In California water news today, Shasta Dam Project sets up another Trump-California showdown; Assemblyman Mathis, Garcia Propose Dedicating Two Percent of State’s General Fund for Water; Wildfire prevention: Can California make up ground lost to shutdown?; These key players could decide the fate of the Colorado River drought deal; and more ..
On the calendar today …
- Preparing for a climate with greater extremes — results from California’s Fourth Climate Change Assessment at 6pm in San Diego. Presented by the San Diego branch of the Groundwater Resources Association. Click here for more information and to register. You do not need to be a member to attend.
In the news today …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
- DAILY DIGEST, weekend edition: PG&E abandoning water-power project in Mendocino County; The Corps approves major deviation for FIRO effort; Hoopa tribe wins lawsuit against the feds; The CO River equation, the drought plan, and why things have stopped adding up; and more …
- CALENDAR EVENTS: American Groundwater Trust Annual Conference; PPIC: Water and the future of the San Joaquin Valley; Urban Water Institute Spring Conference; Kern County Water Summit
- RESERVOIR AND WATER CONDITIONS for January 28, 2019
- FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: FY19 Agricultural Water Use Efficiency (AWUE) Grant Program
- INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY: Water Boards Announce New Statewide Paid Internship Program
- PUBLIC NOTICE: Additional workshops and public meeting date change for statewide wetland definition and procedures for discharge of dredged or fill materials to waters of the state
- OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT: Delta Public Lands Strategy – Now Available for Public Comment
Shasta Dam Project sets up another Trump-California showdown: “The Trump administration is laying the groundwork to enlarge California’s biggest reservoir, the iconic Shasta Dam, north of Redding, by raising its height. It’s a saga that has dragged on for decades, along with the controversy surrounding it. But the latest chapter is likely to set the stage for another showdown between California and the Trump administration. Last fall, crews already had drilling rigs in place, taking core samples from the earthen banks around the 600-foot dam. That process was part of testing to see if its World War II-era foundation can support additional bulking up of the dam. ... ” Read more from KQED here: Shasta Dam Project sets up another Trump-California showdown
Assemblyman Mathis, Garcia Propose Dedicating Two Percent of State’s General Fund for Water: “Late last week, Assemblyman Devon Mathis (R-26th District-Visalia) introduced a bipartisan amendment to the California Constitution for use of the state’s general fund budget for the rebuilding and enhancing of the state’s water infrastructure. Coauthored with Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia (D-56th District-Coachella) the amendment targets a stable, ongoing source of funding for projects to improve California’s water quality, supply and delivery systems. Assembly Constitutional Amendment (ACA) 3 is similar to a proposal introduced by Mathis and Garcia in 2018. … ” Read more from California Water News Daily here: Assemblyman Mathis, Garcia Propose Dedicating Two Percent of State’s General Fund for Water
Wildfire prevention: Can California make up ground lost to shutdown?: “President Trump made a commitment last month to reduce wildfire danger across the West, rolling out an ambitious, if uncertain, executive order that demands more aggressive management of the nation’s forests. The order, which calls for a big boost in logging, grows out of the president’s repeated claims that the deadly fire season in California last year was due to the state’s failure to tame its overgrown woodlands. The week that Trump visited the ruins of the Camp Fire in Butte County, he even threatened to halt disaster funding if the state didn’t “remedy” the situation. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Wildfire prevention: Can California make up ground lost to shutdown?
In regional news and commentary today …
Sea level rise report details areas at risk around Humboldt Bay: “Is sea level rise a threat to Humboldt County? New research shows vulnerable areas that could be impacted. The Sea Level Rise Report for Humboldt Bay was prepared with grant money from the California Ocean Protection Council and was released Thursday. There are about 52 miles of shoreline along the Humboldt Bay. … ” Read more from KIEM here: Sea level rise report details areas at risk around Humboldt Bay
Water rates in Oxnard may rise in the future: “Part two of the groundwater pumping allocation story over the next two decades starts with an estimate of 100,000 acre-feet of water which means 60 percent will be allocated for agriculture and 40 percent will be assigned to Municipal and Industrial (M&I) needs. “If we learn over time that we pump 60,000 acre-feet, then we are going to have to ramp down to 36,000 acre-feet by the year 2040,” Deputy City Manager Kiri Klima said. “That’s a huge decline for them.” … ” Read more from the Tri County Sentry here: Water rates in Oxnard may rise in the future
It can be hard to tell where the San Diego Water Authority ends and a powerful law firm begins: “Over the past two decades, the San Diego County Water Authority has paid $25 million to a single law firm. The firm, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, is known for its water law practice across the West. Locally, though, few people know of its influence. The firm and two of its attorneys – Chris Frahm and Scott Slater – have been involved in major Water Authority decisions since the mid-1990s, decisions that affect the cost and availability of water in San Diego. … ” Read more from Voice of San Diego here: It can be hard to tell where the San Diego Water Authority ends and a powerful law firm begins
San Diego City Council to Discuss Joining Calif. Lawsuit Over Tijuana Sewage Flows: “The San Diego City Council is set to vote Tuesday on whether to join a California lawsuit against the International Boundary Water Commission (IBWC) over sewage flow from Tijuana, Mexico into the United States. Ahead of the council vote in closed session, Mayor Kevin Faulconer and Councilmember Vivian Moreno were speaking publicly Monday to urge the council to vote in favor of joining the lawsuit. … ” Read more from NBC San Diego here: San Diego City Council to Discuss Joining Calif. Lawsuit Over Tijuana Sewage Flows
Along the Colorado River …
Western States Near Deadline for Colorado River Drought Plan: “Western states are watching with interest as Arizona comes up against a deadline to approve a plan to ensure a key reservoir doesn’t become unusable for the farmers, cities, tribes and developers that depend on it. The other six states in the Colorado River basin have agreed to plans that recognize a long-running drought, the dwindling supply of water and how they intend to cope with it. Arizona’s plan has broad support but it hasn’t been approved by the Legislature, a factor that has made the negotiations on the drought contingency plan more complex. No other state required lawmakers to sign off. … ” Read more from US News & World Report here: Western States Near Deadline for Colorado River Drought Plan
These key players could decide the fate of the Colorado River drought deal: “Federal Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman has drawn a line in the sand for Arizona and other Western states: Finish a deal to take less water from the Colorado River by Thursday, or the federal government will be forced to step in and decide how to prevent reservoirs from falling to critical levels. With just four days until that deadline, many pieces have yet to fall into place for Arizona to finish its part of the agreement and join California and Nevada in endorsing the Drought Contingency Plan. … ” Read more from Arizona Central here: These key players could decide the fate of the Colorado River drought deal
Lake Powell pipeline is a scam we can’t afford, says Andrew Kramer: He writes, “Because all Utah taxpayers would be required to subsidize the proposed Lake Powell Pipeline, we deserve to be informed. With its considerable cost and far-reaching consequences, the LPP requires sound decision-making based on reliable data. Unfortunately, studies by the Utah Division of Water Resources and the Washington County Water Conservancy District are incomplete and misleading — biased in support of development interests that disregard fact-based rational conclusions. … ” Read more from the Salt Lake Tribune here: Lake Powell pipeline is a scam we can’t afford
Precipitation watch …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
https://mavensnotebook.com/2019/01/28/reservoir-and-water-conditions-for-january-28-2019/
THIS JUST IN … State Water Project Allocations Increased to 15 Percent
Today’s announcements …
- FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: FY19 Agricultural Water Use Efficiency (AWUE) Grant Program
- INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITY: Water Boards Announce New Statewide Paid Internship Program
- PUBLIC NOTICE: Additional workshops and public meeting date change for statewide wetland definition and procedures for discharge of dredged or fill materials to waters of the state
- OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT: Delta Public Lands Strategy – Now Available for Public Comment
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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.
