DAILY DIGEST: Measures to boost salmon are working, but some fear they could backfire; Release of juvenile salmon jump-starts Russian River; Huntington Beach desalination plant challenged in court; Can the private sector save America’s aging water systems?

In California water news today, Measures to boost salmon are working, but some fear they could backfire; Release of juvenile salmon jump-starts Russian River; Huntington Beach desalination plant challenged in court; Can the private sector save America’s aging water systems?

On the calendar today …

  • The Delta Conservancy will hold a board meeting from 9am to 1pm.  The agenda includes a request for approval of the Delta Conservancy’s Implementation Plan and a request for approval of a resolution concerning an interagency agreement with the State Water Board for the Delta Mercury Exposure Reduction Program.  Click here for more information.

In the news today …

Measures to boost salmon are working, but some fear they could backfire:  “Last spring, the outlook for California’s 2017 Chinook salmon fishing season was dire. Years of drought had taken a toll on the rivers where salmon spawn, reducing them to lukewarm trickles. As a result, the number of adult fish was seriously depleted, reported scientists with the Pacific Fishery Management Council. They estimated just 230,000 Sacramento River Chinook to be swimming in the ocean off the central California coast. In good years, local fishers catch at least that many salmon while hundreds of thousands more of the fish swim upriver to spawn.  As fishers braced for a disappointing season, they found quite the opposite – thanks, it turns out, to some changes in fisheries management practices. But while this should be good news, some fishers are concerned there could be negative implications for long-term efforts to restore river ecosystems. … ”  Read more from Water Deeply here:  Measures to boost salmon are working, but some fear they could backfire

Release of juvenile salmon jump-starts Russian River:  “In a special moment Monday, 6,000 juvenile coho salmon are being released in a coastal creek in Sonoma County.  It is part of the release of 140,000 coho salmon this fall in a public-private partnership to restore coho, or silver salmon, in 10 tributaries that feed into the Russian River.The result of restoration efforts in the Bay Area and beyond has turned salmon watching into a spectator sport.  With fall rains, the prospects are promising in the coming six weeks to see returning coho salmon at Lagunitas Creek in Marin. Some years, 450 salmon are counted. ... ”  Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here:  Release of juvenile salmon jump-starts Russian River

H2O Hackathon seeks creative answers to water issues:  “Water issues are an important topic in California.  To help find solutions to some of the problems surrounding issues of water, San Joaquin County high school students are invited to compete for a $5,000 prize to develop an app at the 3rd annual H2O Hackathon.  Organized by the San Joaquin County Office of Education and iHub San Joaquin, the H20 Hackathon provides students an opportunity to experience real-world applications of the science, engineering, and other skills they are learning in school. ... ” Read more from the Stockton Record here:  H2O Hackathon seeks creative answers to water issues

Huntington Beach desalination plant challenged in court:  “A coalition of non-profits is asking a superior court to reverse a state agency’s decision to greenlight a long-proposed, controversial desalination plant in Huntington Beach.  In a lawsuit filed in Sacramento Friday, Nov. 17, the three coastal advocacy groups allege an inadequate environmental review was conducted on the impacts of building a desalination plant and that the State Lands Commission failed to examine the plant’s impacts on the ocean in its entirety. ... ”  Read more from the OC Register here:  Huntington Beach desalination plant challenged in court

Can the private sector save America’s aging water systems? Who owns the water pipes beneath your street?  Increasingly, it is a private company, a shift from the mostly public ownership of the systems used to provide drinking water and remove waste that has prevailed in the U.S. since the early 1900s.  In the first half of 2017, companies spent, or planned to spend, about $2 billion in a total of 53 deals involving water and wastewater utilities. The biggest, energy giant Eversource’s recent $1.7 billion acquisition of water company Aquarion in New England, is still pending, according to Bluefield Research. And the Boston-based consulting and research firm expects that trend only to accelerate in the years ahead.  … ”  Read more from CBS News here:  Can the private sector save America’s aging water systems? 

More news and commentary in the weekend edition …

Precipitation watch …

Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

Sign up for daily email service and you’ll never miss a post …

Daily emailsSign up for free daily email service and you’ll get all the Notebook’s aggregated and original water news content delivered to your email box by 9AM. And with breaking news alerts, you’ll always be one of the first to know …


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.

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email