In California water news today, SF Bay’s problems fester as regulator neglects responsibility, investigation finds; Rethinking Disaster Recovery After A California Town Is Leveled By Wildfire; This water fight should end fast; Warmth to ramp up in California, Southwest at late week following unusually chilly weekend; Lawmakers, Trump agencies set for clash over chemicals in water; GOP criticizes its own on climate; and more …
On the calendar today …
- WEBINAR: Sharing Decades of Monitoring Experience: What your SOPs don’t tell you from 10am to 11am. Presented by the National Water Quality Monitoring Council. Preregistration is required. Click here to register.
- WEBINAR: California-Nevada Drought & Climate Outlook from 11am to 12pm. Presented by the National Integrated Drought Information System. Click here to register.
In the news today …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
- 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 …
- BLOG ROUND-UP: A water portfolio planning report card; Making key policy decisions in advance of droughts; Science panel calls attention to the CV hatchery salmon problem; Why don’t we hear about more species going extinct?; and more …
- RESERVOIR AND WATER CONDITIONS for May 28
SF Bay’s problems fester as regulator neglects responsibility, investigation finds: “An investigation into the Bay Conservation and Development Commission found mismanagement and disorganization so rampant that the once-celebrated watchdog agency allegedly neglected its primary responsibility — to protect San Francisco Bay. A state audit of the regulatory agency known as the BCDC describes slow and inefficient enforcement, a huge backlog of cases and an inability to perform key duties. It blames those problems on leadership failures, staffing shortages and inadequate funding. ... ” Read more from the SF Chronicle here: SF Bay’s problems fester as regulator neglects responsibility, investigation finds
Rethinking Disaster Recovery After A California Town Is Leveled By Wildfire: “When the Camp Fire raced into the Northern California town of Paradise on Nov. 8, destroying nearly 19,000 structures and claiming 85 lives, Chris Beaudis narrowly escaped. He drove out of the Sierra foothills in his Ford Bronco with only his pit bull. He lost everything and has no insurance. “It’s been really stressful at times,” he says. “You think that it’s the end of the world, especially when everything you have is gone.” All Beaudis has for now is a 300-square-foot FEMA camper trailer. … ” Read more from Capital Public Radio here: Rethinking Disaster Recovery After A California Town Is Leveled By Wildfire
This water fight should end fast: “A million Californians don’t have clean water when they turn on their taps. Most live in farm towns like East Orosi, as the New York Times detailed last week. And no policymaker doubts there is a problem. The question: How to raise the money to fix the problem. The cost of a solution is pegged at $140 million a year. That should be easy in a $213 billion budget. It’s not, evidently. … ” Read more from Cal Matters here: Gas-powered engines, Democrats’ turmoil, and clean water
Be mindful of harmful algal blooms this summer: “With summer just around the corner, the warm weather will once again draw millions of Californians to waterways throughout the state for good times and relaxation. While there are all kinds of water safety issues to be aware of, the State Water Resources Control Board wants the public to know about one that may not be so obvious — freshwater harmful algal blooms, or HABs. As California confronts the realities of climate change, HABs have become increasingly common in rivers, lakes and reservoirs, and they can be especially dangerous to children and pets. … ” Read more from the Red Bluff Daily News here: Be mindful of harmful algal blooms this summer
Warmth to ramp up in California, Southwest at late week following unusually chilly weekend: “Following record cold across parts of California, temperatures will rebound to near-normal levels by the end of the month. During the Memorial Day weekend, afternoon high temperatures were held to the lowest levels in almost 10 years. Temperatures in Northern and Central California were mainly in the 50s to near 60 degrees Fahrenheit for the high on Sunday afternoon, while southwestern California failed to get out of the lower 60s. … ” Read more from Accu-Weather here: Warmth to ramp up in California, Southwest at late week following unusually chilly weekend
Lawmakers, Trump agencies set for clash over chemicals in water: “An aggressive push by Congress to pass bipartisan legislation addressing cancer-causing chemicals that are leaching into the water supply is setting the stage for a fight with the Trump administration. The chemicals, commonly abbreviated as PFAS, are used in items ranging from food wrappers and Teflon pans to raincoats and firefighting foam. But studies have found that as they break down and find their way into drinking water, they can cause a variety of negative health effects. ... ” Read more from The Hill here: Lawmakers, Trump agencies set for clash over chemicals in water
GOP criticizes its own on climate: “As some Republicans inch toward climate policy for the first time in years, those in the party who reject climate science are getting nervous that a more permanent shift is coming. And they’re going on the attack against their former allies. A group called Energy & Environment Action Team recently sent a 16-page pamphlet to every member of Congress encouraging lawmakers to reject all climate policy and connecting concern about global warming to political losses. … ” Read more from E&E News here: GOP criticizes its own on climate
U.S. drought breaks for first time in 20 years, United States Drought Monitor reports: “A wet winter and spring rains mean this is the first week in 20 years in which there were no significant drought conditions in the lower 48 states, the United States Drought Monitor reported. “The good news is that just like the rest of country, none of Arizona remains in a severe or exceptional drought,” Phoenix National Weather Service meteorologist Marvin Percha said. “It’s great news in short and medium terms of fire danger levels and water supplies.” … ” Read more from the Spectrum here: U.S. drought breaks for first time in 20 years, United States Drought Monitor reports
In regional news and commentary today …
Sierra Valley flood hazard restudy signed by supervisors: “It took two consulting groups, but a project charter for the Sierra Valley Flood Hazard Restudy Project is finished and now approved by members of the Plumas County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday, May 14. Approaching supervisors as the county engineer, Bob Perreault explained the process that finally resulted in a restudy project. ... ” Read more from the Plumas News here: Sierra Valley flood hazard restudy signed by supervisors
Nguyen dispels social media rumors about contaminated drinking water in Oxnard: “The City of Oxnard struck back about reports of contaminated drinking water within the city limits at it’s May 21, City Council meeting. City Manager Alex Nguyen said he wanted to set the record straight about the issue. “There is a lot of misinformation on social media causing panic in some of our neighborhoods that the City of Oxnard’s water supply had too many nitrates in it, and that is incorrect,” he said. ... ” Read more from the Tri County Sentry here: Nguyen dispels social media rumors about contaminated drinking water in Oxnard
New $14 Million San Bernardino Facility Expected to Increase Water Supply Reliability: “California inland residents will benefit from a new facility designed to increase water supply reliability. The San Bernardino Sun reported Friday that the Enhanced Recharge Project facility dedicated May 23 will move water from the Seven Oaks Dam near Highland to a new sedimentation basin and beyond. … ” Read more from KTLA here: New $14 Million San Bernardino Facility Expected to Increase Water Supply Reliability
What the heck is a special district? Here’s a who’s who of the 14 in the Coachella Valley: “If you’re a taxpayer wondering how your money is being spent, the complex ins-and-outs of local government make it hard to understand and not very accessible. Such is particularly true in California, where a combination of taxes and fees fund 3,300 of what are called special districts statewide. These special districts supplement the services provided by cities, counties, state and federal government. In the Coachella Valley, they administer healthcare and water, manage parks and cemeteries and coordinate services to deal with valley-wide issues, like transportation and homelessness. ... ” Read more from The Desert Sun here: What the heck is a special district? Here’s a who’s who of the 14 in the Coachella Valley
‘Stop the Poop’ rally protests coastal pollution at the border: “A local advocacy group held a rally Sunday morning calling on the federal government to stop the pollution of coastal waters caused by untreated sewage from the Tijuana River Valley. “Stop the Poop” protesters gathered at the San Ysidro Port of Entry to call attention to the flow of untreated sewage, chemicals and garbage into waters along the county’s coast. According to the group, more than 100 million gallons of raw sewage and pollutants have been released into the Tijuana River Valley in recent weeks. ... ” Read more from Fox 5 here: ‘Stop the Poop’ rally protests coastal pollution at the border
California beach closes after Mexico sewage flows north: “Imperial Beach’s entire shoreline has been closed to swimmers after sewage-contaminated runoff has flowed into California from Mexico’s Tijuana River. The San Diego Union-Tribune reports the San Diego County Department of Environment Health issued the order Sunday, expanding the closure that has been in place for months for part of the coast. Officials say more than 110 million gallons of toxic storm water has flowed north from Mexico since April. … ” Read more from KCRA here: California beach closes after Mexico sewage flows north
Along the Colorado River …
VIDEO: Amid drought, Phoenix plans for a future with less water: “As the Colorado River’s flow declines, water supplies in seven states are imperiled by potential shortages. That includes Arizona, which passed legislation outlining steps it would take if water from the river continues to decrease. But what does a water shortage mean for Phoenix? Hari Sreenivasan reports. This story is part of our series, “Peril and Promise: The Challenge of Climate Change.” Watch/listen at PBS News Hour here: Amid drought, Phoenix plans for a future with less water
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
https://mavensnotebook.com/2019/05/28/reservoir-and-water-conditions-for-may-28-2/
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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.
