In California water news today, Supreme Court won’t hear California water agencies’ appeal in tribe’s landmark groundwater case; Fire retardant use explodes as worries about water, wildfire risk grow; ‘King Tide’ is coming to California and global warming will only increase its effect; Native Americans rewrote the playbook for preserving public land – and Trump is trying to erase it; New boat will help fight fires at Lake Tahoe; Expert: Trash in waterways near Sacramento and American rivers at ’emergency levels’; Scientists launch major study of microplastics pollution in San Francisco Bay; Giant Rosarito Beach desalination facility faces scrutiny; and more …
On the calendar today …
- The California-Nevada Drought & Climate Outlook webinar today from 11am to 12:30pm: The webinar is part of a series of regular drought and climate outlook webinars designed to provide stakeholders and other interested parties in the region with timely information on current drought status and impacts, as well as a preview of current and developing climatic events (i.e. El Niño and La Niña). Click here for more information and to register.
In the news today …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
Supreme Court won’t hear California water agencies’ appeal in tribe’s landmark groundwater case: “The U.S. Supreme Court announced Monday that it will not hear an appeal by water agencies in the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians’ landmark lawsuit asserting rights to groundwater beneath the tribe’s reservation. The Desert Water Agency and the Coachella Valley Water Disitrict appealed to the Supreme Court in July, challenging a decision by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which ruled the tribe has a right to groundwater dating back to the federal government’s creation of the reservation in the 1870s. The high court’s denial of the agencies’ petition means that the tribe has prevailed on the question of whether it holds rights to groundwater, and the next phase of the case in federal court will focus on whether the tribe owns storage space within the desert aquifer. … ” Read more from the Desert Sun here: Supreme Court won’t hear California water agencies’ appeal in tribe’s landmark groundwater case
Fire retardant use explodes as worries about water, wildfire risk grow: “Chemical fire retardants are considered a vital wildland firefighting tool, helping to slow the spread of flames while ground crews move into position. But as their use increases, the harmful side effects of these chemicals are coming under increasing scrutiny. The chemicals, usually dropped from low-flying aircraft, largely consist of ammonia compounds, which are known toxins to fish and other aquatic life. Studies have shown retardants can kill fish, alter soil chemistry, feed harmful algae blooms and even encourage the spread of invasive plants. Yet there is little regulation of their use, and no safer alternatives on the market. … ” Read more from Water Deeply here: Fire retardant use explodes as worries about water, wildfire risk grow
‘King Tide’ is coming to California and global warming will only increase its effect: “Gravitational forces exerted by the moon and sun create the timeless tides. This tugging produces a tidal “bulge,” or area of higher sea level on the ocean’s surface. As the Earth rotates eastward on its axis, California moves into this bulge, which produces a flood tide, and eventually a high tide. As the Earth continues to spin, we move into an area of below-normal sea level, or nodes, which produces an ebb tide, eventually reaching low tide. The slack tide is when the sea is not coming in or going out. Typically, we experienced two low and high tides per day. … ” Read more from the San Luis Obispo Tribune here: ‘King Tide’ is coming to California and global warming will only increase its effect
Groups sue California to get cleaner water: “State officials are under fire for not keeping up with legal requirements to track waterways that are polluted or have other problems that affect using those waterways for activities including fishing and swimming. San Diego Coastkeeper is one of three clean water groups suing the state in an effort to get better water quality. Coastkeeper Matt O’Malley said the groups want to make sure the state complies with federal clean water rules by doing a better job of identifying and listing impaired waterways that don’t meet the federal guidelines. … ” Read more from KPBS here: Groups sue California to get cleaner water
Native Americans rewrote the playbook for preserving public land – and Trump is trying to erase it: “Near the summit of Comb Ridge, in a high-desert region of dancing shadow and red rock splendor, serrated peaks form one of southeast Utah’s most recognizable landmarks. It is hallowed ground for the Navajo and other Native American tribes whose ancestors scaled cliffs to build stone settlements on ledges and alcoves beneath trackless mesas. Eleven months ago, descendants of these ancient people notched one of the great political achievements in Native American history. Following 14 months of government-to-government negotiation between the United States and five Native American tribes, President Obama signed Proclamation 9558. ... ” Read more from the LA Times here: Native Americans rewrote the playbook for preserving public land – and Trump is trying to erase it
In commentary today …
Brown’s WaterFix project could go down the drain, says Dan Walters: He writes, “The decades-long political struggle over fixing the bottleneck in California’s immense north-south water system is nearing a climax—and it’s not looking good for Gov. Jerry Brown’s long-sought solution. The State Water Project, initiated nearly 60 years ago by Brown’s late father, Pat, impounds Feather River water behind Oroville Dam and sends it southward down the Feather and Sacramento rivers into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Huge pumps at the south edge of the Delta suck water into the California Aqueduct, which transports it as far south as San Diego. However, the Delta has century-old levees that are deteriorating, and water draws from it have been curtailed due to the degradation of habitat for fish and other wildlife, leading to a search for solutions that would improve reliability of water supplies and improve habitat. ... ” Read more from Cal Matters here: Brown’s WaterFix project could go down the drain, says Dan Walters
In regional news and commentary today …
New boat will help fight fires at Lake Tahoe: “With Lake Tahoe’s narrow roads and more than 120 homes without access to fire hydrants, it’s critical to have a source of water when disaster strikes. Tahoe Douglas firefighters welcomed a new tool that will enhance their ability to fight fires and respond to marine rescues. The new boat, Marine 24, has the capacity to act as a fire engine on the water by using the lake to provide direct fire suppression. “This boat is like a floating fire engine or fire hydrant on the water, with a full spectrum of the latest technology to aid in saving lives and protecting property,” “We really needed this type of apparatus to meet the code requirements and provide for fire protection,” Fire Marshal Eric Guevin said. … ” Read more from the Sierra Sun here: New boat will help fight fires at Lake Tahoe
Expert: Trash in waterways near Sacramento and American rivers at ’emergency levels’: “A Sacramento based geologist who has been examining creeks that flow into the Sacramento and American rivers says the trash and debris have reached emergency levels. Roland Brady has more than 25 years experience working as a geologist and has spent that last 15 years focusing on watershed issues. In August, Brady began documenting debris from homeless camps in and around Steelhead Creek in the North Sacramento neighborhood. … ” Read more from ABC 10 here: Expert: Trash in waterways near Sacramento and American rivers at ’emergency levels’
Salmon killed spawning at Nimbus Fish Hatchery go to feed needy families: “Thousands of salmon make the grueling journey from the Pacific Ocean up the American River each fall. The spawning run ends for many with a whack on the head at the Nimbus Fish Hatchery, where salmon eggs are gathered and fertilized. The salmon would normally die a slow death after spawning. But at Nimbus, they’re quickly dispatched in a process viewed annually by hundreds of children and adults through big glass windows at the hatchery in Gold River. What becomes of the dead salmon is less well known. While the ending isn’t happy for the adult fish, their offspring repopulate the oceans, and tens of thousands of pounds of salmon fillets feed hungry families in northern and central California during the winter months. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: Salmon killed spawning at Nimbus Fish Hatchery go to feed needy families
Scientists launch major study of microplastics pollution in San Francisco Bay: “A coalition of scientists is cruising San Francisco Bay with a strange looking net to scoop up tiny bits of plastic floating in the water. As ABC7 News first reported two years ago, microplastics are threatening the bay ecosystem and have even been found in fish that end up on our dinner plates. Scientists with the San Francisco Estuary Institute and 5 Gyres Institute will spend two years on a wide-ranging study to find out more about how the plastic is getting in the water and where it ends up. … ” Read more from ABC 7 here: Scientists launch major study of microplastics pollution in San Francisco Bay
Quagga mussels expand into Santa Clara River from Lake Piru: “Last winter’s rains carried a dreaded guest in otherwise welcome flows wetting the Santa Clara River after years of drought. Tiny, hard-shelled invaders that in 2013 infested Lake Piru – the man-made reservoir in eastern Ventura County – have finally made it downstream. … ” Read more from the Ventura County Star here: Quagga mussels expand into Santa Clara River from Lake Piru
Defense bill could lead to more regulations of some chemicals in SoCal water: “Tucked inside the $700 billion defense bill Congress has sent to President Trump is a small item that may lead to tougher regulation of some chemicals that have shown up in Southern California’s water supplies. The legislation sets aside $7 million for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to test the long-term health effects of “highly fluorinated compounds” in drinking water, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), which together are referred to as PFASs. … ” Read more from KPCC here: Defense bill could lead to more regulations of some chemicals in SoCal water
Final preparations underway for long-awaited lagoon restoration: “A flurry of activity is underway to prepare for the long-awaited restoration of the San Elijo Lagoon, a nearly $120 million project planned for decades that starts in December. Biologists are surveying birds, fish, water quality and other details of wildlife in the lagoon to collect baseline data before the dredging begins, said Doug Gibson, executive director and principal scientist of the San Elijo Lagoon Conservancy. “That’s the big push right now, to lock on data that will be used to analyze the success of the project,” Gibson said. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union Tribune here: Final preparations underway for long-awaited lagoon restoration
Giant Rosarito Beach desalination facility faces scrutiny: “With Tijuana and other rapidly growing coastal cities heavily dependent on the Colorado River, Baja California urgently needs to find new water sources. Baja California Gov. Francisco Vega de Lamadrid’s administration has offered a solution: Build the largest desalination plant in the Western Hemisphere, enough to ensure a supply for decades to come. But plans for the reverse-osmosis facility in Rosarito Beach, a project that at full capacity would desalinate 100 million gallons daily, have come under unprecedented scrutiny at a politically sensitive moment. The touchiest public issue is the question of whether some of that water would be sold to the Otay Water District in San Diego County. ... ” Read more from the San Diego Union Tribune here: Giant Rosarito Beach desalination facility faces scrutiny
More news and commentary in the weekend edition …
Precipitation watch …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
- NEWS WORTH NOTING: Cal WaterFix Doesn’t Promise More Water – New Water Supplies Needed to Meet Local Development Needs; Public Sediment: SCAPE releases new design for Living Infrastructure in the Bay Area
- RESERVOIR AND WATER CONDITIONS for November 27
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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.
