In California water news today, WaterFix Opponents Say Project Will Harm California’s Poorest; Climate summit: What happened and what it means; Community meeting Wednesday on lifting water advisory in Fountaingrove; Montecito watershed recovery complicated by uncertainty, risks of future debris flows; and more …
On the calendar today …
- The Groundwater Resources Association will hold a webinar on Stable Isotope Recharge in Butte County, 2015 to 2017 from 12pm to 1:30pm. Click here for more information and to register.
In the news today …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
- BLOG ROUND-UP: Bay Delta Plan Phase II, Delta smelt, salmon, Making water conservation a way of life, Prop 3, public trust doctrine, and more …
- NEWS WORTH NOTING: Restore the Delta presents new environmental justice report at Stockton press conference; New report on measuring progress toward universal access to water and sanitation in California; New outdoor water use efficiency report highlights recommendations for transforming CA’s urban landscapes
Tunnel foes shift focus to Delta’s most disadvantaged communities: “California’s proposal to construct two massive tunnels underneath the Delta northwest of the city to divert Sacramento River water south would “devastate” Stockton and other communities in and around the Delta, especially what a new report refers to as “environmental justice communities” that often have been ignored in the discussion around the tunnels. The 216-page report — “The Fate of the Delta: Impacts of Proposed Water Projects and Plans on Delta Environmental Justice Communities” from grassroots advocacy group Restore the Delta — was released Monday during a news conference attended by Stockton’s representatives in Congress and the California Legislature, Mayor Michael Tubbs, San Joaquin County Supervisor Kathy Miller and others all stating their support. … ” Read more from the Stockton Record here: Tunnel foes shift focus to Delta’s most disadvantaged communities
WaterFix Opponents Say Project Will Harm California’s Poorest: “With California trudging ahead with a contentious $16.7 billion water project, a cache of environmental and social concerns remain around its plan to replumb the source of drinking water for an estimated 25 million residents. Backed by the state’s largest urban and agricultural water suppliers, outgoing Gov. Jerry Brown wants to build two massive 30-mile-long tunnels and funnel water from California’s largest river directly to farms and cities to the south. Supporters say the tunnels, now called the California WaterFix, are a vital retrofit of the state’s outdated water infrastructure and protect against future sea-level rise and earthquakes. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service here: WaterFix Opponents Say Project Will Harm California’s Poorest
Climate summit: What happened and what it means: “Thousands of leaders from around the world gathered in San Francisco last week to announce what they’ve accomplished in the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and to make new commitments for the transition from fossil fuels. The transition from fossil fuels affects everything from housing to transportation to building to buying. It can feel like a daunting task. In this hour-long special report on the Global Climate Action Summit, we explore how to handle the emotions climate change raises, what happened at the summit, and what it meant. … ” Read more from KQED here: Climate summit: What happened and what it means
In commentary today …
Legal commentary: Groundwater pumpers beware: The public trust doctrine is lurking: Courtney Davis and David Osias write, “The Third District Appellate Court recently issued a long-awaited decision in Environmental Law Foundation vs. State Water Resources Control Board (ELF v. SWRCB). The decision confirms the expansive scope of California’s public trust doctrine by ruling that the doctrine applies to the extraction of groundwater if the extraction will adversely impact a navigable waterway. The court also determined that the 2014 enactment of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) did not displace the common law duty to consider public trust interests before allowing groundwater extractions that could potentially harm a navigable waterway. The case arose in the context of a lawsuit over Siskiyou County’s (the County) obligations in administering groundwater well permit and management programs with respect to the Scott River, a navigable waterway tributary to the Klamath River. The Scott River is a public trust resource. … ” Read more from the National Law Review here: Groundwater pumpers beware: The public trust doctrine is lurking
In regional news and commentary today …
Community meeting Wednesday on lifting water advisory in Fountaingrove: “Santa Rosa Water officials are holding a community meeting Wednesday evening to inform Fountaingrove residents when a post-fire water quality advisory will be lifted. Contractors completed the replacement of water service lines to 352 properties in a water quality advisory area where benzene was found. City water crews flushed and sampled every new water service line to confirm the contaminant was removed, and new water service meets all state and federal safe drinking water standards, city officials said. … ” Read more from SF Gate here: Community meeting Wednesday on lifting water advisory in Fountaingrove
Stockton wastewater plant is getting a makeover: “The city’s wastewater treatment facility is set to get a huge face-lift in the coming years. A draft environmental impact report for the Regional Wastewater Control Facility Modifications project has been prepared, and the city of Stockton will hold a public meeting on Sept. 24 to review it. The project aims to extend the life of existing amenities at the plant, improve working conditions for employees, and bring the site into compliance with national pollutant discharge standards. … ” Read more from the Stockton Record here: Stockton wastewater plant is getting a makeover
Fresno’s new water treatment facility complete and running: “The cornerstone of Fresno’s largest-ever infrastructure project is complete. The Southeast Surface Water Treatment Facility and its major water pipelines are part of the city’s Recharge Fresno program — a plan to provide greater capacity and sustainability. The new facility treats surface water piped from the Kings River. Previously, wells throughout the city provided the a large share of the water delivered to Fresno homes and businesses. … ” Read more from KGPE here: Fresno’s new water treatment facility complete and running
Montecito watershed recovery complicated by uncertainty, risks of future debris flows: “Eight months after the Jan. 9 flash flooding and debris flows ripped through Montecito, killing 23 people, a panel of science experts convened Monday night to talk about the devastating impact and whether more danger looms in the coming months. “The truth is we don’t know,” acknowledged Ed Keller, a professor of environmental geology at UC Santa Barbara. “It is in the realm of the great geomorphologic god in the sky.” … ” Read more from Noozhawk here: Montecito watershed recovery complicated by uncertainty, risks of future debris flows
Along the Colorado River …
Drain Lake Powell and tear down Glen Canyon Dam to promote conservation and water supply security, say Daniel Beard and Gary Wockner: They write, “Two days ago a Denver Post front page story warned of water shortages and climate change facing the Colorado River which supplies water to much of Colorado and its 5.6 million residents. Other national stories the past few weeks have focused on the “crisis” and drought facing the Colorado River due to climate change. We appreciate the attention paid to water issues, but there’s more to these stories than often gets reported. Addressing water shortages and river-protection problems calls for bold steps based on science and common sense. ... ” Read more from the Denver Post here: Drain Lake Powell and tear down Glen Canyon Dam to promote conservation and water supply security
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
- BLOG ROUND-UP: Bay Delta Plan Phase II, Delta smelt, salmon, Making water conservation a way of life, Prop 3, public trust doctrine, and more …
- NEWS WORTH NOTING: Restore the Delta presents new environmental justice report at Stockton press conference; New report on measuring progress toward universal access to water and sanitation in California; New outdoor water use efficiency report highlights recommendations for transforming CA’s urban landscapes
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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.
