DAILY DIGEST: In 1939, the feds made a Central Valley water deal; it may doom the Delta tunnels; California is giving water back to native fish – but how much?; Water issues loom but Santa Barbara has multiple plans in place; and more …

In California water news today, In 1939, the feds made a Central Valley water deal. It may doom the Delta tunnels; Future of Delta tunnels project may hang on the next few weeks; Troubled Delta tunnels plan viewed as growth ally in the High Desert; California is giving water back to native fish – but how much?; A crazy water year ended on Saturday. So did we set any records for rain and snow?; Handicapping the rainy season; and more …

On the calendar today …

In the news today …

In 1939, the feds made a Central Valley water deal.  It may doom the Delta tunnels:  “Dam builders from President Franklin Roosevelt’s administration wanted to bring water to the parched eastern half of the San Joaquin Valley, but first they had to deal with a cluster of landowners whose ancestors had been there since the 1800s.  The deal they cut in 1939 paved the way for much of the Central Valley Project, an engineering marvel that helped turn the Valley into one of the world’s most productive farming regions.  It has also formed the basis, nearly 80 years later, of a major funding impasse that threatens to unravel California WaterFix – Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan to build a pair of tunnels beneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to modernize the aging water delivery system begun during Roosevelt’s New Deal. … ”  Read more from the Sacramento Bee here:  In 1939, the feds made a Central Valley water deal.  It may doom the Delta tunnels.

Future of Delta tunnels project may hang on the next few weeks:  “California’s biggest water project in decades appears to be in limbo after a key irrigation district voted not to help underwrite Gov. Jerry Brown’s plan to build two giant tunnels that would re-engineer water transport in the state.  The no-vote at the Fresno-based Westlands Water District — the largest agricultural water supplier in the U.S. — puts the $17 billion project’s funding on shaky ground. Will other water districts pick up the slack? Other large water agencies considering participating in the project are set to vote soon. Another key player, Los Angeles’ Metropolitan Water District , will vote on October 10. The Santa Clara Valley Water District, based in San Jose, will weigh in a week later. But with the loss of Westland’s support, some are left wondering if the controversial project is already doomed. … ”  Read more from KQED here:  Future of Delta tunnels project may hang on the next few weeks

Troubled Delta tunnels plan viewed as growth ally in the High Desert:  “An ambitious $17 billion state and federal effort, currently in flux, to re-engineer water flows from the Bay Delta to Southern California could increase this region’s long-term average water supply by about 27 percent, according to the head of the Mojave Water Agency.  The sizeable uptick would represent a boon for planned future development not only in MWA’s jurisdiction — 4,900 square miles in San Bernardino County including the High Desert, Yucca Valley and surrounding communities — but also across the state, where there’d be roughly 20 percent less water if the project is never implemented, MWA General Manager Tom McCarthy said.  “Without the project,” McCarthy said, “we’re likely looking at some limitation on growth.” … ”  Read more from the Victorville Press here:  Troubled Delta tunnels plan viewed as growth ally in the High Desert

California is giving water back to native fish – but how much?  “As California continues an epic regulatory effort to reallocate water supplies for salmon habitat, an equally big question looms over the process: How much water do salmon and other native fish really need?  The question is at the core of a process led by the State Water Resources Control Board to take water from existing human uses – both agriculture and urban – and rededicate it to instream environmental flows in the San Joaquin River, the state’s second-largest river.  The board released a draft proposal in September 2016 that calls for returning the San Joaquin River to 40 percent of its “unimpaired flow.”  This means the amount of water that would naturally flow through the river without existing dams and diversions. ... ”  Continue reading at Water Deeply here:  California is giving water back to native fish – but how much?

A crazy water year ended on Saturday.  So did we set any records for rain and snow? The water year that ended Saturday was the wettest on record for the watersheds feeding the Tuolumne and Stanislaus rivers. The Merced River fell just short.  The Tuolumne had about 4.86 million acre-feet of runoff from rain and snowmelt from last October through September, the Turlock Irrigation District reported. That beat the previous high of 4.64 million in 1983 and was 255 percent of the historical average, spokesman Brandon McMillan said.  The Tuolumne supplies TID, the Modesto Irrigation District and part of the San Francisco Bay Area. … ”  Read more from the Modesto Bee here:  A crazy water year ended on Saturday.  So did we set any records for rain and snow?

Handicapping the rainy season:  “It was a year of plenty for parched California.  State figures released at the end of the water year, which resets each Oct. 1, tell the story:  The northern Sierra Nevada had its wettest year, 95 inches of precipitation, since record-keeping began in 1895.  In the central Sierra, it was the wettest in more than three decades.  The rain at times overwhelmed the state’s water infrastructure, terrifyingly so in Oroville. But it also ended a five-year drought. Most of California’s major reservoirs remain relatively full. ... ”  Read more from the New York Times here:  Handicapping the rainy season

In commentary today …

California is obligated to fix Delta water delivery system, says John Laird:  He writes, “The Bay Area imports most of its water and relies on the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and its tributaries for about 70 percent of its supply. Those supplies face an uncertain future as a changing climate shrinks the Sierra snowpack and raises sea levels, and a declining ecosystem results in further restrictions — all while the Bay Area’s population and economy continue to grow.  The stark reality is that 25 million people and 3 million acres of farmland are at risk of losing up to 20 percent of their future water supplies if the status quo continues in the delta.  And though voters backed a portfolio of water alternatives in the 2014 water bond — including more conservation, storage and water recycling — and California adopted a new process to get to sustainable groundwater management, these actions are not enough to stabilize the system, address ecosystem woes and meet future needs. … ”  Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here:  California is obligated to fix Delta water delivery system

Delta farmers, not Water Fix tunnels, are our best climate change defense, says Barbara Barrigan-Parilla:  She writes, “California’s wetlands function as the state’s environmental liver. Without them, the planet has no natural defense system against greenhouse gas emissions.  Such a service performed by nature does not cost us humans a dime. As climate change-induced storm and drought events continue to wreak havoc across the country, our state can use all the natural and human defenses it can muster. … ”  Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here:  Delta farmers, not Water Fix tunnels, are our best climate change defense

In regional news and commentary today …

Feeding the birds and the Klamath basin:  “At Staunton Farms, it’s okay to feed the birds because the operation also feeds the Klamath Basin and beyond.  Fourth-generation farmer Marc Staunton, a partner in Staunton Farms, spoke to Harvest Tour attendees Thursday afternoon about the affect and history of his family’s farming operations that utilizes approximately 500 acres on the Tulelake National Wildlife Refuge and the Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge. ... ”  Read more from the Herald & News here:  Feeding the birds and the Klamath basin

Water, compliance issues bring cannabis advocates, Nevada County officials to the table:  “Basil McMahon said he wanted his grow to emerge from the shadows.  He filed for a permit with the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, wanting to take the first steps toward compliance. Days later, two Nevada County deputies appeared at his South County home. He said they held a copy of his permit application in hand and wanted to inspect his grow.  “I was just a little bit confused, surprised to see them,” said McMahon, whose given first name is Lyle. … ”  Read more from the Sierra Sun here:  Water, compliance issues bring cannabis advocates, Nevada County officials to the table

Bay Area: Beacon not burden:  “What some might call a regulatory burden on industry, commerce, and American greatness, others might call the road to success.  Jay Davis, a serious guy, doesn’t crack a smile when he describes the Bay Area’s Regional Monitoring Program as “a beacon of environmental protection.” It may sound a little over the top, for a PhD who ran the program for more than a decade, but all you have to do is fact check. Ask some of the oil refineries, power plants, cities, engineers, ports, scientists, and regulators who’ve participated in this 25-year old collaborative monitoring program to confirm this result and they all say the same thing. It takes time but saves money. It helps those being regulated deal with water quality challenges — whether it’s a spill, toxic algae blooms, or a new perfume or pesticide — and helps regulators drive water quality improvements. … ”  Read more from Estuary News here:  Beacon not burden

Stockton: Pretty, for a price: State to charge for sandhill crane viewing:  “Sandhill cranes are winging their way toward the Delta as we speak, regular as rain.  But there’s something new this year that so-called “craniacs” should know.  State officials in mid-November will start charging a fee to bird admirers at the Woodbridge Ecological Reserve west of Lodi. The reserve is one of dozens of state-owned wildlife areas where fees will be required for the first time in the coming months. … ”  Read more from the Stockton Record here:  Stockton: Pretty, for a price: State to charge for sandhill crane viewing

Water issues loom but Santa Barbara has multiple plans in place:  “California’s drought appears to be over, until you see an official map that shows Santa Barbara County is still one area of concern. It is better than two years ago, but still not completely out.  Local water officials already knew that but multiple plans are in place to produce and conserve water in case the rainfall totals fall behind as they did for a five year stretch recently. That threw the biggest water fear into the South Coast anyone had seen in decades. … ”  Read more from KEYT here:  Water issues loom but Santa Barbara has multiple plans in place

$1 million deal to clean up LA-area groundwater:  “The former owner of a North Hollywood landfill will spend $1 million to remove a carcinogen from groundwater, the Environmental Protection Agency said Friday.  CalMet Corporation owned a landfill called the Hewitt site, which contaminated the groundwater in North Hollywood West with 1,4-dioxane.  The chemical is classified as a probable carcinogen that irritates the eyes and respiratory tracts and can cause organ damage.  The compound, found in dyes and paint strippers, is highly water soluble, so it easily pollutes groundwater. … ”  Read more from the Courthouse News Service here:  $1 million deal to clean up LA-area groundwater

San Diego County Water Authority forecasts adequate supply, continuing conservation in 2018:  “The San Diego County Water Authority is forecasting adequate supplies and expecting continued conservation efforts as California begins the 2018 water year on Sunday.  “Thanks to remarkably wet conditions last winter, the 2018 water year will begin with improved supply conditions at the water authority’s two imported water sources – the Colorado River and the Sierra Nevada,” the authority said in a statement.  In addition, the region can count on the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant, and is prepared with high storage levels in many local reservoirs.  More significantly, San Diegans are still conserving water on a widespread scale — nearly as efficiently as during the recent drought. ... ”  Read more from the Times of San Diego here:  San Diego County Water Authority forecasts adequate supply, continuing conservation in 2018

And lastly …

It rained fish in Mexico, officials say.  No, it’s not the end times (we think):  “Sure, it’s been known to rain cats and dogs during some heavy thunderstorms. And if we’re to believe The Weather Girls — and who wouldn’t? — it was even raining men that one time in 1982.  But fish? That feels like a new one.  Yet during a light rain Tuesday morning in Tampico, Mexico, it appears that’s precisely what happened: Several fish fell from the sky, slapping the pavement right in front of a few startled onlookers, at least one of whom recorded some video. … ”  Read more from KUOW here:  It rained fish in Mexico, officials say.  No, it’s not the end times (we think)

More news and commentary in the weekend edition …

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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