In California water news today, Silicon Valley’s largest city is sounding the alarm about a drinking water crisis that no one knows how to fix; Interior Department Pulls Support From Klamath Dam Removal Project; Untangling the Politics of Dam Removal; Before there was a New Melones Dam: a look back at efforts to save the Stanislaus River; ‘Flint Is Everywhere’: California Farmworkers Confront a Tainted Water Crisis; What’s causing California’s wet winter; Hoover Dam ceremony marks Colorado River drought plan; and more …
On the calendar today …
- The State Water Resources Control Board meets at 9:30am. Agenda items include a quarterly update from the Delta Lead Scientist, a quarterly update from the Delta Watermaster, and an annual report on cooling water intake structures. For the complete agenda, click here. Click here to watch on webcast.
- WEBINAR: California Flood Risk and the National Flood Insurance Program from 12pm to 1pm. Click here for more information.
In the news today …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
Silicon Valley’s largest city is sounding the alarm about a drinking water crisis that no one knows how to fix: “San Jose, California is plagued by both an absence and surplus of water. Until recently, the city suffered from a prolonged period of drought that forced nearly one million residents to cut back their water usage. Like many coastal cities, San Jose is also vulnerable to the growing threat of sea level rise, which has exposed the city to chronic flooding. …The combination of droughts and floods has given rise to a process known as saltwater intrusion — what Mayor Sam Liccardo refers to as his city’s greatest climate threat. … ” Read more from Business Insider here: Silicon Valley’s largest city is sounding the alarm about a drinking water crisis that no one knows how to fix
Interior Department Pulls Support From Klamath Dam Removal Project: “The Trump Administration has withdrawn the previous administration’s support for the removal of four dams on the Klamath River in Southern Oregon and Northern California. Recently-appointed Interior Secretary David Bernhardt has rescinded a letter of support that Obama-era Interior Secretary Sally Jewell wrote in 2016. Jewell’s letter threw the agency’s weight behind the plan to take out four Klamath River dams to help threatened salmon and other fish. … ” Read more from Jefferson Public Radio here: Interior Department Pulls Support From Klamath Dam Removal Project
Interior emphasizes neutral stance on dam removal: “Department of Interior officials on Monday emphasized a neutral stance on dam removal along the Klamath River. Secretary of the Department of Interior David Bernhardt wrote to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) stating that a support letter written by former Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell was outside the scope of the Department of Interior. “Accordingly, I hereby withdraw the 2016 letter as unnecessary to the current proceedings before FERC,” Bernhardt wrote in a letter obtained by H&N. “The Department of the Interior will continue to engage in relevant parties and stakeholders on these and related Klamath Basin issues.” … ” Read more from the Herald & News here: Interior emphasizes neutral stance on dam removal
Untangling the Politics of Dam Removal: “We’ve spent a century in the United States feverishly building more than 79,000 dams. Two decades ago we started to undo some of that, dismantling nearly 1,000 dams, many aging and unsafe, and restoring the rivers they had impoverished. Despite this uptick in dam removal, there’s no blueprint for how it happens — the politics, engineering and ecology are unique to each case. Still, our experience so far can help guide future dam-removal projects. That’s the premise behind a new book, Same River Twice: The Politics of Dam Removal and River Restoration, by Peter Brewitt. ... ” Read more from The Revelator here: Untangling the Politics of Dam Removal
Before there was a New Melones Dam: a look back at efforts to save the Stanislaus River: “Members of Friends of the River and the Sierra Club are planning a presentation on a controversial episode in Mother Lode history, when activists unsuccessfully tried to prevent flooding of a raftable section of the Stanislaus River by rising water levels in New Melones Reservoir in the 1970s and 1980s. Joe David of Jamestown and other organizers are billing their event, The Stanislaus River — Alive Again, as a chance to go back in time and “experience the magic of the Stanislaus River from Camp 9 to Melones from two veterans of the 1970s and 1980s campaigns to save the river.” … ” Read more from the Union Democrat here: Before there was a New Melones Dam: a look back at efforts to save the Stanislaus River
‘Flint Is Everywhere’: California Farmworkers Confront a Tainted Water Crisis: “Water is a currency in California, and the low-income farmworkers who pick the Central Valley’s crops know it better than anyone. They labor in the region’s endless orchards, made possible by sophisticated irrigation systems, but at home their faucets spew toxic water tainted by arsenic and fertilizer chemicals. “Clean water flows toward power and money,” said Susana De Anda, a longtime water-rights organizer in the region. She is the daughter of lechugueros who worked in lettuce fields and helped make California one of the agricultural capitals of the world. “Homes, schools and clinics are supposed to be the safest places to go. But not in our world.” ... ” Read more from the New York Times here: ‘Flint Is Everywhere’: California Farmworkers Confront a Tainted Water Crisis
What’s causing California’s wet winter: “California is going through one of its most impressive seasons of moisture fall in the last six months. This winter termed a “wet winter” shows increased volumes of snowfall happening throughout the state. The LA Times has reported that snow in the Sierra Nevada has more than doubled over the last month, coming in at around 43.5 inches of water with other regions reporting less impressive, but still massive numbers of equivalent rainfall. While this is uncharacteristic weather for California, it is the result of something that isn’t completely unheard of a phenomenon to the area – an atmospheric river storm. ... ” Read more from Nature here: What’s causing California’s wet winter
Sea levels may rise much faster than previously predicted, swamping coastal cities such as Shanghai, study finds: “Global sea levels could rise more than two meters (6.6 feet) by the end of this century if emissions continue unchecked, swamping major cities such as New York and Shanghai and displacing up to 187 million people, a new study warns. The study, which was released Monday, says sea levels may rise much faster than previously estimated due to the accelerating melting of ice sheets in both Greenland and Antarctica. ... ” Read more from CNN here: Sea levels may rise much faster than previously predicted, swamping coastal cities such as Shanghai, study finds
In commentary today …
A new water tax? California has a $21 billion surplus, use that instead, say : They write, “California has a record $21.5 billion surplus. That’s the good news. The bad news is that we have all that money because you are being overtaxed. Earlier this month, Gov. Gavin Newsom released his revised budget proposal, the largest in California history. At a staggering $214 billion dollars, the budget is larger than that of most nations and every other state. The budget also includes a new $140 million tax on water customers to help all Californians have access to clean water. ... ” Read more from the Daily Press here: A new water tax? California has a $21 billion surplus, use that instead
In regional news and commentary today …
Napa County moving ahead cautiously on watershed monitoring program: “Cautiously, cautiously – that’s Napa County’s approach to creating a watershed computer model that could someday influence rural land use decisions in an effort to keep contaminants out of city of Napa reservoirs. Given the stakes, supervisors want stakeholders such as the wine industry and environmentalists involved in various decisions. An initial big decision is where to do water sampling in the Lake Hennessey and Milliken Reservoir watersheds to accurately calibrate the model. … ” Read more from the Napa Valley Register here: Napa County moving ahead cautiously on watershed monitoring program
EID approves Folsom Lake intake improvements: “The El Dorado Irrigation District board held a relatively short meeting on Monday as they dispensed with three action items held over or continued from previous sessions. First up was continuation of the public hearing of April 8 on the Folsom Lake intake improvements project. Designed to replace pipes and pumps that take water from Folsom Lake and deliver it to the El Dorado Hills Water Treatment Plant, the equipment on the south bank of Folsom Lake supplies water to some 20,000 customers in the area. ... ” Read more from The Mountain Democrat here: EID approves Folsom Lake intake improvements
Marin: Belvedere reshuffles flood committee amid cost dispute: “While Belvedere officials consider a series of flood control projects that could cost up to $27.1 million, the city has appointed a new advisory committee that represents some of the hillside homeowners who say that money shouldn’t come out of their pockets. When the city held its first public workshop on the proposed projects late last year, some residents said the initiative was too costly and would be an unfair financial burden on homeowners who wouldn’t be directly affected by flooding. “There were a whole range of concerns that caused us to think that we’d better have a series of community meetings and talk about it,” said City Manager Craig Middleton. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here: Belvedere reshuffles flood committee amid cost dispute
West Marin nonprofit snares $593K for creek restoration: “The West Marin ghost town of Jewell is set to be reclaimed by nature this year with a $593,000 boost from the state. The Olema-based Salmon Protection and Watershed Network, or SPAWN, plans to use a grant to restore the historic floodplains on Lagunitas Creek that once provided vital refuge for the now dwindling populations of endangered coho salmon and other wildlife. “Restoring the floodplain along the creek will re-create the large, dynamic wetland with off-channels, alcoves and numerous large woody debris structures — all elements that coho salmon critically need for recovery,” said Todd Steiner, executive director of SPAWN and the Turtle Island Restoration Network. ... ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here: West Marin nonprofit snares $593K for creek restoration
Public Water Now appeals Monterey County’s Cal Am desal approval: “Public Water Now is challenging the Monterey County Planning Commission’s approval of a combined development permit for California American Water’s proposed desalination plant project. On Thursday, the organization best known for backing a public takeover of Cal Am’s local water system filed an appeal to the Board of Supervisors of the Planning Commission’s narrow approval of a permit for the 6.4-million-gallon-per-day desal plant north of Marina and associated infrastructure. … ” Read more from the Monterey Herald here: Public Water Now appeals Monterey County’s Cal Am desal approval
Ceres to reluctantly extend water line to rural park: “City water will be flowing to yet another community living in county jurisdiction with the state forcing the City Council’s Monday action to supply water service to the privately owned Ceres West Mobile Home Park. Last year the State Water Resources Control Board told the city it will extend water lines outside of the city limits to the 47-unit park at the southwest corner of Central and Grayson roads south of Beaver Elementary School or else. The park, which was approved by the county in 1969, had limited options to supply drinking water to its residents because water from an on-site well exceeds state limits for arsenic and nitrates. The city previously told park owners KS Mattson Partners LP that it wouldn’t voluntarily supply the water. … ” Read more from the Ceres Courier here: Ceres to reluctantly extend water line to rural park
Tulare County supervisors to support water over high-speed rail: “Tulare County Supervisors will vote to approve a letter of support for proposed legislation that will bring up to $3.5 billion for water infrastructure improvements. The money comes at a cost to California’s biggest undertaking — high-speed rail. Introduced by Congressman Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield), H.R. 1600, the Repurposing Assets to Increase Long-term Water Availability and Yield (RAILWAY) Act, would divert recovered federal money from the California High-Speed Rail project to water infrastructure projects in California and the west. ... ” Read more from the Visalia Times-Delta here: Tulare County supervisors to support water over high-speed rail
Owens Valley: A beginner’s course on how officials determine potential run-off: “To Eastern Sierra residents, in most years, annual run-off means the streams and canals rise and pasture lands start to green-up. For Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, run-off is the city’s life’s blood, the calculation that figures into the department’s operations for the next 12 months. In years like 2017, run-off is an all-consuming 24/7 concern. So, how do they figure it out? Eric Tillemans, LADWP engineer, gave the Inyo County Board of Supervisors a beginner’s course in Run-Off 101 at a recent meeting. Here’s how it works. … ” Read more from the Sierra Wave here: Owens Valley: A beginner’s course on how officials determine potential run-off
Kern rainfall above normal, water conservation still emphasized: “With 11 days left in May Kern County has already experienced eighth times the amount of normal rainfall for the month. Needless to say it’s been a rainy year here in Kern County. Or at least a rainy rain-year, which runs from June to July. Total rainfall in Bakersfield is actually above the normal mark already. ... ” Read more from Bakersfield Now here: Kern rainfall above normal, water conservation still emphasized
Santa Barbara Water Commission Discusses Proposed Surcharge for “High Strength” Wastewater: “A proposal to charge some wastewater customers a surcharge for sewer services would impact local breweries and wineries, the Santa Barbara Water Commission heard at its meeting last week. As the city considers changes to its wastewater rates, its consultant, Nebraska-based HDR Engineering Inc., suggests users that send “high strength” wastewater to the city’s treatment system pay more because of the additional treatment costs. … ” Read more from Noozhawk here: Santa Barbara Water Commission Discusses Proposed Surcharge for “High Strength” Wastewater
Why Orange County and California’s drinking water should not go to waste: Garry Brown writes, “California is in a drinking water crisis. Across the state, residents pay billions of dollars for clean drinking water — and we use this water only once. We drink the water, then it goes to coastal sewage treatment plants, which carry out various levels of sewage treatment, then gets dumped into the ocean through outfall pipes as partially treated sewage, harming the ecosystem in the area. Billions of gallons of treated wastewater is dumped into our California coast each day, and with it, billions of resident dollars are quite literally going to waste. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Why Orange County and California’s drinking water should not go to waste
Moulton Niguel Water District agrees to pay $4.8 million in wastewater dispute: “The Moulton Niguel Water District has agreed to pay $4.8 million to settle a 3-year dispute with South Orange County Wastewater Authority, which processes a portion of the district’s wastewater, according to a settlement agreement released Monday. Moulton Niguel wanted to terminate funding obligations for a treatment plant run by the wastewater authority, the Coastal Treatment Plant, because the water district has rarely needed the sewage capacity since signing a use-agreement in 1999. Instead, it has been able to rely on other plants and has said its customers shouldn’t have to pay for something they didn’t use. ... ” Read more from the OC Register here: Moulton Niguel Water District agrees to pay $4.8 million in wastewater dispute
Along the Colorado River …
Hoover Dam ceremony marks Colorado River drought plan: “Federal, state and tribal water managers are marking completion of a long-negotiated plan for 40 million people and vast irrigated farms to share crucial Colorado River water despite ongoing drought in the arid U.S. Southwest. Interior Department official Tim Petty, Bureau of Reclamation chief Brenda Burman and representatives from seven states met Monday at Hoover Dam to commemorate an agreement spurred by nearly 20 years of drought and shrinking reservoirs. … ” Read more from the Denver Post here: Hoover Dam ceremony marks Colorado River drought plan
States sign short-term Colorado River drought plan, but global warming looms over long-term solutions: “The Colorado River just got a boost that’s likely to prevent its depleted reservoirs from bottoming out, at least for the next several years. Representatives of seven Western states and the federal government signed a landmark deal on Monday laying out potential cuts in water deliveries through 2026 to reduce the risks of the river’s reservoirs hitting critically low levels. … ” Read more from Arizona Central here: States sign short-term Colorado River drought plan, but global warming looms over long-term solutions
Blog: No dignity for the Salton Sea in this DCP: “If the Salton Sea could speak for itself, what would it say? That’s the provocative question raised in the short video above, which builds on an essay that appeared in the last installment of the Salton Seasaw. Both pieces examine the same events of March 28, 2019, when Rep. Tom McClintock hijacked a House subcommittee hearing on the federal Drought Contingency Plan and issued his notorious condemnation of the Salton Sea. WTF, indeed. … ” Read more from the Salton Sea Saw here: No dignity for the Salton Sea in this DCP
Blog: What the Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan means in practice: John Fleck writes, “Now that we have a DCP, what does this mean in practice? According to the most recent Bureau of Reclamation 24-month study, Lake Mead is projected to end 2019 at elevation ~1,085 feet above sea level. Prior to the DCP, Lower Basin water users (Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, California) got a full allocation of water as long as Lake Mead’s elevation was above 1,075. Under the DCP, a new shortage tier has been added between elevations 1,090 and 1,075. The result is that, for the first time in the history of Colorado River management, there will not be mandatory water use reductions on the Colorado River. … ” Read more from the Inkstain blog here: What the Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan means in practice
This drought plan saves the Colorado River, but it’s about much more than that, say Lukas and Rob Walton: They write, “Leaders from the seven states of the Colorado River Basin made history May 20 as they united to celebrate and sign an agreement that will save up to 1.1 million acre-feet of river water annually – enough to fill roughly 2,000 Rose Bowls. It is a conservation victory that has been decades in the making, marking a turning point in a fast-growing region where demand for water from the river has long outpaced supply. At the heart of the Drought Contingency Plan is a goal vital to the future prosperity of people and communities across the West: Avoiding a catastrophic shortfall of water at a time when every drop will count. But there’s something potentially even more significant at play here. … ” Read more from Arizona Central here: This drought plan saves the Colorado River, but it’s about much more than that
As the Colorado River Basin dries, can an accidental oasis survive?: “Juan Butrón-Méndez navigates a small metal motorboat through a maze of tall reeds. It’s nearing sunset, and the sky is turning shades of light blue and purple. The air smells of wet earth, an unfamiliar scent in the desert. Butrón-Méndez, who lives nearby, works for the conservation group Pronatura Noroeste as a bird monitor. (Pronatura’s work receives financial support from the Walton Family Foundation, which also funds KUNC’s Colorado River coverage.) He cuts the motor in an open stretch of water he calls the “scary lagoon,” ringed by tall grasses that rise from the thigh-high water. Without the boat’s droning hum, coastal birds appear over the reeds, and come in for a water landing. ... ” Read more from Cronkite News here: As the Colorado River Basin dries, can an accidental oasis survive?
Precipitation watch …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
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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.
