In California water news today, ‘Spoil sites’ for Oroville Dam spillway; Hyatt Power Plant starting up soon; ACWA and others request regulatory flexibility for Oroville Dam repairs; FEMA, Cal OES make initial visits for damage assessments; Oroville Dam: A story of a catastrophe told through photos; Hatchery heroes; How desalination plants are trying to overcome environmental concerns; California faces another bleak salmon-fishing season, a holdover from the drought; Good news, bad news on water; California and potable reuse’s sustainable momentum; and more …
On the calendar today …
- The Delta Stewardship Council will hold a public workshop for the Delta Plan Amendment for Conveyance, Storage and Operations in Tracy from 1pm to 5pm. These workshops are intended to gather comments on a draft amendment to better improve the way water moves across the Delta (conveyance), improve the amount of water stored above and below ground (storage); and improve the way the system is operated to maximize water supply and environmental benefit (operations). To read the information flyer, please click here.
In the news today …
‘Spoil sites’ for Oroville Dam spillway; Hyatt Power Plant starting up soon: “There are 1.7 million cubic yards of rubble at the bottom of the Diversion Pool, effectively splitting it into two bodies of water. The plan with the spillway shut off, according to the California Department of Water Resources, is to remove enough of it to clear a channel and get the water that is backed up on one side of the rubble to flow between the two sides. Out of what is about 343 million gallons worth of rock in the water, around 110,000 cubic yards have been removed since the flow stopped Monday. That’s not even 6.5 percent of the total. ... ” Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here: ‘Spoil sites’ for Oroville Dam spillway; Hyatt Power Plant starting up soon
DWR: Hyatt Power Plant could be back in service on Friday: “Reoperation of the Hyatt Power Plant, which allows the Department of Water Resources to better manage reservoir levels at Lake Oroville, could begin Friday, the DWR said Thursday. The Hyatt Power Plant has been out of operation since Feb. 9, when the water channel level below the dam became too high and turbine operation became unsafe. When in use, the plant has the ability to discharge 14,000 cubic feet per second. Three days after DWR halted flows from the damaged Oroville Dam spillway, 100,000 cubic yards of debris have been removed from the base of the spillway. ... ” Read more from the Appeal Democrat here: DWR: Hyatt Power Plant could be back in service on Friday
ACWA and others request regulatory flexibility for Oroville Dam repairs: “In a March 1 letter to newly confirmed U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, ACWA and 20 other California water groups requested federal regulatory flexibility for state and local agencies as they work to repair Oroville Dam. The letter highlights the need to move expeditiously to repair the spillways so flood risk may be lessened. The letter to Ross is in response to a Feb. 24 letter from officials with the National Marine Fisheries Service to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. In that letter, NMFS asks the FERC to enforce 12 recommendations intended to protect endangered fish species as the repairs to the dam proceed. One recommendation asks that flows from the dam be reduced as slowly as possible to protect fish. ... ” Read more from ACWA’s Water News here: ACWA and others request regulatory flexibility for Oroville Dam repairs
FEMA, Cal OES make initial visits for damage assessments: “Officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the California Office of Emergency Services visited Sutter County for a preliminary damage assessment Thursday and Yuba County two days earlier. The visits are the first of many, as the process of local government agencies seeking state or federal reimbursement can take months or longer, said Sutter County Public Information Officer Chuck Smith. “There is going to be a lot more work,” said Smith. “This is a quick and dirty observation of potential costs. That’s what today was all about. In the coming months, it will be about redefining what the damage really was. These figures are guaranteed to change.” … ” Read more from the Appeal Democrat here: FEMA, Cal OES make initial visits for damage assessments
Oroville Dam: A story of a catastrophe told through photos: “A gaping hole was discovered in the Oroville Dam main spillway on Feb. 7, 2017, marking the start of a catastrophic situation that unfolded over the course of several days. As a moisture-packed storm drenched Northern California in early February, a torrent of stormwater and snow melt poured into Lake Oroville. The lake level rose rapidly and Oroville reached full capacity. To make room in the reservoir and prevent flooding, water was released down the main spillway, a 3,000-foot-long concrete chute that dumps water into the Feather River. … ” Read more (and view photos & video) at SF Gate here: Oroville Dam: A story of a catastrophe told through photos
Hatchery heroes: “On Feb. 7, the day officials first noticed damage to the Oroville Dam spillway, Anna Kastner got a phone call from the Department of Water Resources. As manager of the Feather River Fish Hatchery, she was asked to have a plan in place to release all of the fish into the river. Release them? she thought. No way. Kastner decided to come up with a way to move them instead. She called over to the Thermalito annex hatchery facility on Highway 99 and learned it was empty. So, the next day, hatchery employees prepared it for incoming fish. Within 48 hours of being asked to prepare to release the fish from the hatchery, 5 million of them were loaded into trucks—mobilized from throughout the North State—and transferred to Thermalito. Because of their small size, the last million had to be loaded by hand, rather than by pump. … ” Read more from the Chico News & Review here:
How desalination plants are trying to overcome environmental concerns: “As California labored under a severe drought for more than five years, industry and media debated the pros and cons of desalination coming to the rescue of the drought-stricken state. About a dozen or so desalination plants have been planned or proposed up and down the Golden State’s coast, with the 50 million gallon (189m liter) per day Carlsbad desalination plant opened in December 2015 and Santa Barbara’s smaller desalination facility set to open this spring. … How big a role desalination plays in future water supply decisions in California may depend on how well the industry deals with environmental concerns. ... ” Continue reading at Water Deeply here: How desalination plants are trying to overcome environmental concerns
California faces another bleak salmon-fishing season, a holdover from the drought: “California salmon anglers are looking at another bleak fishing season, despite the remarkably wet winter – a lingering impact from the state’s five-year drought. This week, state and federal fisheries regulators released their estimates for the numbers of adult fall-run Chinook salmon swimming off California’s coast. The news was even more grim than the drought-weakened numbers of fish last year. An estimated 54,200 adult fall-run Chinook salmon reared in the Klamath River are swimming off the Pacific Coast – among the lowest number on record and down from 142,000 in 2016. Of the adult fish reared in the Sacramento River and its tributaries, biologists estimate there are 230,700 in the Pacific Ocean – 70,000 fewer than last year. ... ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: California faces another bleak salmon-fishing season, a holdover from the drought
Good news, bad news on water: “Things are starting to dry up along the San Joaquin River and in fields in the path of Corral Hollow Creek. That’s the good news on the water front. The bad news is that many local farmers still don’t know what kind of allocation of Delta-Mendota Canal water they can expect from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for this year’s growing season. The bureau issued its first allocation prediction Tuesday for the Central Valley Project, indicating that nearly all customers in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys will receive 100 percent of their total allocation. But not a word was issued about irrigation districts with contracts to receive water from the San Luis and Delta-Mendota canals. This is the first time this has occurred. … ” Read more from the Tracy Press here: Good news, bad news on water
California and potable reuse’s sustainable momentum: “Despite recent rain inundation, California remains an epicenter for high-profile projects designed to provide residents with drinking water amidst persistent drought. The state has been a leader in the advance of desalination and potable reuse practices, investing millions in cutting-edge technology meant to bolster water sources. A new project moving forward in San Diego demonstrates that the state’s spirit of drinking water innovation is still very much alive. … ” Read more from Water Online here: California and potable reuse’s sustainable momentum
In commentary today …
Be wary of those politicizing Oroville Dam crisis, says Assemblyman Gallagher: He writes, “When more than 180,000 people, including my own family, were forced to leave our homes in a moment’s notice earlier this month, it was a true testing of our region, its resources and its people. I was so proud to see how we responded to this crisis. Volunteers and donations poured in from all over the region. High schools and their staffs opened their doors. Christian churches and Sikh temples brought people into their sanctuary. Warm meals were distributed. People stood in the gap while we waited for cots and other supplies to come in from the Red Cross and other responders. We have a lot of questions that we intend to get answered. There are many concerns that we have with regard to how Oroville Dam was operated and maintained. Just as we are determined to get through this crisis, we are determined to get to the bottom of this issue. And we will surely help lead that effort. … ” Read more from the Appeal Democrat here: Be wary of those politicizing Oroville Dam crisis
Sustainability, not drought, can be the future of the drought, says Nick Blom: He writes, “From the 188,000 Oroville residents who were evacuated two weeks ago, to the 14,000 in San Jose who had to be rescued from contaminated water, no Californian has been unaffected by the historic storms beating down on our state. Sometimes it feels like it will never end, reminding us of past floods and the challenges that result from so much water coming in such a short period. The situation is serious, which is why you might think I’m making a bad joke when I say that according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, more than 20 million Californians are still living under drought conditions. And even when this drought officially ends, it won’t be the last dry spell that our state sees. ... ” Read more from the Modesto Bee here: Sustainability,not drought, can be the future of the drought
Why a state as blue as California should get Trump’s infrastructure dollars: The LA Times writes, “Two things ought to come to mind in California when President Trump says he plans to spend $1 trillion on infrastructure. And no, they’re not “Oroville” and “San Jose,” although those are good clues. The first is that if the federal government is going to prioritize vast new infrastructure spending, California’s water projects should be near the top of the list. Bring it on. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Why a state as blue as California should get Trump’s infrastructure dollars
In regional news and commentary today …
Nevada Irrigation District says failed canal won’t affect water access: “NID officials said Wednesday no customer will receive less treated water after a portion of the South Yuba Canal was destroyed by a landslide. Nevada Irrigation District directors unanimously approved an emergency declaration on Wednesday in the wake of the February failure of the canal. The declaration makes the project a priority for regulatory agencies that will oversee aspects of the canal’s rehabilitation, said Chip Close, NID’s water operations manager. … ” Read more from The Union here: Nevada Irrigation District says failed canal won’t affect water access
Lake Berryessa Glory Hole: A dam explanation: “History was made last month when water spilled into the Glory Hole at Lake Berryessa, ending a more than 10-year dry spell, the longest gap ever between spills, which turned the Monticello Dam into a tourist destination and national sensation. “This was an unprecedented climb,” said Kevin King, Water & Power operations manager for the Solano Irrigation District, the organization tasked with the day-to-day operations at the dam. “This pattern of wet weather has been unbelievable; none of us expected a forecast like this at all.” … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here: Lake Berryessa Glory Hole: A dam explanation
Sacramento man evacuating from flood risk hit with drought warning: “A man tells CBS13 that as he was evacuating out of concerns of flooding, the city of Sacramento hit him with a drought violation for wasting water. Sacramento remains in a State 2 water shortage, and the utilities department hasn’t stopped its enforcement of drought violators. The city still has a team of six to seven people who do water patrols enforcing drought conservation rules. Those patrols started in 2014 and the city says they won’t stop until the state declares the drought is over. The letter has Steve Zumalt livid. ... ” Read more from CBS Channel 13 here: Sacramento man evacuating from flood risk hit with drought warning
Feds: Drought ends in San Joaquin: “After 1,892 days, the drought is over in San Joaquin County. That’s the conclusion of the federal government, which Thursday morning issued new maps showing the entire county — and indeed, 79 percent of the state — free from any kind of drought designation. For San Joaquin, it is the first time since Dec. 27, 2011. … ” Read more from the Stockton Record here: Feds: Drought ends in San Joaquin
San Joaquin County works to tally storm damages: “San Joaquin County is working to assess the severity of the damage caused by major storms in early January and February. According to very early estimates offered by the San Joaquin County Office of Emergency Services (SJOES), the damage cost the county, cities and reclamation districts approximately $3.8 million. However, floodfighting efforts are still ongoing as rapid flows have continued to cause erosion in already stressed levees, such as those along the San Joaquin River, according to Mike Cockrell, Director of SJOES. He presented an update on the flood emergency in the county at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting. … ” Read more from the Lodi Sentinel here: San Joaquin County works to tally storm damages
Column: Stockton’s $65 million maybe: Michael Fitzgerald writes, “There are boondoggles and there are wise investments, and there is a unique category of things that shift maddeningly between both categories as time and conditions change. Such a mercurial thing is Stockton’s New Melones Conveyance. The $65 million system of tunnels and canals is designed to bring water from New Melones Reservoir. “It is truly my baby,” said Ed Steffani, 84, the retired manager of Stockton East Water District, which delivers water to both of Stockton’s utilities and to 95,000 acres of farmland. ... ” Read more from the Stockton Record here: Stockton’s $65 million maybe
New Melones two-thirds full: “A rare event could happen this year – New Melones Reservoir could come near to holding its designed storage capacity of 2.4 million acre feet of water. It is something that hasn’t happened for a decade. Just a year ago the South San Joaquin Irrigation District was struggling to make sure they had enough water to get through the water year even with imposed cutbacks of more than 20 percent of deliveries to urban and farm users. The SSJID board waited as long as possible to start the first irrigation run in February. Now, depending upon local rain in the coming weeks that has turned spotty following major storm after storm, water deliveries may not start until April. … ” Read more from the Manteca Bulletin here: New Melones two-thirds full
Modesto begins releasing partially treated wastewater into the San Joaquin River: “To protect pond levees and its water treatment infrastructure, the city of Modesto began releasing partially treated wastewater into the San Joaquin River on Thursday afternoon. Wastewater that has been treated but not disinfected will be discharged at an estimated average daily flow of 30 to 45 cubic feet per second, the city said in a news release Monday morning. The release will “continue for as long as necessary to prevent pond levee failure. Completion could take weeks.” … ” Read more from the Modesto Bee here: Modesto begins releasing partially treated wastewater into the San Joaquin River
Kings County: Farmers scratching their heads over CVP announcement: “Westside Kings County farmers who depend on Central Valley Project water are used to getting their initial water supply allocation from the federally-run system in February, which gives them time to make investment and planting decisions for the summer crop. But this year’s written announcement, released by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation this week, has left them in the dark. ... ” Read more from the Hanford Sentinel here: Farmers scratching their heads over CVP announcement
Drought outlook improves, but subsidence persists in places like Corcoran: “Between the year-to-year drought monitor maps showing significant improvements to California’s drought situation to the announcement that California’s snowpack is now 185-percent of average– there is relief and optimism among many in the state, including farmers. But new data released by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena shows parts of the Central Valley are still sinking, or subsiding, due to excessive groundwater pumping, which increases during drought years. Using radar technology, members of the jet propulsion lab revealed a subsidence bowl around Corcoran has grown wider and deeper. Between May of 2015 and September of 2016, the maximum subsidence there was nearly two feet. … ” Read more from KFSN here: Drought outlook improves, but subsidence persists in places like Corcoran
San Diego: Federal officials announce investigation into huge Tijuana sewage spill: “Federal officials in the United States and Mexico announced on Thursday a joint investigation into a sewage spill in the Tijuana River that has polluted South County beaches as far north as Coronado — and which now looks to have been intentional as some elected leaders in San Diego suspected. The U.S. and Mexican commissioners of the International Boundary and Water Commission said Thursday that the inquiry would look into when the spill occurred, the amount of sewage involved and why the agency and the public weren’t notified of the incident sooner. A binational working group will submit a report within 30 days. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune here: San Diego: Federal officials announce investigation into huge Tijuana sewage spill
Precipitation watch …
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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.
