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DAILY DIGEST: California water bill passes house, but Democrats vow to fight it in the Senate; LA took their water and land a century ago. Now the Owens Valley is fighting back; DWR wants to construct more of damaged Oroville spillway this season; and more …

Maven
Daily Digest
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In California water news today, California water bill passes house, but Democrats vow to fight it in the Senate; House passes California drought bill; LA took their water and land a century ago.  Now the Owens Valley is fighting back; Residents wary over Delta tunnels effect on waterways, livelihoods; Tunnel vision: Why does Delta conveyance have to be so big?; Oroville Dam: DWR wants to construct more of damaged spillway this season; Scaled-down conservation bills clear Senate committee; work to continue over recess; Assembly Committee passes Monning drinking water bill; and more …

On the calendar today …

In the news today …

Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

California water bill passes house, but Democrats vow to fight it in the Senate:  “Some of California’s decisions about how to use its water would be relegated to the federal government under a bill passed by the House on Wednesday.  Republicans say the bill will bring more water to the parched Central Valley. California’s Democratic senators have promised to fight the bill in the Senate because it weakens California’s ability to manage its own resources.  The Gaining Responsibility on Water Act, sponsored by Central Valley Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford), was approved in the House by a 230-190 vote largely along party lines. … ”  Read more from the LA Times here:  California water bill passes house, but Democrats vow to fight it in the Senate

House passes California drought bill:  “The House passed a bill on Wednesday that California Republicans say will help the state fight future droughts.  The legislation, from Rep. David Valadao (R) and 14 other California Republicans, looks to expand water storage and improve water delivery as a way to get more water to the state’s Central Valley during times of drought. The bill overhauls federal regulations and permitting procedures that supporters say have hamstrung California and other states in the West that have faced persistent drought concerns.  … ”  Read more from The Hill here:  House passes California drought bill

GROW Act passes US House, intends to restore water reliability:  “The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R. 23, known as the Gaining Responsibility on Water Act (GROW), legislation intended to restore water reliability for Californian and and other western states.  The bill includes an amendment offered by California Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R-1st Dist) that allows for more efficient use of Shasta Lake by allowing water contractors to more readily access water when they need it. ... ”  Read more from KRCR here:  GROW Act passes US House, intends to restore water reliability

LA took their water and land a century ago.  Now the Owens Valley is fighting back:  “A century ago, agents from Los Angeles converged on the Owens Valley on a secret mission.  They figured out who owned water rights in the lush valley and began quietly purchasing land, posing as ranchers and farmers.  Soon, residents of the Eastern Sierra realized much of the water rights were now owned by Los Angeles interests. L.A. proceeded to drain the valley, taking the water via a great aqueduct to fuel the metropolis’ explosive growth.  …  But now, the Owens Valley is trying to rectify this dark moment in its history.  Officials have launched eminent domain proceedings in an effort to take property acquired by Los Angeles in the early 1900s. … ”  Read more from the LA Times here:  LA took their water and land a century ago.  Now the Owens Valley is fighting back

Residents wary over Delta tunnels effect on waterways, livelihoods:  “The state’s plan to take water from the Sacramento River north of the Delta and tunnel it down to pumping stations in the south has people who live in the area up in arms. Many believe the fix is in to send more water to San Joaquin Valley farmers and Southern California.  “It’s a water grab,” said Tim Neuharth, a Delta pear farmer on the Sacramento River and owner of a private beach resort at a spot called Steamboat Landing. “They want to take this water south and take it out of here and it doesn’t really matter what happens to the Delta. They just want this water.” ... ”  Read more from CBS Sacramento here:  Residents wary over Delta tunnels effect on waterways, livelihoods

Tunnel vision: Why does Delta conveyance have to be so big? “A project that might make much of the Sacramento River vanish into three giant holes in the ground will not jeopardize the waterway’s ailing salmon and smelt populations, according to new analyses from the federal government.  The Delta tunnels, which would be 35 miles long, cost at least $15 billion to build and be capable of sending much of the state’s biggest river to farmers and urban users, received a stubby thumbs-up from the Trump administration on June 26.  In a pair of Bible-sized online documents called biological opinions, the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service determined that constructing the tunnels will affect endangered fish and wildlife species only slightly and will not jeopardize their long-term survival. The federal opinions are just one of many hurdles the project must clear before it can be built. ... ”  Read more from the Sacramento News & Review here:  Tunnel vision: Why does Delta conveyance have to be so big?

Oroville Dam: DWR wants to construct more of damaged spillway this season:  “The state Department of Water Resources has filed a request with the Federal Energy Commission to demolish and reconstruct an additional 240 feet of the main Oroville Dam spillway upper chute this season.  The purpose of the change is to ensure the reconstruction can be complete in two seasons, per a recent FERC filing. Kiewit, the contractor, said demolition “must commence as soon as possible” to stay on schedule, according to the letter. … ”  Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here:  Oroville Dam: DWR wants to construct more of damaged spillway this season

Scaled-down conservation bills clear Senate committee; work to continue over recess:  “The Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee stripped two conservation bills down to intent language and passed a third in its current form on July 11 as a step toward negotiating a package of bills on long-term conservation and drought planning.  AB 1654 (Rubio) and AB 1668 (Friedman) – which previously contained competing proposals to enhance urban water management planning – were amended to replace substantive provisions with language stating the Legislature’s intent to enact measures to make conservation a way of life in California. … ”  Read more from ACWA’s Water News here:  Scaled-down conservation bills clear Senate committee; work to continue over recess

Assembly Committee passes Monning drinking water bill:  “The Assembly Committee on Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials today passed ACWA-opposed SB 623, by Sen. Bill  Monning, (D-Carmel),  which seeks to create a fund administered by the State Water Resources Control Board to address contaminants in drinking water.  The bill, which passed out of committee on a 5-1 vote, now moves to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. ... ”  Read more from ACWA’s Water News here:  Assembly Committee passes Monning drinking water bill

California groups demand info on Nestle’s water pumping:  “Environmentalists who want Nestle to stop pumping tens of millions of gallons from a California creek, virtually for free, to sell it as bottled water, have sued the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for records on the multinational corporation.  California groups Story of Stuff Project and Courage Campaign Institute sued the FDA in Washington, D.C. Tuesday, in a federal FOIA complaint. They say the agency failed to timely respond to their Freedom of Information Act request for the records, and did not indicate whether, or even if, it will deliver the records. … ”  Read more from the Courthouse News here:  California groups demand info on Nestle’s water pumping

In commentary today …

How conservation helps keep costs down:  Mary Ann Dickinson writes, “By many accounts, California’s efforts to manage the strains placed on its water supplies by the recent and unprecedented five-year drought can be considered an unqualified success. Urban water agencies stepped up to meet the challenge posed by a bold state order: Reduce use by 25 percent. Their creative approaches and sustained efforts helped avoid significant damage to local economies and community well-being throughout the state.  But success did not come without pain. ... ”  Read more from Water Deeply here:  How conservation helps keep costs down

In regional news and commentary today …

State agency discusses its role in Klamath Dam removal decision:  “The State Water Resources Control Board was present at Tuesday’s meeting of the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors to discuss its role in the pending decision about whether or not four dams on the Klamath River will be removed.  Currently, four dams on the Klamath River – JC Boyle in Oregon and Copco 1, Copco 2 and Iron Gate in California – could be removed under the Klamath Hydrolectric Settlement Agreement, an amended form of which was signed in 2016. The removal has been proposed as a way to remove barriers to anadromous fish passage and to improve water quality. … ”  Read more from the Siskiyou Daily News here:  State agency discusses its role in Klamath Dam removal decision

Nevada Irrigation District hears cost estimate, timeline for Centennial Dam:  “Recent estimates for the price of the Centennial Dam call for $256 million in construction costs, an amount that doesn’t include land purchases, engineering and a handful of other items.  Nevada Irrigation District directors on Wednesday heard from Michael Forrest, project manager on Centennial, who said construction on the dam will take about two-and-a-half years. He estimated NID could meet that timeline with two shifts working six days a week, with no overly restrictive constraints on trucking materials to the site.  Forrest, vice president of the company Aecom, said a low estimate for construction is $217 million, with the high climbing to $307 million. The midrange is $256 million. … ”  Read more from The Union here:  Nevada Irrigation District hears cost estimate, timeline for Centennial Dam

New Davis wastewater treatment plant is good news for city’s wetlands:  “An almost-complete upgrade to the city of Davis’ wastewater treatment plant means changes are in store for Davis wetlands. But those changes likely are good news for outdoor enthusiasts, as better public access to the wildlife area could be on the horizon.  The $90 million upgrade to the plant northeast of Davis, near the Yolo County Landfill, will make the city’s former reliance on the wetlands for wastewater treatment obsolete, as another level of wastewater treatment has been added to the plant. … ”  Read more from the Davis Enterprise here:  New Davis wastewater treatment plant is good news for city’s wetlands

Harmful blue-green algae detected in Discovery Bay:  “Harmful blue-green algae was detected in Eastern Contra Costa County’s Discovery Bay in samples taken nearly two weeks ago, Contra Costa Health Services’ Environmental Health Division said Wednesday.  Inspectors began sampling the waters of Discovery Bay in mid-June because of multiple complaints, and tests of a sample collected June 29 indicates that the algae is present, according to health officials. … ”  Read more from KRON 4 here:  Harmful blue-green algae detected in Discovery Bay

Marin Municipal Water District confident it has long-term capacity, says the Marin Independent Journal:  They write, “Over the past 40 years, Marin’s experience with water supply has been a roller coaster ride.  For instance, Marin Municipal Water District customers have had to weather several droughts, some including rationing.  At least twice, there’s been serious talk about building a desalination plant as insurance against another drought or loss of water Marin gets from the Russian River.  In 2014, another drought hit and MMWD leaders started talking about reinstalling the pipeline across the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge that helped rescue parched MMWD customers during the 1975-76 drought. … ”  Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here:  Marin Municipal Water District confident it has long-term capacity

Scientists expect floods in Bay Area from rising seas in the coming decades:  “Coastal neighborhoods in several Bay Area cities are likely to face such frequent flooding from rising sea levels over the next century that residents will simply pack up and leave, according to a new study of the effects of climate change.  Every local county will be dealing with frequent inundation of its bay shoreline by 2100, according to a report issued Wednesday by the Union of Concerned Scientists. The group said its report and accompanying maps, published in the peer-reviewed journal Elementa, are the first nationwide effort to identify the point at which coastal communities face the no-win decision of having to flee or fight sea-level rise. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here:  Scientists expect floods in Bay Area from rising seas in the coming decades

Salinas Valley seawater intrusion moved deeper, groundwater levels dropped during drought:  “Seawater intrusion migrated deeper into the agriculture-dependent Salinas Valley’s underground water supplies and groundwater levels dropped from 2013-15, according to a delayed county Water Resources Agency report.  The sobering report was delivered during a joint meeting with the Board of Supervisors and the water agency board on Tuesday that also included an update on the county’s Salinas Valley Groundwater Basin investigation and development of an integrated hydrologic model expected to play a key role in state-mandated groundwater sustainability efforts in the long overdrafted basin. … ”  Read more from the Monterey County Herald here:  Salinas Valley seawater intrusion moved deeper, groundwater levels dropped during drought

Friant Water Authority launches PAC:  “The Friant Water Authority has formed a Political Action Committee, or PAC, and is asking users for donations to fund it.  The PAC will serve as a unified voice to advocate for specific activities to protect and increase the water supply for Friant water users, according to a letter sent out to members.  The letter also explained the goals for the PAC. … ”  Read more from the Visalia Times-Delta here:  Friant Water Authority launches PAC

Bakersfield water rates to jump 40% over 2 years to fund $55 million TCP eradication effort:  ““This is unprecedented for us,” City Manager Alan Tandy said. “But it is exclusively because of the (TCP) regulations.”  It’s going to cost the City of Bakersfield $55 million to remove a cancer-causing agent from its water supply, and ratepayers will be footing the bill with an increase of nearly 40 percent over two years.  That was the bad news delivered by Bakersfield city staff at a municipal water board meeting Wednesday. ... ”  Read more from the Bakersfield Californian here:  Bakersfield water rates to jump 40% over 2 years to fund $55 million TCP eradication effort

Kern County in-depth: Regulating groundwater use, part 1:  “Channel 17’s Jim Scott brings you a progress report on the formidable task of regulating groundwater use in Kern County. It’s never been done before and water districts are facing a state mandate to develop a system that will stabilize this precious resource for generations to come. Local water and agriculture experts will weigh in on the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014, and you will hear from the man who helped Australia develop a groundwater-sharing system that is now considered a model for the world. ... ” Read more from Channel 17 here:  Kern County in-depth: Regulating groundwater use, part 1

Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

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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.

 

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