DAILY DIGEST: Experts calculate half a billion for full Oroville reconstruction; Talking to the ‘Water Czar’ about the CA drought; How leaky is your water utility? Californians will soon know; Trump delivers surprise to California; and more …

In California water news today, Experts calculate half a billion for full Oroville reconstruction; Debris removal slows at Oroville Dam; Talking to the ‘Water Czar’ about the California drought; How leaky is your water utility?  Californians will soon know; Lobbyists to Castaic Lake Water Agency: Trump is slowly changing water landscape; Trump delivers surprise to California; Greens seek end to pesticides in wildlife refuges; Oroville’s Riverbend Park damage assessments begin; repairs will wait; Woodland’s public works department focused on water quality; and more …

On the calendar today …

• Webinar: California-Nevada Drought and Climate Outlook at 11am:  The California-Nevada Drought Early Warning System (CA-NV DEWS) Drought & Climate Outlook Webinar is part of a series of regular drought and climate outlook webinars designed to provide stakeholders and other interested parties in the region with timely information on current drought status and impacts, as well as a preview of current and developing climatic events (i.e. El Niño and La Niña).  Click here for more information and to register.
• Spring 2017 Report on the Sierra Nevada’s Rain, Snowpack, Trees, Water, Ecosystems and Climate Change (San Francisco) at 5:30pm:  Join the Commonwealth Club and a distinguished panel for an up-to-date report on the Sierra Nevada mountains, habitats, water, rivers, trees, ground cover and the harsh economic impacts caused by fire, degradation and the cycle of climate changes. Click here for more information and for tickets.

In the news today …

Experts calculate half a billion for full Oroville reconstruction:  “A recent report from an independent board of consultants on the Oroville emergency recovery, released this week to the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), concluded that “A very significant risk would be incurred if the Gated Spillway is not operational by November 1.”  But it also placed little faith in the possibility that it can be done, acknowledging that “This is a very demanding schedule.”  To understand the implications of the report as part of this Friday’s debrief, I met with Ronald Stork, a policy director at Friends of the River. … ”  Read more from ABC 10 here:  Experts calculate half a billion for full Oroville reconstruction

Debris removal slows at Oroville Dam:  “As use of the flood control spillway continues to lower water levels at Lake Oroville, debris removal at the base of the spillway has slowed.  On March 17, Department of Water Resources personnel increased flow to the Feather River by means of the flood control spillway, which had been out of operation since Feb. 27 for repairs.  Lake levels have gradually decreased 19.6 feet since outflows of upward of 50,000 cubic feet per second have been released.  With the spillway in use, efforts to remove debris at the base of the spillway have continued in areas safe enough for crews to work. … ”  Read more from The Grass Valley Union here:  Debris removal slows at Oroville Dam

Talking to the ‘Water Czar’ about the California drought:  “By every wet indication, California is about to lift the drought state of emergency order imposed in January 2014. So we thought this would be a good time to talk to Felicia Marcus, the chairwoman of California’s Water Resources Control Board (you can call her the Water Czar.) This interview has been edited and condensed.  Question: Do you think these past three years have produced permanent changes in how Californians use water?  Felicia Marcus:  “With respect to urban water use, 50 percent of which on average is used on outdoor ornamental landscapes, folks have learned how much they can save outdoors, and how hard it actually can be to kill a lawn. But, we’ve got to value and learn to water our trees separately. With climate change coming, we’ll need more trees and less nonfunctional lawn. We’ve had quite a few conversions to drought-tolerant landscaping. … ”  Read more from the New York Times here:  Talking to the ‘Water Czar’ about the California drought

How leaky is your water utility?  Californians will soon know:  “California’s drought has required water consumers to adopt a wide range of water efficiency practices, from taking shorter showers to installing water-sipping appliances. But what have water utilities been required to do?  It’s long been known that water distribution systems have leaks, and most utilities work to correct those leaks aggressively, because they also represent lost revenue. But every leak also represents a cost to ratepayers, not to mention a wasted natural resource.  How much do water distribution systems leak? That’s been a big unknown. Common estimates are around 10 percent, but some systems may leak as much as 45 percent. … ”  Read more from Water Deeply here:  How leaky is your water utility?  Californians will soon know

Trump delivers surprise to California: “California appeared destined for near-Dickensian times after Donald Trump’s election. The state had just delivered a landslide winning margin for his opponent and rapidly evolved into the beachhead of the Trump resistance. The irritable president threatened to withhold federal funding from the nation’s most populous state.  Yet in an early turn from that discord, the Trump administration has delivered on three big asks in its short time in office, approving much-needed presidential disaster declarations related to the Oroville Dam crisis and winter storms. The declarations free up what’s likely to be millions of dollars in federal aid in more than a dozen California counties. ... ”  Read more from Politco here:  Trump delivers surprise to California

Lobbyists to Castaic Lake Water Agency: Trump is slowly changing water landscape:  “Lobbyists representing the best interests of the Castaic Lake Water Agency in Washington told board members this week not to expect much work to do done between now and September as the Trump administration faces a heavy work-load.  On Monday, members of CLWA’s Legislative Committee were briefed by lobbyists working in Washington about the progress of bills through the House and the Senate.  Lobbyist Harry Henderson, of Anchor Consulting LLC, told the committee in a memo that President Donald Trump is still putting together his staff. ... ”  Read more from the Santa Clarita Valley Signal here:  Lobbyists to Castaic Lake Water Agency

In regional news and commentary …

Greens seek end to pesticides in wildlife refuges:  “Though the United States set aside 90,000 acres for wildlife refuges on the Oregon-California border, it allows spraying of agricultural pesticides on tens of thousands of acres there, defeating the purpose of the refuges, the Center for Biological Diversity claims in court.  The Center for Biological Diversity sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on March 23 in Federal Court, for allowing pesticide spraying on more than 31,000 acres of the Tule Lake and Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuges, two of five wildlife refuges in the Klamath Basin.  Specifically, the Center challenges the Jan. 13 Record of Decision that established a 15-year Comprehensive Conservation Plan for the five wildlife refuges, the Upper Klamath, Lower Klamath, Tule Lake, Clear Lake, and Bear Valley Refuges. ... ”  Read more from Courthouse News Service here:  Greens seek end to pesticides in wildlife refuges

Oroville’s Riverbend Park damage assessments begin; repairs will wait: “Damage assessments have begun on Riverbend Park, but the Feather River Recreation and Park District says repairs won’t start until after spring runoff fluctuations in the Feather River flow end.  It’s unclear how much water the Department of Water Resources will have to send down the river when the snowpack upstream from Lake Oroville melts, so any repairs made before that could be at risk.  DWR’s website indicates the snowpack in its northern region, which drains into Lake Oroville and Shasta and Trinity lakes, is at 142 percent of what’s normal for this time of year. There’s the equivalent of 39 inches of rainfall in the snow, according to DWR.  … ”  Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here:  Oroville’s Riverbend Park damage assessments begin; repairs will wait

Woodland’s public works department focused on water quality:  “Finalized agreement for a solar array, city wells shut down and vacancies of “heavy equipment” mechanics highlighted a recent Public Works Quarterly Status.  The report covers December 2016 through February 2017, and provides a summary of service requests, work orders and other activities for major projects under way by the Public Works Department.  Highlights of the report center around the city’s new water system. The report includes information that the city’s recycled water project is now 100 percent complete and recycled water is being used by the local biomass power plant. Additionally, recycled water lab testing is now being done seven days a week. ... ”  Read more from the Woodland Daily Democrat here:  Woodland’s public works department focused on water quality

Sunol: $20 million project near temple put on hold:  “People in this quirky hamlet have looked forward for years to a planned Alameda Creek watershed center that would provide a central public place to visit and play, as well as greater access to Sunol Water Temple, a 60-foot-tall monument.  The $20 million plan for the center is on hold, though, because of doubts that the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission can afford to build the center that was carefully planned over years by water officials and community residents.  The center is planned just east of the water temple on water department land southwest of the intersection of Interstate 680 and Highway 84 in Sunol, a town of some 900 people.  …”  Read more from San Jose Mercury News here: Sunol: $20 million project near temple put on hold

Defying man and nature, the sea otters of Morro Bay have made a comeback:  “On a day of cozy coastal grays — soft cloud cover, a silver foil-wrap sea — a dozen gray fur balls brought visitors the most comfort.  Bobbing 20 feet from a harbor walkway, the sea otters were part of a record number in California. They once were believed to be as extinct as the dodo bird or the Tyrannosaurus rex.  But there they were, a raft of otters drifting by a line of tourists.  Several pups rested their heads on their mothers. The biggest otter cracked a clam on a flat rock balanced on her chest. They lounged belly-up and, with a thump of their paws, rotated like rolling pins.  … ”  Read more from the LA Times here:  Defying man and nature, the sea otters of Morro Bay have made a comeback

Mesa Water wants to renew talks about merger with sanitary district:  “Despite almost a year of at-times contentious disagreement, Mesa Water District board members plan to again ask for their Costa Mesa Sanitary District counterparts’ agreement to further study the possibility of merging the two agencies.  Mesa Water’s board voted 3-2 Thursday to send a letter inviting the sanitary district to jointly ask the Local Agency Formation Commission, or LAFCO, for a municipal service review of the two agencies. Vice President Jim Atkinson and member Fred Bockmiller dissented. ... ”  Read more from the LA Times here:  Mesa Water wants to renew talks about merger with sanitary district

South Coast water district discusses potential desalination plant risks:  “During a workshop to discuss the Value for Money Analysis, South Coast Water District directors agreed they had some “homework” ahead of them regarding the Doheny Desalination Project.  During the workshop, GHD—an engineering firm hired to assist the district with the project—and Charles Snyder from Professional Infrastructure Consulting Services told the board about the risks that could be associated with the project, the differences between a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and a Design-Build-Operate (DBO) facility, and the price tag. ... ”  Read more from the Dana Point Times here: South Coast water district discusses potential desalination plant risks

Updating California’s quest to preserve the Salton Sea:  “The largest lake in the state of California could soon finally be on its way to recovery after years of delays and hand-wringing.  The California Natural Resources Agency announced a 10 year, $383 million plan that aims to complete a number of projects left to languish for the last several years while funding was approved. It starts with building a network of small ponds and marshy wetlands across 29,000 acres of land that will not only help cover the large swaths of lakebed that create toxic dust storms, but also provide a habitat for migrating birds. So far, the state has earmarked $80.5 million for these projects, but the plan does outline more funding that will be necessary, and it’s not clear exactly from where that money will come. … ”  Read more from KPCC here:  Updating California’s quest to preserve the Salton Sea

In commentary today …

Salton Sea ‘starter plan’ must not be the final word, says the Desert Sun:  They write, “The Salton Sea faces a crucial deadline this year as water transfers that have been keeping it at least marginally stabilized come to an end. In the face of a bleak future predicted to be full of toxic dust clouds that will choke already vulnerable residents of the region, California officials have put forth a 10-year blueprint to help mitigate this threat.  All should be thankful for this move, but, in key ways, it seems to amount to one baby step for man, one baby step for the dying lake.  Here’s some perspective behind this pessimism. … ”  Read more from The Desert Sun here:  Salton Sea ‘starter plan’ must not be the final word

More news and commentary in the weekend edition …

• DAILY DIGEST, weekend edition: Oroville Dam crisis spurs debate on aging water infrastructure; Why this NorCal town’s water cost way more than the national average; The potential big impact of Trump’s clean water rollback; PODCAST: Historical perspective on water management values; and more …

Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

• RESERVOIR AND WATER CONDITIONS for March 27, 2017
• NEWS WORTH NOTING: Maven’s Notebook author joins ‘The Water Zone’; Scoping Meeting for Delta Plan Amendment has concluded, but comments still welcome; Introducing Water Sage California
• CALENDAR NOTES: Recycled water as drinking water: Exploring direct potable reuse; Delta Proposition 1 Grant Program Workshop; Anne Schneider Memorial Lecture: Robert B. Maddow: “Anne’s New Paradigm for Sound Water and Natural Resources Policy–Creative Thinking Needed”

NEW SECTION! Today’s announcements …

This new section will include announcements from the State Water Board, Bureau of Reclamation, Army Corps, and others on opportunities to comment, notices of preparation, California Water Fix rulings, and other water minutia …

• ANNOUNCEMENT: Sierra Nevada Conservancy releases draft Prop 1 grant guidelines for public comment
• ANNOUNCEMENT: Stormwater Finance Forums – April 3rd and 5th
• ANNOUNCEMENT: Reclamation Increasing Releases into Lower American River for Inflow Management
• ANNOUNCEMENT: Sacramento District Final Regional Conditions for the 2017 Nationwide Permits for California, Nevada, and Utah

See all announcements by clicking here.  (Announcement section has also been added to front page.)

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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.