DAILY DIGEST: California gubernatorial candidates debate water, homeless challenges; Radio Show: The Bottom of the Well; No love for Tulare Lake storage project; EPA: Four things to watch as Pruitt heads to Capitol Hill; and more …

In California water news today, California gubernatorial candidates debate water, homeless challenges; Radio Show: The Bottom of the Well; Spring rains buoy cattle ranchers’ outlook; Native knowledge: What Ecologists Are Learning from Indigenous People; EPA: Four things to watch as Pruitt heads to Capitol Hill; Former supervisor urges Siskiyou board to be prepared if Klamath dams are removed; Aquatic weed thriving weed thriving on surface of Santa Rosa’s Spring Lake may have link to fires; No love for Tulare Lake storage project; and more …

On the calendar today …

• The Delta Stewardship Council will meet beginning at 9:00 am. Agenda items include certification of the Environmental Impact Report for the Delta Plan amendments for the Delta Levee Investment and Risk Reduction Strategy; Conveyance, Storage, and the Operation of Both; and Performance Measures.  The meeting will continue on Friday if necessary. Click here for more information.

In the news today …

California gubernatorial candidates debate water, homeless challenges:  “The battle for the governorship of California came to the Central Valley Wednesday evening, as four of the top five candidates faced off in Fresno.  Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, businessman John Cox, Assemblyman Travis Allen and former State Superintendent of Public Education Delaine Eastin debated live on a wide range of issues from California’s high taxes to the opioid crisis.  The candidates wasted few opportunities to take swings at one another, including a heated moment in which the poll-leading Republican Cox accused Allen of being Villaraigosa’s lapdog during a discussion over the border wall and Cox’ changing position. Villaraigosa, a Democrat, is second in polling to Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has declined to do any more debates until May. Eastin is also running as a Democrat. … ”  Read more from the Courthouse News Service here:  California gubernatorial candidates debate water, homeless challenges

Radio Show: The Bottom of the Well:  “California is looking at a drought again. The last drought in California made life inconvenient in a lot of ways, from water rationing to taps actually running dry.  The thing is, then and now, there’s actually still water in the ground. There are water aquifers literally underneath many of those homes with empty faucets. But the water level has gotten so low that they can’t reach it anymore.  But there are people still getting this water—and you can see it across acres of lush, California farmland. Farmers. Today on the show, we find out why the most lucrative thing you can do in California right now is to use more and more of the scarce resource, water.”  Listen to the radio show from NPR’s Planet Money here:  Radio Show: The Bottom of the Well

Spring rains buoy cattle ranchers’ outlook:  “Recent spring rains that have boosted grass growth on rangelands also have improved the outlook for California ranchers, many of whom are still trying to rebuild their herds in the aftermath of the state’s multi-year drought.  But some remain apprehensive about expanding too much, spooked by another dry winter that increased their feeding costs and forced some to make difficult management decisions. For now at least, Mother Nature has averted a disaster, they say. … ”  Read more from Ag Alert here:  Spring rains buoy cattle ranchers’ outlook

Native knowledge: What Ecologists Are Learning from Indigenous People: “While he was interviewing Inuit elders in Alaska to find out more about their knowledge of beluga whales and how the mammals might respond to the changing Arctic, researcher Henry Huntington lost track of the conversation as the hunters suddenly switched from the subject of belugas to beavers.  It turned out though, that the hunters were still really talking about whales. There had been an increase in beaver populations, they explained, which had reduced spawning habitat for salmon and other fish, which meant less prey for the belugas and so fewer whales.  “It was a more holistic view of the ecosystem,” said Huntington. And an important tip for whale researchers. “It would be pretty rare for someone studying belugas to be thinking about freshwater ecology.” ... ”  Read more from Yale 360 here: Native knowledge: What Ecologists Are Learning from Indigenous People

EPA: Four things to watch as Pruitt heads to Capitol Hill:  “Will Scott Pruitt’s allies in Congress turn against him? Will the embattled EPA chief apologize? Will President Trump tweet about the performance?  These are some of the themes to look for as Pruitt heads to the House today for back-to-back hearings that are certain to turn into a media spectacle. This will be Pruitt’s first congressional appearance since headlines about mounting scandals and ethical missteps have piled up in recent weeks.  Pruitt will start the day in a House Energy and Commerce subcommittee hearing before heading to a House Appropriations subcommittee in the afternoon. The doubleheader gives House members the chance to publicly grill Pruitt about spending on his travel, security and $50-per-day condo deal, among other concerns. It’ll also give Pruitt the chance to publicly make his case for keeping his job as critics — including some Republicans in Congress — call for his ouster.  Here are four things to watch as the hearings kick off ... ”  Read more from E&E News here: EPA: Four things to watch as Pruitt heads to Capitol Hill

In commentary today …

Decoupling operator from regulator seems like a real no-brainer, says the Appeal-Democrat:  They write, “We think local legislators have the right idea about solving a conflict of interest … one that’s gone unnoticed for years. It’s another issue that was finally recognized thanks largely to last year’s Oroville Dam crisis.  The California Department of Water Resources is in charge of the 34 water storage facilities, 30 dams, 23 pumping plants and nine hydroelectric power generation plants that are all part of the California State Water Project, according to a story in the Wednesday edition.  Not only is DWR in charge of operations and maintenance; it’s in charge of safety inspections. … ”  Read more from the Appeal-Democrat here:  Decoupling operator from regulator seems like a real no-brainer

No DWR at Lake Oroville? It could happen, says the Chico Enterprise-Record:  They write, “The sausage-making process in the state Legislature usually takes a bill and waters it down in the spirit of compromise. So it was a pleasant surprise when the Legislature took Lake Oroville dam safety legislation and made it stronger.  That happened Tuesday in the Capitol, and Assemblyman James Gallagher had to be pleased.  Gallagher, R-Yuba City, has been a bulldog in the Oroville spillway aftermath. As the only one of 120 legislators who was evacuated when the spillway fell apart in February 2017, he has kept the issue in front of his colleagues because he and his constituents have been down this road too many times before. ... ‘  Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here: No DWR at Lake Oroville? It could happen

Filling California’s biggest groundwater gap:   Ellen Hanak and Sarge Green writes, “The San Joaquin Valley – California’s largest agricultural region – has been in a state of perpetual water stress that can only be partly attributed to the latest drought. Decades of unchecked pumping have resulted in a chronic groundwater deficit averaging nearly 2 million acre-feet per year – equivalent to about two Folsom reservoirs. The clock is ticking for overdrawn basins to comply with the state’s 2014 groundwater law and get their water supply and use into balance.  One strategy that can help make a substantial dent in this deficit is to encourage more storage in the valley’s depleted aquifers. … ”  Read more from Water Deeply here:  Filling California’s biggest groundwater gap

In regional news and commentary today …

Former supervisor urges Siskiyou board to be prepared if Klamath dams are removed:  “During the public comment portion of its April 17 meeting, the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors heard from former District 4 Supervisor Grace Bennett, who read a letter detailing her concerns regarding the potential removal of four dams along the Klamath River.  In addition to her two terms on the board of supervisors, Bennett also served for three terms on the Yreka City Council – a period of 12 years – and was elected mayor for two of those years.  Bennett’s letter stated, in part, “I have come before you today to talk about the dam removal that the county has been fighting for many years. When the timber industry was shut down because of the spotted owl, very few thought that it would have the impact on the county and its people that it has had. We were not prepared. We relied on federal and state government to help us and we got very little support or help. … ”  Continue reading at the Siskiyou Daily News here:  Former supervisor urges Siskiyou board to be prepared if Klamath dams are removed

Aquatic weed thriving weed thriving on surface of Santa Rosa’s Spring Lake may have link to fires: “A harmless aquatic weed is proliferating on Santa Rosa’s Spring Lake, possibly fertilized by runoff from fire retardant dumped during the October wildfires near the popular recreation spot for walkers, runners, bikers and anglers.  County parks officials say the floating plant is Azolla, also known as water fern, which often appears in the 72-acre lake in early spring, but to some people the current bloom evoked memories of the toxic algae on the Russian River that killed a dog in 2015. ... ”  Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here: Aquatic weed thriving weed thriving on surface of Santa Rosa’s Spring Lake may have link to fires

Oakland, EBMUD fined $360,000 over sewage discharge:  “The city of Oakland and East Bay Municipal Utility District must pay more than $360,000 for violating the Clean Water Act by allowing untreated sewage into the San Francisco Bay, officials said Tuesday.  In 2014, EBMUD and seven East Bay communities it serves, including Oakland and Berkeley, paid $1.5 million in civil penalties for past sewage discharges. The settlement also required the parties to assess and upgrade a total of 1,500 miles of sewer system infrastructure over a 21-year period.  But over nearly a three-year period ending June 30, 2017, Oakland, EBMUD and the Stege Sanitary District — which is part of the larger public utility and serves El Cerrito, Kensington and part of Richmond — were found to have violated rules that bar sanitary sewer overflows from reaching waters, according to the Environmental Protection Agency and the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board. The cities of Alameda. Albany and Berkeley also were found in violation of the settlement. ... ”  Read more from SF Gate here: Oakland, EBMUD fined $360,000 over sewage discharge

Discovery Bay residents upset over water meter bills:  “The Town of Discovery Bay recently mailed water-meter bills to the 3,528 customers who had new water meters installed in their homes last year, and many residents are getting soaked by the cost.  “I’ve lived here since 1989, and some of this stuff I said back in February of 2017 – basically, that the state mandated we install water meters by 2015, the state did not mandate expensive ‘smart’ water meters,” said resident Frank Visintin. “The City of Riverside and the City of Mount Shasta paid for water meters (rather than passing on the cost to their citizens) … The (Community Services District) could have waited three years to put these meters in and could have covered the cost. What I’m saying is the CSD should pay for the water meters and the installation.” … ”  Read more from The Press here:  Discovery Bay residents upset over water meter bills

El Dorado Irrigation District clearing the way for forebay modification:  “John Kessler, chief dam safety engineer, provided an update on the $25 million El Dorado Forebay Dam Modification Project at the April 23 El Dorado Irrigation District Board of Directors meeting. The project is being undertaken to meet current state and federal dam safety requirements.  Preparation work for the dam modification included harvesting 54 acres of trees last year and potentially harvesting another six acres this year. The dirt from these areas will be used for soil stability, berm, embankment and backfill for the project. Trees have been cleared to establish road access as well. … ”  Read more from the Mountain Democrat here:  El Dorado Irrigation District clearing the way for forebay modification

Manteca looks at future wastewater needs:  “Manteca has added 20,000 residents since 2003 yet the amount of wastewater per se flowing to the city’s treatment plant has barely increased.  Users sent an average of 6.5 million gallons of water a day to the treatment plant in 2017. That’s a bit more than what it was in 2008 and it’s just about 500,000 gallons more than the daily average in 2003.  That’s good news as far as water volume the plant can handle as it is rated at 10 million gallons a day. The bad news is the biological load — various solids flushed and sent down the drain— have increased substantially. … ”  Read more from the Manteca Bulletin here:  Manteca looks at future wastewater needs

No love for Tulare Lake storage project:  “While the Temperance Flat Reservoir Project has strong local support, the Tulare Lake Storage and Floodwater Protection Project continues to get slammed in the competition for state funds.  In February, the California Water Commission released its staff evaluation of the public benefits of the 11 projects competing for Proposition 1 water storage bond funds through the Water Storage Investment Program.  In its proposal — which is asking for $452 million of program funds — Kern County-based Semitropic Water Storage District stated that each dollar of public funds invested in the Tulare Lake Storage and Floodwater Protection Project would result in $1.62 in benefits to the public. … ”  Read more from the Hanford Sentinel here: No love for Tulare Lake storage project

Marina Coast’s resistance to Cal Am’s desal project is not just smoke – it’s a warning shot: “The battle over California American Water’s proposed desalination project in Marina has entered a new phase, and not only does litigation appear more certain than ever, the potential legal arguments of Marina Coast Water District – which opposes the project – are starting to crystallize.  On April 11 and April 17, Citizens for Just Water, an activist group made up of Marina residents, held forums titled “Marina/Fort Ord Water: CODE RED,” wherein a series of speakers outlined their concerns over Cal Am’s project. (A public comment period on the project’s final environmental impact report closed April 19). … ”  Read more from Monterey Weekly here: Marina Coast’s resistance to Cal Am’s desal project is not just smoke – it’s a warning shot

Central Coast water quality, agricultural discharges to be discussed by water board:  “Water quality and agricultural discharges will be a major topic of discussion and reports for the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board over both days of its meeting May 10 and 11 in San Luis Obispo.  The meeting is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. and continue until 5 p.m. both days in the water board’s offices, 895 Aerovista Place, Suite 101, near the San Luis Obispo Regional Airport.  Thursday’s discussion will include a presentation titled “Groundwater Quality Conditions and Nitrate Impacts to Groundwater in Agricultural Areas” by staff engineering geologist James Bishop, followed by two guest presentations. … ”  Read more from the Lompoc Record here:  Central Coast water quality, agricultural discharges to be discussed by water board

Officials say discolored tap water in Compton ‘poses no threat to residents’ health’: “Sativa Los Angeles County Water District held a press conference Tuesday to explain an aggressive new program following reports about discolored water in the Compton and Willowbrook area.  “Four times a year, crews open fire hydrants to flush out the build-up of minerals from inside the pipes,” officials said.  The district says the water delivered to homes during “flushing” may be discolored, but does not pose any threat to customers. … ”  Read more from ABC 7 News here: Officials say discolored tap water in Compton ‘poses no threat to residents’ health’

Santa Clarita: New wells, old water for Newhall Ranch:  “When Newhall Ranch was actually a ranch, and not a 21,000-home development, Henry Newhall dammed a stream and laid down 1,000 feet of pipe to supply his ranch with water.  When Newhall Land and Farming owned and managed the same land years later, the company dug four agricultural wells on the banks of the Santa Clara River, between what is now Six Flags Magic Mountain and the Valencia Travel Village mobile home park.  A century later, with more than 293,000 residents settled into the Santa Clarita Valley, Newhall Ranch developer FivePoint, current owner of the former Newhall Land property, has to supply more 21,000 homes using the same water source, by the same river. ... ”  Read more from the Santa Clarita Valley Signal here:  New wells, old water for Newhall Ranch

Along the Colorado River …

Arizona Water Managers Cause Tension Among River Users: “The Colorado River is the lifeline for 40 million people in the West.  Sharing that water comes from years of carefully crafted agreements between seven states and Mexico.  At least … sometimes it’s an agreement. Sometimes, well, water is worth fighting for.  The latest tension over water in the West involves water agencies in Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and New Mexico calling out Arizona’s water agency, for doing what they say is “gaming the system.”  They’ve said Arizona is, essentially, cheating. … ”  Read more from Nevada Public Radio here:  Arizona Water Managers Cause Tension Among River Users

As drought conditions persist in the West, leaders criticize Arizona district’s policy:  “A lawyer with the Colorado Attorney General’s Office says the state, and for that matter most Colorado River Basin states and the federal government, are “not OK” with an Arizona water district’s reported strategy of avoiding conserving water so it can generate larger-than-normal releases of water from Lake Powell.  Karen Kwon, who works on water issues for the office, was sharply critical of the Central Arizona Water Conservation District as she spoke in Grand Junction Wednesday at a joint meeting of four roundtable groups representing various basins of the Colorado River watershed in western Colorado.  The meeting focused on efforts to continue studying, and working to minimize, the risk of Lake Powell levels falling too low amid drought conditions that have been prevalent not just this year but for much of the current century. ... ”  Read more from the Grand Junction Sentinel here:  As drought conditions persist in the West, leaders criticize Arizona district’s policy

Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

• NEWS WORTH NOTING: New report reveals cost & water supply benefits of SoCal stormwater projects; Perris Dam retrofits completed to reduce seismic risks
• SCIENCE NEWS: Study: California to whipsaw between droughts, floods; Billions of gallons of water saved by thinning forests; Two decades in the making, Lower Deer Creek fish passage project finally complete; Where cattle graze and salamanders roam; and more …

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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.