DAILY DIGEST: CA moves closer to to crafting specific water caps for urban districts; Lessons from Arizona could offer guide to solving CA’s groundwater problem; Where candidates for governor stand on the issues; Will Trump’s pick to run EPA in CA show up for work? and more …

In California water news today, Indoor use limits, water budgets and aerial data gathering: California’s plan to wean us off water waste; California moves closer to to crafting specific water caps for urban districts; Could the Arizona Desert Offer California and the West a Guide to Solving its Groundwater Problem?; State audit of water rates request submitted by Wilk, Lackey approved; Can lower fines create water savings for Fresno residents? Study hopes to find out; Climatologists bet on El Nino, warm months ahead; Where candidates for governor stand on California’s biggest issues; Interior spending bill rider rankles Water Fix critics; Will Trump’s pick to run EPA in California show up for work?; Republican lawmaker: Rocks tumbling into ocean causing sea level rise; and more …

On the calendar today …

• Today, the Central Valley Flood Protection Board meets at 9:30 at Sacramento City Hall Chambers. Agenda items include the Monthly Report of the Department of Water Resources and an action item on the 2018-19 Delta Levees Maintenance Subventions Program. Click here for more information.
• On Saturday, A progressive water policy for the San Joaquin Valley in Fresno at 1pm.  Click here for more information.

In the news today …

Indoor use limits, water budgets and aerial data gathering: California’s plan to wean us off water waste: “In the next 18 months, a small plane will fly over every city in California, recording data on what kind of plants are growing in our lawns, parks and street medians. That data will help determine where we’re wasting water, and help cities use it more efficiently.  It’s a radical departure from the way water conservation has been done in California in the past, when, during water emergencies, state officials would simply instruct cities to cut usage by a certain percentage. The measure is part of two state bills designed to get Californians to use water more wisely even when there’s not a drought.  … ”  Read more from KPCC here:  Indoor use limits, water budgets and aerial data gathering

California moves closer to to crafting specific water caps for urban districts:  “California cities and towns may find themselves on a water budget in the next decade under a pair of bills approved Thursday by the legislature.  The measures follow Gov. Jerry Brown’s call to make water conservation a permanent way of life in a state long accustomed to jewel-green lawns and suburban tracts studded with swimming pools.  More than a year of legislative negotiations reflected the enduring conflicts over state and local control.  Though the bills establish a framework to end excessive urban water use, the proposals were substantially weakened by a series of amendments sought by water districts. … ”  Read more from the LA Times here: California moves closer to to crafting specific water caps for urban districts

Could the Arizona Desert Offer California and the West a Guide to Solving its Groundwater Problem?  “As California embarks on its unprecedented mission to harness groundwater pumping, the Arizona desert may provide one guide that local managers can look to as they seek to arrest years of overdraft. … Earlier this year, the Environmental Defense Fund detailed how nine groundwater basins in six states west of the Mississippi River have confronted the need to rebalance depleted aquifers and establish successful future management. ... ”  Continue reading at Western Water here:  Could the Arizona Desert Offer California and the West a Guide to Solving its Groundwater Problem?

State audit of water rates request submitted by Wilk, Lackey approved:  “The California Joint Legislative Audit Committee approved Thursday a joint request by State Sen. Scott Wilk, R-Antelope Valley, and Assemblyman Tom Lackey, R-Palmdale, to audit the California Public Utilities Commission water rate setting processes.  The audit request was submitted in April and examines an increase in water rates across the state. It stems from complaints from consumers in the Antelope and Victor valleys that rates, coupled with additional fees being charged, have created a financially unsustainable situation for many residents. … ”  Read more from the Santa Clarita Signal here:  State audit of water rates request submitted by Wilk, Lackey approved

Can lower fines create water savings for Fresno residents? Study hopes to find out: “More than 100,000 Fresno homes will be part of a “groundbreaking” and “novel” three-month research study to see whether easing up on water restrictions and reducing fines for excessive water use will actually spur greater conservation by residents.  The University of Chicago’s Energy and Environment Lab is working with the city’s Public Utilities Department on the summer pilot project. It involves a detailed study of real-time water use data from residential water meters coupled with different sets of conservation thresholds and penalties to see if there is a “sweet spot” that results in the highest level of compliance. … ”  Read more from the Fresno Bee here:  Can lower fines create water savings for Fresno residents? Study hopes to find out

Climatologists bet on El Nino, warm months ahead:  “The odds now strongly favor an El Nino forming in the Pacific Ocean, federal climatologists said Thursday, tilting the long-range weather outlook toward a warm 2018-19 winter in the Northwest.  The cool waters that ruled the seas along the equator since last fall have warmed to normal or just-below normal temperatures. The federal Climate Prediction Center, a branch of the National Weather Service, puts the chances that waters will heat to El Nino levels by December at 70 percent. ... ”  Read more from the Capital Press here:  Climatologists bet on El Nino, warm months ahead

Where candidates for governor stand on California’s biggest issues:  The San Francisco Chronicle runs down the candidates positions on health, housing, education, infrastructure, the environment, and in some cases, the Delta tunnels.  Read it here: Where candidates for governor stand on California’s biggest issues

Interior spending bill rider rankles Water Fix critics:  “A California congressman who chairs a key subcommittee has inserted language in a spending bill that would curtail legal challenges to the California WaterFix project, drawing criticism from the project’s opponents.  Republican Rep. Ken Calvert, who chairs the House of Representatives’ Interior and Environment Appropriations Subcommittee, proposes that decisions regarding Gov. Jerry Brown’s planned twin tunnel bypass through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta “shall hereafter not be subject to judicial review under any Federal or State law.” … ”  Read more from the Western Farm Press here:  Interior spending bill rankles Water Fix critics

Will Trump’s pick to run EPA in California show up for work? “The White House may have finally found someone to take on the stress of overseeing President Trump’s fossil fuel-friendly environmental agenda in the heart of hostile territory: California and nearby states.  But there’s one glaring problem.  The guy officials have queued up to lead the Environmental Protection Agency’s headquarters in San Francisco doesn’t want to live anywhere near San Francisco.  That doesn’t appear to be stopping the administration from hiring Santa Barbara County GOP stalwart Mike Stoker, a politico well positioned to annoy the powers that be in California. … ”  Read more from the LA Times here:  Will Trump’s pick to run EPA in California show up for work? 

Republican lawmaker: Rocks tumbling into ocean causing sea level rise:  “The Earth is not warming. The White Cliffs of Dover are tumbling into the sea and causing sea levels to rise. Global warming is helping grow the Antarctic ice sheet.  Those are some of the skeptical assertions echoed by Republicans on the U.S. House of Representatives Science, Space and Technology Committee yesterday. The lawmakers at times embraced research that questions mainstream climate science during a hearing on how technology can be used to address global warming. … ”  Read more from Science Magazine here:  Republican lawmaker: Rocks tumbling into ocean causing sea level rise … (And just in case you were wondering, the Washington Post answers the question, Here’s how big a rock you’d have to drop into the ocean to see the rise in sea level happening now)

In commentary today …

Why a bill before Congress is such a big threat to the Delta:  Congressman John Garamendi writes, “If you care about the health of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta or protecting California water rights, you should be very alarmed by something that just happened 3,000 miles away in the halls of Congress.  Backed by southern California interests, the House Appropriations Committee just unveiled the fiscal year 2019 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill. It includes language that would prohibit any judicial review of anything associated with the disastrous twin tunnels project, also known as California WaterFix, under federal or state laws. ... ”  Read more from the Sacramento Bee here:  Why a bill before Congress is such a big threat to the Delta

Michael Fitzgerald column: For water, they’d take your rights: “Get outta here. A Southern California congressman has slipped a rider into a federal spending bill that would exempt the Delta tunnels from lawsuits — pause to hear water attorneys howling like coyotes — including suits already brought by the city of Stockton and county of San Joaquin.  Enough with this tedious rule-of-law stuff, Rep. Ken Calvert, a Riverside County Republican, said in a statement.  “All of the project’s stakeholders have had a plethora of opportunities to express their thoughts and concerns,” Calvert said. “We must move forward with the project.” … ”  Read more from the Stockton Record here:  For water, they’d take your rights

Innovative Water Storage Projects Aid Wildlife, Salmon and Fishing Jobs:  Rachel Zwillinger and John McManus write, “As a result of California’s highly variable climate, the practice of storing water predates statehood. And for more than a century, storage projects in California have generated heated controversy. A century ago, John Muir led a famous and unsuccessful effort to stop the damming of Yosemite’s Hetch Hetchy Valley. Since then, the story of water storage in California has often been one of conflict – including landmark fights over the Auburn and New Melones dams.  Yet today, a new and very different generation of storage projects is producing surprisingly broad benefits for people and wildlife. Two proposed California projects, in particular, are garnering support from environmental and fisheries groups, which historically have often opposed traditional water storage projects. ... ”  Read more from Water Deeply here: Innovative Water Storage Projects Aid Wildlife, Salmon and Fishing Jobs

All of us should pitch in for clean water, says Rex Bohn:  He writes, “Farmworkers plant and harvest the California fruits and vegetables that feed our families. But when they turn the faucets in their own homes, they too often encounter something unthinkable — contaminated water, infused with unsafe levels of arsenic or nitrates from fertilizer.  The presence of dangerous, undrinkable water in the homes of nearly a million Californians needs to be fixed. The contaminated water supplies tend to be located in rural, disadvantaged communities throughout the state of California.  Too often, California residents who help produce our food can’t drink their own local water without getting sick and fearing serious illness. In over 300 communities across the state, contaminated water has forced schools to turn off faucets and residents to buy bottled water for drinking, cooking and washing. ... ” Read more from the Eureka Times-Standard here:  All of us should pitch in for clean water

In regional news and commentary today …

Klamath Basin: Survival mode: PacifiCorp, eastside irrigators to share water, try to get through May:  “PacifiCorp is working with the Bureau of Reclamation to provide the Klamath Project irrigators with up to 9,500 acre feet of water in late May in addition to a total 10,500 acre feet of water lent irrigation districts earlier in the month, according to Bob Gravely, the utility’s spokesman.  The announcement Monday was made as irrigation districts within the Project — KID and Tulelake — face a dwindling 10,500 acre feet borrowed from PacifiCorp at the beginning of the month. The amount has been all but exhausted as of Tuesday. ... ”  Read more from the Herald & News here:  Klamath Basin: Survival mode: PacifiCorp, eastside irrigators to share water, try to get through May

Pilot project to study impacts of forest management on Yuba watershed:  “A healthier, thinner forest reduces fire risk significantly, and it also protects water quality and can improve water quantity. The Yuba watershed is about to reap all of those benefits, through a pilot project of the Forest Resilience Bond with Blue Forest Conservation and the World Resources Institute. The Yuba County Water agency will support this effort with a $1.5 million cost-share contribution to help fund the planned restoration in the Yuba Project. … ”  Read more from YubaNet here:  Pilot project to study impacts of forest management on Yuba watershed

Delta road signs slated for an upgrade:  “The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta provides a wealth of recreational opportunities including historic towns, U-pick fruits and vegetables, wineries, shopping and boating – if you know how to find them. Navigating through the Delta region on two or four wheels can be daunting to the novice. Unless a well-prepared traveler knows exactly what they are looking for, they can easily miss some of the true gems available in the region. But now, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy is taking steps to make it easier for tourists to get the most out of their visit to the Delta. ... ”  Read more from The Press here:  Delta road signs slated for an upgrade

Resilient by Design offers ideas for SF Bay Area to deal with rising seas: “Protecting the Bay Area from sea level rise isn’t just about building seawalls. It’s a chance to reshape industry, parks and communities to fit our modern lives.  That’s according to a high-profile group of international architects, engineers and climate experts who have spent the past year developing far-reaching visions for how Bay Area waterfront communities can prepare for global warming. ... ”  Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here:  Resilient by Design offers ideas for SF Bay Area to deal with rising seas

Palo Alto votes to allocate half a million gallons of its daily water to East Palo Alto:  “On May 7, the Palo Alto City Council motioned to allocate the rights of 500,000 gallons daily to the city of East Palo Alto (EPA). The motion passed in a 7-1 vote, with one council member absent.  With this transfer, EPA acquired the right to purchase water from the San Francisco Public Utilities Commision (SFPUC), which was previously inaccessible to the city.   “We have acquired the allocation of this water from Palo Alto, and ultimately it’s the SFPUC through [Bay Area Water Supply & Conservation Agency] that ends up keeping the ‘tally sheet’ of who receives what amount of water,” said EPA council member Carlos Romero. “We will still need to purchase whatever water we use from BAWSCA and ultimately the SFPUC.” ... ”  Read more from the Stanford Daily News here:  Palo Alto votes to allocate half a million gallons of its daily water to East Palo Alto

Big Pine recycled water project gets a big ‘F’ from DWP:  “The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power took a long look at a feasibility study for the use of recycled Big Pine water on a 160-acre mitigation project east of town in exchange for the department irrigating the Bartell parcel next to the community’s schools. The department didn’t like anything about the proposed project, noting a cost to rate-payers for lost water at Bartell, the ruination of a successful mitigation project and health and safety concerns. … ”  Read more from the Sierra Wave here:  Big Pine recycled water project gets a big ‘F’ from DWP

Pomona wins pollution case, jury awards no damages:  “A federal jury agreed on Thursday that fertilizer imported to California in the 1930s and 1940s was responsible for contaminants found in groundwater wells in recent years but did not award damages to the city who sued a North American subsidiary of a Chilean chemical company that manufactured the product.  The city of Pomona, approximately 30 miles east of Los Angeles, sought $30 million in damages from the North American subsidiary of SQM, a Chilean chemical company for sodium nitrate fertilizer used on citrus orchards in the 1930s. … ”  Read more from Courthouse News Service here:  Pomona wins pollution case, jury awards no damages

Encinitas: Sea-level rise and the precious commodity of sand:  “Humans use more sand than any other natural resource besides air or water. It’s used in concrete and asphalt, which build the world’s buildings and roads. Sand is also needed to make glass. The sand used to construct towns and cities leads to development that then impedes sand’s natural flow from watersheds, diminishing one of its best sources of replenishment.  Ironically, then, humans have contributed to the shortage of a precious resource by using sand to build in places that block it. … ”  Read more from the Coast News Group here:  Sea-level rise and the precious commodity of sand

Imperial Irrigation District elections are here. Coachella Valley residents can’t vote:  “It’s been a tumultuous year for the Imperial Irrigation District.  On the energy side, IID canceled tens of millions of dollars in contracts following allegations of financial conflicts of interest against the consultant ZGlobal Inc. On the water side, the publicly owned utility was jolted by a court ruling that could make it more difficult to limit the use of Colorado River water by Imperial Valley farmers.  Voters will have a chance to judge IID’s response to those developments on June 5, when three of the five seats on the agency’s elected board of directors are up for grabs. ... ”  Read more from the Desert Sun here:  Imperial Irrigation District elections are here. Coachella Valley residents can’t vote

Along the Colorado River …

Mohave Valley, Arizona: Getting the message out: Billboard brings awareness to water rights issue:  “Jim “Gordy” Carpenter wanted his message to be simple and straight to the point: Leave our water alone.  So he put it on a billboard.  “I’ve used billboards before for our brand,” Carpenter said. “I know they get people’s attention — that’s what billboards are for.” … ”  Read more from the Mohave Valley News here:  Getting the message out: Billboard brings awareness to water rights issue

Unprecedented Colorado River Water Shortage Could Be Declared in 2020:  “After years of unrelenting drought, federal forecasters reported there are better-than-even odds that the nation’s largest reservoir will decline into shortage conditions by 2020, forcing Arizona, Nevada and Mexico to reduce their Colorado River water use.  Millions of U.S. residents and farmers are served by the Lake Mead reservoir that’s supplied by the Colorado. However, water levels have dropped consistently after years of back-to-back drought. The reservoir is considered full at 1,220 feet above sea level, which has not been seen since 1983. … ”  Read more from EcoWatch here:  Unprecedented Colorado River Water Shortage Could Be Declared in 2020

And lastly …

How California’s drought helped the LA Kings go green and create harder, faster ice in the process: “It was roughly two years ago that AEG Sports chief operating officer Kelly Cheeseman, which owns the Los Angeles Kings, and Kings president Luc Robitaille travelled to New York to meet with the NHL. The purpose of the meeting was, among other things, to explore a technology crafted by BluEco Technology Group that could potentially provide the Staples Center with an independent water source, an increasingly important need in a drought-stricken region of the United States. ... ”  Read more from Hockey News here:  How California’s drought helped the LA Kings go green and create harder, faster ice in the process

Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

• NEWS WORTH NOTING: Congressman McNerney blasts attempt to block Delta tunnels litigation; Water efficiency bills head to the Governor for signature
• THIS JUST IN … DWR forms partnership for design and construction of WaterFix; JPA charged with constructing California Water Fix holds inaugural meeting; Delta County Supervisors in staunch opposition to WaterFix construction

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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.