DAILY DIGEST: Why Jeremiah saw folly in dam construction’s ‘go-go years’; More bang for your duck; Late week storm to slam California with flooding, mountain snow, and wind; and more …

In California water news today, Why Jeremiah saw folly in dam construction’s ‘go-go years’; More bang for your duck; How the massive Sierra snowpack will help power homes; Yun is new Executive Officer of the California Water Commission; Late week storm to slam California with flooding, mountain snow, and wind; and more …

On the calendar today …

• The State Water Board will meet this morning beginning at 9am. Agenda items include informational updates on current hydrologic conditions, an update on Emergency Water Conservation Regulation, and consideration of proposed amendments to the statewide Water Quality Enforcement Policy.  Click here for the full agenda.
• The Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife will meet this morning beginning at 9am. For more information, click here.

In the news today …

Why Jeremiah saw folly in dam construction’s ‘go-go years’:  “”Have you read ‘Cadillac Desert’?”  The question about Marc Reisner’s 1986 masterpiece comes up in nearly every conversation about the American West’s intractable water problems.  Reisner’s vivid descriptions of opaque water policies and projects illuminated the environmental and economic consequences of projects gone awry.  “In the West … water flows uphill towards money,” he wrote.  In one sense, the book came to symbolize the closing of a chapter of American history that Reisner dubbed the “Go-Go Years” — the dam-construction boom of the 1930s through 1960s. … ”  Read more from E&E News here:  Why Jeremiah saw folly in dam construction’s ‘go-go years’

More bang for your duck:  “Rice farmer Michael Bosworth can easily recognize the distinctive “kla-ha, kla-ha” call made by white-fronted geese on his property. They always sound like they’re having a good laugh. The birds’ high-pitched yelps reveal their presence before we approach a flock of them among some wintering grounds on a December morning.  “These guys will hang out ’til we drain the fields,” he says, pointing to the geese. “We get bald eagles all winter long.” Swans, great blue herons, white-faced ibis and other waterbirds swim and wade around flooded paddies. A flock flies above in a V formation, each bird catching the updraft of the one before them. … ”  Read more from Comstock’s Magazine here:  More bang for your duck

How the massive Sierra snowpack will help power homes:  “This year — like the weak La Niñas of 1964, 1994 and 2004 rain seasons — has seen significant surges of subtropical moisture from the Pacific Ocean toward California. Referred to as an atmospheric river, pineapple express or — in the meteorological community — “turning on the hose,” it produced massive amounts of precipitation in the state’s mountain ranges.  In these elevated locations, the prefrontal winds lifted the low-level subtropical moisture over California’s mountain ranges and cooled it approximately 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit for each 1,000 feet of elevation. This process is called the saturated adiabatic lapse rate, which wrings out the moisture from the heavens like squeezing a wet sponge or mop — in other words, orthographic enhancement. ... ”  Read more from the San Luis Obispo Tribune here:  How the massive Sierra snowpack will help power homes

Yun is new Executive Officer of the California Water Commission:  “The California Water Commission today announced that Joe Yun is now the new executive officer of the CWC, replacing former Executive Officer Paula Landis who retired in June. Yun assumed the position today. … ”  Read more from ACWA’s Water News here:  Yun is new Executive Officer of the California Water Commission

Late week storm to slam California with flooding, mountain snow, and wind:  “A powerful storm packing heavy rain, snow and strong winds will slam California, Oregon and Washington late this week and into this weekend.  Impacts from the storm could approach some of the biggest storms of this past winter for the region in terms of potential flooding and damaging winds from central and Northern California to western Oregon.  The heavy rain and strong winds will impact a portion of the Interstate 5 corridor. ... ”  Read more from Accuweather here:  Late week storm to slam California with flooding, mountain snow, and wind

In commentary today …

State’s plan for river flows spells disaster for San Joaquin region, say Chuck Winn and Katherine Miller:  They write, “The mission of the State Water Resources Control Board is to balance water allocation and water quality protection for California.  With its latest flows proposal for the San Joaquin River tributaries, the SWRCB does neither and is clearly promoting the governor’s Twin Tunnels project.  Even though the SWRCB cites the need for increased river flows to “improve aquatic ecosystems,” their actions reveal the true intention – which is to move additional water through the damaged Delta to facilitate the export of billions of gallons of water south. ... ”  Read more from Water Deeply here:  State’s plan for river flows spells disaster for San Joaquin region

In regional news and commentary today …

Unprecedented delay in abalone season shuts down North Coast in April:  “In a normal year, veteran diver Matt Mattison would likely have started this weekend clad in neoprene, plying the waves off the Sonoma Coast, eager to bag his first red abalone of the season.  Instead, the Monte Rio resident was among a group of volunteers who fanned out Saturday along the North Coast’s most popular abalone hunting grounds to head off any divers or rock pickers who mistakenly turned up and to inform them the traditional season start has been delayed. ... ”  Read more the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here:  Unprecedented delay in abalone season shuts down North Coast in April

Creosote cleanup: The San Francisco Bay’s piling problem:  “Pick just about any spot on the edge of the San Francisco Bay and you’ll probably see wood pilings poking out of the water. Driven deep into the Bay floor to support piers and other waterfront structures between the Gold Rush and the 1970s, the pilings are a reminder of our history. Today, birds pose on them picturesquely and, on a sunny day, the contrast of the dark wood against the blue water and sky is beautiful.  But the pilings also have a downside. “Creosote was slathered onto wood pilings to preserve them in the aquatic environment,” said Marilyn Latta, a project manager at the State Coastal Conservancy. Derived from coal tar, creosote contains polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and other chemicals that are toxic to marine life. Creosote-treated wood is now banned in new structures in the Bay. ... ”  Read more from Bay Area Monitor here:  Creosote cleanup: The San Francisco Bay’s piling problem

Monterey: Cal Am sticks to 6-month desal permitting window:  “A California American Water official argued the company’s desalination project can secure key permits and approvals within six months of certification of the final project environmental review document and start construction shortly afterward, despite a series of delays involving the draft report and the prospect of seeking a critical permit from the city of Marina.  By contrast, backers of the Pure Water Monterey groundwater replenishment project have indicated they’re on the verge of securing key permits and low-cost financing, and could start construction in the next few months. ... ”  Read more from the Monterey Herald here:  Cal Am sticks to 6-month desal permitting window

Water agencies urge development of Temperance Flat reservoir:  “Four agencies representing water users in the San Joaquin Valley signed a joint letter Friday pledging collaboration to develop the Temperance Flat Reservoir project on the San Joaquin River northeast of Fresno.   The joint letter was during a news conference at Fresno City Hall. Signatories included representatives from the Friant Water Authority, San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors Water Authority, San Joaquin Valley Water Infrastructure Authority and San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority. The event was hosted by Fresno Mayor Lee Brand, who pledged his support of the group’s ongoing efforts to jumpstart the reservoir project. ... ”  Read more from the Porterville Recorder here:  Water agencies urge development of Temperance Flat reservoir

Flooding causes explosion of mosquitoes in Stanislaus County:  “People having dinner outdoors this early spring are swatting at pests.  “It’s bad,” said David Heft, general manager of Turlock Mosquito Abatement District. “Our phones are ringing off the hook.”  The winter flooding, the seepage under levees, and standing water in residential back yards have brought out mosquitoes in huge numbers in Stanislaus County. … ”  Read more from the Modesto Bee here:  Flooding causes explosion of mosquitoes in Stanislaus County

Santa Clarita: Contaminated water is 2 miles from Vista Canyon:  “State cleanup officials voiced concerns Monday for residents living near contaminated groundwater at Lang Station, just two miles upstream from Vista Canyon where 1,000 homes are to be built.  No one lives at Lang Station, on the south side of Highway 14 off of Soledad Canyon Road.  Shovels, however, are expected to go into the ground near Lang Station by late summer as monitoring wells are dug for Vista Canyon’s so-called “water factory,” planned to become Santa Clarita’s first large-scale water recycling project. ... ”  Read more from the Santa Clarita Valley Signal here:  Santa Clarita: Contaminated water is 2 miles from Vista Canyon

Santa Clarita: Public invited to help form groundwater agency:  “Santa Clarita Valley has less than three months to form a local group mandated by the state to manage SCV groundwater and, to that end, a public meeting has been scheduled for Wednesday.  The public is invited to take part in a “stakeholder forum” Wednesday and give local water officials input as to how SCV’s Groundwater Sustainability Agency should be formed. … ”  Read more from the Santa Clarita Valley Signal here:  Public invited to help form groundwater agency

San Bernardino National Forest: Nestle pipes water from National Forest, sparking protests: “A little after 1 p.m. Sunday, a steady stream of cars pulled off Highway 18 at Lake Gregory Drive. Their occupants exited, darting across the road during traffic breaks and posting up on a dirt lot next to Grotewolds Carpet Station. Others caught rides there after meeting at a high school up the road.  Dressed in bright colors and holding homemade signs, they held hose posts for the rest of the afternoon, aiming to draw drivers’ attention to an effort to get Nestle Waters to stop piping water out of the San Bernardino National Forest. … ”  Read more from USA Today here:  Nestle pipes water from National Forest, sparking protests

Report: Border sewage spill far smaller than feared, but sewer system upgrades still needed: “A much-anticipated report on a sewage spill in Tijuana that has sparked tensions with San Diego County gave mixed findings Monday.  The investigation, by a panel of U.S. and Mexican officials, said a damaged sewage collector spilled about 28 million gallons of effluent in early February into two rivers that cross the international border. While that’s still a substantial number, it’s far smaller than the original estimate of 143 million gallons. ... ”  Read more from the San Diego Union Tribune here:  Report: Border sewage spill far smaller than feared, but sewer system upgrades still needed

Precipitation watch …

Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

• METROPOLITAN’S SPECIAL COMMITTEE ON THE BAY-DELTA: Preparing to make decision on California Water Fix; pending amendments to the Delta Stewardship Council’s Delta Plan
• BLOG ROUND-UP: Bloggers on the snow survey, Delta tunnels polling, DWR dams and spillway repairs, San Joaquin River restoration, flood improvements, and more …
• NEWS WORTH NOTING, legal edition: Public Trust Doctrine & Water Rights – The Walker Case; Wallets are Out, Water is In: Thieves of 2017 Find New Focus

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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.