In California water news today, Despite DWR praise, Oroville Dam critics want answers; Oroville-inspired bill races against legislative deadline; Emergency spillway sees repairs on a smaller scale; US Army Corps of Engineers says Whittier Narrows Dam is unsafe and could trigger catastrophic flooding; Report shines light on importance of agriculture; Seeing is believing: Stanford researchers visualize California’s drought; US wildfire costs exceed $2 billion, a record amid a year of extremes; and more …
In the news today …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
Despite DWR praise, Oroville Dam critics want answers: “State lawmakers responsible for the safety of residents downstream from Lake Oroville applaud the Department of Water Resources reconstruction to the dam’s damaged primary and emergency spillways, but the lawmakers still want answers and accountability for the cause of February’s near-catastrophe. “They are doing a superb job,” said Sen. Jim Nielsen, R- Tehama. “Things are not only being done apparently well, but they are being done expeditiously.” ... ” Read more from KCRA Channel 3 here: Despite DWR praise, Oroville Dam critics want answers
Oroville-inspired bill races against legislative deadline: “The north state assemblyman who represents Oroville, where the threat of a dam collapse in February forced 188,000 downstream residents to evacuate, is racing to tighten inspection standards before the end of the legislative session Friday night. Current law requires the state to conduct inspections from “time to time,” a guideline that Assemblyman James Gallagher says is not nearly stringent enough. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: Oroville-inspired bill races against legislative deadline
Emergency spillway sees repairs on a smaller scale: “As another rainy season approaches, the Department of Water Resources said it is also making necessary repairs to the emergency spillway, at the same time it works to restore the primary one. It was the threat of a failure to the emergency spillway that caused the evacuations. Officials feared the erosion on the hillside would cause a 30-foot wall of water to come crashing over Oroville in February. Now, officials said they hope they won’t ever have to use the emergency spillway again, but in case they do, they want to be prepared. “It was the perfect storm of events that led us to having to use the emergency spillway,” said Erin Mellon, Assistant Director of the Department of Water Resources’ Public Affairs. “Now that we know how it performs, we’re going to make it better.” ... ” Read more from KRCR here: Emergency spillway sees repairs on a smaller scale
US Army Corps of Engineers says Whittier Narrows Dam is unsafe and could trigger catastrophic flooding: “The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has determined that the 60-year-old Whittier Narrows Dam is structurally unsafe and poses a potentially catastrophic risk to the working-class communities along the San Gabriel River floodplain. According to an agency report based on research conducted last year, unusually heavy rains could trigger a premature opening of the dam’s massive spillway. “Under certain conditions, the spillway on the San Gabriel River can release more than 20 times what the downstream channel can safely contain within its levees,” the report said. “Depending on the size of the discharge, flooding could extend from Pico Rivera, immediately downstream of the dam, to Long Beach.” ... ” Read more from the LA Times here: US Army Corps of Engineers says Whittier Narrows Dam is unsafe and could trigger catastrophic flooding
Report shines light on importance of agriculture: “The recent five years of severe drought across California has fueled debate on whether agriculture uses too much water. As Michael A. Shires sees it, that debate could eventually spiral into local and state governments taking actions that put agriculture at a lower priority, and as a result, production could be reduced significantly. And while agriculture comprises only about 2 percent of California’s gross domestic product, he said the loss of agriculture could have devastating effects on the state, from job losses — particularly among unskilled workers — to the devastation of local economies. “Agriculture’s important. It employs a population that’s vulnerable, with limited alternatives, and its’ going to be difficult to replace ag in the Valley if policies are in place to eliminate it or reduce it,” Shires said in an interview to discuss the 34-page report he researched and wrote entitled “The Implications of Agricultural Water for the Central Valley.” … ” Read more from The Business Journal here: Report shines light on importance of agriculture
Seeing is believing: Stanford researchers visualize California’s drought: “After the wettest winter on record in 122 years, California’s waterways and reservoirs are finally replenishing to reverse the previous years of drought. But as the memory of the driest four-year period in the state’s history fades, Stanford researchers warn not to relax water conservation practices. “Out of the past 50 years, more than half have been dry years in California. So at a certain point, we’re going to have to accept that extremes are actually the norm and learn to adapt to our new climate reality,” said Newsha Ajami, Director of Urban Water Policy at Stanford’s Water in the West program. “The fear is that even though we just went through the worst drought in history, people are already losing momentum in conserving water and being prepared for the next dry period.” ... ” Read more from Stanford News here: Seeing is believing: Stanford researchers visualize California’s drought
US wildfire costs exceed $2 billion, a record amid a year of extremes: “The wildfire season that has leveled hundreds of homes, closed roads and parks, and sent hazy smoke into major cities across the West has become the most expensive in U.S. history, officials said Thursday, marking another chapter in a year of brutal extremes linked to climate change. A menacing one-two punch of record rain last winter and record heat this summer, following a historic drought in several Western states, gave birth to a bumper crop of grass and brush that has since dried out and burned up. ... ” Read more from SF Gate here: US wildfire costs exceed $2 billion, a record amid a year of extremes
In commentary today …
Governor Brown, don’t demand a decision on the Delta tunnels, says the SF Chronicle: They write, “The governor has speeded up efforts to secure financing for his $17.1 billion delta tunnel dream. Water agencies should tell the governor they won’t vote to commit their ratepayers to pay for this ill-conceived plan. Here’s why: The project, known as WaterFix, is environmentally destructive. It would capture water through three enormous intakes at the north end of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, divert it into twin 40-foot-wide tunnels and deliver it 35 miles to the state and federal pumps in the south delta, from which it is distributed statewide. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Editorial: Governor Brown, don’t demand a decision on the Delta tunnels
It’s about dollars … and sense, says Skip Thomson: He writes, “The U.S. Inspector General released an evaluation this month titled, “The Bureau of Reclamation Was Not Transparent in Its Financial Participation in the Bay Delta Conservation Plan.” More than $84 million in federal taxpayer money was used by the Bureau of Reclamation to subsidize the Central Valley Project water contractor’s planning and design costs for the California WaterFix, despite Gov. Brown’s persuasive arguments that all project costs would come from the water contractors receiving this additional water, not taxpayers. No taxpayer dollars, state or federal, would be used for the Twin Tunnels, so we were told. … ” Read more from the Times-Herald here: It’s about dollars … and sense
Michael Fitzgerald: Feds sneak money to tunnels: “There’s the California that oughta be and the California that is. In the California that oughta be, the twin tunnels project possibly could improve the Delta. I highly doubt it. But maybe if operated with respect for science and the law, it could work. In the California that is, however, state and federal officials show time and time again they’re willing to ignore science and break the law for politically powerful water grabbers. … ” Read more from the Stockton Record here: Michael Fitzgerald: Feds sneak money to tunnels
How science and data can help water agencies evolve: “During my last several years serving as the general manager for the Mojave Water Agency (MWA), I frequently stated to my board and community that we were operating in the midst of a rapidly changing world in water resources management. California’s recent drought conditions grabbed their share of headlines and placed a laser-sharp focus on the state’s finite water resources. In addition, in 2014 California passed historic groundwater management laws (Senate Bill 1168, Assembly Bill 1739 and Senate Bill 1319). ... ” Read more from Water Deeply here: How science and data can help water agencies evolve
In regional news and commentary today …
Sonoma County to remove toxic algae warnings from Russian River beaches: “Signs at Russian River beaches warning of the potential for harmful blue-green algae in the water were being taken down Thursday, after tests failed to detect the presence of algae-related toxins in recent weeks. Only highly diluted concentrations of an algae-produced toxin were found in the river this summer even when tests sporadically came back positive, health officials said. But there has been no detection of the neurotoxin, Anatoxin-a, since a single sample collected Aug. 21 in Forestville revealed a very low density of the substance, according to lab results. ... ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here: Sonoma County to remove toxic algae warnings from Russian River beaches
Residents riled over NID fencing at Scotts Flat spillway: “Several county residents say fencing installed by Nevada Irrigation District at Scotts Flat Lake is blocking their only easy access to the other side of the reservoir and nearby trails. NID installed the fencing at the Scotts Flat spillway this month, closing public access to a popular pathway. The fence was installed due to “increased public safety concerns in and around the spillway,” NID said in an Aug. 16 news release. Illegal campsites, campfire remains, excessive trash, and vandalism to timber operator equipment, were cited as some of the reasons for closing the spillway access. … ” Read more from The Union here: Residents riled over NID fencing at Scotts Flat spillway
State fines Kirkwood $750,000 in contamination case: “Kirkwood Mountain Resort has agreed to pay more than $750,000 to settle a wetlands contamination case brought against the ski resort by the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board and California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The water board found through a complaint in April 2016 that the ski resort used asphalt grindings “for dust mitigation” in its unpaved parking lots. ... ” Read more from Lake Tahoe News here: State fines Kirkwood $750,000 in contamination case
Redwood trunks lain across San Vicente Creek to restore coho salmon habitat: “It’s not every day that logging practices are put to use to restore salmon habitat. But for the past two weeks along the foggy, redwood-strewn banks of San Vicente Creek that’s exactly what has been taking place. The creek, running from the Santa Cruz Mountains to the coast just north of Davenport, is now the southernmost habitat for endangered coho salmon, according to Laura McLendon, director of land conservation at the Sempervirens Fund. … ” Read more from the Santa Cruz Sentinel here: Redwood trunks lain across San Vicente Creek to restore coho salmon habitat
North Valley Regional Water Project a boon to farmers, cities: “Construction is underway on an innovative project that will help solve long-term water issues for several area agencies, while providing much-needed water to local farmers. The concept, making treated wastewater from Modesto, Turlock and, to a lesser degree, Ceres available to Westside farmers, sounds deceptively simple. In reality, the $100 million project, known as the North Valley Regional Recycled Water project, is the result of years of discussions and negotiations, and required the cooperation of dozens of agencies along the way. … ” Read more from the Patterson Irrigator here: North Valley Regional Water Project a boon to farmers, cities
Fresno: Traffic jams the cost for Fresno’s water security: “Over the past few weeks, business has been slow for Super Stereo on East McKinley Avenue in Central Fresno. As for why, the answer lies outside the car audio shop east of Clark Avenue, as most of the street pavement has been broken up by work crews and heavy machinery digging deep trenches that will house massive sections of water pipes. “You know, the construction started at the beginning of the year at the intersection of Blackstone [Avenue] and McKinley, and it was on for almost four months. And then it started at Fresno Street for two months. ... ” Read more from The Business Journal here: Fresno: Traffic jams the cost for Fresno’s water security
Santa Clarita Valley residents drink melted snow – for the most part: “On a normal day in a normal year, a glass of water poured from any tap in the Santa Clarita Valley contains equal portions of water pumped from local wells and water imported from melting snowpacks in the Sierra Nevada. Water availability and water scarcity over the last few years, however, spanning a five-year statewide drought, has thrown the ratio of local water to imported water out of whack. On Thursday, members of Financial and Operations Committee of the Castaic Lake Water Agency will be presented water production charts that show the CLWA is slowly getting back to the normal years of half-and-half water – half imported, half pumped locally – but not this year. ... ” Read more from the Signal here: Santa Clarita Valley residents drink melted snow – for the most part
Assembly passes Santa Clarita water bill: “A bill to dissolve three water districts in Santa Clarita Valley and create a new agency has passed the California Assembly and is on its way to the state Senate. Senate Bill 634 was approved with changes to the original bill on Wednesday. The original bill was introduced in February by Sen. Scott Wilk (R- Antelope Valley.) “I see it as a win-win for our area,” Wilk said in a statement. Assemblyman Tom Lackey (R-Palmdale) presented the bill in the Assembly. ... ” Read more from the San Fernando Valley Business Journal here: Assembly passes Santa Clarita water bill
Salton Sea: California far from solutions as crisis looms: “The Salton Sea is a disaster in slow motion. For more than a century, California’s largest lake has been sustained by Colorado River water, which irrigates Imperial Valley farms and drains into the lake. But the Salton Sea will start shrinking rapidly at the end of this year, when increasing amounts of river water will be diverted from farms to cities. As the lake’s shorelines retreat, thousands of tons of lung-damaging dust are expected to blow from the exposed lakebed, polluting the Imperial Valley’s already-dirty air. State officials have done little to protect the region’s vulnerable residents from the impending health emergency — even though they’ve known this crisis was coming for nearly 15 years. ... ” Read more from The Desert Sun here: Salton Sea: California far from solutions as crisis looms
Imperial Valley: Why it’s legal to pump untreated canal water into Californian’s homes: “It takes Humberto Lugo several minutes to explain how the home he is standing in front of actually gets its water. It’s a small, stucco house dwarfed by an expanse of dusty farm fields that sit mostly fallow in September, awaiting the next planting of winter vegetables. An irrigation canal runs by the front of the property, and brings water not just to the surrounding farms but also to homes. Lugo demonstrates how a rubber hose is dropped into the canal and the water, gravity-fed, then pours into an open concrete pool in the house’s front yard that is teeming with algae, fish and debris. The home’s resident, a renter and farmhand, occasionally dumps some ammonia in the pool before pumping the water to the house to use for showering and other needs. … ” Read more from Water Deeply here: Why it’s legal to pump untreated canal water into Californian’s homes
U.S. and Mexico agree to share a shrinking Colorado River: “On a sunny March morning in 2014, dam operators lifted a gate on the Morelos Dam on the Colorado River, at the U.S.-Mexico border. Water gushed toward the river’s dry delta at the Gulf of California. This “pulse flow” coursed downstream for several weeks, nourishing cottonwood and willow saplings and boosting bird and other wildlife populations. Though most of the water soaked through the parched riverbed to aquifers below, enough remained aboveground to allow the river to meet the gulf for the first time since the late 1990s. That reminded people throughout the basin of the Colorado’s importance — and how humans have altered it. ... ” Read more from High Country News here: U.S. and Mexico agree to share a shrinking Colorado River
Friday flight over Oroville …
From the Department of Water Resources: “Kiewit crews begin preparing RCC walls for shotcrete in the lower chute, and continue filling the middle chute with RCC. In the upper chute, a variety of work continues including placement of leveling concrete, rebar mat installation, drainage work, and rock prep in the remaining exposed areas.”
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.
