DAILY DIGEST, Memorial Day weekend edition: Should big dams count as renewable energy? California Democrats divided; Experts Warn 5G Could Disrupt Weather Forecasting; Help wanted on California’s working lands; and more …

Trinidad Lighthouse; Photo by C Hanchey
In California water news this weekend, Should big dams count as renewable energy? California Democrats divided; Experts Warn 5G Could Disrupt Weather Forecasting; Help wanted on California’s working lands; Placer County Sheriff’s Office warns of dangerous river conditions for holiday weekend; A New Atlas for Dealing With Rising Seas in the Bay Area; and more …

In the news this weekend …

Should big dams count as renewable energy? California Democrats divided:  “For motorists driving to Yosemite National Park from the Bay Area, Don Pedro Reservoir is a familiar sight. But the massive lake along Highway 120 just west of Groveland has taken on a new role recently: as a flashpoint in the debate over what should — and shouldn’t — count as renewable energy in California.  The outcome of that debate could impact how much solar and wind energy is developed across the state in years to come. … ”  Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here:  Should big dams count as renewable energy? California Democrats divided

Experts Warn 5G Could Disrupt Weather Forecasting:  “San Diego will soon have a 5G wireless network system thanks to major companies like Verizon, AT&T, and Qualcomm working to establish it. With 5G, speeds will be 20 times faster than what is possible on current 4G and LTE systems. “Speed is everything,” said Mayor Kevin Faulconer. “And it is going to fundamentally change how we use the internet.” But experts are concerned the frequencies on the broadband spectrum needed for 5G will interfere with those used for weather forecasting. ... ”  Read more from NBC San Diego here:  Experts Warn 5G Could Disrupt Weather Forecasting

Help wanted on California’s working lands:  “California’s agriculture industry has been called the world’s breadbasket. We generate more money in agriculture than any other state—about $20 billion more in agricultural receipts than the next highest state ranked. We raise livestock and grow about 200 different crops.  Nancy Gutierrez is the California Community Colleges Sector Navigator for Agriculture, Water, and Environmental Technology, one of ten economic sectors the colleges have identified as in particular need for a trained workforce now and in the future.  She visited with us recently to talk about the Ag and Water Sector. ... ”  Read more from the California Economic Summit here:  Help wanted on California’s working lands

Technology that can change the weather is controversial; some say there are benefits:  “Cloud seeding can provide between 5% and 15% more snow to help ski areas, farmers and watersheds in the state, supporters say.  “These observations show us that cloud seeding does work,” said University of Colorado researcher Katja Friedrich, who has studied cloud seeding inside and outside of a laboratory.  She worked with scientists who flew planes near moisture-rich clouds and injected them with silver iodide, a substance that causes moisture to become heavy and fall to the ground as snow. … ”  Read more from News 10 San Diego here:  Technology that can change the weather is controversial; some say there are benefits

Placer County Sheriff’s Office warns of dangerous river conditions for holiday weekend:  “Thousands of people will be looking to spend the long holiday weekend out on the water, but despite the inviting conditions, people are being told to stay out of the rivers.  “The water is extremely cold this time of year especially this year and the flows are higher than they are normally,” said Sgt. Kevin Griffiths of the Placer County Sheriff’s Office.  “Most people come down, they grab a life jacket and that’s what they think will keep them alive, but that’s not true ... ”  Read more from KCRA here:  Placer County Sheriff’s Office warns of dangerous river conditions for holiday weekend

Sunday reads …

Floods and droughts: What it’s like to live in communities hit hard by climate change:  “We know that a warming planet will bring both more (slow) droughts and more (fast) floods. But we likely don’t fully grasp what it can be like to be caught inside such events.  These two vivid articles help us understand, imagine, and empathize with those who find themselves surrounded by too little or too much water. They continue the exercise in imagination and empathy we explored recently with wildfire experiences. And they show some effects we might not think to expect as severe weather increases. … ”  Read more at Yale Climate Connections here:  Floods and droughts: What it’s like to live in communities hit hard by climate change

Sunday podcasts …

Reintroducing Winter Run Chinook Into The McCloud River:In this episode of the show we sit down with NOAA Biologist Jon Ambrose. Jon is the National Marine Fisheries Service’s (NMFS) salmon Reintroduction Coordinator for the California Central Valley. We talk in detail about the reintroduction efforts currently underway to bring Winter Run Chinook salmon back to the McCloud River. The plan involves deployment of a thermal curtain that stretches bank-to-bank across the upper section of the McCloud arm of Lake Shasta in an effort to capture and truck migrating juvenile salmon. We express our concerns for what a thermal curtain would mean to resident lake brown trout and rainbow trout that use the McCloud each year in the fall for spawning (at the same time the reintroduction project will be happening).” Show notes here.


WWII Life in the Navy:  Steven Baker writes, “On this day, we honor the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Private Second Class, John Baker, served in the Navy during World War II and was sent to Japanese waters of the South Pacific. Water for a Navy man is both good and shocking. Pacific Ocean storms, 150 battles, kamikaze  suicide bombers, and the most spectacular views on the water. Water played an important part in lives saved and lives lost. I salute our military soldiers that lost their lives and the veterans that live today across our country. We thank you and know that your efforts have made a difference that you can be proud of today. Listen up. Water is a Many Splendor’ed Thing brings you another water relationship that has a personally significant impact to your life.”

Stephen J. Baker, producer of Operation Unite’s Living Water® radio series, “Water is a Many Splendor’ed Thing”, has completed 258 episodes from around the world since 2006. Bringing People Together to Solve Water Problems  Operation Unite®; stevebaker@operationunite.co; 530-263-1007

In commentary this weekend …

Support Newsom’s ‘reset’ to a one-tunnel project, says Ted Page, president of Kern County Water Agency’s Board of Directors:  He writes, “One tunnel or two? It’s just four words, but if you say them around anyone familiar with California water issues they will know exactly what you are talking about, and it’s likely they will have a strong opinion. During Gov. Newsom’s State of the State speech, he made it clear that his administration will build one tunnel under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta instead of two as was proposed in Gov. Brown’s California WaterFix.  On April 29, Gov. Newsom issued an executive order directing his administration to develop a water resilience portfolio that includes modernizing “…conveyance through the Bay Delta with a new single tunnel project.” … ”  Read more from Bakersfield.com here:  Support Newsom’s ‘reset’ to a one-tunnel project

In regional news and commentary this weekend …

Trump Administration withdraws dam removal support letter:  “Though the Trump Administration has withdrawn a letter of support for dam removal on the Klamath River, the spokesman for the nonprofit spearheading the effort says the project is still a go.  “The letter is not a requirement,” said Matt Cox, director of communications for the Klamath River Renewal Corporation. “It wasn’t meaningful in any way and the Department of the Interior is still a signatory to the Klamath Hydroelectric Settlement Agreement.”… ”  Read more from the Del Norte Triplicate here:  Trump Administration withdraws dam removal support letter

Some Russian River beaches closed Memorial Day weekend due to dangerous water levels:  “Businesses reliant on visitors to the lower Russian River have been scrambling to recover from February’s flood in time to welcome high-season crowds, but the waterway that is the lifeblood and, occasionally, bane of the region, is throwing up more obstacles.  Strong spring rains have raised river currents to what many deem dangerous levels, prompting park officials and some business owners to discourage swimming and water play over Memorial Day weekend — traditionally the opening foray of the busy summer season. … ”  Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here: Some Russian River beaches closed Memorial Day weekend due to dangerous water levels

High water delays Putah Creek salmon studies:  “Researchers who have spent the past several springs trapping and tagging juvenile salmon on their way down Putah Creek were for the second time in three years delayed in their studies.  “We had the second high flow event in three years,” said Rich Marovich, the streamkeeper for the Lower Putah Creek Coordinating Committee and the Solano County Water Agency.  “The flows were so high that we were not able to deploy our fish trap until two weeks ago,” he said. … ”  Read more from the Daily Republic here:  High water delays Putah Creek salmon studies

A New Atlas for Dealing With Rising Seas in the Bay Area:  “Imagine watching the rise of a king tide. Now instead of the water ebbing out to the Bay as the tide turns, it stays. The high water level becomes the new normal high tide, splashing over roads and bike paths, and rising up through porous artificial fill on a twice-daily basis, and eventually threatening critical infrastructure, low-lying communities, and the ecosystems of the Bay. It’s a sobering vision of a new reality if we don’t act quickly.  We see precursors of this future already: highway interchanges flooding for hours at a time; the months-long shutdown of State Route 37 this past winter. … ”  Read more from Bay Nature here: A New Atlas for Dealing With Rising Seas in the Bay Area

US EPA approves Price Canyon aquifer exemption:  “The US Environmental Protection Agency has approved an aquifer exemption for the Arroyo Grande oil field near San Luis Obispo. This enables Sentinel Peak Resources, the current owner of the oil field also known as Price Canyon, to move forward with a planned expansion of wells for both enhanced oil recovery and dispoal of wastewater, or “produced water.”  In a decision dated April 30, the director of EPA’s water division said the underground formation beneath the oil field does not, and will not in the future, serve as a source of drinking water due to the presence of “commercially producible quantities of hydrocarbons.” … ”  Read more from Central Coast Public Radio here:  US EPA approves Price Canyon aquifer exemption

The Santa Clara River may be one of the last of its kind in Southern California:  “Tom Dudley stood at an old Fillmore watercress farm off a rural stretch of highway and described the dream.  A forest of willow and cottonwood trees, shallow wetlands for wading birds and some deeper spots for ducks – all just a football field or so from what many call the last wild river in Southern California.  The Santa Clara stretches 84 miles and through two counties from the San Gabriel Mountains to the ocean just south of Ventura Harbor. ... ”  Read more from the Ventura County Star here: The Santa Clara River may be one of the last of its kind in Southern California  SEE ALSO: Take a look at the Santa Clara River watershed (photo gallery)

Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District helps to preserve local bees:  “Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District is implementing a Bee Keeper First program to help protect local bee populations while ensuring safety within the community through relocating bees found in water meter boxes or at district facilities.  Whenever possible, staff will contact a beekeeper to have the hive removed and relocated, through the Beekeeper First Program. The cost effective and environmentally friendly approach was realized through a regional partnership with Eastern Municipal Water District, Rancho California Water District and local beekeepers. Through this partnership, local bee populations within a combined 800 square miles will be safely relocated. ... ”  Read more from Valley News here:  Elsinore Valley Municipal Water District helps to preserve local bees

Litigation against Moulton Niguel comes to an end:  “According to a settlement agreement released on Monday, May 20, Moulton Niguel Water District has agreed to pay $4.8 million in unpaid bills and legal fees to settle a lawsuit originally filed by Dana Point-based South Orange County Wastewater Authority in 2017.  The joint statement released by all parties involved in a lawsuit filed against MNWD was short and simple—unlike the litigation that had led to it.  The statement said that the agencies involved would work together in the future toward the betterment of the region and the coastal environment. ... ”  Read more from the Capistrano Dispatch here:  Litigation against Moulton Niguel comes to an end

San Bernardino: New facility captures water from Seven Oaks Dam for 1 million Inland users:  “A facility designed to increase water supply reliability for the Inland area was dedicated in a light rain at the foot of the hulking Seven Oaks Dam near Highland on Thursday, May 23.  Officials used a new concrete diversion box to move water rushing from the dam to a new sedimentation basin and beyond. The water is intended to spread out and seep into a groundwater basin, which officials have said is historically low due to a 20-year drought. Residents from Yucaipa to Colton and users in Riverside County will benefit from the project. ... ”  Read more from the San Bernardino Sun here:  San Bernardino: New facility captures water from Seven Oaks Dam for 1 million Inland users

Along the Colorado River …

Nevada Governor’s office pulls controversial water bill as talks turn to an interim working group: After weeks of tense negotiations punctuated by moments where compromise seemed possible, Gov. Steve Sisolak’s office decided to pull a controversial water bill that opponents had argued would bolster the Las Vegas pipeline. The decision was made after “there [did] not appear to be anything approaching consensus,” according to an email from Sisolak’s senior policy advisor.  The Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), the bill’s sponsor, instead plans to convene a working group to discuss the policy at the center of Assembly Bill 30 before the next legislative session. ... ”  Read more from the Nevada Independent here:  Governor’s office pulls controversial water bill as talks turn to an interim working group

New Mexico: Opening the floodgates for ‘produced water’:  “Marvin Nash is gushing with enthusiasm about the prospect of irrigating New Mexico’s arid lands with oil and gas wastewater.  His Wyoming-based startup, Encore Green Environmental, is pursuing a pilot project to clean up effluent waste from booming industry operations in southeastern New Mexico and then spray it over desert areas to increase vegetation for ranching and erosion control. … ”  Read more from the Albuquerque Journal here:  New Mexico: Opening the floodgates for ‘produced water’

Precipitation watch …

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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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