In California water news today, The $8.9 million California water bond that has environmentalists divided; How a law on lead in school drinking water may not go far enough; California Turning Away From Traditional Imported Water Sources and Toward More Resilient Localized Water Supplies; The cost of cleaning up nitrate contamination falls on America’s poorest counties; AI may be monitoring water supply sources soon; Meet the farmer of the future: Robots; Photo Gallery: See what the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act preserves; and more …
In the news today …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
The $8.9 billion California water bond that has environmentalists divided: “California voters in November will decide whether or not to approve a controversial $8.9 billion bond measure for water-related projects like groundwater storage, water treatment and restoring protected habitats. The measure, Proposition 3, has divided the environmental community and drawn criticism from local newspapers, who say it would benefit wealthy farmers and agribusiness. ... ” Read more from KQED here: The $8.9 billion California water bond that has environmentalists divided
Radio show: How a law on lead in school drinking water may not go far enough: “In January of this year, a state law went into effect that requires public schools throughout California to test their drinking water for lead by July of 2019. Lawmakers enacted the regulation in an effort to improve water quality at schools. And while thousands of water districts have now tested their water for lead, a special report out of the education news website EdSource found many ways in which the law is lacking. Listen to the audio for an interview with EdSource education reporter Nico Savidge about what the law requires, what test results are showing, and why some think the law is insufficient. You can search for your school on this interactive map published by EdSource.” Listen to the radio show at Valley Public Radio here: How a law on lead in school drinking water may not go far enough
Legal analysis/commentary: California Turning Away From Traditional Imported Water Sources and Toward More Resilient Localized Water Supplies: “In 2014 California enacted the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, which provides the framework for local water management agencies to develop and implement groundwater sustainability plans in order to sustainably manage the state’s groundwater within 20 years. This legislation was California’s first ever attempt to sustainably manage groundwater resources, a long overdue effort given that the state relies on groundwater for 40 percent of its total water supply in an average year. The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act aims to ensure that groundwater basins are being managed in a way that achieves “sustainable yield”—the maximum quantity of water that can be withdrawn annually from a groundwater supply without causing an “undesirable result.” ... ” Read more from the National Law Review here: California Turning Away From Traditional Imported Water Sources and Toward More Resilient Localized Water Supplies
The cost of cleaning up nitrate contamination falls on America’s poorest counties: “Millions of people in the United States drink water contaminated with nitrates from agricultural runoff, which can have adverse effects on human health. For decades, cities and towns in California and the Midwest, where much of this pollution is concentrated, have tried to clean up their water—for a high price. Now, an Environmental Working Group report has found that the brunt of this cost falls on small, rural communities, where a disproportionate amount of residents are living in poverty. … ” Read more from Pacific Standard here: The cost of cleaning up nitrate contamination falls on America’s poorest counties
AI may be monitoring water supply sources soon: “Right now, when an expert at a water treatment plant detects cyanobacteria in a sample, they have to take action quickly. Some treatment facilities can handle cyanobacteria, but many smaller systems can’t, and separate water supplies such as those from private wells are typically not tested at all. A recent feasibility study of new artificial intelligence (AI) water monitoring technology may mean an easier, more cost-effective solution for water treatment plants—especially for smaller and more rural municipalities. … ” Read more from the Environmental Monitor here: AI may be monitoring water supply sources soon
Meet the farmer of the future: Robots: “Brandon Alexander would like to introduce you to Angus, the farmer of the future. He’s heavyset, weighing in at nearly 1,000 pounds, not to mention a bit slow. But he’s strong enough to hoist 800-pound pallets of maturing vegetables and can move them from place to place on his own. Sure, Angus is a robot. But don’t hold that against him, even if he looks more like a large tanning bed than C-3PO. … ” Read more from the AP here: Meet the farmer of the future: Robots
Photo Gallery: See what the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act preserves: “This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act — a historic decision to preserve rivers of special recreational, scenic and cultural value. Through this law, over 13,000 miles of rivers and streams have been protected. In Wild and Scenic Rivers: An American Legacy, author and photographer Tim Palmer makes the case for protecting yet more sections of the nation’s approximately 2.9 million miles of natural waterways. … ” Read more from High Country News here: Photo Gallery: See what the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act preserves
In commentary today …
In regional news and commentary today …
Will a landslide on the Eel River cause California’s next dam disaster, asks Scott Gracean: He writes, “Pacific Gas & Electric Co. (PG&E) wants to sell its two dams on California’s upper Eel River as soon as possible. Part of a diversion scheme called the Potter Valley Project, the utility wants to get the dams off its balance sheet so badly it is moving to auction them off right in the middle of a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) relicensing process. Scott Dam will be 102 years old, and Cape Horn 112 years old, when their current federal license expires in 2022. Wouldn’t it make sense to be sure the dams are actually safe before PG&E auctions them off, or before FERC grants a new 50-year license? ... ” Read more from Water Deeply here: Will a landslide on the Eel River cause California’s next dam disaster
Soaring Views and Hawks Highlight New Jenner Headlands Preserve: “A bold landform rises from the ocean’s edge just north of the Russian River mouth, in Sonoma County, and above it a highway of hawks forms in the fall. Southbound raptors ride a band of air that’s shaped in part by the weather, in part by the Jenner Headlands terrain. On a warm September day, four or five sharp-shinned and Cooper’s hawks may be in view at once within this sweeping landscape. These slender brown birds of prey, distinguished by their small size and their flap-and-glide flight styles, belong to the genus Accipiter, known for eating songbirds, especially in woodlands. … ” Read more from Bay Nature here: Soaring Views and Hawks Highlight New Jenner Headlands Preserve
Tubbs fire’s toll reverberates in Santa Rosa, Sonoma County one year later: “One year ago, Crown Hill Drive was filled with green trees, green bushes and green lawns surrounding upscale homes lining a picturesque road curving through Santa Rosa’s northeastern hills. Today, the lots along this street are brown and barren, much of the remaining vegetation charred, the premises otherwise nearly devoid of life. A ferocious wildfire destroyed most homes here, along with nearly 1,600 others in the greater Fountaingrove area. The sounds of construction resound on nearby streets and birdsong occasionally rings through the area. Otherwise, silence prevails. … ” Read more from the Sonoma Index-Tribune here: Tubbs fire’s toll reverberates in Santa Rosa, Sonoma County one year later
Rebuilding Sonoma County: Fountaingrove sees ‘a lot of movement’: “When Tom Francois celebrated the completion of his Fountaingrove home earlier this month surrounded by hundreds of friends, former neighbors and strangers, it felt like “winning the lottery.” The 77-year-old property owner was the first in the hillside neighborhood of northeast Santa Rosa to have a home rebuilt and ready for occupancy. It marks a personal triumph for Francois and a milestone for Fountaingrove, where rebuilding activity has lagged behind Coffey Park, the other Santa Rosa neighborhood leveled by the Tubbs fire. … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here: Rebuilding Sonoma County: Fountaingrove sees ‘a lot of movement’
Marina bears heavy burden in desalination dispute, says Bruce Delgado: “In parched, drought-stricken California, where water is considered liquid gold, the politics of power and wealth are playing out in real-time. The California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) recent decision to allow the California American Water Company (Cal-Am) to proceed with its Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project desalination plant is great news – that is, if you live in Carmel, Pacific Grove or Monterey. But the City of Marina, where less affluent residents live and where the actual desalination plant will pull water from, will bear only the consequences of the project without receiving any of the water produced. … ” Read more from Capitol Weekly here: Marina bears heavy burden in desalination dispute, says Bruce Delgado
Santa Barbara City Council Toys With Idea of Watering De la Guerra Plaza Again: “Santa Barbara is in a drought emergency, and residents throughout city are being asked to conserve water. Even so, the city might again start watering De la Guerra Plaza, the once-verdant expanse of grass in front of City Hall in the heart of downtown. Councilman Gregg Hart asked the city staff on Tuesday if it could find a way to water the plaza, which has degenerated into mostly dirt. … ” Read more from Noozhawk here: Santa Barbara City Council Toys With Idea of Watering De la Guerra Plaza Again
Santa Barbara: Drought goes on, water use goes down, and supplies stay reliable: “The beginning of the eighth year of drought conditions in Santa Barbara should be a red-alert for water managers, but the crisis is being managed. A multi-part plan is being used to slow down the water use and preserve what’s in the local storage sites both above and below the ground. “We’re going into year eight and smashing records every day, ” said Water Resources Manager Joshua Haggmark. “This is uncharted territory with records going back over 100 years.” … ” Read more from KEYT here: Santa Barbara: Drought goes on, water use goes down, and supplies stay reliable
Judge says steelhead need more help in Santa Clara River: “Conservation groups are claiming victory in a legal case against United Water Conservation District after a federal court judge ruled the water agency had failed to adequately protect endangered steelhead trout in the Santa Clara River. Ruling from the U.S. District Court in Santa Ana on Sept. 23, Judge David Carter declared the Santa Paula-based water agency had violated the federal Endangered Species Act by failing to ensure an adequate water supply and migratory passageway for steelhead through the Freeman Diversion dam. The ruling came in response to a lawsuit filed in June of 2016 by a coalition of environmental groups, including the local Wishtoyo Foundation. … ” Read more from the Ventura County Star here: Judge says steelhead need more help in Santa Clara River
Glendale defends water rates in appeals court: “Glendale officials defended the city’s water rate system in an appeal Tuesday of a February 2017 court ruling that determined the city overcharged residential ratepayers while unlawfully subsidizing its own rates, violating state law. “We can have flat water rates, but we don’t have to,” Michael G. Colantuono, attorney for city, told a three-judge panel in the 2nd District Court of Appeal, explaining why the city went with a tiered system that charged heavier consumers more than efficient users. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Glendale defends water rates in appeals court
Flash flood warnings bring threat of potential debris flows to Holy Fire areas: “Weeks after the Holy fire ravaged thousands of acres in the hills above Lake Elsinore, Temescal Valley and Corona; and in part of Orange County, residents Tuesday prepared for the arrival of wet weather. The storm expected to arrive in the area late Tuesday could bring as much as half an inch of rain, according to the National Weather Service. Kathy Hoxsie, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Los Angeles, said forecasters did not expect any rainfall at an amount she would find concerning, but that residents in the area still need to pay attention. … ” Read more from the San Bernardino Sun here: Flash flood warnings bring threat of potential debris flows to Holy Fire areas
Precipitation watch …
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.
