DAILY DIGEST: Climate change will be deadlier, more destructive and costlier for California than previously believed, state warns; Legislative fights still hanging as legislators head toward final recess; Another lawsuit for DWR regarding Oroville Dam; and more …

In California water news today, Climate change will be deadlier, more destructive and costlier for California than previously believed, state warns; Legislative fights still hanging as legislators head toward final recess: Dirty water, Mojave Desert water project, hydroelectric plant bailout, and cannabis growers’ forest impacts; Butte County files suit against DWR over Oroville Dam; Managing wildfires to protect water resources; and more …

On the calendar today …

• The Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife meets at 9:30am at the State Capitol.  Click here for more information.

In the news today …

CLIMATE CHANGE REPORT

Climate change will be deadlier, more destructive and costlier for California than previously believed, state warns: “Heat waves will grow more severe and persistent, shortening the lives of thousands of Californians. Wildfires will burn more of the state’s forests. The ocean will rise higher and faster, exposing California to billions in damage along the coast.  These are some of the threats California will face from climate change in coming decades, according to a new statewide assessment released Monday by the California Natural Resources Agency.  The projections come as Californians contend with destructive wildfires, brutal heat spells and record ocean temperatures that scientists say have the fingerprints of global warming. … ”  Read more from the LA Times here:  Climate change will be deadlier, more destructive and costlier for California than previously believed, state warns

California Climate Change Report Shows Rise in Wildfires, Sea Levels and Snow Drought: “Bigger fires, dirtier air and more flooding. That’s the crux of the stark warning in the latest University of California climate change report released Monday by the governor’s office.  The report projects a 300 percent increase in wildfires over the next 30 to 50 years, a trend that seemingly already has started with record-breaking wildfire numbers in the past two years.  So far this year, 1 million acres have been charred, three times the five-year average, and scientists predict that will increase 77 percent by 2100. … ”  Read more from Channel 4 here:  California Climate Change Report Shows Rise in Wildfires, Sea Levels and Snow Drought

Climate change report: California to see 77 percent more land burned:  “This year’s wildfire season is not the worst that California will see.  The number of large fires across the state will likely increase by 50 percent by the end of the century while the amount of land that burns annually will rise 77 percent, according to a new, far-reaching state report that seeks to document the impacts of climate change.  And the problems don’t end here. California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment, released Monday by the governor’s office with other state agencies, portrays a multiheaded threat that promises more wildfires at the same time that higher seas overrun beaches, less water fills state reservoirs and drier weather shrivels Central Valley crops. … ”  Read more from SF Chronicle here:  Climate change report: California to see 77 percent more land burned

STATE LEGISLATION

Legislative fights still hanging, plus dirty water protests:  “Today is the final day for lawmakers to file the latest — and last — versions of their bills if they want them to be taken up by the end of session. Under Proposition 54 — a 2016 ballot measure supported by nearly two-thirds of California voters — bills must be in print for 72 hours ahead of final floor votes.  The clock is ticking on the Legislature to resolve several key issues. By the end of the day, we will know which, if any, topics will be punted to next year. A couple issues that remain unresolved include … ”  Continue reading at the Sacramento Bee here:  Legislative fights still hanging, plus dirty water protests

Bill to impose more scrutiny on controversial Mojave Desert water project gets last-minute push: “Environmentalists are mounting a last-minute bid in the final week of the California legislative session to revive a stalled effort to require more review for a project to pump more groundwater from the Mojave Desert.  The project by Cadiz Inc. to sell that water to urban Southern California has been the subject of a long-running political drama. It was blocked by the Obama administration, then revived under President Trump. … ”  Read more from the LA Times here:  Bill to impose more scrutiny on controversial Mojave Desert water project gets last-minute push

After intense push, lawmakers advance bill that would bail out hydroelectric plant:  “A California Senate committee voted to advance a bill that would breathe life into a hydropower project near Joshua Tree National Park, following an intense hearing in which labor unions and the project’s developer urged lawmakers to support the bill.  Assembly Bill 2787 barely passed in the Senate’s energy and utilities committee on Monday, four days before this year’s legislative session ends. Six of the committee’s 11 members voted for AB 2787, including three senators — Anthony Cannella, Bob Hertzberg and Henry Stern — who expressed deep concerns about the legislation. ... ”  Read more from the Desert Sun here:  After intense push, lawmakers advance bill that would bail out hydroelectric plant

Bill targeting cannabis growers’ forest impacts awaits Governor’s signature:  “A bill to allow Cal Fire more time to investigate cannabis growers who illegally clear forestland, a practice that pollutes water and threatens wildlife, now awaits Gov. Jerry Brown’s signature after passing the state Legislature with bipartisan support.  Authored by North Coast state Sen. Mike McGuire, SB 1453 aims to curb the environmental effects of cutting down timberland for cannabis operations.  If signed into law, the bill would push the existing statute of limitations for illegal timberland conversions from one year to three, giving Cal Fire investigators “the time they need” to pursue “rogue growers” who clear forests to cultivate cannabis, McGuire’s office said in a release. The three-year period would also begin only after authorities first discovered the illegal timberland conversion. ... ”  Read more from the Eureka Times-Standard here:  Bill targeting cannabis growers’ forest impacts awaits Governor’s signature

OROVILLE DAM

Oroville Dam: Butte County files suit against DWR over road repairs, other damage: “Butte County has filed another lawsuit against the state Department of Water Resources, this time for damages from the Oroville Dam crisis that continue to increase.  The county is seeking compensation for damage to its roads, which heavy equipment is still utilizing for construction efforts, and also for costs associated with responding to the spillway emergency in February 2017.  No figure is included in the lawsuit, but Butte County Counsel Bruce Alpert said the amount the county is owed is “well above” $10 million. ... ”  Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here:  Oroville Dam: Butte County files suit against DWR over road repairs, other damage

Temporary wall collapses on Oroville spillway:  “A 30-foot-wide section of temporary wall on the upper chute of the Oroville Dam spillway fell over late last week, the state Department of Water Resources confirmed on Monday.  The collapse did not impact construction deadlines and resulted in no injuries, according to the department.  Erin Mellon, a spokeswoman for the department, said the structure, which she described as “a temporarily braced section of steel reinforcing,” was about 26 feet high, 30 feet wide and two feet deep. ... ”  Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here:  Temporary wall collapses on Oroville spillway

New Lake Oroville spillway undamaged as temporary structure topples:  “A temporary section of the new Lake Oroville main spillway project fell over last week after two iron braces failed to hold it in place. But the Department of Water Resources says the spillway was not damaged.  The section was a grid made of rebar that was to be used as a guide when pouring concrete. Tony Meyers, the project manager for the Department of Water Resources, says the weight of the grid caused the telescoping braces to bend and fail. … ”  Read more from Capital Public Radio here: New Lake Oroville spillway undamaged as temporary structure topples

OTHER STATEWIDE

Expert views: Managing wildfires to protect water resources:  “It’s wildfire season in the American West, and this one has already been setting records: the second-most destructive conflagration in Colorado, the largest-ever wildfire recorded in California and the worst air quality on record in smoky Seattle. Multiple fires continue to ravage the region, threatening homes, lives and, in many cases, water supplies.  The relationship between wildfires and water is complex, as researchers at the Public Policy Institute of California recently noted. Among other short-term concerns, eroded soil and ash from fires can contaminate drinking water. But experts have reason to believe the same management techniques that help curb the spread of dangerous wildfires may also improve water supply. … ”  Read more from Water Deeply here:  Expert views: Managing wildfires to protect water resources

Grants awarded to restore forest and watersheds:  “The USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region and National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) announced that nearly $1.26 million in grants were being awarded to restore forests and watersheds impacted by wildfires within the Eldorado and Lassen National Forests in northern California.  Of the total $1.26 million, more than $400,000 will benefit forests and watersheds impacted by the 2004 Power Fire in the Eldorado National Forest, which burned 14,000 acres. ... ”  Read more from the Mountain Democrat here:  Grants awarded to restore forest and watersheds

In regional news and commentary today …

West Marin creek project underway to boost coho habitat:  “With the help of heavy machinery, crews are removing more than 13,000 cubic yards of dumped fill and abandoned structures from a West Marin floodplain, all to restore the habitat of the endangered coho salmon.  The $5 million project by the Salmon Protection and Watershed Network is underway along a 1-mile stretch of Lagunitas Creek. The creek runs parallel to Sir Francis Drake Boulevard from Samuel P. Taylor State Park to Olema in areas that once were Tocaloma and Jewell. … ”  Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here:  West Marin creek project underway to boost coho habitat

Sacramento could be as hot as Phoenix in half a century:  “The Sacramento region is expected to get hotter, drier and more prone to extremes like mega-droughts, flooding and wildfires over the next few decades, according to California’s most recent Climate Change Assessment.  “Business as usual is not going to be business as usual anymore in the Sacramento Valley Region,” said UC Davis’ Benjamin Houlton, one of the report’s authors. ... ”  Read more from Capital Public Radio here:  Sacramento could be as hot as Phoenix in half a century

Lahtrop: Working with water: River Islands engineers water success story:  “River Islands at Lathrop is being developed on the southeastern most “island” of nearly 60 land tracts reclaimed from the vast San Joaquin-Sacramento Delta marshland created by nature.  The first levee was put in place by pioneers in 1850 to allow them to farm the rich soil. The last levee that helped create more than 700 miles of winding waterways — of which 18 miles surround River Islands — was finished in 1930. Back in the 1990s before homes were built to the west of the pre-existing levee carrying Union Pacific trains, it wasn’t usual in June during high river flows for high ground water to create mushy ground in spots limiting crop options. ... ”  Read more from the Manteca Bulletin here:  Working with water: River Islands engineers water success story

Eyeing the long term, Adelanto buys water rights:  “The City Council authorized buying 816 total acre-feet of water rights, casting the purchase as a shrewd move to both save money long term and accommodate expected future growth.  Elected leaders signed off Aug. 22 on the purchase from Aqua Capital Management LP, for 805 acre-feet, and Rodger L. & Rosemary A. Thompson Living Trust for the other 11.  The Adelanto Public Utility Authority’s deal for groundwater rights from the Alto Subarea of the Mojave Basin Area for nearly $4 million is expected to spare the city $312,000 this fiscal year, break even by 2027-28 and then result in savings after that, according to city finance consultant Lily Fang. … ”  Read more from the Victorville Daily Press here:  Eyeing the long term, Adelanto buys water rights

Hundreds of fish die in lagoon in tony Malibu:  “California officials were trying Monday to solve a stinky mystery: A die-off has left hundreds of fish floating in a recently restored lagoon on the tony Malibu coast.  Scientists believe the Malibu Lagoon die-off, which began last Wednesday, is likely caused by unusually warm water temperatures, said Craig Sap, superintendent of California State Parks’ Angeles District.  “We had many days in a row of warmer-than-usual temperatures. We hadn’t had much of a breeze down there to keep the temperatures down,” Sap said. … ”  Read more from the Sacramento Bee here:  Hundreds of fish die in lagoon in tony Malibu

Climate report predicts higher heat for Coachella Valley:  “Blistering temperatures in the Coachella Valley are expected to increase over the next century, affecting local economic drivers like agriculture and tourism, while likely increasing the risk of 
wildfires, according to a state climate report released today.  California’s fourth Climate Change Assessment concluded that daily average high temperatures will increase by eight to 14 degrees by the end of the century due to climate change. In Palm Springs, which has about 135 days per year above 95 degrees, the city was forecast to have 179 such days by the end of the 21st century, according to the report. … ”  Read more from Channel 3 here:  Climate report predicts higher heat for Coachella Valley

Lindo Lake suddenly turns bright green:  “Beautiful Lindo Lake in Lakeside is looking a bit different these days. People living nearby want to know why the lake seems to be a bright shade of green.  Mindy Collier and other Lakeside residents who frequent the lake know all too well about the algae-like affair.  “It seems to have improved a little bit,” said Collier. “It looks a little better.” ... ”  Read more from Channel 8 here:    Lindo Lake suddenly turns bright green

Along the Colorado River …

At water-starved Lake Mead and Lake Powell, ‘the crisis is already real,’ scientists say: “With Lake Mead dropping to levels that could trigger water cutbacks in less than two years, there’s been a lot of talk lately about negotiating a deal to keep the reservoir from falling even further.  But in a new report, scientists say the situation is just as worrisome upstream at Lake Powell.  The declines there during the past 18 years, they say, also reflect the Colorado River’s worsening “structural deficit.” … ”  Read more from Arizona Central here:  At water-starved Lake Mead and Lake Powell, ‘the crisis is already real,’ scientists say

Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

• BLOG ROUND-UP: Science, the Delta, and the future of San Joaquin salmon; Water grabs of California, explained simply; A compromise on flows plan; Climate change and adaptive management; Conserving freshwater ecosystems; and more …
• NEWS WORTH NOTING: California releases new climate science, planning tools to prepare for climate change impacts; New study demonstrates water conservation’s pay off for ratepayers
• NOTICE OF OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT Concerning PFOS and PFOA revisions to an amendment to the recycled water policy

 

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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.