DAILY DIGEST: Congressman: State put Delta tunnels ahead of Oroville spillway; Novel effort to aid groundwater on California’s Central Coast could help other depleted basins; Temperance Flat Reservoir project far from key state funding despite Valley backing; and more …

In California water news today, Congressman: State put Delta tunnels ahead of Oroville spillway; Novel Effort to Aid Groundwater on California’s Central Coast Could Help Other Depleted Basins; Temperance Flat Reservoir project far from key state funding despite Valley backing; Frazier pushes to dissolve Delta Stewardship Council; This Iconic High Sierra Lake Was Once Named…Bigler?; and more …

In the news today …

Congressman: State put Delta tunnels ahead of Oroville spillway: Just days before the last repair work begins on the Oroville Dam spillway, the federal government is balking at whether or not it will pay for the repairs.  Rep. John Garamendi (D-Davis) and Rep. Doug LaMalfa (R-Oroville) have been speaking with the Federal Emergency Management Agency for months to cover up to 75 percent of the repair costs, but have little to show for it. … ”  Read more from CBS Sacramento here:  State put Delta tunnels ahead of Oroville spillway

Novel Effort to Aid Groundwater on California’s Central Coast Could Help Other Depleted Basins:Spurred by drought and a major policy shift, groundwater management has assumed an unprecedented mantle of importance in California as local agencies draw plans to halt overdraft and bring stressed aquifers to the road of recovery. In a Western Water Q&A, Michael Kiparsky, director of the Wheeler Water Institute at the UC Berkeley School of Law, discusses a pilot project in Santa Cruz County’s Pajaro Valley to encourage landowners to expand groundwater recharge by providing them financial incentives, a project that he says has intriguing potential for broader applicability.”  Read more from Western Water here:  Novel Effort to Aid Groundwater on California’s Central Coast Could Help Other Depleted Basins

Temperance Flat Reservoir project far from key state funding despite Valley backing: “The California Water Commission on Thursday put in serious doubt the future of building a reservoir at Temperance Flat in east Fresno County.  Meeting in Sacramento, the commission appeared to be headed toward preventing the massive water storage project to move forward. Commission members spent three days reviewing the public benefit portion of all 11 water projects seeking funding. Consideration of Temperance Flat began Wednesday and continued into Thursday evening.  Commissioner Armando Quintero sympathized with the project organizers, but he said the project did not meet the technical requirements necessary. … ”  Read more from the Fresno Bee here:  Temperance Flat Reservoir project far from key state funding despite Valley backing

California Water Commission will not significantly fund Temperance Flat Dam project:  “The California Water Commission has voted to fund approximately a quarter of the cost of the Temperance Flat Dam project, but backers of the project think it’s unlikely the money will ever come.  The proposed $2.7 billion dam would create a new reservoir that would hold more than one million acre-feet of water above Millerton Lake.  At Thursday’s meeting, commissioners said the project would be eligible for $500 million. That’s more than the Commission staff had recommended. … ”  Read more from KFSN here:  California Water Commission will not significantly fund Temperance Flat Dam project

Frazier pushes to dissolve Delta Stewardship Council:  “A bill recently submitted to the State Assembly Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife by Assemblymember Jim Frazier (D-Discovery Bay) attempted to eliminate the Delta Stewardship Council (DSC), and while the bill failed in committee, Frazier is determined to continue drawing attention to the actions of the DSC.  “Assemblymember Frazier understands the politics surrounding the tunnels proposal and is not discouraged by the vote on (Assembly Bill) 1876,” said Andrew Bird, communications director for Frazier. “He will continue to shed light on decisions the Stewardship Council makes that are detrimental to the Delta’s future, and he has the option of authoring legislation to sunset the council in future sessions.” … ”  Read more from The Press here:  Frazier pushes to dissolve Delta Stewardship Council

On the Road: This Iconic High Sierra Lake Was Once Named…Bigler?  “Lake Tahoe, the iconic high Sierra water body that straddles California and Nevada, has sat for more than 10,000 years at the heart of the Washoe tribe’s territory. In fact, the name Tahoe came from the tribal word dá’aw, meaning lake. The lake’s English name was the source of debate for about 100 years after it was first “discovered” in 1844 by people of European descent. Not long after, a man who carried mail on snowshoes from Placerville to Nevada City named it Lake Bigler in honor of John Bigler, who served as California’s third governor. But because Bigler was an ardent secessionist, the federal Interior Department during the Civil War introduced the name Tahoe in 1862. California, though, kept it as Lake Bigler.” Read more from Western Water here:  On the Road: This Iconic High Sierra Lake Was Once Named…Bigler?

In commentary today …

How Colorado River states can improve water efficiency:  Mary Ann Dickinson writes, “These are difficult times on the Colorado River. Diminishing flows and population growth are exacerbating the already contentious Colorado River allocations among the Colorado River Basin states. To move forward, state-level legal frameworks will have to be strong and comprehensive to ensure that water from existing allocations is conserved, and that states are prepared for the inevitable climate-induced shortages.  While efforts around these issues are in play in varying degrees among the Colorado River Basin states, there is still a lot of strengthening that can be done. Roughly 40 million people currently rely on Colorado River allocations, but even states with relatively little reliance on the river will encounter increasingly difficult supply challenges as other sources take on rising demand. Stronger state laws can only help. ... ”  Read more from Water Deeply here:  How Colorado River states can improve water efficiency

In regional news and commentary today …

Significant drop in Klamath River flows leads to fish kill:  “An extreme and rapid drop in water on the Klamath River this past weekend caused a fish kill in the upper reaches. The water was drawn down as part of an agreement to supply irrigation water to the Basin’s farmers in this drought year.  Fly fishing guide Stuart Warren was fishing a stretch of the Klamath River Monday near the town of Keno, Oregon, when he noticed something along the rocky banks. ... ”  Read more from KUOW here:  Significant drop in Klamath River flows leads to fish kill

Yuba County: Rebuttal: The groundwater substitution revenue initiative could imperil progress, says Charley Mathews, Jr.:  He writes, “Substantial print media has been dedicated to the initiative issue being pursued by my father. Here are some important details:  • Me: Charley Mathews Jr, Yuba County rice farmer, pumper, current Cordua Irrigation District Board member.  • My father: Charlie Mathews Sr, rice farmer, pumper, past Cordua Irrigation District Board member, YCWA director 1985-1989, 2017-present.  Up to this point, the initiative being discussed has lacked an appropriate response that includes important details about the origins of ground water substitution (GWS) transfers. Here are the important components:  Let’s start with the facts. Nearly everyone in Yuba County relies on groundwater. ... ”  Read more from the Appeal Democrat here:  Rebuttal: The groundwater substitution revenue initiative could imperil progress

Half Moon Bay: Salmon program bolsters fishery:  “After state wildlife officials announced another limited season for sport and commercial salmon fishing, a unique Half Moon Bay program kicked off this week that local advocates celebrate for sustaining the fishery.  On Wednesday, 240,000 baby salmon were trucked down from a state-operated hatchery near Lodi and dumped into a floating net pen off Johnson Pier in Half Moon Bay. The 4-inch-long salmon will be monitored for several days as they acclimate to salt water before they’re released into the open ocean. Additional truckloads will arrive in Half Moon Bay in the coming weeks, sending a total of 740,000 salmon into the wild this year. ... ”  Read more from the San Mateo Daily Journal here:  Salmon program bolsters fishery

Pajaro Valley district, Watsonville complete $5 million water recycling plant upgrade:  “Officials on Thursday celebrated $5 million worth of upgrades to the water recycling plant serving the agricultural industry in the greater Watsonville area.  A 1.5-million-gallon water storage tank was added to the Watsonville Area Water Recycling Facility on Clearwater Lane’s existing 1-million-gallon storage capacity, in addition to installation of two new distribution pumps and other energy efficiency improvements. … ”  Read more from the Santa Cruz Sentinel here:  Pajaro Valley district, Watsonville complete $5 million water recycling plant upgrade

Fresno eases reliance on groundwater with new plant:  “Despite years of reliance on groundwater to meet its drinking water needs, Fresno is now giving surface water a chance.  The city will begin opening a new water treatment plant this summer, which will exclusively treat water from the Kings River, according to KVPR.  “The building sits on nearly 50 acres of land in southeast Fresno, and is one of the biggest projects the city has undertaken. When it’s up and running at full capacity, it should be able to treat 80 million gallons of water a day, more than twice the amount the city can treat now,” the report said. … ”  Read more from Water Online here:  Fresno eases reliance on groundwater with new plant

Ridgecrest: Groundwater Authority technical committee meets this afternoon:  “The Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority’s Technical Advisory Committee will meet this afternoon at 1 p.m. at 500 W. Ridgecrest Boulevard.  The meeting’s agenda and packet are available on IWVGA.org.  According to the agenda, the meeting will open with public comment, at which point the public can comment on items not listed on the agenda. … ”  Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent here:  Groundwater Authority technical committee meets this afternoon

Brown water is flowing from Compton faucets – and there’s no easy fix:  “Lately, when Martha Barajas turns on her kitchen faucet, she braces herself for what’s about to come out. “Sometimes it’s brown. Sometimes it’s clear. Sometimes it’s a really thick, foggy white,” Barajas said. She’s one of many Compton residents who’ve seen rusty-hued water flowing out of their taps in recent weeks. “We get surprises daily. I stopped drinking that water many months ago.”  The brown stuff is bubbling up in the Sativa Los Angeles County Water District, a nonprofit that delivers water to a small area of Compton and Willowbrook. They have a little over 1,600 customers, serving 6,800 people. … ”  Read more from KPCC here:  Brown water is flowing from Compton faucets – and there’s no easy fix

Yorba Linda Water District looks at how to pay for future repairs and improvements: “An asset management plan that reaches as far as 100 years into the future and will act as a guide in planning for infrastructure improvements and funding alternatives was reviewed at a recent meeting of the five elected directors of the Yorba Linda Water District.  The 203-page document will play an important role as officials map plans for the future of the district that supplies water for most of Yorba Linda and parts of Placentia, Brea and Anaheim. It was prepared by Walnut Creek-based Carollo Engineers at a cost of $131,875.  Among the report’s key findings and recommendations: … ”  Read more from the OC Register here:  Yorba Linda Water District looks at how to pay for future repairs and improvements

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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