DAILY DIGEST: A new groundwater market emerges in California. Are more on the way?; Drought-weary California equips water supplies for efficiency; Lukewarm reception for federal water, energy program overhaul; and more …

In California water news today, A new groundwater market emerges in California. Are more on the way?; Drought-weary California equips water supplies for efficiency; Federal agencies: Lukewarm reception for water, energy program overhaul; Trump administration tightens rules for federal scientists talking to reporters; A giant wave of plastic garbage could flood the US, report says; and more …

On the calendar today …

  • The Central Valley Flood Protection Board meets beginning at 9am. Agenda items include an informational item from the Army Corps on the National Levee Database, monthly report from DWR, and nutria eradication efforts.  Agenda and webcast link by clicking here.

In the news today …

A new groundwater market emerges in California.  Are more on the way?  “A “use-it-or-lose-it” system of water allocation has historically required growers in California to irrigate their land or lose their water rights, whether market forces compelled them to grow crops or not.  Now, in a significant breakthrough for the state’s water economy, a community of farmers near Ventura are about to join a new groundwater market. The buying and trading system, expected to begin by July 1, will allow farmers under the purview of the Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency to fallow their own land and sell groundwater to other users willing to pay more than their crop sales would generate. This small-scale water market has been in planning stages for more than a year and is being launched as a pilot project that could eventually serve as a model for the rest of California. ... ”  Read more from Water Deeply here:  A new groundwater market emerges in California.  Are more on the way?

Drought-weary California equips water supplies for efficiency:  “Drought-weary California officials want water suppliers to use the resource more efficiently, but how new water regulations will play out in districts remains unclear.  A pair of bills, signed at the end of May by Gov. Jerry Brown (D), amend the state’s water code and emphasize water efficiency with a focus on indoor and outdoor household use as well as water loss in urban districts.  Both Senate Bill 606 and Assembly Bill 1668 require urban districts to set use targets, or budgets for water use, and the assembly version also broadens the number of agricultural suppliers that must set management plans. ... ”  Read more from Bloomberg BNA here:  Drought-weary California equips water supplies for efficiency

Federal agencies:  Lukewarm reception for water, energy program overhaul:  “Congressional Republicans and Democrats yesterday took a mostly wait-and-see approach toward the Trump administration’s aggressive proposal to reorganize federal agencies, including those with jurisdiction over energy, water and environmental programs.  E&E News talked with several lawmakers on Capitol Hill, many of whom were unfamiliar with the White House plan unveiled late yesterday morning.  Republicans generally were receptive to the overall reorganization proposal; Democrats approached the idea with skepticism.  “The philosophy of trying to reorganize things so they are simplified is probably good, but I want to look at it,” said House Natural Resources Chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah), who added he wasn’t yet familiar with the specifics of the plan. … ”  Read more from E&E News here:  Federal agencies:  Lukewarm reception for water, energy program overhaul

Trump administration tightens rules for federal scientists talking to reporters:  “A new directive from the Trump administration instructs federal scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey to get approval from its parent agency before agreeing to most interview requests from reporters, according to employees and emails from officials with the Department of the Interior and USGS.  USGS employees who spoke with The Times on condition of anonymity because they were unauthorized to do so say the new protocol represents a dramatic change in decades of past media practices at the scientific agency and will interfere with scientists’ ability to quickly respond to reporters’ questions. They expected that taxpayers would see less of the USGS’ scientific expertise as reporters seek scientific comment elsewhere. ... ”  Read more from the LA Times here:  Trump administration tightens rules for federal scientists talking to reporters

A giant wave of plastic garbage could flood the US, report says:  “A tidal wave of plastic trash will flood the world over the next decade, a new study says, and warnings are already blaring like sirens in the United States.  In the wake of China’s decision to stop importing nearly half of the world’s scrap starting Jan. 1, particularly from the wealthiest nations, waste management operations across the country are struggling to process heavy volumes of paper and plastic that they can no longer unload on the Chinese. States such as Massachusetts and Oregon are lifting restrictions against pouring recyclable material into landfills to grant the operations some relief. … ”  Read more from SF Gate here:  A giant wave of plastic garbage could flood the US, report says

In commentary today …

Clean water left unfunded in California budget, says the San Francisco Chronicle:  They write, “When more than 300,000 residents of tiny farm towns in the San Joaquin Valley open the faucet, they don’t get the same pure water as Bay Area residents. What flows out is cloudy, brown and laced with unsafe levels of arsenic and nitrates.  It’s a shameful problem that California has promised but failed to fix. In a wealthy, booming state, poor communities still face a harmful brew when they turn the tap. It’s an issue well past the study-and-report stage, and it needs a substantial response. … ”  Continue reading from the San Francisco Chronicle here:  Clean water left unfunded in California budget

Effect of rising seas has a time line and a cost, says the San Francisco Chronicle:  They write, “California’s fabled beaches are shrinking, with waves and tides eventually expected to slosh over thousands of coastal homes and businesses. That’s the entirely plausible prediction from scientists studying climate change and rising ocean levels linked to hotter temperatures.  In less than 30 years, rising waters will flood about 20,000 homes along the state’s shoreline. A warmer ocean is expanding and polar ice sheets are melting, pushing up sea levels here by nearly 2 feet. And it’s coming faster than ever, with lapping water noticeable by 2035 and the serious trouble a decade later. … ”  Read more from the SF Chronicle here:  Effect of rising seas has a time line and a cost

Sierra stewards listen to the trees, and a California tribe regains an ancestral land:  Jane Braxton Little writes, “In 2004 Lorena Gorbet stood and delivered a simple message: “We want our land back.”  Since then Gorbet, a Maidu Indian, has repeated her request at least twice a year to a council tasked with recommending new owners for 140,000 acres of Pacific Gas & Electric Co. land, designated for conservation under a 2003 bankruptcy agreement. Some of it once belonged to the Maidu.  Last month it was the council that delivered ... ”  Read more from the Sacramento Bee here:  Sierra stewards listen to the trees, and a California tribe regains an ancestral land

In regional news and commentary today …

California crabbers, Yurok Tribe receive nearly $30M in fisheries disaster relief:  “More than two years after the 2015-16 Dungeness and rock crab seasons in California was marred by toxic algae blooms, the federal government this week has allocated $25.8M in disaster funds to relieve fishermen and businesses affected by the closure. The Yurok Tribe was also allocated nearly $4M in disaster relief for its 2016 commercial salmon season, which was closed due to low numbers of returning spawners.  The North Coast’s 2015-16 crab season was delayed by almost six months, giving crabbers only a few months to make up for their losses. A poor salmon season followed, causing many crabbers to leave the industry altogether. … ” Read more from the Eureka Times-Standard here:  California crabbers, Yurok Tribe receive nearly $30M in fisheries disaster relief

Two projects will help reduce Ross Valley flood threat, say Chris Martin and Sandy Guldman:  They write, “Two projects funded by Department of Water Resources grants and stormwater fees paid by Ross Valley property owners are proposed for the Ross Valley Watershed Program.  The first, the San Anselmo Flood Risk Reduction Project, would reduce flooding on hundreds of parcels in Fairfax and San Anselmo. It includes a stormwater diversion and storage basin at 3000 Sir Francis Drake Blvd., removal of the building at 634-636 San Anselmo Ave., and some low floodwalls. … ”  Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here:  Two projects will help reduce Ross Valley flood threat

The water supply shortage in the former Fort Ord continues to complicate development in Seaside:  “As Seaside makes a push to redevelop land on the former Fort Ord, it is again facing a fundamental problem – the lack of a water supply.  On June 18, the board of the Marina Coast Water District approved a water supply assessment for the proposed Seaside Campus Town Center development off Gigling Road, which estimated the project would have an annual demand of 487 acre-feet of water. That’s 301 acre-feet less than the water that can be allocated to it, per Seaside’s already-entitled water allocations. … ”  Read more from Monterey Weekly here:  The water supply shortage in the former Fort Ord continues to complicate development in Seaside

Grand jury: Water district south of Modesto low on funds, high on chaos, infighting:  “Who wouldn’t want to pay the same price for tap water for 34 years?  Such is the case for 189 homeowners in unincorporated Riverdale Park Tract, nestled in a bend of the Tuolumne River southwest of Modesto. And it’s not a good thing because the community’s water agency is quickly running out of money, civil grand jurors decided in a blistering report on the water board, officially known as the Riverdale Park Tract Community Services District. … ”  Read more from the Modesto Bee here:  Grand jury: Water district south of Modesto low on funds, high on chaos, infighting

LADWP repairs will mean high water flow in the Owens River:  “The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power will be performing emergency repair work on the Control Gorge Power Plant beginning June 26th, with a projected completion date of September 5th.  Water being released from the Crowley Reservoir will enter the Owens River at the Middle Gorge Power Plant and flow downstream through the Owens Gorge and into the Pleasant Valley Reservoir.  Inyo County residents and visitors can expect extremely high water flow in the Owens River below Middle Gorge Power Plant. ... ”  Read more from the Sierra Wave here:  LADWP repairs will mean high water flow in the Owens River

Inyo Supervisors approve agreement with LADWP:  “Just before Inyo’s Board of Supervisors approved the settlement agreement with Los Angeles Department of Water and Power over wells and mitigation in the Five Bridges area, Supervisor Matt Kingsley admitted there were “subtleties in this agreement.”  That was an understatement. Months of Technical Group meetings ending in a deadlock, generally left the regulars in the audience scratching their heads.  The agreement allows LADWP to proceed with the two-month test with defined environmental protections. It also clears up issues that floated to the surface during the nearly year-long process after Well 385 was modified to pull from the deep aquifer. … ”  Read more from the Sierra Wave here:  Inyo Supervisors approve agreement with LADWP

Feds order Lockheed, Honeywell to clean up contaminated water:  “Federal regulators ordered two aerospace companies to complete more than $21 million in cleanup work at a contaminated groundwater site near Los Angeles, according to a report.  The order Wednesday by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency ends two years of negotiations with Honeywell International and Lockheed Martin, the Daily News reported. … ”  Read more from US News and World Report here:  Feds order Lockheed, Honeywell to clean up contaminated water

Official for Compton water district is suspended after reports of fake supporters at town hall:  “The general manager of a small public agency under fire for delivering brown, smelly water to parts of Compton and Willowbrook has been placed on administrative leave effective immediately, the water district board’s attorney announced Thursday night.  Maria Rachelle Garza’s suspension comes days after The Times reported allegations that the embattled Sativa Los Angeles County Water District hired people to pose as supporters and attend a local congresswoman’s town hall regarding complaints of dirty water.  Garza could not be immediately reached for comment. In previous interviews with The Times, she strongly denied knowing anything about hiring people to attend the forum. ... ”  Read more from the LA Times here:  Official for Compton water district is suspended after reports of fake supporters at town hall

Added scrutiny for Hermosa Beach stormwater project:  “Hermosa Beach will subject a stormwater infiltration project proposed to go under a section of the Greenbelt along the city’s southern border to additional review, including an Environmental Impact Report for the site, amid ongoing opposition from residents living nearby.  The announcement of the EIR, from interim City Manager John Jalili, came at a Tuesday night study session, and will require a vote of the City Council at a regular meeting in the coming months to become official. But the announcement is unlikely to fully satisfy opponents, who packed the Council Chambers in what has become a heated campaign to relocate the environmental effort. … ”  Read more from the Easy Reader here:  Added scrutiny for Hermosa Beach stormwater project

What’s the status of the Long Beach breakwater modification plan?  Officials met with dismay at Thursday meeting:  “Army Corps of Engineers officials were greeted with dismay and agitation Thursday from activists worried that the agency might abandon plans to remove the Long Beach breakwater.  Corps and city officials told the Southern California News Group this month that the federal agency’s three tentative proposals to improve marine habitat in the San Pedro Bay excluded any modification to the breakwater. City alternatives that would include demolishing at least a portion of the 2.5-mile rock structure would also be considered.  But the possibility of the project proceeding without some breakwater modification frustrated activists whose two decades of advocacy led to the joint corps and city effort. … ”  Read more from the OC Register here:  What’s the status of the Long Beach breakwater modification plan?  Officials met with dismay at Thursday meeting

$7.5 million approved for project under Long Beach Airport that uses rainwater to replenish water supply:  “A project underneath Long Beach Airport that will use stormwater to replenish the water supply received $7.5 million Tuesday, June 19, from Los Angeles County supervisors.  “Every time it rains, we lose millions of gallons of drinkable water by allowing it to run into the ocean,” said Supervisor Janice Hahn. “Innovative projects like this mean we can capture rainwater and use it to replenish our local water supply.”  The project will gather stormwater from the streets of Long Beach and Signal Hill in underground galleries, clean it using machines called hydrodynamic separators and return it to the groundwater. The endeavor had been long talked about, but had not come to fruition until a grant became available in 2015. ... ”  Read more from the Long Beach Press Telegram here:  $7.5 million approved for project under Long Beach Airport that uses rainwater to replenish water supply

Algae shuts down Diamond Valley Lake:  “The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has temporarily suspended all recreational activities at Diamond Valley Lake near Hemet because of an algal bloom.  The sometimes toxic cyanobacteria also known as blue-green algae has covered the lake, prompting officials to prohibit boating, fishing and hiking until further notice. ... ”  Read more from KABC here:  Algae shuts down Diamond Valley Lake

Hydropower plant outside of Joshua Tree National Park misses construction start deadline:  “The developer trying to build a massive hydroelectric power plant just outside Joshua Tree National Park failed to start construction by a key deadline this week, in what critics of the controversial project are calling a serious setback.  Conservationists are bitterly opposed to Eagle Crest Energy Company’s plan to pump billions of gallons of groundwater in the open desert east of the Coachella Valley and use the water to generate electricity in the Eagle Mountain area, on a property as close as 1.5 miles to the edge of the national park. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved a license for the project in 2014. But the commission said construction had to begin by June 19, 2018 — and now that deadline has passed. … ”  Read more from the Desert Sun here:  Hydropower plant outside of Joshua Tree National Park misses construction start deadline

San Diego’s audit of water bills delayed:  “The city of San Diego audit that is meant to answer why some customers were overcharged hundreds of dollars on their water bills has been delayed.  City Auditor Eduardo Luna announced in his May report that the audit, which was originally supposed to be published at the beginning of June, will instead come in July. The audit has already taken more than the 2,000 budgeted hours of work, according to the report. ... ”  Read more from KPBS here:  San Diego’s audit of water bills delayed

Along the Colorado River …

Upper Colorado River pilot program paying farmers to leave water for Lake Powell will end after 2018: “A four-year pilot program that paid ranchers and farmers in Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico about $200 per acre-foot of water saved by fallowing fields in order boost water levels in Lake Powell will be put on hold after 2018.  On Wednesday, the five members of the Upper Colorado River Commission unanimously passed a resolution to that effect at a board meeting.  “Although the pilot (program) has helped explore the feasibility of some aspect of demand management programs, it does not provide a means for the upper (basin) states to account, store and release conserved water in a way which will help assure full compliance with the Colorado River Compact in times of drought,” the resolution said. ... ”  Read more from the Aspen Times here:  Upper Colorado River pilot program paying farmers to leave water for Lake Powell will end after 2018

Friday at Lake Oroville …

Crews lay roller-compacted concrete (RCC) for the emergency spillway splashpad, completing the northern half of its construction. Meanwhile, workers spray compressed air and water to clean the rock foundation of the upper chute to prepare for structural concrete, while crews continue installing slab anchors in the RCC on the middle chute.

And lastly …

Photos: Behind the scenes of a monumental plumbing fix 55 stories underground:  New York City is in the midst of a plumbing repair job of monumental proportions.  Check out the photo gallery from the Napa Register here:  Plumbing fix photos

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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