DAILY DIGEST: After years of skepticism, San Diego supports Delta tunnels project; Straws. Bottle caps. Polyester. These are the new targets of California’s enviro movement; NASA is building new tools to manage water; Photo gallery: Golden Gate Bridge turns 81; and more …

In California water news today, After years of skepticism, San Diego supports Delta tunnels project; Straws. Bottle caps. Polyester. These are the new targets of California’s environmental movement; South of Delta allocations increased to 45%; NASA’s building new tools to manage water as climate dangers grow; Oregon tribes say feds failed to protect Upper Klamath Lake sucker fish, violated Endangered Species Act; Below Mount Shasta, a fight burbles over bottled water; Photo gallery: Golden Gate Bridge turns 81; and more …

In the news today …

After years of skepticism, San Diego supports Delta tunnels project:  “The San Diego County Water Authority now supports Gov. Jerry Brown’s twin tunnels project, a $17 billion plan to carry water south from the rivers of Northern California.  For five years, the Water Authority has been one of the fiercest critics of the plan.  It’s worked since 2013 with environmental groups opposed to the tunnels, and it’s spent countless employee hours trying to undermine the project. Just last month, Water Authority representatives tried to prevent Southern California’s largest water agency from spending $11 billion on the project. ... ”  Read more from the Voice of San Diego here:  After years of skepticism, San Diego supports massive water project

Straws.  Bottle caps. Polyester. These are the new targets of California’s environmental movement: “It took years of activist campaigns to turn the plastic bag into a villain, and hard-fought legislation to reduce its presence in oceans and waterways. Now, environmentalists and lawmakers are deploying similar tactics against a new generation of plastic pollutants.  There are drinking straws, which as a viral video shows can get stuck in a sea turtle’s nose. The hundreds of thousands of bottle caps that wind up on beaches. And the microfibers that wash off polyester clothes, making their way into the ocean, the stomachs of marine life and ultimately our seafood.  Each is the subject of statewide legislation under debate in Sacramento, as California again considers new environmental law that’s at once pioneering and controversial. … ”  Read more from the LA Times here:  Straws.  Bottle caps. Polyester. These are the new targets of California’s environmental movement

South of Delta allocations increased to 45%:  “The Bureau of Reclamation today issued updated allocations for South-of-Delta Central Valley Project contractors for the 2018 contract year.  Based on continued refinement of hydrologic analyses and other operational factors, the allocation for South-of-Delta agricultural water service contractors has increased from 40 percent to 45 percent. The allocation for municipal and industrial contractors South-of-Delta remains at the greater of 75 percent of their historic use or public health and safety needs. ... ”  Read more from the Western Farm Press here:  South of Delta allocations increased to 45%

NASA’s building new tools to manage water as climate dangers grow:  “After an unusually dry winter, a late-season storm finally soaked California in early March, piling up several feet of snow across the high granite reservoirs of the Sierra Nevada mountains.  On the Sunday morning after the weather cleared, a pair of NASA researchers loaded onto a small plane at the Mammoth Yosemite Airport, a single-runway operation that stretches out before the pyramid peak of Mount Morrison.  After final safety checks, the pilots lifted off, marking the Airborne Snow Observatory’s inaugural flight of the season. … ”  Read more from MIT Technology Review here:  NASA’s building new tools to manage water as climate dangers grow

More news and commentary in the weekend edition …

  • In California water news this weekend, Delta Stewardship Council sued over Delta Plan conveyance amendment; Frazier asks US Senators to oppose Cal WaterFix rider; Legal analysis: Can Congress prevent state and federal courts from hearing WaterFix lawsuits?; New set of scores released for water bond projects; U.S. Senate bill would require independent review of Oroville Dam; Oroville Dam: DWR attempts to quash Butte County lawsuit; and more …  READ IT HERE:  Weekend Daily Digest

In regional news and commentary today …

Oregon tribes say feds failed to protect Upper Klamath Lake sucker fish, violated Endangered Species Act: “The Klamath Tribes of Oregon are alleging in a lawsuit filed last week that federal agencies are failing to protect endangered sucker fish in Upper Klamath Lake. The lawsuit has many similarities to a lawsuit filed by local tribes and environmental groups in 2016 alleging the same but for threatened Klamath River Coho salmon, which ended with a judge ruling in their favor.  The Klamath Tribes of Oregon say the Lost River and Shortnose suckers are reaching a tipping point. ... ”  Read more from the Eureka Times-Herald here:  Oregon tribes say feds failed to protect Upper Klamath Lake sucker fish, violated Endangered Species Act

Below Mount Shasta, a fight burbles over bottled water:  “Mount Shasta reigns over Siskiyou County, a commanding presence even when cloaked in clouds. The snow on its flanks percolates into a vast underground aquifer of volcanic tunnels and bubbling springs. Steeped in legend and celebrated for its purity, Shasta water is almost as mysterious as its namesake California mountain. Little is known about how much is actually stored there or how it moves through the subsurface fractures.  Locals and reverent pilgrims might have been the only ones to appreciate this water if it weren’t for the private companies now descending on the small towns at the mountain’s base. Ten different proposals have sought to bottle and send water to markets as far away as Japan. Four have been approved.  … ”  Read more from High Country News here:  Below Mount Shasta, a fight burbles over bottled water

Bolinas Lagoon project gets state funding infusion:  “Work to boost environmentally important Bolinas Lagoon and surrounding roads has received an influx of cash from a state agency.  The state’s Coastal Conservancy awarded $285,000 last week to the Marin County Open Space District to prepare construction plans, permit applications and environmental documents for the Bolinas Lagoon Wye Project.  “We are excited that after all these years there is a restoration plan and we are moving forward,” said Karyn Gear, North Coast regional manager for the conservancy and a Mill Valley resident. “This is a first step toward addressing sea-level rise. We have been talking a lot about these types of projects, but not many are moving forward.” ... ”  Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here:  Bolinas Lagoon project gets state funding infusion

How do you run a surf shop when sewage spills constantly close the beach?  “When sewage spills from Tijuana close the South Bay shoreline, Jesse Ramirez can’t sell wet suits or rent out surfboards.  As the owner of the Surf Hut in downtown Imperial Beach, Ramirez can only watch as foot traffic and sales decline. But he doesn’t stress too much. Ramirez learned early on the importance of budgeting for beach closures.  “We have a little sewer day fund,” Ramirez said. “Over many years, we’ve learned to put a safety net so when it does happen, we’re ready.” … ”  Read more from the San Diego Union Tribune here:  How do you run a surf shop when sewage spills constantly close the beach?

Along the Colorado River …

Tribal nations hold some of the best water rights in the west:  “Tens of thousands of people living on the Navajo Nation lack running water in their homes. But that could change in the coming years, as the Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project comes into effect. It’s expected to deliver water to the reservation and nearby areas by 2024, as part of a Navajo Nation water rights settlement with New Mexico, confirmed by Congress in 2009.  Three other Native water settlements currently await congressional approval. They arise from federal legal decisions recognizing that many tribes in the West hold water rights that largely predate – and therefore override – the water rights of non-Native settlers. … ”  Read more from Water Deeply here:  Tribal nations hold some of the best water rights in the west

And lastly …

Photo gallery: Golden Gate Bridge turns 81:  “The Golden Gate Bridge rose to the height of fame in 1937 and has kept us riveted ever since. Unlike the typical celebrity, this star’s allure has not been tarnished with age. Yes, it turned 81 today, but that’s just, shall we say, water under the bridge.  The span is as glorious and sought-after as ever, its elegant art deco towers rise above advanced years with dignity and poise. In the spotlight of a sunny day, it gleams gold, bold and beautiful against the blue of the bay. In fog, it’s coy, teasing with flirty peeks of its peaks, a bared shoulder here, a curvaceous cable there. … ”  Read more and check out the photo gallery from the San Jose Mercury News here:  Photo gallery: Golden Gate Bridge turns 81

Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

Sign up for daily email service and you’ll never miss a post …

Daily emailsSign up for free daily email service and you’ll get all the Notebook’s aggregated and original water news content delivered to your email box by 9AM. And with breaking news alerts, you’ll always be one of the first to know …


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.

 

Print Friendly, PDF & Email