In California water news today, El Niños to strengthen because of global warming, will cause ‘more extreme weather’, study says; Coastal report gives state good marks, sees room to improve on planning for rising sea; Report Calls Forest Service Response to 2016 Big Sur Fire a ‘Firefighting Boondoggle’; Dangerous Surf Targeting the West Coast From California to Washington State; Groups worry about next Interior Secretary as Zinke leaves; and more …
In the news today …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
- DAILY DIGEST, weekend edition: CA cedes water to feds in Delta deal with Trump; Bay Area Democrats take on Feinstein over water bill; Study: Sierra Nevada snow pack on track to shrink dramatically in next 20-40 years; Interior chief Zinke out, is Denham next in line?; and more …
- RESERVOIR AND WATER CONDITIONS for December 17
- NEWS WORTH NOTING: DWR launching Salton Sea habitat enhancement project; Colorado River Delta report provides restoration road map
El Niños to strengthen because of global warming, will cause ‘more extreme weather’, study says: “El Niños will be stronger and more frequent in the decades ahead because of global warming, causing “more extreme events” in the United States and around the world, a news study says. A natural phenomenon marked by warmer-than-average seawater in the tropical Pacific Ocean, El Niño is Earth’s most influential climate pattern. A weak one is forecast to form at some point this winter, federal scientists have said. ... ” Read more from Ventura County Star here: El Niños to strengthen because of global warming, will cause ‘more extreme weather’, study says
Coastal report gives state good marks, sees room to improve on planning for rising sea: “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, Surfrider says. 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 Ventura County Star here: Coastal report gives state good marks, sees room to improve on planning for rising sea
Report Calls Forest Service Response to 2016 Big Sur Fire a ‘Firefighting Boondoggle’: “A new report slams the U.S. Forest Service response to a massive 2016 wildfire near Big Sur as “inappropriate, excessive and ineffective” and calls it emblematic of the agency’s overall spending tactics. The report, assembled by the advocacy group Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology, closely examined how the agency fought the 2016 Soberanes Fire near Big Sur. It was the most expensive wildfire in U.S. history, costing $262 million to fight. The blaze was started by an illegal campfire in Garrapata State Park outside Carmel on July 22, 2016, and quickly spread, destroying 57 homes and killing a dozer operator in the first week. … ” Read more from KQED here: Report Calls Forest Service Response to 2016 Big Sur Fire a ‘Firefighting Boondoggle’
Dangerous Surf Targeting the West Coast From California to Washington State: “Dangerously high surf will continue to pound much of the West Coast through early Tuesday, which may prove deadly for those ignoring warnings to stay out of the water. High surf warnings were issued by the National Weather Service from Point Conception, California, north of the L.A. Basin to the coast of southwest Washington, highlighting an especially heightened threat to life and property within the surf zone. ... ” Read more from The Weather Channel here: Dangerous Surf Targeting the West Coast From California to Washington State
Groups worry about next Interior Secretary as Zinke leaves: “Conservation groups welcome the departure of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, saying it could take years to reverse the damage to America’s public lands during his time in office. President Donald Trump announced Saturday that the former Navy SEAL and U.S. representative from Montana will leave his post by the end of the year, amid ethics charges involving business deals, policy decisions and travel arrangements. Despite high hopes that, as a Westerner, Zinke would be sensitive to public lands protections, Aaron Weiss, media director of the Center for Western Priorities, maintains he’ll be remembered as the most harmful interior secretary for public lands in the nation’s history. … ” Read more from the Public News Service here: Groups worry about next Interior Secretary as Zinke leaves
‘No kind of victory’ on Capitol Hill as Zinke heads for exit: “Lawmakers reacted with partisan vigor this weekend after Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke announced his pending departure from the Trump administration, regarding his tenure at the agency as anything from “one of the great secretaries of Interior” to “a shameless handmaiden for the special interests.” President Trump announced Saturday morning that Zinke will step down from his post this month, ending two years marked by a string of investigations surrounding spending and management at the Interior Department. ... ” Read more from E&E News here: ‘No kind of victory’ on Capitol Hill as Zinke heads for exit
In commentary today …
Sites proponents have years of advocacy ahead of them to get the 500,000 acre-foot lake finally under construction, says the Appeal-Democrat: They write, “Sites Reservoir proponents are happy with what’s happened this year … they’ve collected commitments for some serious coinage – state and federal. They can stay grounded, however, by the fact that they’ve got several billion dollars still to go. There’s a lot of work ahead. The off-stream reservoir adds a sizable storage capacity to Northern California, with none of the environmental and fewer political traps of an on-stream dam. ... ” Read more from the Appeal Democrat here: Sites proponents have years of advocacy ahead of them to get the 500,000 acre-foot lake finally under construction
In regional news and commentary today …
Klamath: Contractors prep for dam removal: “Although the contract has yet to be awarded and the operating license hand-over has yet to be approved, Kiewit Infrastructure West is seeking to give local contractors as much detail as it can regarding the proposed removal of four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River. Representatives from Kiewit met with about 30 local contractors Tuesday night at the Cerulean Hotel in Downtown Klamath Falls. It’s one of several stops the international construction firm is making in anticipation of winning the lead contractor bid. ... ” Read more from the Herald & News here: Klamath: Contractors prep for dam removal
Butte County: Comments being taken on new groundwater management boundaries: “Comments are being taken through Jan. 4 on the way Butte County and the rest of the state has been divided up to manage groundwater. Under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, the major aquifers in the state are being divided into basins. Each one will have to have a governing board of some sort, which will develop and manage a plan to maintain the amount and quality of the water beneath to surface. … ” Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here: Comments being taken on new groundwater management boundaries
Officials unveil first phase of San Francisquito Creek flood protection: “Under dark clouds and an eventual downpour, public officials on Friday unveiled the completed first phase of San Francisquito Creek flood protection, a project that aims to protect 1,000 homes from a 100-year flood event during an extreme high tide. The $76 million Phase 1 project is also designed to protect East Palo Alto homes against sea-level rise that could be 10 feet higher than today, officials said. … ” Read more from Palo Alto Online here: Officials unveil first phase of San Francisquito Creek flood protection
Santa Cruz: Water district to review Pure Water Soquel impacts: “One of Santa Cruz County’s largest water districts may move forward Tuesday in approving a new water supply project in the wake of completing its environmental impact due diligence. The Soquel Creek Water District board will hear a presentation on a finalized study for its Pure Water Soquel wastewater recycling plant project, with responses to more than 100 questions related to the draft version of the document issued in June. … ” Read more from the Santa Cruz Sentinel here: Water district to review Pure Water Soquel impacts
International Water Investigators to Meet Over Tijuana River Valley Sewage Spill: “International water investigators will meet with Mexican counterparts Monday to discuss clean-up and repair efforts after a huge sewage spill in the Tijuana River Valley. The meeting is expected to last most of the day and will mainly cover funding for continued repair of Mexico’s sewage infrastructure. “It’s reached its life cycle,” explained Lori Kuczmanski, the Public Affairs Officer for the IBWC. “The pipes are 50 to 60 years old. They’re outdated and just old and ruptured.” … ” Read more from NBC San Diego here: International Water Investigators to Meet Over Tijuana River Valley Sewage Spill
Precipitation watch …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
https://mavensnotebook.com/2018/12/17/reservoir-and-water-conditions-for-december-17/
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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.
