DAILY DIGEST, weekend edition: The ‘nightmare’ California flood more dangerous than a huge earthquake; Sierra snowpack water content more than triples in one month; Experts fault SF water agency in scare at Moccasin Reservoir; and more …

In California water news this weekend, The ‘nightmare’ California flood more dangerous than a huge earthquake; Sierra snowpack water content more than triples in one month; Experts fault SF water agency in scare at Moccasin Reservoir; First federal north-of-Delta water allocation announced; Santa Rosa: Fountaingrove water system needs $43 million replacement due to contamination after Sonoma County fires; How ‘Miracle March’ is going to make Oakdale Irrigation District $10 million richer; Meter readers face public backlash as water bills continue to surge across San Diego; Projections Show Drop in Lake Mead, Not Enough for Shortage; and more …

In the news this weekend …

The ‘nightmare’ California flood more dangerous than a huge earthquake:  “California’s drought-to-deluge cycle can mask the dangers Mother Nature can have in store.  During one of the driest March-through-February time periods ever recorded in Southern California, an intense storm dumped so much rain on Montecito in January that mudflows slammed into entire rows of homes. Hundreds of homes were damaged or destroyed, and at least 21 people died.  It was a grim reminder that in a place so dry, sudden flooding can bring disaster. … ”  Read more from the LA Times here:  The ‘nightmare’ California flood more dangerous than a huge earthquake

Sierra snowpack water content more than triples in one month:  “A series of supercharged storms that blasted the Sierra in March has bolstered the snowpack that was alarmingly low before the start of the month.  The National Weather Service (NWS) in Sacramento tweeted Saturday that the water content of the snowpack has more than tripled in the past month.  On Feb. 22, an average of 4.6 inches was measured and on March 23 an average of 15.5 inches was recorded, going from 16 percent to 56 percent of the April 1 average. … ”  Read more from SF Gate here:  Sierra snowpack water content more than triples in one month

Experts fault SF water agency in scare at Moccasin Reservoir:  “San Francisco officials on Friday were still trying to figure out why one of their dams in the Sierra foothills was driven to the edge of failure a day earlier, but engineering experts were quick to suspect errors in management.  The relatively small Moccasin Reservoir, which was built in 1930 and is used primarily to regulate stream flows between larger reservoirs, was overwhelmed with water and debris during Thursday’s storms, and the dam began to leak. Though water levels eventually receded, it wasn’t before evacuations were ordered downstream out of concern that the earthen structure wouldn’t be able to hold back Moccasin Creek in the rural area west of Yosemite. ... ”  Read more from the SF Chronicle here:  Experts fault SF water agency in scare at Moccasin Reservoir

In commentary this weekend …

Westlands water bill Valadao HR 1769 is bad deal for California, America, say Lloyd Carter and Donald Tayloe, MD:  They write, “San Joaquin Valley Congressmen are pushing legislation that could be one of the largest transfers of water rights in California history.  House Resolution 1769 by Rep. David Valadao, currently stalled in committee, purports to settle a legal dispute between Westlands Water District and the U.S. Dept. of the Interior over the development of a drainage system to funnel toxic waste water from Westside farms. … ”  Read more from the Fresno Bee here: Westlands’ water rights bill is poison for taxpayers

In regional news and commentary this weekend …

First federal north-of-Delta water allocation announced:  “Central Valley Project contractors in the Sacramento Valley got the first word this week on how much water they’ll receive this year from the federal water system.  The Bureau of Reclamation gave agricultural water service contractors north of the Delta an initial allocation of 20 percent. Municipal and industrial service contractors north of the delta, in-delta and on the American River were allocated the greater of 70 percent of their historic use or public health and safety needs. … ”  Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here:  First federal north-of-Delta water allocation announced

Santa Rosa: Fountaingrove water system needs $43 million replacement due to contamination after Sonoma County fires:  “The entire water-delivery system in a 184-acre section of the devastated Fountaingrove neighborhood will likely need replacement after becoming contaminated with benzene, and it appears the city will initially be on the hook for a project whose estimated costs have soared to $43 million.  The intensive investigation into the exact cause of the contamination continues, but officials say they now understand how the cancer-causing hydrocarbon found in gasoline and plastics made it into the water mains in the area. ... ”  Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here:  City: Fountaingrove water system needs $43 million replacement due to contamination after Sonoma County fires

More benzene found in Santa Rosa water tests after Sonoma County fires:  “Benzene, the cancer-causing chemical that city officials believe was sucked into its water system in a heavily burned area of Fountaingrove, is continuing to be discovered outside the advisory area, including one place in Coffey Park, city officials acknowledged for the first time this week.  But officials insist the new findings are not an indication the problems in Fountaingrove are migrating to other parts of the city. … ”  Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here: More benzene found in Santa Rosa water tests after Sonoma County fires

Sonoma County studies groundwater banking plan:  “Preparation for a groundwater recharge pilot study is underway in Sonoma Valley. The study, a joint effort of the Sonoma County Water Agency and the City of Sonoma, is exploring groundwater banking as a method for improving local water supply resiliency and restoring aquifer health.  The method of groundwater banking to be studied is also known as “aquifer storage and recovery” and involves storing treated, high quality surface water in underground reservoirs, known as aquifers, during wet periods when surface water is plentiful, and using the water during times of need such as summer months or during droughts. … ”  Read more from the Sonoma Index-Tribune here:  Sonoma County studies groundwater banking plan

Cache Creek Conservancy awarded grant to create new habitat:  “The Cache Creek Conservancy was awarded a $90,891 federal grant to carry out habitat expansion and improvement at Cache Creek Nature Preserve for wetland dependent species.  The grant was awarded by the North American Wetlands Conservation Council in late February. It is part of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act small grants program, designed to increase wetland habitat for several species, including waterfowl and other migratory birds. The grant program is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. ... ”  Read more from the Daily Democrat here:  Cache Creek Conservancy awarded grant to create new habitat

Grant to help Marin buy San Geronimo Golf Course on hold:  “A lawsuit challenging the county of Marin’s plans to purchase the San Geronimo Golf Course prompted the state Wildlife Conservation Board to delay at the last minute Thursday consideration of a county request for a $3.42 million grant to help acquire the property.  “The board pulled the item from its Thursday agenda after receiving new information,” said Brian Cary, who manages the board’s stream flow program. … ”  Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here:  Grant to help Marin buy San Geronimo Golf Course on hold

The state of the San Lorenzo River:  “Thomas Hogye, an avid fly fisherman, won a hat for knowing the San Lorenzo River is 29.4 miles long. This was the first of many interesting facts shared at the State of the San Lorenzo River Symposium held at the Zayante Fire House last weekend.   Fish, fire, floods and cannabis were topics included in the presentations about the San Lorenzo watershed from local, state and federal environmental agencies.  Greg Pepping, executive director of the Coastal Watershed Council, introduced the symposium as a way, he said, to “increase the scientific awareness of our community.” ... ”  Read more from the Press-Banner here:  The state of the San Lorenzo River

Planning for conjunctive use goes forward for San Lorenzo Valley Water District:  “A report on the Conjunctive Use Planning Process was met with some skepticism and some support by members of the public who participated in last week’s meeting of the San Lorenzo Valley Water District (SLVWD).  Having been awarded a $330,000 grant last year from the Wildlife Conservation Board to develop a “San Lorenzo Watershed Conjunctive Use and Baseflow Enhancement Plan,” the SLVWD Board of Directors voted to spend an additional $8,000 of its own money to hire a consultant of its choice for a Water Availability Assessment, which is necessary for the larger conjunctive use plan. … ”  Read more from the Press Banner here:  Planning for conjunctive use goes forward for San Lorenzo Valley Water District

How ‘Miracle March’ is going to make Oakdale Irrigation District $10 million richer:  “The Oakdale Irrigation District will sell up to $10 million worth of river water to outside buyers this year, board members decided this week on a 3-2 vote.  Board members Linda Santos and Gail Altieri dissented because OID hasn’t studied how shipping water elsewhere might affect the local groundwater table. They were outvoted by Herman Doornenbal, Brad DeBoer and Tom Orvis, who noted that such studies are not required when one-time water releases also benefit migrating fish, helping propel them toward the ocean. … ”  Read more from the Modesto Bee here: How ‘Miracle March’ is going to make Oakdale Irrigation District $10 million richer

Storm puts Fresno’s flood control system to the test:  “At the Fresno Metropolitan Flood Control District, the goal is to keep Fresno as dry as possible. Thursday’s storm put the system’s capacity to the test.  Alan Hofman is the General Manager of the District. He says the system is designed to handle about 3 1/3″ of rain and over the last two days they’ve seen about 3″ of rain rush in. … ”  Read more from KFSN here:  Storm puts Fresno’s flood control system to the test

Treatment plan in the works for Hanford water:  “In light of current issues with Hanford’s water, the city is moving forward with a plan to treat water from three wells.  At the March 6 Hanford City Council study session, John Doyel, utilities and engineering director for the city, informed Council about a few water issues that have popped up over the last few months. ... ”  Read more from the Hanford Sentinel here:  Treatment plan in the works for Hanford water

Latest storm brought Santa Barbara reservoirs up a few feet:  “Santa Barbara County reservoir levels are climbing slightly in the wake of this week’s storm, but hydrologists don’t expect to see long-term increases because the soils are so dry they’re absorbing most of the precipitation.  But the rain is expected to have a major effect on the recovery of the many areas charred by wildfire in the last couple of years.  “I don’t think this system generated enough inflow to continue for days and weeks,” said Jon Frye, engineering manager for the County Flood Control District, which monitors the streams and reservoirs. ... ”  Read more from the Lompoc Record here:  Latest storm brought Santa Barbara reservoirs up a few feet

Why SoCal’s big, bad storm didn’t live up to the hype:  “Before this week’s massive storm slammed into Southern California, there were concerns that there might be a repeat of the flooding and mudslides that engulfed parts of Montecito in January and left 21 people dead.  It turns out the region did indeed see a lot of rain. It just didn’t fall as hard in the areas that had been burned over by wildfire and were the most susceptible to mudslides. … ”  Read more from KPCC here:  Why SoCal’s big, bad storm didn’t live up to the hype

Meter readers face public backlash as water bills continue to surge across San Diego:  “As hundreds of San Diegans continue to protest surging water bills, public skepticism has grown about whether city workers have been accurately reading residents’ meters — if at all.  Since the city announced in February that a former employee misread 343 meters, overcharging customers about $300 on average, residents all over the city have started questioning whether they too were the victims of such human error. … ”  Read more from the San Diego Union Tribune here:  Meter readers face public backlash as water bills continue to surge across San Diego

Tijuana sewage spills demand unified response from San Diego-area governments, says the San Diego Union-Tribune:  They write, “For years, the beaches of South County have routinely been fouled by millions of gallons of sewage, trash, industrial waste and polluted water that flow north from Tijuana’s aging and underfunded sewage facilities. The health threat to swimmers, surfers and beachgoers has been so severe that parts of the shoreline in Imperial Beach have closed for at least 160 days in each of the past three years. Just last week, the San Diego County Department of Environmental Health ordered that the closure of the Tijuana Slough National Wildlife Refuge shoreline be expanded to the north to include all of Imperial Beach because of contaminated runoff from the Tijuana River entering the Tijuana Estuary. … ”  Read more from the San Diego Union Tribune here:  Tijuana sewage spills demand unified response from San Diego-area governments

Giant Rosarito Beach desalination plant celebrated in groundbreaking ceremony:  “Saying desalination will guarantee the drinking water supply for future generations of Baja California residents, Gov. Francisco Vega de Lamadrid on Friday celebrated a groundbreaking ceremony for a desalination plant envisioned as the largest in the Western Hemisphere.  “On our peninsula, the best option is desalinated sea water,” Vega said at a ceremony held beneath a tent at the site of the future plant, adjacent to the President Juarez Thermoelectric Plant in Rosarito Beach. He called the planned facility “one of the great works” of the state, akin to the channeling of the Tijuana River or the construction of the Colorado River aqueduct that crosses the state. … ”  Read more from the San Diego Union Tribune here:  Giant Rosarito Beach desalination plant celebrated in groundbreaking ceremony

Along the Colorado River …

Projections Show Drop in Lake Mead, Not Enough for Shortage: “A dry winter for the region feeding the Colorado River means Lake Mead’s water level could drop, but not enough to trigger an emergency shortage declaration that would force water cutbacks in Nevada and Arizona.  The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation has projected the reservoir east of Las Vegas to fall as much as 11 feet (3 meters) by the end of the year, about 2 feet (0.6 meters) above the trigger line, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Monday. … ”  Read more from US News & World Report here: Projections Show Drop in Lake Mead, Not Enough for Shortage

Precipitation watch …

From the National Weather Service:  “Some light showers linger today, mainly in the mountains. Dry and increasingly warm temperatures expected this week, with some Valley locations near 80 by late in the week.”

Also on Maven’s Notebook this weekend …

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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.

Maven’s Notebook
where California water news never goes home for the weekend

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