In California water news today, California adopts new wetland protections as Trump administration eases them; Reconstructed Oroville Dam spillway used for first time since February 2017 crisis; Sierra Snowpack a ‘Supply Dream’ at 162% of Average; Farmers welcome federal agencies’ suits on flows plan; CalEPA Secretary Blumenfeld on Governor Newsom’s Water & Climate Priorities; Sierra wildfire prep stunted by federal shutdown, heavy snow; EPA: 5 takeaways from Wheeler’s House appearance; Lawmakers introduce bills in Congress to implement Colorado drought plan; and more …
On the calendar today …
- Michael Krasny hosts former State Water Board chair Felicia Marcus on the radio show Forum at 9:30am. Click here to listen.
- Water and the Future of the San Joaquin Valley from 12:00 to 1:30pm. Click here to register to watch on webcast.
- GRA South Coast Branch in Orange from 6pm to 8pm. Presentation title: “Dancing with Models – The Importance of Model Partner Software”. Click here for more information and to register. You do not need to be a member to attend.
- GRA: San Diego Branch from 6:30 to 8:30pm. Presentation title: Conjunctive-Use Analysis with the New Integrated Hydrologic Model, “One-Water” 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 …
NEW WETLAND REGS
California adopts new wetland protections as Trump administration eases them: “California water regulators adopted a far-reaching plan Tuesday to prevent more of the state’s creeks, ponds and wetlands from being plowed or paved over, a move that comes as the Trump administration scales back protections under the federal Clean Water Act. The new state policy targets the rampant spread of suburbia and agriculture across California’s watery landscapes, areas that have become increasingly sparse yet remain important for drinking water, flood protection, groundwater recharge and wildlife. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: California adopts new wetland protections as Trump administration eases them
California adopts new wetlands rules to protect them from Trump rollbacks: “California regulators voted Tuesday to strengthen state safeguards for thousands of wetlands and streams that are about to lose federal protections in a Trump administration rollback of the Clean Water Act. Nearly 90% of California’s historic wetlands have been filled in or plowed under, and the state has said it is vital to preserve what remains. The new state rules will insulate California from Washington’s efforts to drop regulations that prevent the destruction of isolated wetlands and seasonal streams. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: California adopts new wetlands rules to protect them from Trump rollbacks
- RELATED CONTENT: THIS JUST IN … California Water Board Adopts Statewide Wetland Definition and Procedures
OROVILLE DAM SPILLWAY
Video: Reconstructed Oroville Dam spillway used for first time since February 2017 crisis: “The reconstructed Oroville Dam spillway was used Tuesday for the first time since the spillway split open in February 2017. Water first went down the spillway shortly before 11 a.m., following a 9 a.m. press briefing at the state Department of Water Resources field division office in Oroville. Department officials said they planned for releases from the spillway to reach about 8,300 cubic feet per second, or cfs, by early afternoon. ... ” Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here: Video: Reconstructed Oroville Dam spillway used for first time since February 2017 crisis
Oroville Dam holds up as officials christen new spillway two years after near disaster: “Bystanders were met with the rumble of rushing water as Oroville Dam’s gates released millions of gallons of water down a newly reconstructed concrete spillway on Tuesday for the first time since the structure failed two years ago. In February 2017, people who live downstream in Oroville watched in disbelief as millions of gallons of water eroded the main spillway of the nation’s tallest dam, sending a deluge of water cascading down a hillside and forcing thousands of residents to evacuate. That scenario was exactly what bystanders watching the first water flow from the newly rebuilt spillway hoped to avoid. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Oroville Dam holds up as officials christen new spillway two years after near disaster
California turns to dam’s spillway for 1st time since crisis: “An epic winter of rain and snow has refilled California’s reservoirs and pressed into service a spillway at the nation’s tallest dam Tuesday, a $1 billion structure that drained excess water for the first time since it crumbled two years ago and drove hundreds of thousands to flee the threat of catastrophic flooding. Water flowed down the spillway and into the Feather River as storms this week and melting snowpack are expected to swell the lake behind Oroville Dam in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada, said Molly White, principal engineer with the California Department of Water Resources. … ” Read more from SF Gate here: California turns to dam’s spillway for 1st time since crisis
- RELATED CONTENT: THIS JUST IN … Water flows down Oroville Spillway for the first time (Video!! More video!!)
SNOW SURVEY
Sierra Snowpack a ‘Supply Dream’ at 162% of Average: “The Sierra Nevada snowpack stands at 162% of average, California water managers said on Tuesday following the final measurement of the water year. The snowpack measurement – which the California Department of Water Resources conducts around the first of each month of winter at the Phillips Station near Lake Tahoe – demonstrates the spectacular shape of California’s water picture. “With full reservoirs and a dense snowpack, this year is practically a California water supply dream,” department director Karla Nemeth said in a statement. ... ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service here: Sierra Snowpack a ‘Supply Dream’ at 162% of Average
Sierra snow keeps piling up, bringing joy — and a flurry of worry: “The storms just keep coming in the snowbound Sierra Nevada, piling the mountain range with towering drifts in all directions and providing a bounty that is expected to fill reservoirs through the summer and hopefully stave off drought for years to come, state water officials said Tuesday. The deep snow — laid down by an extraordinary number of storms flowing off the Pacific Ocean — was a welcome sight Tuesday for surveyors, who measured three times as much in the mountains as last year at this time. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Sierra snow keeps piling up, bringing joy — and a flurry of worry
‘California Water Supply Dream’: Key Survey Shows Sierra Snowpack Measures 162%: “A very wet winter across California has resulted in a massive snowpack in the Sierra Nevada, a key indicator for the state’s water supply in the months ahead. Overall, the Sierra snowpack measures approximately 162 percent of average, which is more than triple what the number was one year ago. The manual survey conducted at Phillips Station on Tuesday recorded the snowpack there at a depth of 106.5 inches — roughly 200 percent of average for the date at the location — with a snow water equivalent of 51 inches, according to the California Department of Resources. … ” Read more from KTLA Channel 5 here: ‘California Water Supply Dream’: Key Survey Shows Sierra Snowpack Measures 162%
- RELATED CONTENT: THIS JUST IN … Snow survey boosts runoff predictions
OTHER STATEWIDE NEWS
Farmers welcome federal agencies’ suits on flows plan: “Now that the federal government has filed its own lawsuits against an unimpaired-flows plan for San Joaquin River tributaries, farmers and other parties to the lawsuits wait to learn where they will be heard–and prepare for a lengthy court battle. The U.S. departments of Justice and Interior filed suits in both federal and state courts last week, against the plan finalized last December by the State Water Resources Control Board. The plan would redirect 30 to 50 percent of the flows in the Stanislaus, Tuolumne and Merced rivers in an attempt to increase fish populations. … ” Read more from Ag Alert here: Farmers welcome federal agencies’ suits on flows plan
Soaking rains a boost for salmon: “The relentless rain soaking the state is great news for salmon. In previous years, drought and water diversions significantly lowered California’s rivers and contributed to dramatic drops in fish populations. For example, in the Tuolumne River, San Francisco’s primary source of drinking water, Chinook salmon estimates have ranged from a high of 45,900 fish in 1959 to only 77 in 1991. In 2011, there were an estimated 893 fish. … ” Read more from the SF Examiner here: Soaking rains a boost for salmon
Rain delays crops and spring planting: “Farmers and baseball players have one thing in common this time of year: rain delays. Kulwant Johl, a tree-crop farmer in Marysville, was still seeing blooms on his peach trees last week—a time when he should have been seeing young peaches. Persistent rainfall, such as Northern California experienced as spring began, affects peaches in two ways, he said. ... ” Read more from Ag Alert here: Rain delays crops and spring planting
CalEPA Secretary Blumenfeld on Governor Newsom’s Water & Climate Priorities: “Blumenfeld joined TPR for an exclusive interview to discuss the administration’s priorities for funding safe and affordable drinking water, defending California’s climate policies against the federal government, and addressing our addiction to plastic. Q:Secretary Blumenfeld, as Governor Newsom’s appointee to lead California’s Environmental Protection Agency, you bring a wealth of federal and local experience to address one of the Governor’s highest priorities: clean water for all of State’s residents. How will you begin to do address the challenge? Jared Blumenfeld: When most of us think about water for drinking or washing or cooking, we take for granted that out of our faucets comes water that both meets health standards and is affordable. Unfortunately, for 1 million Californians, that is not the case. … ” Read more from The Planning Report here: CalEPA Secretary Blumenfeld on Governor Newsom’s Water & Climate Priorities
Sierra wildfire prep stunted by federal shutdown, heavy snow: “California Governor Gavin Newsom recently declared a state of emergency and called on the National Guard to speed up forest management ahead of the upcoming wildfire season. In the Sierra Nevada, federal forest management officials are behind on prescribed fire treatments due to the 35-day partial federal government shutdown, which was followed by a historic snowfall. ... ” Read more from KUNR here: Sierra wildfire prep stunted by federal shutdown, heavy snow
California’s water works: An engineering wonder that made the Golden State what it is today: “California — without a doubt — has the most intricate and massive water storage and transfer system man has ever created. It is the largest, most productive, and most controversial water system in the world that harnesses nature using man’s ingenuity. At its northernmost reaches it captures the snow run-off of the Modoc Plateau — volcanic highlands in northeast California and southeast Oregon — that is drained by the Pit River. … ” Read more from the Oakdale Leader here: California’s water works: An engineering wonder that made the Golden State what it is today
NATIONAL NEWS
EPA: 5 takeaways from Wheeler’s House appearance: “EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler found himself on the defensive yesterday as House Democrats bashed proposals for slashing the agency’s budget and warned him against pursuing regulatory rollbacks. “I think the EPA does have a role to play in protecting our air and water. We were making it clear that some of the Obama administration rules that were in place are a part of the EPA’s charter to protect air and water,” House Interior-EPA Appropriations Subcommittee Chairwoman Betty McCollum (D-Minn.) told E&E News after the two-hour hearing. ... ” Read more from E&E News here: EPA: 5 takeaways from Wheeler’s House appearance
In commentary today …
Water Board staff tries end run around negotiations, says Adam Gray: He writes, “When the State Water Resources Control Board voted in December to adopt the Bay-Delta Plan, its members ignored the direction of former Governor Brown and current Governor Newsom to pursue voluntary agreements with our irrigation districts. Many saw this as an act of defiance by former Chair Felicia Marcus, the executive director, and many of the activist staff. While Governor Newsom has made swift progress toward rebuilding trust with water users, in part by removing the former board chair, it takes time for reforms at the top to trickle down to the hundreds of staff who actively urged the board’s action. … ” Read more from the Modesto Bee here: Water Board staff tries end run around negotiations, says Adam Gray
California can’t save fish by diverting more water from rivers, says John McManus: He writes, “Recent decades have brought the slow collapse of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and its salmon runs. A half dozen species face extinction. Lacking natural flushing, the Delta now suffers outbreaks of toxic algae. The salmon fishing industry suffered a shutdown in 2008 and 2009 which cost thousands of jobs. Science points to a clear cause: inadequate flows caused by excessive diversions. In some years, 90 percent of the Tuolumne River is diverted, leaving only 10 percent for salmon and the Bay-Delta. Every Central Valley salmon river also suffers from over diversion in many years. … ” Read more from Cal Matters here: California can’t save fish by diverting more water from rivers
In regional news and commentary today …
‘We’re rolling’: Irrigation season begins for Klamath Project: “Water rushed forth into the A Canal in Klamath Falls Tuesday afternoon as Fritz Frisendahl and Scott Cheyne of the Klamath Irrigation District opened the headgates via the control panel. Between 20- and 40-cubic feet per second of water is now traveling through the canal, about as much water to fill about 20 bathtubs per second, according to Gene Souza, manager of the Klamath Irrigation District. … ” Read more from the Herald & News here: ‘We’re rolling’: Irrigation season begins for Klamath Project
Keswick Dam water releases expected Wednesday due to ongoing rainfall this week: “As rain continues to pour throughout the beginning week of April in the Northstate, water levels will increase in the Shasta Lake Dam and Keswick Dam triggering water releases to happen as soon as tomorrow. The Bureau of Reclamation will increase the Keswick Dam releases from 15,000 cfs to 20,000 cfs possibly by Wednesday, April 3. … ” Read more from KRCR here: Keswick Dam water releases expected Wednesday due to ongoing rainfall this week
Opportunities for Decommissioning The Potter Valley Project Revealed at Eel Russian River Commission: “The Potter Valley Project, “from Humboldt County’s perspective, has really been something of an abusive relationship,” reported Craig Tucker, a Natural Resources consultant contracted with Humboldt County at the Eel Russian River Commission last Friday. “That is to say, to date, the folks on the Russian River side of the project have received the benefits of the project. On the Eel River side, we have really seen the project contribute to the diminishment of the fisheries’ resources.” The Commission is continuing to seek a two-basin, four county solution to the problem of water being removed from the Eel River via the Potter Valley Project and being used for communities in the Russian River basin. … ” Read more from the Redheaded Blackbelt here: Opportunities for Decommissioning The Potter Valley Project Revealed at Eel Russian River Commission
Winter storms in Napa renew sliding of Browns Valley Creek banks, worrying homeowners: “In the wake of late-winter Napa rains, a landslide has resumed in a Browns Valley neighborhood two years after crumbling banks cracked driveways and led residents to sandbag homes against flooding. The Napa County Flood Control and Water Conservation District reports that stream banks are slowly slipping along two stretches of Browns Valley Creek, in an area where storms in early 2017 put at least three homes at risk. … ” Read more from the Napa Register here: Winter storms in Napa renew sliding of Browns Valley Creek banks, worrying homeowners
Fast moving atmospheric river poised to soak Bay Area on Friday: “The relentless rains that have marked the start of 2019 aren’t over yet. The San Francisco Bay Area is expected to get a heavy dose of rain on Friday when a so-called atmospheric river sweeps the region. Forming when a cold front collides with a moisture tap from the subtropics, the system will be mild compared to winter storms, and moderate for a spring event. ... ” Read more from SF Gate here: Fast moving atmospheric river poised to soak Bay Area on Friday
Santa Cruz may pursue alternative water security concept: “Ongoing customer water conservation in the past three years is leading city water officials to consider shifting gears in securing long-term water supply protections. In a joint workshop Monday between the city Water Commission and former members of the city Water Supply Advisory Committee, Water Director Rosemary Menard said customers’ water use has not yet rebounded to the 3.2 billion gallons a year expected in the wake of the five-year drought’s ending. Customers, instead, are keeping about 19 percent lower, at 2.6 billion gallons a year. ... ” Read more from the Santa Cruz Sentinel here: Santa Cruz may pursue alternative water security concept
Kernville fish hatchery reopens with a new mission: “A Kernville tourism staple that has provided fish for local anglers since 1928 recently reopened with ambitious plans to reintroduce native fish to the Kern River. After closing for renovations three years ago, the Kern River Fish Hatchery opened to visitors March 25 with expanded abilities to take in, raise and grow trout. The California Department of Fish & Wildlife’s roughly 15-acre facility at 14415 Sierra Way will continue to receive catchable-size rainbow trout raised by the San Joaquin Hatchery near Fresno. But starting this summer, it will also spawn a type of native fish that’s highly prized by anglers. … ” Read more from Bakersfield.com here: Kernville fish hatchery reopens with a new mission
SCV Water sets sights on watershed stewardship: “SCV Water Agency officials are expected to reaffirm their position as stewards of the Santa Clara River watershed Tuesday when they’re asked to vote on more than half a dozen objectives aimed at preserving the SCV’s most valuable natural resource. The SCV Water board of directors is slated to meet at the Rio Vista Water Treatment Facility on Bouquet Canyon Road overlooking Central Park. One of the things members are being asked to consider is a resolution in support of Santa Clara River stewardship objectives. … ” Read more from the Santa Clarita Valley Signal here: SCV Water sets sights on watershed stewardship
Santa Clarita: Local groundwater managers on target to meet state benchmarks: “Water officials appointed to manage Santa Clarita Valley groundwater were given an update Monday on how those efforts are progressing and, in a word, they’re progressing just fine. Members of the SCV Groundwater Sustainability Agency met at the Rio Vista Treatment Plant Facility for a three-month look ahead and were told they are on track. Topping the list of housekeeping items was an update on receiving more than $400,000 in state grants that would cover the cost of stepped-up efforts in managing groundwater more effectively. … ” Read more from the Santa Clarita Valley Signal here: Local groundwater managers on target to meet state benchmarks
Politicos ask for $100.4 million to help rebuild Whittier Narrows Dam before a breach endangers 23 cities: “Frustrated by continual delays in refurbishing the Whittier Narrows Dam, U.S. Rep. Grace Napolitano summoned the commanding general of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to her office in Washington D.C. last week. Her tete-a-tete with Lt. Gen. Todd Semonite produced the same refrain the agency has been telling the 1 million people threatened by flooding if the eroding dam were to fail: The $500 million project will be completed in 2025 — at the soonest. ... ” Read more from the Pasadena Star here: Politicos ask for $100.4 million to help rebuild Whittier Narrows Dam before a breach endangers 23 cities
Along the Colorado River …
‘Congress stood with the Salton Sea’ through added protections, IID board president says: “Excluded from a Southwestern drought pact, the Imperial Irrigation District won a small victory on Tuesday when federal legislators included protections for the Salton Sea that were left out of previous drafts of the agreement. “Congress stood with the Salton Sea by introducing legislation today, which maintains these critical environmental protections,” IID Board President Erik Ortega said in reference to the Drought Contingency Plan. “As this greatly improved DCP legislation now moves forward in Congress, we hope our colleagues will join with us to address the public health and environmental crisis at the Salton Sea.” … ” Read more from The Desert Sun here: ‘Congress stood with the Salton Sea’ through added protections, IID board president says
Arizona lawmakers introduce bills in Congress to implement drought plan: “Two members of Arizona’s congressional delegation introduced legislation Tuesday on a plan to address a shrinking supply of water from a river that serves 40 million people in the U.S. West. Republican Sen. Martha McSally and Democratic Rep. Raul Grijalva vowed to move identical bills quickly through the chambers. Bipartisan lawmakers from Colorado River basin states signed on as co-sponsors. … ” Read more from KTAR here: Arizona lawmakers introduce bills in Congress to implement drought plan
Assessing the connection between snowmaking and climate change: “Last week a federal judge ruled that the federal government must at least acknowledge the climate change impacts created by fossil fuels when deciding whether to issue oil and gas leases in Wyoming. In Colorado, an environmental group is asking a parallel question about ski areas and snowmaking. Wilderness Workshop argues that the U.S. Forest Service – the landlord for most of the ski areas in the West – needs to do a comprehensive analysis of the impacts of increased water diversion from rivers to endangered fish in the Colorado River, changes in runoff patterns, and increased energy use associated with the expansion of snowmaking. ... ” Read more from the Park Record here: Assessing the connection between snowmaking and climate change
Precipitation watch …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
In case you missed it …
Courtesy of Sacramento Valley Water, video of water flowing down the Oroville Spillway for the first time …
From the Department of Water Resources ..
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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.
