In California water news today, Delta smelt is going, going … ; Dry December turns on California irrigation; Property owner wins round in Delta duck club fight; $3.6 million fine overturned; Nestle has been extracting water illegally in drought-stricken California, state says; Project to study climate effects on California water systems from headwaters to groundwater; Q&A: Three years on, how California is spending its $7.5 billion water bond; Little-known tax bill provision could cost local governments millions; and more …
In the news today …
Delta smelt is going, going … “Even Northern California’s wettest winter wasn’t enough to help the poor Delta smelt avoid dropping to another record low in 2017. While the fingerlong fish might not seem of great consequence to most people, its health is a sign of the well-being of the Delta as a whole. And the smelt are not well. Crews spent four months this fall using large nets to sample more than 100 sites from San Francisco Bay to the Delta. They caught a grand total of two fish. ... ” Read more from the Stockton Record here: Delta smelt is going, going …
Dry December turns on California irrigation: “The dry spell in California this December has prompted some growers to begin irrigating again, but no one appears to fear a return to drought conditions, agricultural insiders say. Mild afternoons and chilly nights have growers watering “in moderation” to aid new root activity in orchards or to protect against frost, said Allan Fulton, a University of California Cooperative Extension irrigation and water resources adviser. “In almonds, it’s only 60 days before the likelihood that bloom will start to emerge,” said Fulton, who is based in Red Bluff. “With each passing day that the rains don’t come, there’s growing concern.” … ” Read more the Capital Press here: Dry December turns on California irrigation
Property owner wins round in Delta duck club fight; $3.6 million fine overturned: “An East Bay man battling environmental watchdog agencies over efforts to establish an elite duck club and kite-surfing center in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta won a big legal victory Wednesday when a California Superior Court judge overturned a $3.6 million fine that the agencies had imposed against him. Solano County Superior Court Judge Harry Kinnicutt found that two state water agencies – the California Regional Water Quality Control Board and the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission – had acted with “an appearance of vindictiveness” in “imposing the highest penalties the Regional Board and BCDC had ever imposed,” against property owner John D. Sweeney, a businessman who owns Point Buckler, a 39-acre island in Suisun Marsh wetlands area near Pittsburg. ... ” Read more from SF Gate here: Property owner wins round in Delta duck club fight; $3.6 million fine overturned
Judge guts $3.6 million fine of man who fixed leaking levee: “A California judge on Wednesday overturned a $3.6 million fine against a San Francisco Bay Area business that repaired a broken levee, ruling the state didn’t give the owner a fair trial and built the massive fine on shaky evidence. Solano County Superior Court Judge Harry Kinnicutt set aside two state water agencies’ fines against John Sweeney, the owner of a 39-acre island in the San Francisco Bay Delta estuary. The regulators accused Sweeney, who operates a duck hunting club and kite-surfing business on his tidal island, of illegally degrading wetlands when he fixed a leaky levee in 2014. ... ” Read more from Courthouse News Service here: Judge guts $3.6 million fine of man who fixed leaking levee
Nestle has been extracting water illegally in drought-stricken California, state says: “Officials in California have concluded that Nestlé has been botting and selling water it does not have the legal right to use. Government documents show both individuals and groups have lodged a total of eight complaints with the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) between April 2015 and September 2017. Allegations include diversion of water without a valid basis of right, unreasonable use of water, injury to public trust resources, and incorrect or missing reporting. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Nestle has been extracting water illegally in drought-stricken California, state says
Project to study climate effects on California water systems from headwaters to groundwater: “To address future climate change effects on water resources, scientists at five UC campuses, and Lawrence Livermore and Lawrence Berkeley national laboratories will study California’s water systems, from the headwaters in the Sierra Nevada, through rivers, reservoirs and groundwater in the Central Valley. The “Headwaters to groundwater resources in a changing climate” project recently received a 2018 Collaborative Research and Training Award from the UC Laboratory Fees Research Program. ... ” Read more from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory here: Project to study climate effects on California water systems from headwaters to groundwater
Q&A: Three years on, how California is spending its $7.5 billion water bond: “Three years ago, California voters passed Proposition 1, a bond that provided $7.12 billion for water projects and reallocated another $425 million. The funds had to be split among seven categories: safe drinking water, water storage, flood management, water recycling, drought preparedness, ecosystem and watershed protection and groundwater sustainability. Ellen Hanak and Jelena Jezdimirovic at the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) dove into the numbers to see how the proposition money has been spent throughout the state. … ” Read more from Water Deeply here: Q&A: Three years on, how California is spending its $7.5 billion water bond
Little-known tax bill provision could cost local governments millions: “In the past few years, local taxpayers have saved a lot of money. For those getting water from the Sweetwater Authority, it was $2.7 million. In the Carlsbad Unified School District, folks saved $10.2 million. And in San Diego, it was a whopping $323 million. A lot of this was done through a certain type of bond refinancing obscure to most of us. Sounds scintillating, I know. But the money is real, even if the savings are stretched out years into the future. Now, thanks to the recently signed federal tax bill, this option is not likely to be used much any more after Jan. 1. ... ” Read more from the San Diego Union Tribune here: Little-known tax bill provision could cost local governments millions
In regional news and commentary today …
Clear Lake: Officials investigate waterfowl die-off: ” State officials are investigating the cause of a waterfowl die-off on Clear Lake. Last week it was reported that there was a large number of dead ducks – which appeared to be ruddy ducks – at Lucerne’s south end. California Department of Fish and Wildlife spokesman Kyle Orr told Lake County News that the agency is aware of the die-off and is involved with the inquiry into the cause. ... ” Read more from Lake County News here: Clear Lake: Officials investigate waterfowl die-off
Placer County faces growing tree deaths: “According to the United States Forest Service, one winter of record-breaking rains was not enough to undo five years of severe drought for 27 million California trees. As part of that number, trees have died across 94,000 acres of Placer County since November 2016, according to county emergency services manager John McEldowney. Placer County is one of 10 California counties facing dramatic tree mortality following the recent drought. … ” Read more from the Auburn Journal here: Placer County faces growing tree deaths
This shimmering artwork is a sight to behold along the Sacramento River: “West Sacramento Mayor Christoper Cabaldon says his city has come a long way since the days when he says he could not get a second City Council vote in favor of a public art requirement. In late November, Cabaldon and city leaders gathered on the river walk near Raley Field to officially welcome “Subtile,” a shimmering and towering sculpture along the Sacramento River. The $500,000 piece was created by Czech artist Federico Diaz. It’s the emerging artist’s first outdoor public art piece. ... ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: This shimmering artwork is a sight to behold along the Sacramento River
December leaves Lodi dry, but too soon to expect new drought: “While the eastern U.S. has gone from dreaming of a white Christmas to preparing for a chilly New Year’s snowstorm, the picture is a lot different for the Lodi area and California in general. Lodi had one of its driest Decembers ever on record, according to senior meteorologist Ken Clark with Accuweather, a private weather forecasting firm. Lodi’s total precipitation for the month of December was 0.02 inches, and the normal precipitation for the month in Lodi is 2.34 inches. “You have had one percent of your normal rainfall,” Clark said. … ” Read more from the Lodi News-Sentinel here: December leaves Lodi dry, but too soon to expect new drought
Salmon numbers drop by 75% in Putah Creek: “The largest salmon since the start of restoration efforts in Putah Creek was found in the stream this fall – but the 45-pound female was a highlight among a significant drop in overall numbers of fish coming up to spawn. “It’s the biggest fish we have seen on Putah Creek, a 5-year fish at least,” said Rich Marovich, the streamkeeper for Putah Creek. ... ” Read more from the Daily Republic here: Salmon numbers drop by 75% in Putah Creek
YouTube video of men catching trout in Sausal Creek raises alarm: “A video of two men catching a trout in Sausal Creek has caused concern and some consternation among members of a group that maintains the creek and its watershed. The video, which appeared on YouTube earlier this month, showed one man catching a large trout with a fishing pole while his friend congratulated him. It generated a number of e-mails from the Friends of Sausal Creek because fishing the creek is illegal because of the sensitive nature of the fish population. The video has since been taken down by the site’s owner, and creek supporters don’t know the identity of the two men or how to contact them. … ” Read more from the Mercury News here: YouTube video of men catching trout in Sausal Creek raises alarm
Thomas Fire leaves neighborhoods vulnerable to flooding: “Crews worked in a Ventura barranca Thursday, hauling trees and brush up a steep hill off Buena Vista Street. It’s one of the spots local officials worry will flood this winter as storms hit vulnerable hillsides burned by the Thomas Fire. The fire that has destroyed more than 1,000 structures in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties left scorched, bare hills from Santa Paula to Ventura to the Ojai Valley. When the rain hits those slopes, it could trigger flash floods and debris flows. ... ” Read more from the Ventura County Star here: Thomas Fire leaves neighborhoods vulnerable to flooding
Flooding now a major concern for Ventura County: “With Ventura County still in recovery mode in the wake of the Thomas fire, homeowners remain on high alert once again — this time for possible floods and mudslides. Janet Lanning is just one of many resident living near the hillsides of Ventura who dodged the Thomas fire. Now she’s worried about the winter rains. “There has been so much devastation so we are concerned about sudd, ash and things like that coming down and nothing to hold it up,” Lanning said. … ” Read more from KEYT here: Flooding now a major concern for Ventura County
Long Beach water partners with local non-profit and students to conserve water: “Long Beach Water is partnering with Grades of Green, a Los Angeles-based environmental education non-profit, to work with Long Beach schools and students on initiatives that will conserve water. Schools compete from January through March in the Grades of Green Water Challenge program to learn about local water issues and find ways to reduce water consumption. Up to 75 schools will compete to conserve an estimated 900,000 gallons of water over the course of the challenge. ... ” Read more from ACWA’s Water News here: Long Beach water partners with local non-profit and students to conserve water
‘Farm to City’ deal to dry out stretches of California’s legendary Salton Sea: “California’s legendary Salton Sea may need an epitaph soon, thanks to a “farm to city” water deal that takes full effect in 2018. The controversial deal redirects most of the water that now sustains the Salton Sea to thirsty towns and cities. As a result, in the years ahead, more than a third of the 350-square-mile lake in the deserts of southeastern California is expected to dry up and blow away. … ” Read more from NPR here: ‘Farm to City’ deal to dry out stretches of California’s legendary Salton Sea
Precipitation watch …
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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.
