DAILY DIGEST: Storm train to resume along the West Coast this weekend; A decade later for the Yuba River Accord; The most important new CA enviro and health laws of 2019; The fight over ‘Waters of the US’; and more …

In California water news today, Storm train to resume along the West Coast this weekend; A decade later for the Yuba River Accord; LA County and Malibu will study Woolsey fire response in a ‘new era of threat’; The Most Important New California Environmental and Health Laws of 2019; The fight over ‘Waters of the US’; and more, plus the man behind most of the ski maps in America
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In the news today …

Storm train to resume along the West Coast this weekend:  “A storm poised to unleash rain and mountain snow across the western United States this weekend will be the start of an unsettled pattern lasting into next week.  Through Friday, the most impactful weather across the West will remain focused on Washington state, where rain will continue to soak coastal areas, while snow levels lower in the mountains. … ”  Read more from Accu-Weather here:  Storm train to resume along the West Coast this weekend

A decade later for the Yuba River Accord:  “When water is involved, there’s almost always a battle between competing interests.  That was the case along the Yuba River until 18 different parties reached an agreement a decade ago, which delineated what water benefits each would realize.  This past year was the 10th anniversary of the game-changing Yuba River Accord. After decades of court battles over how the different parties thought the river water should be used, the Accord – finalized on May 20, 2008 – brought parties to the table to find a meaningful and long-term solution. … ”  Read more from the Appeal-Democrat here:  A decade later for the Yuba River Accord

California farmers will need to be resilient again in 2019, says agriculture financial analyst:  “U.S. farm income contracted somewhat in 2018 according to the most recent United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) update, released Nov. 30.  The report indicated that net cash income in 2018 declined 10 percent from the previous year to about $93.4 billion, the lowest net cash income since 2009. Strikingly, net cash income has declined 38 percent from the recent peak in 2012, when many in the agricultural industry experienced a protracted period of exceptional profit margins. Only one other time period, the mid-1970s, has sustained a similar decline. … ”  Read more from the North Bay Business Journal here:  California farmers will need to be resilient again in 2019, says agriculture financial analyst

LA County and Malibu will study Woolsey fire response in a ‘new era of threat’:  “The city of Malibu and the county of Los Angeles will begin examining the response to and recovery from the Woolsey fire, the fast-moving and most destructive wildfire in recent Southern California history.  Citing the “new era of threat from wildfires,” the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously last month to convene a panel to review the cause of the Woolsey fire, the deployment of firefighters, evacuation procedures and the communication among first responders, police and municipalities. … ”  Read more from the San Diego Union Tribune here:  LA County and Malibu will study Woolsey fire response in a ‘new era of threat’

The Most Important New California Environmental and Health Laws of 2019:  “The California Legislature in 2018 cranked out 1,016 pieces of legislation that Gov. Brown signed into law. Number of bills vetoed? 201. (For those keeping track, note that Brown rejected bills at a much higher clip his second time around as governor.)  Here are some of the most important environmental and health changes coming in 2019: … ”  The Most Important New California Environmental and Health Laws of 2019

WATERS OF THE US

The fight over ‘Waters of the US’:  “On December 11, 2018 the Trump Administration’s Environmental Protection Agency and US Army Corps of Engineers issued a proposal defining waters of the United States. The new proposal could eliminate protections for 18% of streams and 51% of wetlands nationwide.  How do we regulate waters right now?The Clean Water Act (CWA) is currently the law of the land. Adopted by Congress in 1972, this Act protects waterways through federal jurisdiction by regulating pollution. The CWA is implemented by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the US Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). By regulating pollution in US waterways, the CWA also made it necessary to define what is considered a waterway. Waterways protected by the CWA came to be known as “waters of the US”, or WOTUS. … ”  Continue reading from EnviroBites here:  The fight over ‘Waters of the US’

‘Waters of the US’ would alter environmental regulation as we know it, says Joshua Bloom:  He writes, “The scope of the Clean Water Act has been the subject of dispute beginning with its enactment in 1972.  After three seminal and other Supreme Court decisions, hundreds of appellate and district court cases and stops and starts by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps of Engineers to fashion regulations to both reflect congressional intent and seek practical implementation of the act, the Trump administration has now proposed a regulation that will drastically curtail the reach of that law. … ”  Read more from The Hill here:  ‘Waters of the US’ would alter environmental regulation as we know it

And lastly …

The Man Behind Most of the Ski Maps in America:  “The ski trail map at your local mountain was probably painted by James Niehues. Now you can see his life’s work in one beautiful book.  There’s good chance that any time you slide off the top of a chairlift, you’ll be faced with James Niehues’s work. The 72-year-old Coloradan has hand-painted the maps used by more than 200 ski resorts. But skiing’s most prolific artist says he stumbled into it by luck. … ”  Read more from Outside Magazine here:  The Man Behind Most of the Ski Maps in America

Precipitation watch …

Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

DAILY DIGEST, New Years Day edition: Big NorCal water deals will trickle down to San Diego; More rain due to climate change may not mean more water resources; House Democrats end year with EPA-Interior spending plan; and more …

BLOG ROUND-UP: What the Water Deals Mean; Long live Mono Lake!; Groups call for seismic remediation of San Luis Dam; Delta salinity standards; Trump’s theory of law; and more …

Today’s announcements …

 

 

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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.

 

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