In California water news today, Fallout from State Water Board vote continues, lawsuits threatened; Man behind snow survey set to retire; Bay Institute releases 20th anniversary edition of Sierra to Sea report; McKinleyville man helps save salmon – with math; Surfrider report: California coastal management gets high marks, still needs work to face rising sea-level threats; Southwestern states given until January 31st to seal drought deal; and more …
On the calendar today …
- The Central Valley Flood Protection Board meets at 9am. Click here for agenda and webcast link.
- The Delta Conveyance Finance Authority will meet at 11:30am. For more information, click here.
In the news today …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
- UPDATE: Agreement reached on Coordinated Operation Agreement for the State Water Project and the Central Valley Project, cost sharing; Water agencies respond
- MORE REACTIONS: Reclamation, Feinstein, Costa, Gray, and MID react to voluntary agreements and State Water Board vote on San Joaquin River tributary flow standards
- NEWS WORTH NOTING: Reclamation releases Colorado River Basin Ten Tribes Partnership Tribal Water Study; State Water Boards release tenth web-based performance report that showcases data storytelling; Nation’s largest seawater desalination plant delivers 40 billion gallons of high-quality drinking water
- DELTA eNEWS: ~~ Subcommittee Meeting~ DSC Meeting~ DSC Hiring~ Task Force~ Withdrawn Certification~ PPIC Blog ~~
San Francisco, other cities consider lawsuits to head off water restrictions: “The cities and towns hit this week with stiff demands to reduce water use, including San Francisco, say they’ll work with state regulators to meet the charge, but they’re also looking at the possibility of lawsuits. The State Water Resources Control Board approved a far-reaching plan Wednesday to improve the health of California’s rivers and fish by limiting the amount of water that dozens of communities take from four major waterways. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: San Francisco, other cities consider lawsuits to head off water restrictions
State Water Board Approves Increased Flows for the Lower San Joaquin River: “After a marathon hearing at the Cal EPA building in Sacramento, the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) voted 4 to 1 Wednesday to set a 40% flow standard for three tributaries that flow into the lower San Joaquin River — the Stanislaus, Tuolumne and Merced rivers – and a revision of the salinity standard for the South Delta. The board also voted to create a space for a proposal regarding voluntary agreements outlined in the meeting by Department of Water Resources Director Karla Nemeth and Department of Fish and Wildlife Director Charlton H. Bonham. … ” Read more from Dan Bacher at the Daily Kos here: State Water Board Approves Increased Flows for the Lower San Joaquin River
State Water Board requires minimum flows for the San Joaquin River: “In a decision years in the making, the State Water Board adopted an updated plan for the San Joaquin River and it’s tributaries. The historic plan requires a standard flow of 40 percent, which will help fish habitat in the rivers and aid in restoring the Bay Delta. The State has been facing crashing Salmon populations and declining health in the Bay Delta estuary. An alternative plan was put forward by two of the State’s environmental agencies in an attempt to hold off on the minimum flow requirement. The Water Board adopted the plan, but made allowances for voluntary agreements with water users. Vic Bedoian reports from Fresno.”
‘This is an assault on farmworkers’: Farmers react to state ‘water grab’ approval: “Farmers are speaking out about the Bay-Delta water quality control plan that was just approved by the California State Water Resources Control Board on Wednesday night. The approved plan is meant to increase the river flows into the Delta to revive the salmon population. In turn, this would mean delivering less water to farmers and cities who rely on the Tuolumne, Stanislaus and Merced Rivers. … ” Read more from ABC 10 here: ‘This is an assault on farmworkers’: Farmers react to state ‘water grab’ approval
Are the Delta tunnels and the ‘water grab’ the same thing? “The State Water Resources Control Board is working on two major water projects, both that carry their own levels of controversy. While both projects deal with water, they are separate projects. Even as some speculation from river flow proposal opponents see the two as related, state officials maintain that they are separate projects ... ” Continue reading at ABC 10 here: Are the Delta tunnels and the ‘water grab’ the same thing?
Man behind snow survey set to retire: “Year in and year out, Californians have become accustomed to the man in the snow. Frank Gehrke has walked through a Sierra meadow during the past 30 years to educate the public about the snow pack. Now, he is retiring. Surrounded by cameras and reporters, Gehrke carried his snow pack measuring tools through rain, snow or shine, to get a manual reading of the Sierra water content. The senior engineer at the California Department of Water Resources said while the scene is familiar now, it wasn’t always that way.” Watch video from KCRA here: Man behind snow survey set to retire
Reflowing the Sierra to the Sea: Bay Institute Releases 20th Anniversary Edition of 1998 Report: “A fall flight over the Mexican coast where the Colorado River meets the Sea of Cortez offered me a gut-punching, eye-screwing, visual on the results of impaired flow. The semantics of ‘unimpaired’ and ‘impaired’ flow have laced the language of California water management debates since some engineer invented these politically ‘neutral’ terms long ago. The terms refer to our alteration of freshwater flows from snowmelt and runoff by dams and diversions. But whatever the labels, or whichever estuary you’re referring to, keeping these flows from reaching the sea via rivers can starve these aquatic ecosystems of their liquid life force. Whether it’s the vast yellowing salt flats that are all that remain of the mighty marshes of the pre-dam Colorado River delta, or our own estuary at the mouth of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers, when we “impair” the flow from the mountains to sea, the result is ecological trauma. … ” Read more from Estuary News here: Reflowing the Sierra to the Sea: Bay Institute Releases 20th Anniversary Edition of 1998 Report
McKinleyville man helps save salmon – with math: “A McKinleyville man recently created an equation to better target tricky parasites linked to Klamath River salmon deaths. “I study salmon because I love statistics, I love rivers, and I love fish,” Nicholas Som, a statistician with the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, said in an email to the Times-Standard. “I was never interested in some of the more traditional statistics jobs like working for insurance companies or banks.” ... ” Continue reading from the Eureka Times-Standard here: McKinleyville man helps save salmon – with math
Surfrider report: California coastal management gets high marks, still needs work to face rising sea-level threats: “California has done a better job managing its coastline than most of the other beach states in the country — but needs to improve at planning for the future as sea-level rise threatens homes and infrastructure. The “2018 State of the Beach Report Card” released Thursday by San Clemente-based Surfrider Foundation gave California an “A” grade, while other areas prone to extreme weather and lacking policy to protect the coast earned lower ratings. … ” Read more from the LA Daily News here: Surfrider report: California coastal management gets high marks, still needs work to face rising sea-level threats
The long dry: Global water supplies are shrinking: “A global study has found a paradox: our water supplies are shrinking at the same time as climate change is generating more intense rain. And the culprit is the drying of soils, say researchers, pointing to a world where drought-like conditions will become the new normal, especially in regions that are already dry. The study – the most exhaustive global analysis of rainfall and rivers – was conducted by a team led by Professor Ashish Sharma at Australia’s UNSW (University of New South Wales) in Sydney. It relied on actual data from 43,000 rainfall stations and 5300 river monitoring sites in 160 countries, instead of basing its findings on model simulations of a future climate, which can be uncertain and at times questionable. … ” Read more from ENN here: The long dry: Global water supplies are shrinking
In commentary today …
The state can’t be trusted on water. The courts are our last resort, says the Merced Sun-Star: They write, “No matter how many state bureaucrats, well-heeled environmentalists and even a few odd poets vilify those who depend on the Merced River, John Sweigard says he won’t stop trying to save the salmon that depend on it. “MID is not going to quit pursuing comprehensive salmon restoration on the Merced River,” said Sweigard. “Because if (salmon survival) is not addressed, it’s always going to be an issue used to come after our water rights.” Sweigard spoke as the State Water Resources Control Board met Wednesday in Sacramento. Like many others form the Northern San Joaquin Valley who attended, he feared the worst. And that’s what the state water board delivered. ... ” Read more from the Merced Sun-Star here: The state can’t be trusted on water. The courts are our last resort
California needs to address its water and wildlife challenges now, says Dianne Feinstein: She writes, “As new leaders prepare to take office and shift to the business of governing, I hope we’ll focus on two vital issues for California: wildfires and water. We are in the midst of the most destructive wildfire season in recorded California history. Nearly 2 million acres have burned, destroying more than 15,000 homes and killing more than 90 people. We also just survived the worst drought in recent history. At its peak, almost 70 communities faced water supply and water quality problems, and more than 2,500 wells were critically low or dry. … ” Continue reading at the LA Times here: California needs to address its water and wildlife challenges now
In regional news and commentary today …
Klamath: Water issues group making some headway: “Klamath River stakeholders from the headwaters in Oregon to where it flows into the Pacific Ocean in Northern California gathered this week in Medford seeking common ground on solutions to water usage, among other topics. In what he describes as the most substantive meeting yet, Alan Mikkelsen said that some 65 people representing the Northern California tribes, wildlife and marine interests, Bureau of Reclamation, environmental groups and On Project and Off Project irrigators met for a full day of talks. … ” Read more from the Herald & News here: Klamath: Water issues group making some headway
San Pablo Bay: Greening Dickson’s Heights: “Looking east from the levee-top trail, a silvery swath of bay is dotted with low islands — some tufted with plants, others mere muddy humps that barely break the surface. This is low tide at the nearly 1,000-acre Sears Point wetland restoration project on the western side of San Pablo Bay. The islands, 500 in all, are actually man-made mounds, scattered across the mudflat as an integral part of the restoration design. Each is roughly 60 feet across and was carefully sculpted so its wide, flat top would submerge at high tide, creating habitat for a specific group of marsh plants. This in turn provides an important suite of ecological functions central to the project’s success. … ” Read more from Estuary News here: San Pablo Bay: Greening Dickson’s Heights
Anderson Dam seismic safety upgrade postponed to 2022: “The rains have returned to the Santa Clara Valley, and with them renewed anxiety over the capacity and stability of the county’s biggest body of water, the Anderson Reservoir. The source of that anxiety isn’t likely to go away until after as many as nine rainy seasons, as the Santa Clara Valley Water District now says that a five-year, $550 million project to upgrade the earthquake safety of the Anderson dam may not begin until 2022 at the earliest, two years later than its official start date. The popular recreation lake will be drained for at least five years during the project. … ” Read more from San Jose Inside here: Anderson Dam seismic safety upgrade postponed to 2022
Despite controversy, Pacifica City Council narrowly approves plan to combat sea level rise: “An ongoing debate over how to deal with sea level rise in Pacifica reached a vote among city council, approving an adaptation plan despite numerous homeowners pleading their cases to delay approval. Councilmembers voted 3-2 in favor of moving forward and ultimately submit the plan to the California Coastal Commission for approval. The fiery meeting Monday lasted more than four hours as Pacifica residents, business owners and government officials voiced their concerns over some strategies and raised questions about how the plan is written. Property values, insurance coverage, future development, coastal erosion and funding were the main themes discussed among the community. ... ” Read more from KTVU here: Despite controversy, Pacifica City Council narrowly approves plan to combat sea level rise
More oil fracking on Central California public lands? Thousands voice concerns on air, water: “Thousands of people have voiced concerns over the prospect of fracking on public lands that are open to oil and gas exploration across Central California. Around 400,000 acres of public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management are available for new oil and gas leases, including on the coast, and that could mean more fracking. The Bureau of Land Management’s Bakersfield Field Office was flooded with 8,399 faxes, letters and emails about the issue during a 30-day public comment period, according to a scoping report released by the office Thursday. ... ” Continue reading at the San Luis Obispo Tribune here: More oil fracking on Central California public lands? Thousands voice concerns on air, water
Inyo Public Works to take back control of water system: “Beginning next month, Inyo County will take over operation of the water systems in Independence, Laws and Lone Pine with a goal of upgrading the 100-year old infrastructure and, hopefully, breaking even financially. Public Works’ Chris Cash made the case for the move from an outside contractor, Wilder-Barton to an in-house operation at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors’ meeting. The timing matches the end of Wilder-Barton’s contract. System meters were installed at least 38 years ago. The Independence system suffered a break in its main line last year. The three systems are operating on borrowed time. … ” Read more from Sierra Wave here: Inyo Public Works to take back control of water system
Controversial Long Beach wetlands deal approved, more oil drilling expected: “A controversial land swap that could eventually restore a 150-acre Long Beach oil field to its natural state as part of the Los Cerritos Wetlands was approved by the California Coastal Commission on Thursday, a key step for the project to move forward. Synergy Oil will eventually stop operations and hand over the land northeast of the intersection of 2nd Street and Pacific Coast Highway, as well as ending pumping operations on 33 leased acres of city land south of 2nd Street. … ” Read more from the Daily Breeze here: Controversial Long Beach wetlands deal approved, more oil drilling expected
Along the Colorado River …
Federal official threatens takeover of key Colorado River decisions from states: “The federal Bureau of Reclamation commissioner threatened Thursday to take over some crucial Colorado River management decisions if Arizona and California don’t quickly approve drought plans. Commissioner Brenda Burman said she would take unspecified actions to protect Lakes Mead and Powell and the river itself if the states don’t approve drought contingency plans by the end of January. Acknowledging that both states are close to approving plans, she emphasized, “almost is not done.” … ” Read more from Arizona Central here: Federal official threatens takeover of key Colorado River decisions from states
Southwestern states have until January 31st to seal drought deal for Colorado River water: “The head of the federal agency controlling the Colorado River said Thursday the U.S. government will impose unprecedented restrictions on water supplies to the seven Southwestern U.S. states that depend on the river unless everyone agrees by Jan. 31 on a plan to deal with an expected shortage in 2020. Water users from Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming should have had a pact to sign at an annual water users’ conference this week in Las Vegas, Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman said. ... ” Read more from the AP via Deseret News here: Southwestern states have until January 31st to seal drought deal for Colorado River water
Precipitation watch …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
Today’s announcements …
Sign up for daily email service and you’ll never miss a post …
Sign up for free daily email service and you’ll get all the Notebook’s aggregated and original water news content delivered to your email box by 9AM. And with breaking news alerts, you’ll always be one of the first to know …
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.
