Happy Easter/Passover/Sunday!
In California water news this weekend, California and the West prepare to get by on less water from the Colorado River; California’s New Enviro Chief Talks Alternative Pesticides, Recycling Reform and Trump ‘Upside-Down Days’; Forest management research to help fight effects of climate change; Birds and Brews: How breweries are trying to conserve western river habitats; This “plasticarium” shows you what the plastic-filled ocean actually looks like; How Leonardo da Vinci, ‘Master of Water’, explored the power and beauty of its flow; and more …
In the news this weekend …
California and the West prepare to get by on less water from the Colorado River: “A century of water management in the western United States is on the verge of being restructured and two UC Berkeley water experts approve. Under a plan recently passed by Congress, the U.S. Secretary of the Interior is charged with implementing an agreement among seven states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming — in which each agrees to take less water from the Colorado River. The plan, more than two years in the making, now is headed to the desk of President Donald Trump for his signature. ... ” Read more from UC Berkeley News here: California and the West prepare to get by on less water from the Colorado River
California’s New Enviro Chief Talks Alternative Pesticides, Recycling Reform and Trump ‘Upside-Down Days’: “In a wide-ranging interview with KQED, California’s newly confirmed top environmental regulator says ensuring safe, affordable drinking water for all Californians is one of his top priorities; China’s rejection of previously accepted waste materials is a “crisis” that requires reforming the recycling process; and that the same innovation the state has brought to addressing climate change needs to be applied to developing alternative, safer pesticides. And he also had a thing or two to say about the Trump administration. ... ” Read more from KQED here: California’s New Enviro Chief Talks Alternative Pesticides, Recycling Reform and Trump ‘Upside-Down Days’
Forest management research to help fight effects of climate change: “Prolonged drought, landscape-level bark beetle mortality and catastrophic wildfire have been increasing in frequency, extent and severity over the past few decades, and western forests will be increasingly stressed as temperatures rise and climate change effects intensify. Leading a team of scientists and forest managers, Sarah Bisbing, a forest ecology assistant professor and researcher from the University of Nevada, Reno, is building a Sierra Nevada-wide study, the Sierra Nevada Adaptive Management Experiment, known as AMEX, to identify alternative forest management treatments that will improve conifer forest resistance and resilience to climate change. ... ” Read more from Nevada Today here: Forest management research to help fight effects of climate change
Birds and Brews: How breweries are trying to conserve western river habitats: “To make beer, you need water. According to Carey Matthews, general manager of Many Rivers Brewing, it takes 3 to 7 barrels of water to make just one barrel of beer. The number in some breweries can be as high as 10 barrels of water to create 1 barrel of beer. Kim Marotta of MillerCoors told CNBC of the importance of water in brewing, noting “It’s the main ingredient in our beer. It helps clean our brew kettles. It helps water our crops…Without that water, I don’t want to even think about what would happen.” … ” Read more from Earth.com here: Birds and Brews: How breweries are trying to conserve western river habitats
This “plasticarium” shows you what the plastic-filled ocean actually looks like: “If you haven’t gone swimming in some parts of Southeast Asia or traveled to the so-called Great Pacific Garbage Patch, it’s difficult to comprehend the scale of the ocean plastic problem. A new museum exhibit attempts to make it more visceral: Sitting in a glass cube is 2,700 liters of water sampled from the Pacific Ocean, complete with the trash inside. “We want to bring it to the people so you can see it,” says Merijn Everaarts, founder of Dopper, a Dutch B corporation that makes refillable water bottles and produces exhibits about plastic pollution on the side. … ” Read more from Fast Company here: This “plasticarium” shows you what the plastic-filled ocean actually looks like
Democrats and Republicans divided on climate change: “How serious an issue is climate change and what should be done about it? It is not surprising that Democrats and Republicans have different views about these questions as they do about so many issues today. But what is significant now is the depth of their differences on climate change and how much those differences have grown over time. In the April issue of AEI’s Political Report, we examined partisans’ views in recent polls and trends. ... ” Read more from Forbes here: Democrats and Republicans divided on climate change
Interior’s Bernhardt worked closely on matters he promised to avoid: “Interior Secretary David Bernhardt began working on policies that would aid one of his former lobbying clients within weeks of joining the Trump administration, according to a POLITICO analysis of agency documents — a revelation that adds to the ethics questions dogging his leadership of the agency. Bernhardt’s efforts, beginning in at least October 2017, included shaping the department’s response to a key portion of a water infrastructure law he had helped pass as a lobbyist for California farmers, recently released calendars show. … ” Read more from Politico here: Interior’s Bernhardt worked closely on matters he promised to avoid
Sunday reads …
How Leonardo da Vinci, ‘Master of Water’, explored the power and beauty of its flow: “The artist and polymath Leonardo da Vinci was once famously named a “Master of Water” in the records of the Florentine government. In this role, he explored diverting the river Arno away from Pisa so as to cut access to the city, then Florence’s enemy, from the sea. It was one of a number of jobs he held that were dedicated to controlling water as a way of wielding power. But his notebooks reveal Leonardo’s wider preoccupations with the power of water. He wanted to understand the ebb and flow of tides, the origins of rivers and oceans and the water cycle, as well as the fearsome effects of water in erosion, floods, rain and storms. Water was a force to be reckoned with — as an idea and as a reality. ... ” Read more from The Conversation here: How Leonardo da Vinci, ‘Master of Water’, explored the power and beauty of its flow
Photo essay: Birding and Living in the Delta: David Yee writes, “When it comes to birds and the enjoyment of observing them, which is called birding these days, it’s the proverbial “location, location, location”. For many of us the imagery is almost instant; flamingos and the caustic lakes of northern Tanzania, macaws and the clay banks of Peru, penguins and the ice-sheets of Antarctica. Appropriately, a desire for cranes and waterfowl leads many to the amazing San Joaquin/Sacramento Delta. These majestic birds, most nesting to the far north, are often viewed through a layer of fog, as their presence is restricted mostly to the “wintering” months of October-March. This has led many to believe for many years that the best birding in the Delta is restricted to those months, with experienced birders at the top of the list. I should know, because I was once one of them. … ” Read more from Soundings here: Photo essay: Birding and Living in the Delta
Sunday podcasts …
Outfall podcast: A conversation with Rod Rash: “We talk with New York Times bestselling author Ron Rash. He is the author of Serena and Above the Waterfall, in addition to four prizewinning novels, including The Cove, One Foot in Eden, Saints at the River, and The World Made Straight. Water runs deep in his writing and he explains how he didn’t quite realize it until others started to point it out to him. He talks to us about his grandmother’s farm on the Blue Ridge Parkway and the beautiful stream. He shares how his grandmother would never let him go to the spring house. The young Ron loved to catch salamanders and crayfish as a child, but she would not let him disturb the salamanders in the spring house. She felt like they were the guardian spirits of the water. When asked about his favorite water quote, he says it is, “A river is a vein in God’s arm.” Powerful, right?”
The Barbless Podcast: Raising salmon in rice fields – Carson Jeffres: “In this exciting episode of the show we sit down with UC Davis Ecologist Carson Jeffres and learn about a new fish rearing program that merges agriculture with fisheries science in innovative and amazing ways. We also learn about subduction zones and how they play a role in sustaining a diverse fishery ecosystem.”
In regional news and commentary this weekend …
Jack Trout: Advocating for Klamath Dam removal and the fish: He writes, “I have been a proud Siskiyou County resident and business owner for more than 25 years. Like many of you, I want what’s best for our region’s precious natural resources our mountains, air and water. It’s why we chose to live, work and raise our families in this beautiful part of the state. As a fly fisherman, I am especially connected to nature as I spend more than 100 days a year out on the Klamath River guiding fly-fishing adventures, giving scenic tours and sharing the great outdoors with people from all over the world. ... ” Continue reading at the Herald & News here: Jack Trout: Advocating for Klamath Dam removal and the fish
Eel River: Feds Eye Protection for Northern California Trout: “A trio of federal wildlife management agencies said Friday that listing the Northern California summer-run steelhead on the Endangered Species Act may be warranted, but said more public input is needed before a final determination is made. Wildlife conservation group Friends of the Eel River petitioned to list the Northern coast population of steelhead trout as endangered in November 2018. According to the group, fewer than 1,000 adult steelhead spawn in all of the coastal rivers they still inhabit in California, from Redwood Creek in the north to the Mattole in the south. … ” Read more from Courthouse News Service here: Feds Eye Protection for Northern California Trout
River groups accuse Nevada Irrigation District of trying to circumvent federal law: “Local river protection groups and a state regulatory board are protesting what they characterize as an attempt by Nevada Irrigation District to circumvent the federal law. At issue is the relicensing process for NID’s Yuba Bear hydroelectric project — which includes French, Faucherie, Sawmill and Bowman lakes and Rollins Reservoir, as well as four powerhouses (Bowman, Dutch Flat, Chicago Park and Rollins). The legal wrangling all stems from a recent federal court ruling having to do with the Klamath River, and the regulatory authority of California and Oregon over the water projects on that river. The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeal ruled in favor of the Hoopa Valley Indian Tribe, which reportedly had grown weary of the endless delays in decommissioning a series of dams on the Klamath. … ” Read more from the Union Democrat here: River groups accuse Nevada Irrigation District of trying to circumvent federal law
Yuba Water Agency approves $20,520 grant for ring levee: “A pipe that runs through the ring levee from a pump station near the south side of Marysville isn’t up to current state and federal standards, which poses a problem for an upcoming phase of the reconstruction project scheduled to begin next year. To keep the project on schedule, directors with the Yuba Water Agency approved a $20,520 grant this week that will cover the necessary design work for the pipe replacement project. ... ” Read more from the Appeal Democrat here: Yuba Water Agency approves $20,520 grant for ring levee
Napa County still pressing for walls to protect 2,000 city properties from a massive flood: “Napa County is still trying to open the door for federal money to help protect 2,000 more city of Napa properties from the worst of Napa River floods. But, after five years of effort, the county seems stuck in a revolving door. “We got so close,” county Deputy Public Works Director Phillip Miller said. “We’re only this far away. We’re hung up until we figure it out. We continue to work on it.” … ” Read more from the Napa Valley Register here: Napa County still pressing for walls to protect 2,000 city properties from a massive flood
San Rafael Canal silt deepens amid dredging neglect: “After years of neglect and the second-wettest winter on record, the San Rafael Canal is in more urgent need of dredging than ever, Marin lawmakers, city officials and local activists say. The torrential rain that beat on Marin over the stormy season has flushed high volumes of sediment down hillsides into the creek, shoaling the channel so that water levels are dangerously low, said Bill Guerin, San Rafael’s director of public works. ... ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here: San Rafael Canal silt deepens amid dredging neglect
San Jose man pulls dozens of electric scooters from Guadalupe River: “Roger Castillo, of the Salmon and Steelhead Restoration Group, has a deep love for San Jose’s Guadalupe River. “There are beavers, salmon, endangered steelhead, and rainbow trout,” Castillo said. Castillo believes the thriving river creatures are all at-risk because of electric scooters. “This is one that the homeless tried to disassemble and they’ve cut into the battery,” Castillo said as he showed off the scooters he collected. … ” Read more from ABC Bay Area here: San Jose man pulls dozens of electric scooters from Guadalupe River
Bay Area: State’s forest management effort sparks concern among local environmentalists: “Kathryn Phillips, director of Sierra Club California, says she hasn’t been able to carefully study the Highway 17 Fuel Reduction Project, a $2-plus million undertaking that will clear dead trees, underbrush and other flammable materials from a wide swath of roadside between Lexington Reservoir and Summit Road this summer. Phillips has seen the one-sheet Cal Fire has made available, and she says it does not send up any red flags. Like many folks who don’t get to drive it every day, the Sacramento-based Phillips finds the road connecting Silicon Valley and Santa Cruz “terrifying,” and understands why protecting it is a priority. “I see that they need it as an escape route,” she says. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here: Bay Area: State’s forest management effort sparks concern among local environmentalists
Cal Am desal plant project goes to Monterey County Planning Commission: “Considered by many the key to long-running efforts to cut unauthorized pumping from the Carmel River, California American Water’s proposed desalination plant project is headed to the Monterey County Planning Commission next week. On Wednesday, the commission is set to conduct a public hearing on a combined development permit for the proposed 6.4-million-gallon-per-day desal plant on Charlie Benson Road off Del Monte Boulevard north of Marina. ... ” Read more from the Monterey Herald here: Cal Am desal plant project goes to Monterey County Planning Commission
Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority behind schedule on modeling, hears latest on water importation: “At the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority meeting Thursday, the board heard the latest about its water marketer, the Capital Core Group. General Manager Don Zdeba reported that since the last board meeting the agreement with Capital Core has been executed and signed. Water Resources Manager Steve Johnson of Stetson Engineers reported that Stetson has been coordinating with Capital Core as well. ... ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent here: Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority behind schedule on modeling, hears latest on water importation
Oil producers plan costly groundwater protection measures in western Kern County: “Regulatory efforts to protect groundwater quality in western Kern are forcing two of the county’s largest oil producers to spend many millions of dollars over the next several years moving or reworking dozens of disposal wells and other critical oil-field infrastructure. The work Aera Energy LLC and California Resources Corp. are planning in coordination with state regulators likely foretells similar tasks other local oil producers will have to undertake to bring the industry’s Central Valley wastewater management operations into compliance with the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. … ” Read more from Bakersfield.com here: Oil producers plan costly groundwater protection measures in western Kern County
‘It is quite an engineering marvel;’ Tehachapi Cummings-County Water District hosts annual tour: “Residents of the Greater Tehachapi area listened with eagerness to guides from the Tehachapi Cummings-County Water District as they spoke about the meticulous process of transporting one of the areas’ most precious resources — water — to the area. More than 40 participants learned Thursday how this resource from the California Aqueduct reaches customers each day. “It is quite an engineering marvel,” said Tom Neisler, general manager for the district. “More than half of the water we utilize within the district is imported water and less than half of what we use is groundwater. The groundwater is filtered through aquifers and is pumped by users.” ... ” Read more from Tehachapi News here: ‘It is quite an engineering marvel;’ Tehachapi Cummings-County Water District hosts annual tour
Rialto mayor asks for water conservation pledges to fight ‘hidden drought’: “Yes, the region has had an above-average rain season: The reservoirs are filled, the release of water from Northern California via the state aqueduct is happening at 70 percent, helping Southern California water managers sleep better at night. And for the first time in more than 380 weeks, the state has not had a square foot in drought territory, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. But there’s a hidden drought affecting local groundwater basins, which have not recovered fully from the 2011-16 drought. That’s when sharp declines in rainfall forced water managers to draw down the aquifers to meet demand. … ” Read more from the Daily Bulletin here: Rialto mayor asks for water conservation pledges to fight ‘hidden drought’
Along the Colorado River …
How California’s drought-plan lawsuit hurts Arizona: Joanna Allhands writes, “California’s inability to compromise and work together has put a big question mark on the Lower Basin Drought Contingency Plan. And that directly impacts Arizona’s ability to proactively plan for our new, drier water future. Imperial Irrigation District is asking a judge to put the entire basin’s plan on hold until an environmental assessment can be done on the Salton Sea. It contends that the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California violated a state law when it agreed to handle IID’s cuts and sign DCP without them. ... ” Read more from the Desert Sun here: How California’s drought-plan lawsuit hurts Arizona
Arizona Supports Waters Of U.S. Rule Change, But Wants To Delay Putting It In Place: “The state of Arizona supports a proposed federal rule change redefining what’s considered a “Water of the United States,” but is asking the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers to hold off on putting the rule in place. The EPA and Army Corps are proposing to put so-called ephemeral streams clearly under state authority, with no federal permits needed for mining or development. Ephemeral streams run because of rain or snow. A letter signed by seven Arizona state departments and submitted to the federal government on April 15 outlines the reasons why the state’s executive branch is in favor of the rule change. … ” Read more from KJZZ here: Arizona Supports Waters Of U.S. Rule Change, But Wants To Delay Putting It In Place
Healthy Snowpack In The Colorado River Basin Is Improving Reservoirs Across Multiple States: “Above-average snowpack in the upper Colorado River basin not only means a good forecast for Colorado, but for all seven states in its river system. That’s according to the latest monthly study released by the Bureau of Reclamation earlier this week. Officials found that the snowpack in the basin through the winter ended up being 130 percent of average. ... ” Read more from Colorado Public Radio here: Healthy Snowpack In The Colorado River Basin Is Improving Reservoirs Across Multiple States
Sunday video …
Aerial footage from North Table Mountain in Oroville, showing epic wildflowers in bloom and a fantastic waterfall. John Hannon video.
Also on Maven’s Notebook this weekend …
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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.
Maven’s Notebook
where California water news never goes home for the weekend
