DAILY DIGEST: Grant Davis appointed head of Department of Water Resources; Delta caucus hosts first meeting, united against the Delta tunnels; CalTrans filter basins catching on; Siskiyou supervisors, Yurok Tribe talk salmon, collaborative efforts; and more …

In California water news today, Sonoma County Water Agency manager named head of Department of Water Resources; He’ll lead state’s water department as it rebuilds Oroville Dam, restricts groundwater; California legislative caucus hosts first meeting, united against the Delta tunnels; CalTrans filter basins catching on; Siskiyou supervisors, Yurok Tribe talk salmon, collaborative efforts; Gold nuggets being found in rivers after Oroville Dam crisis; Work underway on Marysville Ring levee’s weakest link; How UV light eradicates aquatic weeds in Tahoe; and more …

In the news today …

Sonoma County Water Agency manager named head of Department of Water Resources:  “Grant Davis, general manager of the Sonoma County Water Agency, was tapped Wednesday by Gov. Jerry Brown as the state’s new director for the Department of Water Resources, handing a veteran of North Bay politics and water policy a central role in Brown’s controversial bid to overhaul California’s water system with a $17 billion pair of tunnels under Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.  Davis, 54, has led the county Water Agency since 2010 and is set to begin in his new post in Sacramento in August, pending confirmation by the state Senate. The Department of Water Resources is the lead state agency providing water for 25 million residents, farms and business. … ”  Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here:  Sonoma County Water Agency manager named head of Department of Water Resources

He’ll lead state’s water department as it rebuilds Oroville Dam, restricts groundwater:  “A longtime Sonoma County water manager and environmental advocate is in line to lead the state Department of Water Resources, Gov. Jerry Brown announced Wednesday.  Brown appointed Grant Davis, the general manager of the Sonoma County Water Agency, to be the next director of the state water department.  Davis’s appointment follows a long search for a new director at the department. It was led for six months by former acting director Bill Croyle, who retired this month. ... ”  Read more from the Sacramento Bee here:  He’ll lead state’s water department as it rebuilds Oroville Dam, restricts groundwater

California legislative Delta caucus hosts first meeting, united against the Delta tunnels:  “Assemblymember Jim Frazier (D-Discovery Bay) on Tuesday co-chaired the first meeting of the California Legislative Delta Caucus. The bipartisan Caucus was formed earlier this year by Democratic and Republican members of the Legislature who represent legislative districts in and around the Delta region.  Frazier serves as co-chairman of the Caucus, along with state Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa).  “We united to form this caucus because it became necessary to address the threats facing the Delta today, and to advocate for best environmental and economic practices and policies for the Delta and its communities,” Frazier said. ... ”  Read more from the East County Times here:  California legislative Delta caucus hosts first meeting, united against the Delta tunnels

CalTrans filter basins catching on:  “You might have seen them: concrete barriers that have been popping up along the 101 Freeway as Caltrans installs new filtration systems that capture trash and remove contaminants from stormwater that flows from streets and highways into local creeks.  Similar projects are underway throughout California as the state seeks to comply with water-quality standards that have been in effect since 2009.  Caltrans District 7 is working at more than two dozen locations in the Conejo Valley and Ventura County to reduce pollution in Malibu and Calleguas creeks and the Ventura River. … ”  Read more from the Acorn here:  CalTrans filter basins catching on

In commentary today …

Goldman Sachs underestimates Water Fix costs for Westlands, says Doug Obegi:  He writes, “The Sacramento Bee reported this week that the Board of Directors of the Westlands Water District were skeptical of paying for the Delta tunnels project (WaterFix).  This shouldn’t come as a surprise, given that prior analyses have shown that the project is not cost-effective, particularly for agricultural water users. But after digging into the presentation by Goldman Sachs to the Board of Directors of Westlands, it appears that the cost numbers for WaterFix are likely to be significantly higher than what Goldman Sachs presented.  Even taking Goldman’s numbers at face value, WaterFix would increase the average cost of all water exports from the Delta by $260 per acre foot in 2033 (assuming a 30 year repayment period without capitalized interest).  … ”  Read more from Yuba Net here:  Goldman Sachs underestimates Water Fix costs for Westlands

Aging infrastructure:  How municipalities can make smart upgrades with community support:  Paul Marshall writes, “Finding practical solutions for upgrading aging infrastructure is among the largest hurdles faced by municipalities across the U.S.. Infrastructure clearly needs to be addressed, as evidenced by the American Society of Civil Engineers and its recently released 2017 Infrastructure Report Card, which rated our nation’s overall infrastructure at a D+.  What’s unclear is how to solve this challenge, especially given financial constraints, inter-related infrastructure systems and competing priorities. Fortunately, municipalities can leverage upfront assessments and ongoing planning in building community support to successfully address any infrastructure upgrades.   … ”  Read more from American City & County here:  Aging infrastructure:  How municipalities can make smart upgrades with community support

In regional news and commentary today …

Siskiyou supervisors, Yurok Tribe talk salmon, collaborative efforts:  “Siskiyou County’s five supervisors met with five of the Yurok Tribe’s councilmembers on Tuesday to discuss salmon – and how the two entities can work together on the issues surrounding the fish.  The meeting, which was slated for the board of supervisors’ Tuesday agenda, was the second this year with Yurok representatives as part of an effort to discuss ongoing salmon related issues, according to Natural Resources Policy Specialist Elizabeth Nielsen. … ”  Read more from the Siskiyou Daily News here:  Siskiyou supervisors, Yurok Tribe talk salmon, collaborative efforts

Gold nuggets being found in rivers after Oroville Dam crisis:  “One exciting side effect of the Oroville Dam spillway crisis this winter has been a new — albeit modest — gold rush along the rivers that the spillway fed into, like the Feather River and Yuba River.  The Yuba River, in what’s been known as Gold Country since the 1840s, has always been a popular destination for gold-panning tourists, but as CBS 5 reports, construction workers at the spillway and amateur gold-seekers alike have been finding bunches of the stuff in the last couple of months there and in the Feather River, likely as a result of the rush of water that was unleashed down the spillway before, during, and after the dam crisis that led to a mid-February evacuation of 180,000 people. ... ”  Read more from SF ist here:  Gold nuggets being found in rivers after Oroville Dam crisis

Work underway on Marysville Ring levee’s weakest link:  “Construction work on a portion of the Marysville Ring Levee – deemed by a federal agency as the “weakest link” in the city’s levees – began earlier this month along Highway 70.  The work at Binney Junction, a railroad intersection adjacent to the Marysville Catholic Cemetery, is expected to cost approximately $825,000 to construct. Officials anticipate the project will take until mid-August to complete.  John Nicoletti, a levee commissioner for Marysville, said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has assessed the ring levee and found that Binney Junction is the city’s most vulnerable point. … ”  Read more from the Appeal Democrat here:  Work underway on Marysville Ring levee’s weakest link

How UV light eradicates aquatic weeds in Tahoe:  “John Paoluccio is on a mission to keep Lake Tahoe free of invasive aquatic plants.  The Modesto engineer built an 18 foot by 6 foot boat that can deploy a high-tech system of UV lamps on unwanted plants.  “What we’re doing to these plants is a lethal sunburn,” Paoluccio said of the technology he patented. “There’s UVA, UVB and UBV light. The UVC light affects the DNA of the plant.” ... ”  Read more from KCRA Channel 3 here:  How UV light eradicates aquatic weeds in Tahoe

Federal loan for new Morro Bay sewer may reduce ratepayer costs:  “Morro Bay is still wrangling over where to build its new sewage treatment and water recycling plant, but the city learned this week that it has been selected to apply for a federal $82 million, low-interest loan from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.  The EPA announced Wednesday that Morro Bay is one of 12 cities nationwide that have been invited to apply for the competitive new federal Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan. Three other proposed California projects in San Diego, San Francisco and Orange County also received invites. ... ”  Read more from the San Luis Obispo Tribune here:  Federal loan for new Morro Bay sewer may reduce ratepayer costs

Clean water plan for long-suffering San Joaquin Valley towns derailed:  “Fresh Sierra mountain snowmelt would make a better drink of water for rural Tulare County folk who currently rely on wells tainted by fertilizers, leaky septic systems and decades-old pesticide residues. Nobody argues with that here in California’s San Joaquin Valley.  The problem is obtaining even a tiny fraction of the average 1.7 million acre-feet of Kings River snowmelt that heads mostly to farm fields each year. Even after securing the water, millions of dollars would be needed for a treatment plant, which is required for surface water.  But over the past several years, a rare opportunity has appeared for seven towns in northern Tulare County: Cutler, Orosi, East Orosi, Monson, Seville, Sultana and Yettem. The river water is available, and the state is willing to help build the treatment plant for the 17,000 people in these towns. … ”  Read more from Water Deeply here:  Clean water plan for long-suffering San Joaquin Valley towns derailed

Bill to help Ceres build surface water plant for Ceres passes committee:  “Legislation authored by state Senator Anthony Cannella, R-Ceres, to improve local water supply has passed another important milestone. SB 373 passed the Assembly Committee on Local Government on Wednesday, July 12 on a unanimous, bi-partisan vote. It now goes to the Assembly Floor for a final vote on its journey to Gov. Brown for signature and becoming law.  Senate Bill 373 would assist the Stanislaus Regional Water Authority (SRWA) in building a water supply project by allowing the Stanislaus water purveyor to use the design-build method on their Regional Surface Water Supply Project, which would provide drinking water from the Tuolumne River for the cities of Ceres and Turlock. ... ”  Read more from the Ceres Courier here:  Bill to help Ceres build surface water plant for Ceres passes committee

Santa Barbara County Supervisors support discretionary water well permits for some applicants:  “Applications for water wells in Santa Barbara County have been approved as long as people met the technical requirements, but the Board of Supervisors this week signaled support for changing to a discretionary process for non-agricultural wells that are on parcels already served by a water agency.  The supervisors voted 3-2 Tuesday to pursue making permits discretionary for non-agricultural well applicants in unincorporated areas who are already served by a water agency, and requiring flow meters to monitor how much is pumped from those wells. … ”  Read more from Noozhawk here:  Santa Barbara County Supervisors support discretionary water well permits for some applicants

Shifting sands: State bill looks to sink Cadiz’s aquifer project with final OK in sight: “A new state bill could dry up Cadiz Inc.’s desert water project just as the downtown company thought it was in the home stretch of getting government approvals and fending off challenges.  Assemblywoman Laura Friedman, D-Glendale, has completely overhauled a bill that she introduced earlier this year, AB 1000, inserting provisions to require another California government agency to approve groundwater pumping in desert areas near protected lands or sensitive habitats. The new language specifically targets Cadiz’s project.  “It’s unheard of for a bill to so specifically target a single project, especially one that has already been through two government approvals and had 12 favorable court decisions,” Cadiz Chief Executive Scott Slater said last week. … ”  Read more from the LA Business Journal here:  Shifting sands: State bill looks to sink Cadiz’s aquifer project with final OK in sight

EPA: San Diego eligible for water purification plant loan:  “The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Wednesday that the city of San Diego is eligible to pursue a low-interest, $492 million federal loan to help fund the initial phase of its project to turn recycled water into drinking water.  The funding would ease ratepayers’ financial burden for building a $1.2 billion purification plant in the Miramar area — a project set to break ground next year. The plat would provide 30 million gallons of water a day, which would be mixed in reservoirs with water from traditional sources.  The EPA loan would be about half of what the city could obtain for a bond on the open market. City officials and the EPA still have to negotiate the loan details before the funding is approved. … ”  Read more from Channel 5 here:  EPA: San Diego eligible for water purification plant loan

Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

• FLOWS SYMPOSIUM, Part 4: Examples of Managed Flow Regimes – Possible Models for the Delta?; Panel Discussion
• SCIENCE NEWS: Hatchery Delta smelt: Hope for the species?; Interim report on Delta consumptive use study; Sea temperature changes contributing to drought; America’s toughest pine struggling for survival; and more …

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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.