DAILY DIGEST: Westlands farmers say they may not pay for the Delta tunnels; McNerney outlines tunnels alternative; Cancer-causing chemical TCP plagues drinking water; Two Bay Area counties sue oil companies over sea level rise; and more …

In California water news today, Westlands farmers say they may not pay for the Delta tunnels; McNerney outlines tunnels alternative; Cancer-causing chemical TCP plagues California drinking water; Two Bay Area counties sue oil companies over sea level rise; California is poised to make big gains in water recycling; State’s first water market will allow farmers to buy, sell groundwater; and more …

On the calendar today …

In the news today …

Westlands farmers say they may not pay for the Delta tunnels:  “The governor’s proposed Delta tunnels ran into a roomful of skeptics Monday – an influential group of San Joaquin Valley farmers who remain unconvinced the controversial project will deliver the water they need at a price they’re prepared to swallow.  Three weeks after the tunnels received a crucial green light from federal environmental regulators, the $17.1 billion project got a cool reception from nearly 100 growers who farm in the powerful Westlands Water District. Provided with detailed financial projections at a Westlands board meeting for the first time, the farmers suggested they aren’t ready to sign onto the plan. … ”  Read more from the Sacramento Bee here:  Westlands farmers say they may not pay for the Delta tunnels

McNerney outlines tunnels alternative:  “Saying he wants to “change the narrative” about California water, U.S. Rep. Jerry McNerney will introduce legislation today that he describes as an alternative to Gov. Jerry Brown’s controversial Delta tunnels.  The bill focuses on making the far reaches of the state more self-reliant — and therefore less reliant on the Delta — by recycling wastewater, purifying saltwater and more aggressively searching for and fixing leaky pipes, a summary shows.  The bill would cut tax breaks for the oil and gas industries, providing money to fund new research and grants into smarter water management. The bill also envisions the U.S. working more closely with officials in Israel to learn more about water-saving technology used there.  All of this, McNerney said Monday, would reduce the need for Delta export pumping and make the tunnels unnecessary. … ”  Read more from the Stockton Record here:  McNerney outlines tunnels alternative

Congressman McNerney presents bill as alternative to twin tunnels:  “Congressman Jerry McNerney from Stockton presented a bill Monday as an alternative to the Twin Tunnels that will concentrate on ways to create new water.  Congressman Jerry McNerney spoke to a crowd on the edge of the San Joaquin Delta in Downtown Stockton. … ”  Read more from Capital Public Radio here:  Congressman McNerney presents bill as alternative to twin tunnels

Cancer-causing chemical TCP plagues California drinking water:  “In the Central Valley of California, hundreds of wells that provide water to a million people are tainted with a chemical that some experts say is one of the most powerful cancer-causing agents in the world.  The state is poised to take the first step Tuesday to regulate the substance — called 1,2,3, TCP — but test data compiled by an activist group show it’s also been detected by utilities across the country.  Some who live in this lush farmland believe it’s to blame for the health problems of their family members and neighbors. ... ”  Read more from NBC Bay Area here:  Cancer-causing chemical TCP plagues California drinking water

Two Bay Area counties sue oil companies over sea level rise:  “Two Bay Area counties sued 37 oil, gas and coal companies Monday asserting the companies knew their fossil fuel products would cause sea level rise and coastal flooding but failed to reduce their greenhouse gas pollution.  The lawsuit was part of a coordinated litigation attack by Marin, San Mateo County and the city of Imperial Beach.  The lawsuit, filed in Marin County Superior Court, alleges that “major corporate members of the fossil fuel industry, have known for nearly a half century that unrestricted production and use of their fossil fuel products create greenhouse gas pollution that warms the planet and changes our climate.” ... ”  Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here:  Two Bay Area counties sue oil companies over sea level rise

Imperial Beach, two counties sue fossil fuel companies for money to deal with sea level rise:  “Several coastal municipalities in California on Monday filed lawsuits against more than three dozen oil and coal corporations for what they said are billions of dollars in property damage costs associated with climate change.  The city of Imperial Beach and Marin and San Mateo counties are going up against many of the world’s largest fossil-fuel companies, including Chevron, ExxonMobil, ConocoPhillips and Royal Dutch Shell. ... ” Read more from the San Diego Union Tribune here:  Imperial Beach, two counties sue fossil fuel companies for money to deal with sea level rise

UC researcher sees wild rainfall fluctuations ahead for California:  “In the middle of a heat wave it’s easy to yearn for rain, and at least one researcher says the rain will come — lots of it.  UC Riverside climate researcher Robert Allen says California should get ready for more rain.  Unlike other recent work in the field, Allen has just published a study that says rainfall in the state will increase in the coming years if the planet continues to warm at its current pace. ... ”  Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here:  UC researcher sees wild rainfall fluctuations ahead for California

State’s first water market will allow farmers to buy, sell groundwater:  “Ventura County farmers can now buy and sell groundwater on a formal market.  The market, the first of its kind in California, experts say will improve the economic value of farming and boost conservation efforts throughout the region.  The Fox Canyon Water Market and Advanced Metering Pilot was created this year in response to legal and environmental concerns that posed ongoing issues for agriculture businesses, especially during the recent drought when water supplies were tightened for farmers and cities.  … ”  Read more from the Ventura County Star here:  State’s first water market will allow farmers to buy, sell groundwater

In commentary today …

The Delta tunnels: A bad deal for all Californians, says Barbara Barrigan-Parilla:  She writes, “Many Californians have fond memories of landing their first decent-paying job, working long hours to save enough for a down payment, and finally buying a family home. Many of us poured our weekends and hearts into repairing beautiful old houses.  Now imagine, after years of paying your mortgage, raising your family, and upgrading your property, that the state government chooses your neighborhood to become a vast industrial site–for more than a decade.   This is the living nightmare that Governor Jerry Brown’s Delta Tunnels proposal would create for my neighborhood in Stockton, on the eastern side of San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary. ... ”  Read more from City Watch here:  The Delta tunnels: A bad deal for all Californians

California senators need to back the GROW Act, says the Porterville Recorder:  They write, “Now that the United States House of Representatives has passed the GROW Act to better ensure more water for the San Joaquin Valley, our two U.S. Senators need to back the bill.  Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris have so far not backed the bill, siding with environmentalists and the commercial fishing industry who oppose any changes to how water is sent south out of the San Joaquin Delta. … ”  Read more from the Porterville Recorder here:  California senators need to back the GROW Act

California is poised to make big gains in water recycling, say Jennifer West and Bobbi Larson: They write, “The state’s recently released survey about California’s use of recycled water was disappointing for recycled water use advocates, but it doesn’t tell the full story.  The survey, by the State Water Resources Control Board and Department of Water Resources, found that recycled water use has increased by 44,500 acre-feet since 2009. California used 713,653 acre-feet of recycled water in 2015.  While we had hoped for greater gains, progress and opportunities abound. Recycled water use is poised to provide over a million acre-feet of water to augment local drinking water supplies in addition to continuing to reduce potable water use for irrigation and industrial applications. ... ” Read more from Water Deeply here:  California is poised to make big gains in water recycling

In regional news and commentary today …

Humboldt County Supervisors set to terminate river stewardship program:  “Humboldt County Board of Supervisors will hear a report on setbacks with a river stewardship program, and will likely take another step forward on the creation of a bike path on Highway 255.  At their meeting Tuesday, supervisors are scheduled to sign a termination letter of the grant agreement for the Elk River Watershed Stewardship Program.  The program was originally intended to provide support for projects to improve watershed conditions. … ”  Read more from News Channel 3 here:  Humboldt County Supervisors set to terminate river stewardship program

Lake Oroville boat ramps get longer, so state offers ride service:  “Shuttle services are being offered throughout the summer at a few of the boat launch areas in Oroville because of the low lake conditions.  The shuttles are running Friday through Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Bidwell Canyon, Lime Saddle and Loafer Creek recreation areas. … ”  Read more from the Oroville Mercury Register here:  Lake Oroville boat ramps get longer, so state offers ride service

Interest in Butte Creek hydroelectric system is good news, says the Chico Enterprise-Record:  “We’re glad to hear there are some entities that might be interested in taking over PG&E’s DeSabla-Centerville hydroelectric project. It suggests a better future ahead for the system.  It’s a sprawling system, reaching from east of Butte Meadows down to Centerville, that takes water from one river and puts it into another.  It’s another one of those projects that could not be built today. A proposal to put two dams in Butte Creek and one in the West Branch of the Feather River would probably be enough to kill it outright. ... ”  Read more from the Chico Enterprise Record here:  Interest in Butte Creek hydroelectric system is good news

Tahoe:  First high water, now low Truckee River, forces rafting companies to close:  “The Truckee River is forcing rafting companies to close, not because the river is raging but because the water is running too low.  Many people in Tahoe City are left disappointed with canceled reservations.  “It was brutal because we had promised them a day on the river, we raft there all the time, ” said Mitchell Walman visiting from Los Angeles. … ”  Read more from the Stockton Record here:  First high water, now low Truckee River, forces rafting companies to close

Sheep Creek’s pumping capacity lower than demand:  “Sheep Creek Mutual Water Company’s pumping capacity in June was 1.98 million gallons per day (MGD), its third straight month below shareholders’ maximum demand amid a water shortage that’s sent the company, and a nearby district, in search of alternative sources.  Maximum daily demand is “the highest amount of water in a single day the system has historically needed to provide over the last 10 years,” according to Eric Zuniga with the State Water Resources Control Board’s (SWRCB) Division of Drinking Water (DDW). ... ”  Read more from the Victorville Daily Press here:  Sheep Creek’s pumping capacity lower than demand

Can deadly flash floods like in Arizona happen in Southern California?  “Flash floods filling forest canyons with high water — like the one that killed nine members of an extended family last weekend in Arizona — are more likely in desert habitats of New Mexico and Arizona. But the possibility of a similar incident occurring in Southern California is still very real, authorities said Monday.  Though locally most rain falls during the winter, the occasional summer thunderstorm can drift over the San Gabriel and San Bernardino mountains and release an inch or more of rain, especially in the Inland Empire where weather patterns are not tempered by the Pacific Ocean, meteorologists said. ... ”  Read more from the LA Daily News here:  Can deadly flash floods like in Arizona happen in Southern California?

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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