DAILY DIGEST: State Water Board hears concerns about water quality regulations; Oroville spillway Q&A: Addressing vegetation, design, and cracks; Dry weather continues in California. Time to start worrying about another drought?; and more …

In California water news today, State Water Board hears concerns about water quality regulations; Oroville spillway Q&A: Addressing vegetation, design, and cracks; Dry weather continues in California. Time to start worrying about another drought?; Statewide water savings down to single digits in October; Drought kills 27 million more trees in California; and more …

On the calendar today …

In the news today …

State Water Board hears concerns about water quality regulations:  “With the diverse mix of crops grown in the state and the complex nature of different farming systems, California farmers and their advocates told the State Water Resources Control Board that its one-size-fits-all approach to regulating water quality remains burdensome, expensive and infeasible for many farmers.  They shared their concerns during a public workshop on a proposal to revise waste discharge requirements for the East San Joaquin River watershed that would have statewide impact on all irrigated lands regulatory programs. The meeting, held last week in Sacramento, provided a preview of where different stakeholders stand on the proposed order, with written comments due Dec. 22. … ”  Read more from Ag Alert here:  State Water Board hears concerns about water quality regulations

Oroville spillway Q&A: Addressing vegetation, design, and cracks:  “The Oroville Dam spillway crisis this past February is still under investigation – all sorts of investigations, including concerns about vegetation and cracking. Officials say the problems have been mitigated, plus, this water year might not be as wet as last.  Dr. Michael Anderson, state climatologist, said the water year is off to a below-average start, with one serious storm that kept mostly to the mountains. A lingering high-pressure system is barring storms from the state, Anderson said. He said the current forecast model predicts the system to break up at the end of December, but far-reaching models aren’t very reliable.  “It’s still far enough out in the forecast model that we don’t put a lot of stock into it,” Anderson said.  … ”  Read more from the Appeal-Democrat here:  Oroville spillway Q&A: Addressing vegetation, design, and cracks

Dry weather continues in California.  Time to start worrying about another drought?  “December has been bone dry in California, and it doesn’t look like it’s going to get much wetter by the time the 2018 rolls around.  Precipitation levels in Sacramento and most major California cities are below average for this time of year. The Sierra Nevada snowpack is just 37 percent of normal. The U.S. Drought Monitor says about one-third of California is either facing moderate drought conditions or is abnormally dry, with all of the dry areas lying south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Extraordinarily arid conditions have helped fuel the wildfires in Southern California, where rainfall has been almost nonexistent. Arizona, Utah and parts of Nevada are also drier than usual. … ”  Read more from the Sacramento Bee here:  Dry weather continues in California.  Time to start worrying about another drought?

Statewide water savings down to single digits in October:  “Water conservation statewide dipped into single digits during October according to a report issued last week by the State Water Resources Control Board.  The water board said on average Californians used 8.5 percent less water than in October 2013, the benchmark pre-drought year.  Mandatory water conservation targets and penalties for excessive use were dropped this spring, and the conservation numbers have declined pretty steadily since then. … ”  Read more from the Oroville Mercury Register here:  Statewide water savings down to single digits in October

Drought kills 27 million more trees in California:  “Another 27 million trees died in California last year due to the lingering effects of drought, according to new aerial survey data from the U.S. Forest Service. That brings the total number of trees killed statewide to a staggering 129 million since 2010.  In a typical year, about one million trees die across California. But beginning in 2014, that number began ticking up as aerial surveyors with the U.S. Forest Service started to notice entire hillsides turning yellow, brown and orange. At the height of the drought, in 2016, they counted 62 million dead trees in a single year (here is a map of the mortality progression). … ”  Read more from KPCC here:  Drought kills 27 million more trees in California

Prepare yourself: The world’s air conditioner is breaking down:  “The Arctic is a huge, icy cap on the planet that acts like a global air conditioner. But the air conditioner is breaking down, according to scientists who issued a grim “report card” on the Arctic today.  They say the North Pole continues to warm at an alarming pace — twice the rate as the rest of the planet, on average. This year was the Arctic’s second-warmest in at least 1,500 years, and possibly longer. The warmest year ever was 2016. ... ”  Read more from KPCC here:  Prepare yourself: The world’s air conditioner is breaking down

Sea level rise may swamp many coastal US sewage plants:  “Raw sewage gets people’s attention, but sea level rise, with its distant time horizons, not so much. What if I told you that sea level rise could cripple wastewater treatment plants in many coastal cities and send untreated sewage into nearby rivers and seas? Are you listening now?  According to a new assessment of U.S. sewage treatment plants, the next 1 foot (0.3 meter) of sea level rise, expected along U.S. coasts as soon as 2030, would leave more than 1.5 million people in California, New York, and Virginia without wastewater treatment services.  “Almost all coastal cities in the U.S. will experience some impact if no action is taken to protect them.” … ”  Read more from EOS here:  Sea level rise may swamp many coastal US sewage plants

In regional news and commentary today …

Chico narrowing down top projects for stormwater grant:  “There’s a strong desire to get to work on storm water management projects in Chico and improve the watersheds of Big and Little Chico creeks.  More than 80 projects were submitted for the city to consider when creating its Storm Water Resources Plan, a grant-funded effort that will make the city eligible to compete for $200 million in state funds from Proposition 1. The plan’s overall goal is to reduce pollutants and trash in Chico’s creeks and waterways, and improve upon the use of storm water as a resource. ... ”  Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here:  Chico narrowing down top projects for stormwater grant

Corte Madera marsh restoration moves mud:  “Mounds of mud were excavated Tuesday afternoon in Corte Madera to clear a channel for bay water to inundate land to return it to tidal marsh, ushering in flora and fauna.  It is the final phase of an effort that took more than two decades.  The site’s historic tidal marsh was filled several times during the past 50 years, most recently in the mid-1980s. A number of development projects had been considered and proposed for the site, including office space and housing. … ”  Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here:  Corte Madera marsh restoration moves mud

Salinas Valley new wells moratorium delayed while work plan developed:  “Monterey County supervisors will delay for at least three months considering adoption of a recommended moratorium on new wells in parts of the Salinas Valley groundwater basin where data shows seawater intrusion has been worsening.  On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors agreed to hold off on adopting even a short-term, emergency moratorium to allow the Salinas Valley basin groundwater sustainability agency three months to come up with a plan in collaboration with county officials to address the seawater intrusion issue, possibly including a moratorium. The board also directed staff to return with an update within 45 days on progress toward a short-term solution in response to a county Water Resources Agency report showing seawater intrusion advancing again, this time into deeper aquifers, based on 2015 data. … ”  Read more from the Monterey Herald here:  Salinas Valley new wells moratorium delayed while work plan developed

Mammoth Community Water District wants more protection for drinking water:  “Construction is underway on a groundwater monitoring well that is required by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to protect the Mammoth Lakes community’s drinking water supply from contamination or depletion by Ormat Technologies Inc.’s expanded geothermal extraction project, CD IV.  While the construction of the new monitoring well is an important step, it will not provide all of the critical data needed to understand the relationship between the geothermal reservoir and the shallower aquifer systems. … ”  Read more from Sierra Wave here:  Mammoth Community Water District wants more protection for drinking water

Indian Wells Valley Water District approves $500,000 advance to Groundwater Authority:  “At the Indian Wells Valley Water District monthly board meeting on Monday evening, the board voted to approve an advance of up to $500,000 from the IWVWD’s future alternative water supply funds to the IWV Groundwater Authority. IWVGA will likely pay back this amount either with funds from future grants or through a credit on IWVWD’s account. The funds are to keep IWVGA running in this bridge period between now and when IWVGA, potentially, receives state-funded grant money which is expected to arrive later this year. ... ”  Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent here:  Indian Wells Valley Water District approves $500,000 advance to Groundwater Authority

Santa Clarita:  Less imported water, less groundwater means using banked supplies likely:  “While fire officials tell SCV residents they’re not out of the woods when it comes to brush fires, water officials are saying the SCV isn’t out of the woods when it comes to drought, either.  Castaic Lake Water Agency board members are expected to receive an update on the status of Santa Clarita Valley’s water resources when they meet Wednesday night.  The bottom line is that water is still scarce despite a considerable amount of rain that fell on the SCV a year ago. ... ”  Read more from The Signal here:  Santa Clarita:  Less imported water, less groundwater means using banked supplies likely

Santa Monica prepares to eliminate water imports, drought-proof supply:  “The worst drought in California’s history ended in April when Gov. Jerry Brown declared it officially over after an especially wet winter. But one city isn’t backing down on water conservation.  Santa Monica, a progressive town on the Southern California coast, is proceeding as if the drought were still under way, and it still requires residents to meet water conservation targets.  It has a rich menu of financial incentives to encourage its citizens and businesses to remove thirsty lawns and install frugal appliances.  It is also pushing ahead with an ambitious program to end its dependency on imported water by 2020. This includes recycling wastewater and building massive underground cisterns to capture storm runoff. … ”  Read more from Water Deeply here:  Santa Monica prepares to eliminate water imports, drought-proof supply

After fires, Southern California faces risk of mudslides:  “Firefighters in Southern California are slowly gaining control of one of the largest wildfires in state history, but residents may not enjoy much relief as experts said the flames are laying the groundwork for the next disaster – mudslides.  The intense fire is burning away vegetation that holds the soil in place and baking a waxy layer into the earth that prevents the water from sinking more than a few inches into the ground, experts said.  With one heavy rain, the soil above this waterproof layer can become saturated, start to slide in hilly areas and transform into something catastrophic. … ”  Read more from US News and World Report here:  After fires, Southern California faces risk of mudslides

San Diego: Water rights case ends after 66 years:  “After 66 years of litigation and more than 50 years of settlement talks, the longest-running federal civil case in San Diego has ended.  The Fallbrook Public Utility District board of directors voted unanimously Monday to end a water dispute with the U.S. government over rights to water that flows from the Santa Margarita River.  “After eight years of my time here, and many more years of other people’s time before that, we are at the point where we have a final agreement with Camp Pendleton on the Santa Margarita,” the district’s acting general manager, Jack Bebee, told directors. … ”  Read more from the San Diego Union Tribune here:  San Diego: Water rights case ends after 66 years

Along the Colorado River …

Feds give initial OK to Utah’s application to build Lake Powell pipeline – but with a major unexpected twist:  Federal regulators have tentatively approved Utah’s application to build the Lake Powell Pipeline, but they’ve also thrown the state an unexpected curveball.  On Tuesday, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a notice that it had accepted Utah’s application to construct the 140-mile pipeline, intended to pump Colorado River water from Glenn Canyon Dam to St. George and 12 other southern Utah communities. That, FERC said, clears the way for a full study of the project’s environmental impacts.  “This is a major milestone toward meeting Southern Utah’s need to diversify its water supply and develop additional resources to meet anticipated demand,” Eric Millis, director of the state Division of Water Resources, said in a statement. “Permitting a water project is a lengthy process and this is a significant step.” … ”  Read more from the Salt Lake Tribune here:  Feds give initial OK to Utah’s application to build Lake Powell pipeline – but with a major unexpected twist

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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