DAILY DIGEST: Lawrence Berkeley scientists find a cool way to save water; Recycled wastewater now flowing to San Joaquin Valley farms, wildlife; Water, federal aid enroute to Klamath Project; Challenge to prevent Sierra forest fire catastrophe; and more …

In California water news today, Lawrence Berkeley scientists find a cool way to save water; Recycled wastewater now flowing to San Joaquin Valley farms, wildlife; Water, federal aid enroute to Klamath Project; Mussel-infested boat stopped at Lake Mendocino; Challenge to prevent Sierra forest fire catastrophe; An erratic water supply strains ‘old country’ crops, friendships cultivated over decades on a patch of soil in San Pedro; and more …

In the news today …

Lawrence Berkeley scientists find a cool way to save water:  “Saving water may be as simple as changing the type of roof you have, two scientists in Berkeley discovered.  That might sound far-fetched, but their new findings about “cool” roofs recently published in the journal Nature Communications showed for the first time that it’s possible — and it could save California cities millions of gallons of water each year.  “This is a very intriguing study,” Stet Sanborn, associate principal for the green-engineering Integral Group branch in Oakland, said in an email. “It reinforces the interconnected web between water and energy, and I think the impact (of its findings) is significant and worth attention.” … ”  Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here:  Lawrence Berkeley scientists find a cool way to save water

Recycled wastewater now flowing to San Joaquin Valley farms, wildlife:  “Wastewater recycling doesn’t have to be a fancy affair. Sometimes it can be as simple as building a pipeline.  That is more or less the full description of the North Valley Regional Recycled Water Project. Only a year after starting construction, at a cost of around $90 million, the project is already delivering recycled urban wastewater to farms and wildlife refuges in California’s San Joaquin Valley, providing a reliable new water supply to a drought-plagued region.  “Everything seems to be working great,” said Anthea Hansen, general manager of Del Puerto Water District, the farm irrigation agency that receives most of the recycled water. “We knew the benefits would be incredible, and we’re seeing it already.” … ” Read more from Water Deeply here:  Recycled wastewater now flowing to San Joaquin Valley farms, wildlife

Feds, local law won’t ‘surrender’ to drug dealers who exploit public land:  “Illegal marijuana grows hidden within public lands can be detrimental to the environment and families living close by.  Now, local and state leaders are taking a stand. Law enforcement agencies have joined with experts to highlight the damage that marijuana grows have on national forests, the wildlife that inhabit them, and the streams and waterways that flow through them. ... ” Read more from the Visalia Times-Delta here:  Feds, local law won’t ‘surrender’ to drug dealers who exploit public land

Water, federal aid enroute to Klamath Project:  “Mitchell Brown, a relief ditch-rider with Klamath Irrigation District, navigates the canal banks with his pickup Friday morning, parking the vehicle before turning on irrigation water for a customer who had ordered water.  Water orders have been trickling in to the district since irrigation water delivery officially began Friday, and calls are anticipated to ramp up as the water does, with ditch-riders like Brown there to deliver the water. ... ”  Read more from the Herald & News here:  Water, federal aid enroute to Klamath Project

Mussel-infested boat stopped at Lake Mendocino:  “A specially trained dog named Noah is receiving well-deserved praise after preventing a mussel-infested watercraft from launching Saturday in Lake Mendocino — a frighteningly close call that public officials say underscores the need for long-delayed, full-time measures to protect regional reservoirs and critical infrastructure from exposure to the destructive organisms.  The blond Labrador retriever is one of several mussel-sniffing dogs deployed at lakes Sonoma and Mendocino on summer weekends to suss out tiny quagga or zebra mussels — related species of thumbnail-sized bivalves that, once introduced, reproduce in such abundance they can quickly wreak havoc on lakes or reservoirs. ... ”  Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here:  Mussel-infested boat stopped at Lake Mendocino

Challenge to prevent Sierra forest fire catastrophe:  ““It’s not a matter of getting better at firefighting, it’s now a matter of too much stuff for fires to burn,” Malcolm North, forest ecologist with the U.S. Forest Service Pacific Southwest Research Station said, explaining that in 2017, the costs to fight fires was upward of $3 billion. “We’re losing the forest fire battle. It’s not whether fire will occur, it’s when.  “We have two choices. We can continue to deny that we can control fire or we can get in front of it and learn how to be smarter when it comes to forest fires.”  Forest fire and drought are top-of-mind for those who live in, or close to, the Sierra Nevada, as attested to by the packed house last week at a UC Davis TERC presentation at Sierra Nevada College on managing fire and drought in the Sierra Nevada. ... ”  Read more from Lake Tahoe News here:  Challenge to prevent Sierra forest fire catastrophe

An erratic water supply strains ‘old country’ crops, friendships cultivated over decades on a patch of soil in San Pedro:  “The old Italian men pass their mornings near the top of the hill, tending thick grapevines and rows of fava beans, smoking crumbling Toscano cigars, staying out of the house. If you try to call Francesco “Frank” Mitrano at home, his wife will brusquely tell you that he’s at “the farm.”  The farm is a patch of soil by the 110 Freeway, where he harvests enough tomatoes from his crop to make spaghetti sauce for his family’s weekly Sunday dinner. “Twenty-one people,” he exclaims.  A half-century ago, Filipino seafarers re-created a piece of the old country on this weedy hillside in San Pedro. ... ”  Read more from the LA Times here:  An erratic water supply strains ‘old country’ crops, friendships cultivated over decades on a patch of soil in San Pedro

In commentary today …

Finding the right water fixes for Orange County:  Paul Cook writes,A recent column in these pages accurately described how climate fluctuations every few years can affect water supply in Southern California. And yes, supply variations must be addressed by water resource agencies. A solution being considered by the Orange County Water District, purchasing desalinated seawater from Poseidon Resources, would create a continuous supply of new water — even in the years when we don’t need it. Since we know that the problem is the variability of our water supply, why commit to a $1 billion alternative that does not address the problem of water supply variability?  A better solution is to store water when it is plentiful so it is available when needed. … ”  Read more from the OC Register here:  Finding the right water fixes for Orange County

More news and commentary in the weekend edition …

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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