bird habitats in California:  “California’s ongoing drought and rapid pace of agricultural development could be placing the state’s waterbirds at risks.  The Central Valley’s agricultural landscape does not only feed people around the globe, it also plays a critical role within the animal ecosystem.  The waterbirds are among the animals dependant on the rice, corn, alfalfa and other small grains grown in California.  Khara Strum, Conservation Project Manager at Audubon California talks about what is at stake for the surrounding environment’s fowl.” Listen to the radio show from Capital Public Radio here:  Protecting bird habitats in California

California’s stressed water system: A primer:  “The scope of water’s role in California is just as diverse and complex as the state’s climate, geography, and urban, agricultural, and economic landscapes. This is a state that stretches nearly 700 miles in length, hosts both the highest and lowest points in the Lower 48 states, and has climate zones that range from coastal to highlands to deserts. Its average annual rainfall varies from over 150 inches in the northwestern mountains to less than two inches in Death Valley. The Golden State has seen mega-floods and extended years of drought. California also has the largest population, largest economy, and largest agricultural values of any state. And the state’s very livelihood is significantly impacted by the amount of water that falls from the sky, how that water is stored and transported, and how it is used (or not used). … ”  Read more from Weather Wise here:  California’s stressed water system: A primer

San Joaquin River flow proposal examined in hearing:  “The State Water Resources Control Board held a public hearing today on its draft plan for San Joaquin River flows that is as part of Phase 1 of its update to the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan.  Numerous speakers testified to the State Water Board about their concerns regarding the draft plan, with many saying its proposal to increase unimpaired flows for fish species will not help fish and will result in inadequate flows for agriculture and Central Valley communities. Many critics of the proposal asked that the State Water Board look at other “non-flow” proposals to benefit fish species. … ”  Read more from ACWA’s Water News here:  San Joaquin River flow proposal examined in hearing

There’s still a lot we don’t know about blue-green toxins in California:  “No patterns, lots of blooms and more to learn.  That’s what 2016’s blue-green algae season had to offer, says Beverley Anderson-Abbs, an environmental scientist for the State Water Resources Control Board.  “There have been so many things that have come up unexpectedly that this year has really raised more questions than answers,” Anderson-Abbs said in late December.  For the first time, the state tracked outbreaks of cyanobacteria, commonly known as blue-green algae, confirming reports of blooms in approximately 40 different lakes, rivers, streams and other water bodies across the state, including Lake Elsinore, Pyramid and Silverwood lakes and lakes at the El Dorado East Regional Park in Long Beach. … ”  Read more from the Pasadena Star-News here:  There’s still a lot we don’t know about blue-green toxins in California

California eyes treated wastewater for human consumption:  “Faced with a prolonged drought in most of the state and a burgeoning population, California is planning to augment natural drinking water sources with treated wastewater for human consumption.  There’s no timetable for when wastewater might start flowing from household taps, but state water officials have begun work on standards that would assure the highly treated effluent is safe to drink.  They acknowledged there are “knowledge gaps” to be filled before the standards are implemented. The gaps primarily relate to the “quantification of reliability” needed to ensure treated wastewater is as safe as water drawn from nature, according to a 540-page report released last week by the State Water Resources Control Board. ... ”  Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here:  California eyes treated wastewater for human consumption

Nature up close: Sierra Nevada, Death Valley, and the rain shadow effect:  “The beautiful Sierra Nevada’s name translates very literally from Spanish as “mountain snowfall,” meaning snow-covered mountains.  The reason why the peaks are snow-covered and why hot, dry Death Valley is east of the Sierra Nevada range is the same: They are both the result of the rain shadow effect. To understand how this terrain-induced meteorological effect causes precipitation to occur in one place and dry, hot deserts in another, a little knowledge of relative humidity is needed. … ”  Read more from CBS News here:  Nature up close: Sierra Nevada, Death Valley, and the rain shadow effect

New Congress likely to address regulatory reform:  “In the early days of the 115th U.S. Congress, lawmakers are expected to address an issue that has been a key concern of farmers and ranchers: unnecessary or duplicative regulation by the federal government. The new, Republican-led Congress will likely take up regulatory-reform legislation early in the coming session.  “Regulatory reform is a very broad way of defining the problems that we face—the paperwork, expectations, rules, laws, fees, permits, penalties, including criminal penalties—all of that goes under this big umbrella,” said Josh Rolph, California Farm Bureau Federation Federal Policy manager.  With members of Congress set to be sworn in early this week, Rolph said, the transition to a new Trump administration and a Republican-controlled legislative branch leaves “the expectation that things can get done.” … ”  Read more from Ag Alert here:  New Congress likely to address regulatory reform

In commentary today …

Congress got it right; will California’s regulators?  Paul Wenger writes, “In the closing hours of the 114th Congress and with one of the last signatures by President Obama on a bipartisan bill sent to his desk, the long-awaited drought bill known as the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act became reality. This bill will help provide relief to areas of the San Joaquin Valley and Southern California that remain drought stricken, even as rain and snow have benefited our Northern California reservoirs, with rivers periodically running near flood stage.  The WIIN Act will provide much-needed flexibility in the operation of state and federal water projects. It will put the needs of people on a better standing relative to the rigid interpretations and application of the Endangered Species Act and resulting biological opinions that created a regulatory drought that has exacerbated the four-year drought of 2012-15. … ” Read more from Ag Alert here:  Congress got it right; will California’s regulators?

Michael Fitzgerald: A drought complete with flooding:  “Welcome to Drought Denier Corner, a home for crackpots like me who think the “drought,” at least as defined by the powers that be, is a bunch of baloney.  Here. Put on this tin foil hat and hear me out.  The dictionary defines drought as, “a period of dry weather, especially a long one that is injurious to crops.”  By the common definition, then, a drought ends when the rains come. Big rains, at least. Well, they came. … ”  Read more from the Stockton Record here:  A drought complete with flooding

Contrary to what LA thinks, we get it in the 209:  Dennis Wyatt writes, ““We” — referring to those of us that live, work and play in the Northern San Joaquin Valley — supposedly don’t get it when it comes to the importance of the environment.  This nugget of wisdom was offered by pundits in reaction to how many of us in the 209 believe the myopic plan to ratchet up unimpaired flows from February to June on the Stanislaus, Merced and Tuolumne rivers will do fish little if any good while causing severe damage to farming, urban water users in the three counties, body slam the regional economy, and even hurt the environment away from the three previously mention rivers.  I’m not too sure what “we” don’t get. ... ”  Read more from the Manteca Bulletin here:  Contrary to what LA thinks, we get it in the 209

California’s stormwater regulations themselves are a toxic mess:  “Thousands – perhaps tens of thousands – of California businesses are polluting streams, bays and the ocean, but state environmental regulators don’t know how many companies are doing how much damage.  In places like Logan Heights or National City, industry-filled neighborhoods send metals and toxic chemicals into the water, helping to ruin it for humans and poison it for marine life.  An entire regulatory system exists to prevent this – to keep businesses honest, residents safe and fish alive. That system is a mess. ... ”  Read more from the Voice of San Diego here:  California’s stormwater regulations themselves are a toxic mess

In regional news and commentary today …

Siskiyou County: Final workshops regarding Sustainable Groundwater Management Act implementation:  “Natural Resource Policy Specialist Elizabeth Nielsen will hold three more informational meetings to provide information on the implementation of California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.  SGMA was signed into law in September 2014, and requires the formation, by June 30, 2017, of new Groundwater Sustainability agencies to manage certain groundwater basins throughout California.  According to this announcement, in Siskiyou County, the Butte Valley, Shasta Valley and Scott Valley basins, and the Tulelake Sub-basin are subject to SGMA. … ”  Read more from the Siskiyou Daily News here:  Final workshops regarding Sustainable Groundwater Management Act implementation

Yuba-Sutter: Story of the year, part 2: Of levees and conservation:  “The Yuba-Sutter area has experienced its fair share of flood disasters, being located within a network of rivers. But a number of local entities have been working to prevent additional catastrophes.  Both the Sutter Butte Flood Control Agency and Three Rivers Levee Improvement Authority, for example, have been working to reinforce the levee systems along the Feather River, Yuba River and Bear River. Both entities are close to finishing expansive projects in the region, anticipating 2017 completion dates. “We’ve made many improvements over the last 10 years, and we’ve achieved a lot of progress with the levees,” said Paul Brunner, executive director of TRLIA. “We’ve ended up nearly completing 200-year protection standards.” ... ”  Read more from the Appeal Democrat here:  Yuba-Sutter: Story of the year, part 2: Of levees and conservation

Public comment sought for lower Yuba River restoration project: “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking public input for the proposed lower Yuba River restoration project.  The project’s aim is to increase the spawning success and enhance juvenile rearing of two Central Valley Chinook salmon populations, which would also benefit a Central Valley steelhead population.  The Lower Yuba River Habitat Restoration Project — funded by USFWS through its Anadromous Fish Restoration Program — aims to manipulate the topography to replenish the spawning gravel by increasing the quality and availability of spawning areas for salmonids. … ”  Read more from the Appeal Democrat here:  Public comment sought for lower Yuba River restoration project

Tuolumne Utilities District moves forward with reservoir feasibility study:  “After discussing whether spending $63,000 is a worthwhile investment, the T.U.D. Board of Directors voted to move forward and fund a feasibility study for a new water reservoir near the district’s Sierra Pines property.  Board member Jim Grinnell questioned staff members if there was a way for the study to end early, and be less expensive, if a major project hurdle was discovered during the early stages of the review. General Manager Tom Haglund indicated it would be difficult to know when discouraging information could come to light, whether it be at the $30,000 mark, $45,000 mark, etc. … ”  Read more from My Mother Lode here:  Tuolumne Utilities District moves forward with reservoir feasibility study

Precipitation watch …

Series of atmospheric river storms to bring risk of significant flooding:  “What happened to the “Arctic Outbreak” mentioned in the last post?  Well, it happened…somewhat further north than expected. The Pacific Northwest has been shivering through another unusually extended wave of subfreezing temperatures and snow–even along the immediate coast. These very cold temperatures did in fact make it to far northern California, where snowflakes were indeed observed near sea level along the North Coast (Crescent City briefly reported “thundersnow” on January 2nd) and in the lower hills of Mendocino County and the northern Sacramento foothills. … Subtle differences in the west-to-east flow across the far northeastern Pacific, however, have kept California warmer and wetter than initially expected over the past week. And remember those potential “big storms” I mentioned at the end of the last post? Well, those are now materializing in a pretty eyebrow-raising manner. … ” Continue reading at the California Weather Blog here:  Series of atmospheric river storms to bring risk of significant flooding

Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

• CALIFORNIA WATER FIX: Dr. Jeff Michael on the benefit and costs of the Delta tunnels
• CALENDAR NOTES: CA Water Law Symposium: The Bay-Delta: Understanding what’s at stake for the region’s future; SoCal Water Committee Quarterly Luncheon; CA Irrigation Institute: ‘Managing our Water Checkbook: Solutions for a Balanced Bottom Line’
• THIS JUST IN … Despite recent precipitation, snowpack’s statewide water content is below average – just 70% statewide

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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.