DAILY DIGEST: Can state’s wild and scenic rivers stay that way?; To pay for 1,2,3-TCP cleanup, a viable strategy: sue; Almond board wants growers credited for reducing water use; 4 ways spending fights will affect energy, environment issues; and more …

In California water news today, Can California’s wild and scenic rivers stay that way?; To pay for 1,2,3-TCP cleanup, a viable strategy: sue; Almond board wants growers credited for reducing water use; California’s biggest environmental challenges? Water. Climate change. Political hot air.; California wildfires raising environmental issues for vulnerable GOP; California v. nutria: State seeks to eradicate scourge of giant rodents; 4 ways spending fights will affect energy, environment issues; and more …

On the calendar today …

• WEBCAST: Combining Hydrogeology and Economics to Set Metrics for Groundwater Management from12pm to 1:30pm.  Click here to register.

In the news today …

Can California’s wild and scenic rivers stay that way?  “Spot quiz: Of the dozens of rivers that flow through California, how many are completely undammed?  Answer: Just one. (Read on to find out which.)  But that number would likely be zero, were it not for a law passed by Congress 50 years ago: the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.  For Tim Palmer, a naturalist, photographer, and author of 26 books, including “California Rivers” and “Wild and Scenic: An American Legacy,” the date is etched into his consciousness as firmly as his own birthday. For nearly 40 years, Palmer has chronicled and photographed America’s rivers, with an eye to their role in nature and society. And frankly, he’s a little worried. ... ”  Read more from KQED here:  Can California’s wild and scenic rivers stay that way?

To pay for 1,2,3-TCP cleanup, a viable strategy: sue:  “In our 2017 series Contaminated, we told the stories of communities throughout the San Joaquin Valley struggling to access safe drinking water. Since then, the state has begun regulating a new drinking water contaminant. And though that regulation represents increased accountability, it brings financial challenges to some communities—and many are turning to the courts to help pay for water treatment. We begin this story in Del Rey, an unincorporated community in central Fresno County.  Maria Ayala loves to cook. The Del Rey clothing seller says prepares all manner of typical Mexican dishes for her husband and daughter. … ”  Read more from KVPR here:  To pay for 1,2,3-TCP cleanup, a viable strategy: sue

Almond board wants growers credited for reducing water use:  “The Almond Board of California is joining a chorus of agricultural groups arguing that the California Water Resources Control Board proposal to redirect flows in three California rivers threatens farms and the communities in which they operate.  The board plans a public hearing Aug. 21-22 in Sacramento on a plan to commit more water in the Stanislaus, Tuolumne, and Merced rivers to “unimpaired flows” intended to benefit salmon and other fish. The plan “raises significant concerns for not only threatening the state’s agricultural abundance and local economies, but it also has implications for all Californians,” the Almond Board says on its website. … ”  Read more from the Western Farm Press here:  Almond board wants growers credited for reducing water use

California’s biggest environmental challenges? Water. Climate change.  Political hot air.  “California Influencers, a group of the state’s most respected experts in public policy, politics and government, weighed in on this question: What is the biggest environmental challenge facing the state? … ”  Check out what they had to say here:  California’s biggest environmental challenges? Water. Climate change.  Political hot air. 

California wildfires raising environmental issues for vulnerable GOP:  “Firefighters may be able to extinguish the wildfires roaring through California within weeks, but the political effect of the blazes could last at least until the Nov. 6 midterm elections.  With flames forcing tens of thousands of residents to flee their homes and clouds of smoke hovering over large chunks of the state, California Democrats already are using the disaster to flog GOP House members for their environmental votes. ... ”  Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here:  California wildfires raising environmental issues for vulnerable GOP

California v. nutria: State seeks to eradicate scourge of giant rodents:  “The call came from a wildlife trapper working in the wetlands of central California.  “I think I caught a nutria,” the man said.  Greg Gerstenberg, a state biologist, was thrown.  “I was like, ‘a what?’”  A year and a half later, Gerstenberg strode up to his waist into the sludgey wetlands, pulling a kayak through mats of green slime and the methane stink of decomposing plant matter. He checked dozens of traps piled with tempting watermelon slices and sweet potatoes. His .22 rifle was on his truck, ready. … ”  Read more from The Guardian here:  California v. nutria: State seeks to eradicate scourge of giant rodents

Appropriations:  4 ways spending fights will affect energy, environmental issues:  “Congress, fearing a government shutdown, is pressing to pass as many spending bills as possible before the new fiscal year begins on Oct. 1.  Negotiations in the coming weeks will cover policy riders, programs like the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and whether to approve emergency dollars for wildfires.  The Senate returns today for a rare mid-August session, where its main goal will be advancing the two largest of the 12 annual appropriations measures in a single package.  Together, the Defense and Labor-Health and Human Services bills would account for nearly 3 out of every 4 discretionary dollars to be spent in fiscal 2019. … ”  Read more from E&E News here:  Appropriations:  4 ways spending fights will affect energy, environmental issues

In commentary today …

If we’re smart, we can find enough water for all of us, says Patrick Koepele:  He writes, “The Modesto Bee has expressed a strong negative opinion of the State Water Resources Control Board’s proposal to require additional water to be left in the Tuolumne River and other San Joaquin tributaries to improve water quality and the environment.  Regrettably, what has received little attention in this debate are the opportunities for improving water management to meet the agricultural and environmental demands placed on these rivers.  A coalition of conservation groups has proposed that Modesto and Turlock irrigation districts, working with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission, establish a 90,000 acre-foot groundwater bank. … ”  Read more from the Modesto Bee here:  If we’re smart, we can find enough water for all of us

Flows plan could harm Sierra Nevada watersheds:  John Kingsbury writes, “The State Water Resources Control Board Bay-Delta Water Quality Plan would mandate a minimum of 40 percent of “unimpaired flow” along the Stanislaus, Tuolumne and Merced rivers each year, from Feb. 1 to June 30, for fish. Look for the same percentage or more on the Sacramento system and tributaries.  “Unimpaired flow” is a hydrological term for natural runoff of a watershed or waterbody that would have occurred prior to anthropogenic or human influences on the watershed.  This proposed application is fantasy, as not only do we have a highly altered watershed with dams and diversions, we have a highly altered Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta waterway that includes dozens of islands and more than 1,000 miles of levees and diversions that will never return to pre-anthropogenic or human-influenced conditions. ... ”  Continue reading at Ag Alert here:  Flows plan could harm Sierra Nevada watersheds

In regional news and commentary today …

Klamath water case moves to Portland:  “A Klamath County court case that could affect both endangered Lost River and shortnose sucker and the outcome of the irrigation season in the Klamath Basin has been moved from San Francisco to Portland, with a hearing date yet to be determined.  Klamath Water Users Association, Sunnyside Irrigation District and Ben Duval are defendant intervenors in the the case brought by Klamath Tribes against the Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish & Wildlife, and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). … ”  Read more from the Herald & News here:  Water case moves to Portland

Three-day symposium focuses on coho salmon:  “Fisheries scientists will visit the South Fork of the Smith River next week for a symposium focusing on the endangered coho salmon. Held Aug. 24–26, the Salmonid Restoration Federation’s 21st-Annual Coho Confab will focus on watershed restoration, techniques and efforts to help coho salmon recover. The symposium will be held at Rock Creek Ranch and will include tours of stream and valley floor restoration efforts in the Lower Klamath tributaries as well as a tour of large woody debris projects led by Dan Burgess, of California State Parks. … ”  Read more from the Del Norte Triplicate here:  Three-day symposium focuses on coho salmon

Meeting Wednesday night in Durham on groundwater planning:  “A meeting is planned Wednesday night in Durham on local efforts to keep the state from taking over management of Butte County groundwater.  The meeting is 6-8 p.m. in the Durham Memorial Hall, 9319 Midway.  In September 2014, the governor signed a series of bills passed by the Legislature requiring development of plans to manage the groundwater basins under the state to avoid “undesirable results.” … ”  Read more from the Oroville Mercury-Register here:  Meeting Wednesday night in Durham on groundwater planning

Cache Creek Conservancy receives competitive grant:  “Habitat expansion at the Cache Creek Nature Preserve will be underway thanks to a $90,891 grant that was awarded by the North American Wetlands Conservation Council, according to the Cache Creek Conservancy.  “We are honored and excited to receive this grant,” stated Nancy Ullrey, executive director of the Conservancy. “This is a competitive grant and we successfully competed with projects across the U.S.”  The grant is part of the North American Wetlands Conservation Act small grants program. The program is designed to increase wetland habitat for several species, including waterfowl and other migratory birds. The grant program is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ullrey stated. ... ”  Read more from the Daily Democrat here:  Cache Creek Conservancy receives competitive grant

California Water fights back in attempt to buy San Jose’s water system:  “The price for San Jose Water continues to increase.  Countering last week’s latest attempt to combine San Jose Water and Connecticut Water Services, California Water Services bumped up its all-cash offer for the San Jose system to $70 a share plus some additional tax and regulatory considerations.  California Water offered $68.25 a share last April for SJW, a deal worth $1.9 billion including assumption of the San Jose debt. The new offer represents a 33.6 percent premium on the share price before the April offer was made, according to Cal Water’s press release. ... ”  Read more from The Business Journal here:  California Water fights back in attempt to buy San Jose’s water system

California Public Utilities Commission’s proposed decision backs Cal Am desal project:  “In a major development for California American Water’s long-sought desalination project, the California Public Utilities Commission has issued a proposed decision recommending approval of the proposal known as the Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project.  In a 223-page filing, a three-judge panel found that Cal Am’s desal project is the best option available to provide the Monterey Peninsula with a timely replacement water supply to offset the state water board’s Carmel River pumping cutback order and the need to reduce pumping from the adjudicated Seaside basin. Judges Gary Weatherford, Robert Haga and Darcie Houck also recommended certifying the project’s combined environmental review document, arguing that project impacts could either be mitigated or would be outweighed by the project’s benefits. … ”  Read more from the Monterey Herald here:  California Public Utilities Commission’s proposed decision backs Cal Am desal project

Ag secretary addresses water, labor, and tariffs in farm visit with Denham:  “Water. Tariffs. Immigrant labor.  Farmers raised concerns over those points Tuesday when U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Turlock, asked what they’re worried about these days.  “I hear you,” Perdue said when an audience member asked about a significant threat from state water officials to irrigation rights on the Stanislaus, Tuolumne and Merced rivers, known locally as the state water grab. “I wish I could snap my fingers and make it go away,” he said. ... ”  Read more from the Modesto Bee here:  Ag secretary addresses water, labor, and tariffs in farm visit with Denham

California supervolcano discovered to be hiding 240 cubic miles of magma:  “Scientists have discovered 240 cubic miles of semi-molten magma below the Long Valley Caldera, a supervolcano in eastern California near Mammoth Mountain.  The long-dormant supervolcano is currently a 20-mile-long caldera, or a crater that forms after an eruption forces the mouth of a volcano to collapse. According to an August report published in the scientific journal Geology, the semi-molten magma found could lead to possible eruptions. … ”  Read more from SF Gate here:  California supervolcano discovered to be hiding 240 cubic miles of magma

Parents, others urge Simi Valley council not to allow groundwater for residential use: “About 20 parents and others urged the Simi Valley City Council this week not to let the city use groundwater as drinking water for residences, arguing it is contaminated by the nearby Santa Susana Field Laboratory and is likely cancer-causing.  “I’m here tonight to beg of you not to put groundwater in our homes … (and) keep our future generations safe,” Jessica Geselle, a 39-year resident of Simi Valley and mother of two young daughters, told the council during public comments at its meeting Monday night. ... ”  Read more from the Ventura County Star here:  Parents, others urge Simi Valley council not to allow groundwater for residential use

Simi Valley residents upset over idea to use groundwater they believe may be contaminated during emergencies:  “Residents spoke during a Simi Valley City Council meeting Monday night, voicing their disbelief after learning the council is considering using groundwater for drinking water.  “I’m embarrassed to live in this town right now because I can’t even believe with all of the facts that have already come out, you can even consider it,” one woman said. “I thought it was April Fools or something.”  At the root of their fear is the Santa Susana Field Laboratory, which was the site of a partial nuclear meltdown in 1959. The cleanup of toxins was supposed to be completed in 2017. … ”  Read more from ABC 7 here:  Simi Valley residents upset over idea to use groundwater they believe may be contaminated during emergencies

Bird species collapse in the Mojave, driven by climate change:  “Bird populations in the Mojave are plummeting for lack of water, in an imbalance driven by climate change. A new study from UC Berkeley finds shrinking rainfall has led to the loss of more then 40 percent of bird species, in a habitat that relies heavily on birds for basic functions such as pollinating plants and acting as both predator and prey.  This collapse of Mojave bird communities, say the authors, is a precursor to the overall loss of animals and other biodiversity in desert climates. … ”  Read more from KQED here:  Bird species collapse in the Mojave, driven by climate change

Along the Colorado River …

Why one Arizona county could upend the Southwest’s drought plan:  “Serious water shortages on the Colorado River could be less than two years away, according to new federal estimates. Yet after 19 years of drought, just 500 farmers in one Arizona county may decide the fate of the entire Southwest: By holding tight to their own temporary water supply, they could stall a conservation plan designed to save the entire region from water shortages.  Pinal County, sandwiched between Phoenix and Tucson, is the third-largest farming county in Arizona and 54th in the nation, generating about $1 billion in annual sales, according to United States Department of Agriculture statistics. Beef cattle and milk generate more than half of that income, with cotton and alfalfa the next largest commodities. ... ”  Read more from Water Deeply here:  Why one Arizona county could upend the Southwest’s drought plan

Utah’s big water grab:  “Let us now praise southern Utah!  I moved here the high-water spring of 1993, everything I owned in the car and my savings whittled to three hundred cash. The hitchhikers said Moab, so I dropped anchor in the red-rock oasis and spent the next decade dowsing: mossy seeps, wind-chime waterfalls, pollywog potholes. I guided the rivers—the Green, the San Juan, the Colorado—splashed up the slots of Canyonlands and Escalante, and finally bought my own acre of promised land along a lazy creek sweet with Russian olives and fluffy with cottonwood duff. I loved the small scale of the desert towns. The Mormon pioneers did not develop the land for tourists, loading it with bars and resorts, but for themselves, placing a premium on self-sufficiency and community. The sandstone labyrinths, swaths of public land, and fine-just-the-way-it-is locals precluded it from becoming the California I had fled. ... ”  Read more from Outside Magazine here:  Utah’s big water grab

Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

• NEWS WORTH NOTING: Five star urban waters grants awarded to projects in CA; Bureau of Reclamation selects 16 projects to receive $3.5 million for desalination and water purification research
• OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT: Delta Independent Science Board (Delta ISB) Seeks Public Comment on its Draft Ecosystems Prospectus

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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.