In California water news today, Plumbing Experts Question California’s Post-Fire Water Testing Guidance; Grower on the ground floor; San Joaquin Valley faces ‘pivotal moment’ for water; Does limited underground water storage make plants less susceptible to drought?; Sierra Seedlings Illustrate Effects of Climate Change on Next Generation of Forests; NASA helps warn of harmful algal blooms in lakes, reservoirs; Cigarette Waste: New Solutions for the World’s Most-littered Trash; and more …
On the calendar today …
- The Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water meets at 9:30am. For the list of bills to be heard, click here. Click here to watch on CalChannel.
- Webinar: Bulletin 74 Well Standards Update Kickoff from 10am to 12pm. Presented by the Department of Water Resources. Click here for more information.
- Brown Bag Seminar: Managing Water Quality Across Boundaries from 12pm to 1pm. Stephanie Fong will examine perspectives on technical, geographical, and political boundaries and and share her insights from the Delta system. Click here for more information.
- Webinar: AB 691: Proactively Planning for Sea-Level Rise on Public Trust Lands from 12pm to 1pm. This webinar will showcase the work that the State Lands Commission is doing throughout the state to understand local impacts and proactively plan for sea-level rise. Click here for more information.
In the news today …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
- BLOG ROUND-UP: Oops, DWR Did It Again; You can’t address the Colorado River Basin’s problems without addressing the Salton Sea; The LA River and the trade-offs of water recycling; Sustaining integrated portfolios for managing water in California; The untimely death and life of the Colorado River; and more …
- GUEST COMMENTARY: Why not put your public water outreach program on steroids
Plumbing Experts Question California’s Post-Fire Water Testing Guidance: “When the Camp Fire tore through the Sierra Nevada foothills last November, the flames nearly obliterated the town of Paradise. Left in the fire’s wake was a water system in which the pipes and plumbing were contaminated by benzene and other volatile organic compounds. Decontaminating the water system is a core component of Paradise’s recovery. The State Water Resources Control Board’s Division of Drinking Water published guidance for testing the plumbing in buildings that survived the fire. But that document is drawing criticism from academic researchers who say that the recommendations, published on June 14, are not thorough enough to detect all potential instances of water contamination from plumbing within a building. … ” Read more from Circle of Blue here: Plumbing Experts Question California’s Post-Fire Water Testing Guidance
Don Cameron: Grower on the ground floor: “Long before it became fashionable in the San Joaquin Valley to talk about groundwater overdraft and land subsidence, Don Cameron was noticing it. “We know we have a problem out there,” the Helm, Calif., grower says. “When I first started farming we saw the water table drop 2 feet in a year. It just kept dropping and dropping.” Another thing he kept noticing was that in wet years, storm waters would rush down the Kings River on their way to the Pacific Ocean. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press here: Grower on the ground floor
San Joaquin Valley faces ‘pivotal moment’ for water: “Managing water supplies in the San Joaquin Valley in the coming years will require balancing supply with demand, addressing groundwater quality problems and finding new beneficial uses of land and water. So asserts a team of researchers led by Ellen Hanak, Water Policy Center director and senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press here: San Joaquin Valley faces ‘pivotal moment’ for water
Does limited underground water storage make plants less susceptible to drought? “You might expect that plants hoping to thrive in California’s boom-or-bust rain cycle would choose to set down roots in a place that can store lots of water underground to last through drought years. But some of the most successful plant communities in the state — and probably in Mediterranean climates worldwide — that are characterized by wet winters and dry summers have taken a different approach. They’ve learned to thrive in areas with a below-ground water storage capacity barely large enough to hold the water that falls even in lean years. … ” Read more from Berkeley News here: Does limited underground water storage make plants less susceptible to drought?
Sierra Seedlings Illustrate Effects of Climate Change on Next Generation of Forests: “Climate change is bad news for forests, and a new study by UC Merced Professor Emily Moran demonstrates one aspect of that news. Higher summer temperatures hurt tree seedlings’ growth and survival. But whether that is entirely bad depends on the degree of change in the number of young trees. “One of the reasons we’re so concerned about forest fires is because of forest density,” she said. “If there are somewhat fewer seedlings and saplings, there’s less fuel for big destructive fires. On the other hand, if there are too few seedlings there won’t be a next generation to replace adult trees when they die.” … ” Read more from UC Merced here: Sierra Seedlings Illustrate Effects of Climate Change on Next Generation of Forests
NASA helps warn of harmful algal blooms in lakes, reservoirs: “Harmful algal blooms can cause big problems in coastal areas and lakes across the United States. When toxin-containing aquatic organisms multiply and form a bloom, it can sicken people and pets, contaminate drinking water, and force closures at boating and swimming sites. With limited resources to monitor these often-unpredictable blooms, water managers are turning to new technologies from NASA and its partners to detect and keep track of potential hazards. … ” Read more from PhysOrg here: NASA helps warn of harmful algal blooms in lakes, reservoirs
Cigarette Waste: New Solutions for the World’s Most-littered Trash: “By now it’s no secret that plastic waste in our oceans is a global epidemic. When some of it washes ashore — plastic bottles, plastic bags, food wrappers — we get a stark reminder. And lately one part of this problem has been most glaring to volunteers who comb beaches picking up trash: cigarette butts. Last year the nonprofit Ocean Conservancy reported that cigarette butts, which contain plastic and toxic chemicals, were the most-littered item at their global beach cleanups. Trillions of butts are tossed each year. So what’s being done about it? … ” Read more from the Revelator here: Cigarette Waste: New Solutions for the World’s Most-littered Trash
In regional news and commentary today …
Tahoe Conservancy votes to allow Oflying Water Control Project to move forward on their land: “The California Tahoe Conservancy voted during their board meeting on Thursday to allow El Dorado County to use five of their parcels to develop a water quality project in the Tahoe Paradise neighborhood. The project will include the construction of conveyance channels and detention basins, and install perforated pipes to infiltrate stormwater, which will increase groundwater recharge and reduce stormwater volumes, peak flows, and stormwater pollutants. ... ” Read more from South Tahoe Now here: Tahoe Conservancy votes to allow Oflying Water Control Project to move forward on their land
High water forces closure of some Lake Tahoe South Shore beaches: “Some stretches of South Shore beaches will close to the public in order to ensure public safety and protect sensitive wildlife habitat and areas prone to erosion. The locations where public access will be restricted include areas of the Upper Truckee Marsh and some land near Lakeview Commons, the California Tahoe Conservancy announced Monday. The restrictions are to take effect Friday, June 28. Beaches are extremely small or nonexistent this summer due to high lake levels, as the Tribune recently reported. The Conservancy asks beach users for patience and cooperation, and encourages using alternate lakefront access. The conservancy suggests using TahoePublicBeaches.org as a resource for finding different lake access points. ... ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune here: High water forces closure of some Lake Tahoe South Shore beaches
Shaky science, high cost in Russian River plan, says Phil Grosse: He writes, “The Press Democrat missed a very important point in its June 16 editorial (“It’s time to adopt a Russian River plan”). It is time, definitely, for a Russian River plan; unfortunately, the one being put forward by the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board staff isn’t that plan. There is one financial and one technical point that the public needs to understand. First, this plan would cost many people on the lower Russian River their homes. The cost of a septic system is phenomenal. There are a great many homeowners who simply cannot afford $25,000 to $50,000 to install a new septic system. They will sell and move away. Our communities are already seeing this flight. The plan isn’t yet adopted, and already it is severely harming our communities. ... ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here: Shaky science, high cost in Russian River plan
Officials hope a new treatment plant will help fix this small Sacramento County town’s drinking water issues: “Unsafe drinking water is common in Northern Californian cities. So common, in fact, that Governor Gavin Newsom called it a crisis during his State of the State address in February. That’s why water officials in Sacramento County are taking steps to solve the problem for residents of Hood, a small town located 20 miles south of Sacramento. ... ” Read more from ABC 10 here: Officials hope a new treatment plant will help fix this small Sacramento County town’s drinking water issues
City of Sanger receives $4 million in funding to improve water usage: “A barren lot of land in Sanger off Church and J Street is nothing more than just dirt and weeds, but give it a year, and it will be a source of life for the city. Soon it will be the home for their new and much-needed water tank. “This new tank would be 750,000 gallons, basically tripling our storage capacity,” said City Manager Tim Chapa. … ” Read more from ABC 30 here: City of Sanger receives $4 million in funding to improve water usage
Kings River high water level brings in business for rafting companies, dangerous for others: “Warm weather has caused heavy snowmelt to bring in lots of business for rafting companies like Kings River Expeditions, brings in dangers for others. “It’s high, it’s fun, it’s fast. It’s big!” exclaimed Kings River Expeditions Owner Justin Butchert. Freezing cold water splashed into rafts that floated down the river. Fresno local Chris Lopez made the trip with his family to spend quality time together. ... ” Read more from Your Central Valley here: Kings River high water level brings in business for rafting companies, dangerous for others
UCSB Researchers Piece Together Cause of Unusual Algal Bloom: “It was June of 2015, and the turquoise water lapping at the shores of Santa Barbara was more reminiscent of a shallow tropical bay than a Southern California beach. The condition puzzled scientists. What caused this unusual blue-green hue? Four years later, a group of researchers at UCSB has sorted out the mystery. The display stemmed from an algae bloom. Their findings appear in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans. … ” Read more from Noozhawk here: UCSB Researchers Piece Together Cause of Unusual Algal Bloom
Lower Arroyo Seco Restoration Moves Closer to Reality: “Thanks to approved budget requests from Pasadena-area Senator Anthony J. Portantino the 2019-2020 State Budget now includes $3.5 million for the Arroyo Seco Watershed Restoration Project from Prop 68. And while its name means “Dry Gulch,’ or “Dry River Bed,” depending on who you talk to, the gulch is home to a waterway that spans eight miles through the western portion of the City of Pasadena. Surrounded by urban development, the Arroyo Seco supports thriving natural ecosystems that include several native plant communities and provides shelter, food and nesting sites for hundreds of wildlife species. … ” Read more from Pasadena Now here: Lower Arroyo Seco Restoration Moves Closer to Reality
San Diego’s Farmer of the Year Taps Every Drop: “Growing water-intensive crops like avocados in San Diego County is no small feat. Producing avocados requires the use of innovative farming methods to supply the trees with enough water. It’s the use of innovative farming methods that earned John Burr the title of San Diego County’s Farmer of the Year – an honor he recently celebrated on KUSI-TV with Water Authority Board Chair Jim Madaffer as part of the agency’s Brought to You by Water outreach and education program. ... ” Read more from Water News Network here: San Diego’s Farmer of the Year Taps Every Drop
Scripps Scientist Explains Beach Nourishment And Sand Movement Along The Coast: “Bonnie Ludka, PhD, of Scripps Institute of Oceanography (SIO), spoke to about 40 people at the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve June 15 as part of the their bi-monthly speaker series. Ludka presented the results of her research into the movement of beach sand along the coast and the impact of beach nourishment on the closure of the Tijuana River in 2016. Southern California beaches are experiencing a sand deficit. … ” Read more from the Eagle and Times here: Scripps Scientist Explains Beach Nourishment And Sand Movement Along The Coast
And lastly …
The Hidden Light Show Below: Did you know that reefs can glow? Louise Murray writes, “As I descend into dark waters, my blue flashlights reveal a spectacular display of fluorescent colors shining out from some of the corals and marine creatures below. Normally hard to detect with the naked eye, this secret, colorful light show gleams as brightly as an ’80s disco within the beam of my lights. … ” Story and pictures from Hakai Magazine here: The Hidden Light Show Below
Today’s video …
The emergency spillway is no longer just dirt … Video via the Sacramento Bee
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
GUEST COMMENTARY: Why not put your public water outreach program on steroids
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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.
