In California water news today, Water plan will ‘decimate’ economy; hundreds converge at Capitol for protest; Farmers protest Delta water plan, say protecting salmon hurts agriculture; ‘Time for action is now’: Interior chief plans to pump more water south; Column: Zinke fires another shot at California water policy; Ridgecrest City Council to support Delta Counties Coalition; California lawmakers eye voluntary tax to pay for Central Valley water contamination; Tribal water law: Cutting edge insight from practitioners in Indian Country; and more …
On the calendar today …
- The State Water Board will hold a 2-day meeting today and tomorrow beginning at 9:30am: As part of their regular board meeting, the Board will hold a public meeting to consider adoption of proposed amendments to the Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary and the supporting proposed final Substitute Environmental Document. The Board has announced they will not be making a final decision at this meeting.
In news and commentary today …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
- BLOG ROUND-UP: The State Water Board’s flow objectives, Hating fish or not, Addressing SGMA’s sixth ‘deadly’ sin, salmon, water bonds, and more …
- SAN JOAQUIN FLOW OBJECTIVES: State Water Board posts change sheets and responses to comments on Bay Delta Plan amendments for the Lower San Joaquin River and Southern Delta salinity objectives
- NOTICE OF PETITION to list Upper Klamath-Trinity River Spring Chinook Salmon
- PUBLIC MEETING: Central Valley Project Improvement Act Open House on August 24th
BAY DELTA PLAN
Water plan will ‘decimate’ economy; hundreds converge at Capitol for protest: “A boisterous rally Monday sent a message to the state to keep its hands off the water rights of communities in the Central Valley and reconsider a new water allocation plan that won’t be effective in restoring salmon in rivers. About 1,500 attended the gathering outside the state Capitol Building organized by leaders from Stanislaus and Merced counties. People held signs and chanted “stop the water grab” in an outpouring of passion against an appointed state water board that proposes to take double the amount of water from the Tuolumne, Stanislaus and Merced rivers and use it for salmon restoration. … ” Read more from the Modesto Bee here: Water plan will ‘decimate’ economy; hundreds converge at Capitol for protest
Farmers protest Delta water plan, say protecting salmon hurts agriculture: “Hundreds of California farmers rallied at the Capitol on Monday to protest state water officials’ proposal to increase water flows in a major California river, a move state and federal politicians called an overreach of power that would mean less water for farms in the Central Valley. “If they vote to take our water, this does not end there,” said state Sen. Anthony Cannella, R-Ceres. “We will be in court for 100 years.” Environmentalists and fishermen offered a different take on the other side of the Capitol to a much smaller audience. … ” Read more from the Mercury News here: Farmers protest Delta water plan, say protecting salmon hurts agriculture
Valley shows up big at Capitol rally, says the Modesto Bee: “In buses, trucks, cars and on trains, the Valley came to Sacramento on Monday. They set up tents and tables, hauled in tubs of water and created a proper media event. There was even a marching band. In all, an estimated 1,500 residents from Stanislaus, Merced and southern San Joaquin counties came to the State Capitol for the “Stop the State Water Grab” rally. They heard elected officials — city councils members, county supervisors, state legislators and even Congressmen – vent their outrage over what they consider an existential issue. The Valley came to be heard. … ” Continue reading at the Modesto Bee here: Valley shows up big at Capitol rally
Revised ‘water grab’ could lead to severe, irreversible impacts, says Bob Elliott: “Over the past decade, San Joaquin County and Delta stakeholders have spent thousands of hours fighting the governor’s Twin Tunnels project, officially called WaterFix. This water transfer plan would have a disastrous affect on the agricultural industry in the region, and estimated costs have ballooned to more than $20 billion. Unfortunately, the state now is pursuing yet another devastating water grab that is quietly making its way through the regulatory process. The State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) on Tuesday will begin two days of hearings to consider Phase 1 of the Bay-Delta Water Quality Plan update. … ” Read more from the Stockton Record here: Revised ‘water grab’ could lead to severe, irreversible impacts, says Bob Elliott
San Francisco, state must compromise on water restriction plan, says the SF Chronicle: They write, “San Francisco has maintained water rights to the Tuolumne River, a pristine source that originates high in the Sierra Nevada, since the early 1900s. Now, those rights are being threatened by a state proposal to rescue the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The state’s plan, which was first proposed in October 2016 and released as a final draft last month, would increase water flows to the Tuolumne and other rivers that support the delta. The state’s laudable goal is to address sharp declines in the delta’s native species and related degradation of the surrounding ecosystem. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: San Francisco, state must compromise on water restriction plan
ZINKE MEMO
‘Time for action is now’: Interior chief plans to pump more water south: “The Trump administration is accelerating efforts to pump more of Northern California’s water to farmers in the San Joaquin Valley, setting up a bruising conflict with state officials and environmentalists. As farmers and others prepared for a water rally Monday on the steps of the Capitol in Sacramento, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke sent a memo to underlings demanding a plan within 15 days aimed at “maximizing water supply deliveries” to irrigation districts south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. “The time for action is now,” he wrote. ... ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: ‘Time for action is now’: Interior chief plans to pump more water south
Column: Zinke fires another shot at California water policy: Michael Hiltzik writes, “Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, stepping up the Trump administration’s attack on California water policy, on Friday issued a memo to his staff demanding a “plan of action” to circumvent state officials. He gave the staff 15 days to develop a proposal and present it to his deputy, a former lobbyist for big water users at odds with the state. Zinke’s memo represents the latest volley in a developing war between the Trump administration and the state over the distribution of water from state and federal projects. The administration has been pushing for more water deliveries to Central Valley farmers, many of whom are in districts that delivered votes to Trump in the last presidential election — even though the state as a whole voted for his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Zinke fires another shot at California water policy
- RELATED CONTENT: Secretary Zinke issues call to action for Central Valley Project
OTHER STATEWIDE/NATIONAL NEWS
Ridgecrest City Council to support Delta Counties Coalition: “At its most recent meeting Aug. 15, the Ridgecrest City Council decided to express support for the Delta Counties Coalition, an alliance made up of Contra Costa, Sacramento, San Joaquin, Solano and Yolo counties in California. Specifically, all five council members agreed (without a formal vote) to sign a letter authored by the DCC expressing opposition to the California Twin Tunnels Project. The letters are to be sent to both candidates for governor in the upcoming election. The item was put on the agenda by Councilwoman Lindsey Stephens. … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent here: Ridgecrest City Council to support Delta Counties Coalition
California lawmakers eye voluntary tax to pay for Central Valley water contamination: “California lawmakers are considering whether to approve a voluntary tax on water customers across the state. Revenue from the tax would be use to pay for cleaning up contaminated water in rural and low-income communities in the Central Valley. Supporters of Senate Bill 845 contend the tax is necessary to keep safe the one million Californians exposed each year to contaminated drinking water. … ” Read more from Capital Public Radio here: California lawmakers eye voluntary tax to pay for Central Valley water contamination
Tribal water law: Cutting edge insight from practitioners in Indian Country: “Dressed in the business attire of many varied cultures, a group of western tribal leaders, attorneys, and government officials came together to discuss tribal access to clean water. An examination through the lenses of legal-minded objectivity and humanitarian efforts for change revealed a clear and undeniable conclusion: tribal water law is an uphill battle. Most U.S. Representatives and practicing attorneys would be far from proclaiming that tribes have less right to water than other users and their right to water is legally established by the Winters doctrine. This doctrine, established in Winters v. United States, 207 U.S. 564 (1908), makes clear that Native American reservations are accompanied with the necessary water rights sufficient to fulfill the purpose of the reservation. Heather White Man Runs Him, an attorney for the Native American Rights Fund in Boulder, Colorado, presented her concerns over issues of legal ethics in the multi-faceted practice of tribal water rights settlement. … ” Read more from the UC Denver Water Law Review here: Tribal water law: Cutting edge insight from practitioners in Indian Country
Cooperative Extension adapts to a less agricultural America: “In its century of existence, the Cooperative Extension System has been a valuable resource distributing university-driven, science-based information — mostly about farming and gardening — to the public. But in today’s less agricultural America, the Extension network is adapting, expanding its rural focus into cities and suburbs too. Urban and suburban communities have their own health needs, says Wiley Thompson, a regional director for Oregon State University Extension. “Some live in ‘food deserts.’ They want to further their education but may not want to move, and many want to intensively garden and manage their compact green spaces,” he says. ... ” Read more from the Merced Sun-Star here: Cooperative Extension adapts to a less agricultural America
Do you flush your contact lenses? Here’s why you should stop: “Ever wonder what happens to disposable contact lenses when it’s time to actually dispose of them? Some scientists at Arizona State University asked that question and found that a lot of them are going down the sink or getting flushed down the toilet — adding to the problem of microplastic pollution. … ” Read more from KEYT here: Do you flush your contact lenses? Here’s why you should stop
In regional news and commentary today …
Mikkelsen continues water talks, details remain vague: “Twenty years ago, if someone had asked Alan Mikkelsen if he would climb Mount Everest, he said he might have packed his backpack. But not now, Mikkelsen, who serves as the senior advisor to U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke on water and western resources, told the Herald and News on Monday afternoon. In his own way, Mikkelsen is making the trek in terms of difficulty in negotiation, as he works with stakeholders to formulate a comprehensive, long-term agreement aimed at solving discord over water issues. … ” Read more from the Herald & News here: Mikkelsen continues water talks, details remain vague
‘Weird’ warm water has California surfers stoked, experts searching for answers as ocean temperatures near 80 degrees: “TJ Cruz emerged from the waves at Doheny State Beach on Thursday wearing only boardshorts, a rashguard and a big smile on his face. “It’s so awesome,” Cruz said of the warm water. “What’s it been, like a month?” For weeks, surfers and swimmers have been ditching their wetsuits to enjoy the warm waters without restrictive rubber. And scientists have been marveling at the high water temperatures after century-old records were shattered in San Diego this month. … ” Read more from the Long Beach Press Telegram here: ‘Weird’ warm water has California surfers stoked, experts searching for answers as ocean temperatures near 80 degrees
Plan to use reclaimed Tijuana wastewater in Guadalupe Valley vineyards moves forward: “A private company’s plan to take Tijuana wastewater, treat it to an advanced level, and pipe it to Baja California’s Guadalupe Valley aims at ending water shortages that confront the celebrated wine-producing region. The proposal is expected to move forward within days as a group of Israeli and Mexican investors finalizes its contract with the state of Baja California to build a sewage treatment plant and a 65-mile aqueduct from southeastern Tijuana to the Guadalupe Valley. ... ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune here: Plan to use reclaimed Tijuana wastewater in Guadalupe Valley vineyards moves forward
Along the Colorado River …
Environment Report: Doomsday for Colorado River Approaches: “Within the next two years, federal officials may be forced to declare a water shortage on the Colorado River, an unprecedented situation that would reduce the amount of water available to parts of the southwestern United States and Mexico. The thermometer of the river’s health is Lake Mead, formed behind Hoover Dam. When the lake falls below a certain level, a shortage is declared and people begin to lose access to water based on an arcane priority system. The first to receive cuts are Arizona, Nevada and Mexico. ... ” Read more from Voice of San Diego here: Environment Report: Doomsday for Colorado River Approaches
And lastly …
It’s official, dude: Brown signs bill making surfing California’s state sport: “It’s official, dude. California’s state sport is surfing. Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday signed the legislation into law. For a state that brought the world the Beach Boys, Gidgit and the wetsuit, elevating the iconic California pass time to an official state sport is well, pretty gnarly, if you ask around at some of the local surf shops. “It’s a big deal for locals,” said Isaac Gonzalez, 18, who works at the Santa Cruz Surf Shop. Surfing “is something they grew up on, spent their lives doing and are passionate about.” … ” Read more from the Eureka Times-Herald here: It’s official, dude: Brown signs bill making surfing California’s state sport
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
- BLOG ROUND-UP: The State Water Board’s flow objectives, Hating fish or not, Addressing SGMA’s sixth ‘deadly’ sin, salmon, water bonds, and more …
- SAN JOAQUIN FLOW OBJECTIVES: State Water Board posts change sheets and responses to comments on Bay Delta Plan amendments for the Lower San Joaquin River and Southern Delta salinity objectives
- NOTICE OF PETITION to list Upper Klamath-Trinity River Spring Chinook Salmon
- PUBLIC MEETING: Central Valley Project Improvement Act Open House on August 24th
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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.
