DAILY DIGEST: Oroville Dam: Independent Institute report calls for DWR to transfer dam ownership; Scientists say few spring-run salmon in Feather River likely due to heat, drought; Singapore’s water leadership: Building a model for sustainable cities; and more …

In California water news today, Oroville Dam: Independent Institute report calls for DWR to transfer dam ownership; Scientists say few spring-run salmon in Feather River likely due to heat, drought; Singapore’s water leadership: Building a model for sustainable cities; Redding: Salmon project slated for Henderson open space; West Marin reservoir enters new mercury-mitigation phase; and more …

In the news today …

Oroville Dam: Independent Institute report calls for DWR to transfer dam ownership:  “The state Department of Water Resources has received a satirical award for its management of the Oroville Dam crisis from the Independent Institute, which also recommends the department transfer dam ownership to private entities.  The Oakland-based institute gives the California Golden Fleece Award quarterly to state government agencies that “swindle taxpayers or violate the public trust.”  “In the case of DWR, the mistakes and wrongdoing could have caused a total dam collapse resulting in severe property damage, mass injuries, and fatalities,” a press release from the institute reads. “After the spillway failures, which prompted the evacuation of nearly 200,000 people in downstream communities, details emerged showing that DWR failed to act on specific warnings about spillway integrity, provided insufficient inspection and repair processes, and made poor design and construction choices. Worse, the agency also concealed safety problems from the public.” ... ”  Read more from the Oroville Mercury Register here:  Oroville Dam: Independent Institute report calls for DWR to transfer dam ownership

Scientists say few spring-run salmon in Feather River likely due to heat, drought:  “Scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration think two main factors caused low numbers of spring-run chinook salmon to return this year: drought and abnormally warm temperatures.  As the name suggests, these salmon arrive to freshwater areas including Oroville’s Feather River in the spring, through they don’t spawn until the fall. Fall-run salmon can arrive as late as October.  Returns this year for spring-run salmon, a threatened species, hit a major low at the Feather River Fish Hatchery, exceeding already low forecasts. Biologist Michael O’Farrell said the salmon returning this year as adults likely left for the Pacific Ocean between 2014-2015, where they faced tough conditions including record high temperatures along much of the West Coast. … ”  Read more from the Oroville Mercury Register here:  Scientists say few spring-run salmon in Feather River likely due to heat, drought

Singapore’s water leadership: Building a model for sustainable cities:  “The connection between Orange County and Singapore might not be apparent at first. But look below the surface, and it is clear that both places are models for sustainable water management, especially based on investment in water recycling. At the 2017 Science & Technology in Society Forum in Kyoto—where advancements in water management and technology brought together leaders from around the globe—Khoo Teng Chye, Executive Director of the Singapore Ministry of National Development’s Centre for Liveable Cities, spoke to TPR about how the small country went from being a case study of disastrous urban management to an international model for sustainability.  We speak today at the 2017 STS Forum in Kyoto, where you are a panelist. Share with our readers the Centre for Liveable Cities’ mission and accomplishments to date. … ”  Continue reading at The Planning Report here: Singapore’s water leadership: Building a model for sustainable cities

In commentary today …

If we can’t build two tunnels to bring water to SoCal, will one suffice?  “If two massive, 40-mile long, 40-foot-diameter tunnels that would direct Sacramento River water around the fragile Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to Central and Southern California are too big, too expensive and too scary to contemplate, how about splitting the difference and going with a single tunnel?  That’s been the response of some officials and observers after actions by a number of the water agencies that were slated to participate in the $17-billion California WaterFix put the fate of the twin tunnels in doubt. … ”  Read more from the LA Times here:  If we can’t build two tunnels to bring water to SoCal, will one suffice?

In regional news and commentary today …

Redding: Salmon project slated for Henderson open space:  “Fisheries officials plan to turn a series of ponds in the Henderson Open Space into a side channel of the Sacramento River that will be used for salmon rearing habitat.  The Western Shasta Resource Conservation District plans to excavate the channels and connect them to the river, creating a safe space for young salmon and other fish.  The Henderson Open Space is on the eastern banks of the Sacramento River and just south of Cypress Avenue in Redding. ... ”  Read more from the Record Searchlight here:  Redding: Salmon project slated for Henderson open space

West Marin reservoir enters new mercury-mitigation phase:  “Faced with methylmercury in its Soulajule Reservoir, the Marin Municipal Water District is moving forward with a state-ordered management plan to control the toxin in the West Marin body of water that serves as a backup supply for the county.  The poisonous legacy of area mercury mines is contaminating fish species, according to state water regulators. One option being looked at as a remedy is dropping more prey fish into the reservoir to dilute the amount of mercury that accumulate in larger fish. … ”  Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here:  West Marin reservoir enters new mercury-mitigation phase

San Francisco embarking on major projects to bolster sewer system:  “Every year, before autumn gives way to winter in San Francisco, the crews tasked with the unrelentingly dirty business of inspecting and maintaining the city’s nearly 1,000 miles of sewer pipes set to work.  To help ensure the city’s aged sewer system can withstand the annual deluge of water brought on by seasonal rains, crews from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission descend beneath the city’s streets, searching for evidence of damage and defects. ... ”  Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here:  San Francisco embarking on major projects to bolster sewer system

Estuary re-envisioned for degraded Aliso Creek:  “Long before urbanization subjugated the hills, canyons, bays and beaches of south Orange County, there was a dynamic little estuary far from the madding crowd. It nestled between the San Joaquin Hills in a pool formed by sand berms where Aliso Creek met the wide open Pacific.  The creek traveled 35 miles from the Santa Ana Mountains through California sycamores and live oaks, flowing through Aliso (Spanish for sycamore) Canyon and wending its way to the sea. At its final destination, strong waves regularly built sand berms that shored up its mouth most of the year, pooling the creek’s waters and creating an estuary.  And there the magic would happen. … ”  Read more from The Independent here:  Estuary re-envisioned for degraded Aliso Creek

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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