DAILY DIGEST: Oroville Dam, other flood-safety projects would be fast-tracked under new bill; Unlikely allies push bill to solve CA’s drinking water crisis; LADWP sloshes in surplus water while other agencies still feel the drought; Repeal and replacement of Clean Water Rule begins today; and more …

In California water news today, Oroville Dam, other flood-safety projects would be fast-tracked under new bill; Lake Oroville spillway reconstruction still on schedule; Unlikely Allies Push Bill to Solve California Drinking Water Crisis; Poll: Californians support climate change policies, want state leaders to do more; Californians put a high priority on the environment, poll shows; Repeal and replacement of Clean Water Rule begins today; and more …

On the calendar today …

• The Delta Stewardship Council meets this morning at 9am.  The Council will meet in closed session until approximately 10:45am.  Agenda items include appointment of a new lead scientist, quarterly update from the Delta Watermaster; Cal Water Fix biological opinions update, and Delta marketing efforts.  Click here for the agenda.  Click here for the webcast.

In the news today …

Oroville Dam, other flood-safety projects would be fast-tracked under new bill:  “Work to strengthen Oroville Dam, shore up downstream levees and other types of flood-prevention projects would be eligible for fast-tracked state approval under new California legislation lawmakers will consider when they return from summer recess next month.  The measure by state Sen. Jim Beall, D-San Jose, whose district suffered heavy flood damage in February, would require state agencies to speed up permit processing and approval for certain types of flood-control projects. … ”  Read more from the Sacramento Bee here:  Oroville Dam, other flood-safety projects would be fast-tracked under new bill

Lake Oroville spillway reconstruction still on schedule:  “Reconstruction of the lower part of Oroville Dam’s spillway is on schedule, the state and its contractor said Wednesday.  The spillway will be able to handle releases of 100,000 cubic feet per second if needed on Nov. 1, according to representatives of the Department of Water Resources, the Natural Resources Department and Kiewit, the contractor doing the work. … ”  Read more from the Oroville Mercury Register here:  Lake Oroville spillway reconstruction still on schedule

Unlikely Allies Push Bill to Solve California Drinking Water Crisis: “As the summer sun was warming up on a July morning, a crowd of nearly 100 people gathered on the north steps of the California Capitol, many having arrived stiff-legged after a four-hour bus ride.  They held signs with the names of their communities: Poplar, Seville, Yettem, Tooleville, East Orosi and waved blue flags that read “Agua Limpia” and “Clean Water.” Most were San Joaquin Valley residents, including children as young as 5, who woke up before dawn to travel to the state capital to voice their support for Senate Bill 623, the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund. … ”  Read more from the Water Deeply here: Unlikely Allies Push Bill to Solve California Drinking Water Crisis

Poll: Californians support climate change policies, want state leaders to do more:  “Most Californians support the state’s policies fighting climate change — and they want state leaders to go further, a poll released Wednesday found.  More than half of state residents say they found it very important for California to act as a leader on climate change around the world, and two-thirds supported the state making its own climate change policies beyond those implemented by the federal government, according to a poll from the Public Policy Institute of California. ... ”  Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here:  Poll: Californians support climate change policies, want state leaders to do more

Californians put a high priority on the environment, poll shows:  “As California emerges as a force on climate change and a counterweight to President Donald Trump, residents of the green-minded state widely support environmental actions taken by leaders in Sacramento, according to a survey released Wednesday.  Fifty-one percent of California adults approve of the way Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature are handling environmental issues, the Public Policy Institute of California survey shows, even as state climate policies threaten to raise gasoline and electricity prices. … ”  Read more from SF Gate here:  Californians put a high priority on the environment, poll shows

Repeal and replacement of Clean Water Rule begins today:  “The Trump administration’s formal repeal and replacement of the Obama-era Clean Water Rule begins Thursday, with publication in the Federal Register of the “recodification” of the term “Waters of the United States.”  The Environmental Protection Agency will take public comment for 30 days on the EPA proposal to “rescind” and “re-codify” the definition of U.S. waters under the Clean Water Act. It will guide all levels of government on the regulation of clean water. ... ”  Read more from the Courthouse News Service here:  Repeal and replacement of Clean Water Rule begins today

In commentary today …

Twin tunnel plan ignores Delta reality, says the Chico Enterprise-Record:  They write, “Gov. Jerry Brown’s cheerleading squad was in high-spirited form Friday with the latest news that his twin tunnels project in the delta inched a step closer to reality.  The state Department of Water Resources gave its approval to the tunnels by certifying the environmental reviews for the project. And really, what did you expect? The DWR answers to Brown, and Brown wants to build those four-story tunnels to funnel north state water from the Sacramento River, under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, to farmers and cities in the south.  The governor is not swayed by the $17 billion price tag or public opinion. In fact, he’s doing all he can to avoid a public vote on the topic, working all the back doors. ... ”  Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here:  Twin tunnel plan ignores Delta reality

How California can and must stop wasting stormwater:  Adrain Covert writes, “Californians have moved heaven and earth to get water to the state’s thirsty cities and farms. We pipe water through the nation’s longest aqueducts, store it in the tallest dams and pump it over mountains. But when it comes to the storm water that falls directly on our cities, we flush it out to sea.  For California, fresh off a historic drought and suddenly the de facto leader of U.S. climate policy, wasting any water is unacceptable. That’s why Senate Bill 231, by state Sen. Bob Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, is so important. The bill would correct a glitch in state law that forces storm water to be treated as waste rather than a vital resource. Correcting this mistake would empower communities to capture, treat and use storm water for the public good.  Wasting water delivered to our front doors is insane. Why is this happening?  … ”  Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here:  How California can and must stop wasting stormwater

In regional news and commentary today …

How farming inside wildlife refuges is transforming Klamath Basin agriculture:  “Ryan Hartman is driving from field to field in the Klamath Basin, giving what amounts to a masterclass on how to run logistics for 3,000 acres of farmland.  He troubleshoots equipment at one spot, sets planting depth drills on another a mile away, and farther on, shows a few of his 12 employees where to install an irrigation pipe.  “It’s pretty good job to have. You get to drive around in this every day … it’s pretty nice scenery,” he says of the big blue sky, the low brown mountains, the marshes and wide open fields outside his truck window. ... ”  Read more from OPB here:  How farming inside wildlife refuges is transforming Klamath Basin agriculture

Sonoma County issues toxic warning for Russian River beaches:  “Sonoma County officials posted caution signs at beaches up and down the Russian River on Wednesday alerting visitors to positive test results for a potentially dangerous, naturally occurring neurotoxin linked to harmful algae, a problem surfacing around Northern California this summer.  Water samples collected at three local beaches turned up very low levels of a substance called Anatoxin-a, which is produced by certain species of blue-green algae, Sonoma County health officials said. ... ”  Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here:  Sonoma County issues toxic warning for Russian River beaches

After a century, gates open to Sierra paradise:  “For the first time in a century, the gates have been unlocked and the road open to Webber Lake, a higher Sierra gem. Starting Tuesday, you can set up a tent or park a small RV at a campsite near the lake’s shore.  When you round a bend and Webber Lake comes into view, many are astonished at its serene beauty. Some are shocked that they haven’t heard of it. ... ”  Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here:  After a century, gates open to Sierra paradise

City of Sacramento wants you to save water.  It’s your choice how:  The Sacramento Bee writes, “It shouldn’t be oversold as a huge step, but it only makes sense to adapt to our new water reality. The city of Sacramento is moving toward stricter water conservation rules even when we’re not officially in a drought.  Now, when there’s not a shortage, residents are restricted to watering lawns three days a week during the summer. Under code changes approved by the City Council’s Law and Legislation Committee on Tuesday, the limit would be two days a week, March through October. Also, the initial fine – starting with a second violation within 12 months – would be doubled from $25 to $50. … ”  Read more from the Sacramento Bee here:  City of Sacramento wants you to save water.  It’s your choice how

Morro Bay: Without a plan:  “Although Morro Bay still hasn’t decided where to put its controversial water facility, the city is in the running for an $82 million federal loan to partially fund it.  The city was one of 12 municipalities nationwide selected by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to apply for a Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan. In California, the Central Coast city is competing against San Francisco, Orange County, and San Diego. The opportunity comes at a time when the Morro Bay City Council voted to put its project on a two-month hold, because it’s reviewing a project site that was already denied by the California Coastal Commission in 2013. … ”  Read more from New Times SLO here:  Without a plan

Bishop City Council talks cannabis, groundwater:  ” … In other action, the City voted to join Inyo County, and four other agencies to date, in a Joint Powers Agreement to develop a Groundwater Sustainability Agency and start to work on a plan to reach sustainability. The irony, according to City Administrator Jim Tatum: “We’ll be judged in 20 years if the plan is successful when we already are (sustainable).” … ”  Read more from the Sierra Wave here:  Bishop City Council talks cannabis, groundwater

Talking trash – and landfills – between Inyo County and LA DWP:  “This all started with a Los Angeles Times article by Louis Sahagun two weeks ago.  Sahagun reminded the city’s readership of the 100-year history between LA and the Owens Valley. The punch line was the condemnation, or eminent domain, process Inyo had launched in May to acquire the land under three landfills, Bishop, Independence and Lone Pine. Sahagun’s title implied the County was “fighting back,” giving local media a chance to rehash the whole Bishop/Sunland landfill lease saga.  The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power sent out the next volley with a fact check on the article. This response, published on the department’s news website, noted the 2,500 violations those landfills incurred from Calrecycle since 1993. ... ”  Read more from the Sierra Wave here:  Talking trash – and landfills – between Inyo County and LA DWP

LADWP sloshes in surplus water while other agencies still feel the drought:  “On the heels of record rain and snow in California, some local water agencies are experiencing a bonanza of surplus supplies. But others that rely on groundwater are still feeling lingering effects of the state’s five-year drought.   Perhaps the most visible sign of this summer’s water feast can be seen from the I-5 freeway north of Balboa Boulevard, where the historic Los Angeles Aqueduct crosses into the San Fernando Valley. ... ”  Read more from KPCC here:  LADWP sloshes in surplus water while other agencies still feel the drought

More room for the Ballona wetlands:  “The Southern California Gas Co. is collaborating with state agencies on plans to close 18 of the 54 monitoring wells at its Playa del Rey natural gas storage facility, thereby expanding the footprint of the state’s Ballona Wetlands restoration effort.  “SoCal Gas is committed to environmental stewardship and supports the Ballona Wetlands restoration project. As a component of the project, we have proposed a plan to abandon or relocate our monitoring wells, in accordance with regulations established by the Division of Oil, Gas, & Geothermal Resources, and to relocate a transmission pipeline out of the wetland area,” SoCal Gas spokeswoman Fiorella Canedo wrote in an email to The Argonaut. … ”  Read more from the Argonaut here:  More room for the Ballona wetlands

A Rancho San Margarita resident installed a drought-tolerant lawn, and now he could face HOA fines:  “Jeff Armbruster was just looking to replace his dying lawn and save a little money in the process.  In April, the widowed father of three switched out the scraggly brown turf at his Rancho Santa Margarita home with rocks and succulents in an effort to earn a rebate through the Santa Margarita Water District and save on his monthly water bill.  “I decided to go ahead and change it because it was unsightly,” he said. ... ”  Read more from the OC Register here:  A Rancho San Margarita resident installed a drought-tolerant lawn, and now he could face HOA fines

Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

• OROVILLE UPDATE: Final 2017 Construction Plans for Lake Oroville Spillways Project Approved (with video)
• SCIENCE NEWS: Electromagnetic surveys in the sky and on land give a view of what’s below the surface; Not your average pond; Protecting birds – on their own terms; Can we save Northwest salmon?; 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.