In California water news today, Fire-ravaged Paradise water agency faces state ultimatum: Fix your cracked dam spillway; Farmers vs Fish: The Story of Delta Smelt; Despite Record Snow Melt, Toxic Algae Continues To Bloom In California Lakes And Ponds; State may receive reinforcements in nutria battle; Oroville operations update; Atmospheric rivers getting warmer along U.S. West Coast; As the oceans acidify, these oyster farmers are fighting back; Old Flames: The Tangled History of Forest Fires, Wildlife, and People; Agriculture Department buries studies showing dangers of climate change; Lower Colorado River Basin Can Still Expect Shortage Next Year; and more …
On the calendar today …
- Agricultural Water Management Plan Guidebook Workgroup Meeting from 1:30pm to 3:30pm. DWR will hold the first meeting of the “Agricultural Water Management Plan Guidebook Workgroup” in-person and via webinar. Membership to the workgroup is informal and open to all interested parties. Click here for more information.
In the news today …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
- CA WATER COMMISSION: Governor Newsom’s Water Resilience Portfolio Initiative Listening Session
- NEWS WORTH NOTING: Commissioner Burman takes action to improve Central Valley Project hydropower; Trump Administration to dredge San Francisco Bay to make room for more oil; State Board of Food and Agriculture to meet in San Luis Obispo and seek public input on creating a climate-resilient water system
- FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: Wetlands Restoration for Greenhouse Gas Reduction
- ANNOUNCEMENT: Delta Stewardship Council Seeks Candidates to Fill Six Upcoming Delta Independent Science Board Vacancies
Fire-ravaged Paradise water agency faces state ultimatum: Fix your cracked dam spillway: “Just months after California’s deadliest wildfire laid waste to the town of Paradise, hillside residents face yet another costly and potentially dangerous problem. State safety officials have downgraded the Magalia Dam on the hill above town to “poor” condition, and have ordered the dam’s owner to make interim repairs by November on the cracked spillway. It’s the latest in problem for the Paradise Irrigation District, which lost most of its revenue base in the Camp Fire and is still struggling to deliver potable water to its remaining customers. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: Fire-ravaged Paradise water agency faces state ultimatum: Fix your cracked dam spillway
Farmers vs Fish: The Story of Delta Smelt: “Delta smelt and the California agriculture industry have one thing in common: the need for freshwater. In California, agriculture accounts for about 62% of net water use, while urban and industrial use is approximately 16%. The remaining 22% of water are designated for environmental uses, such as maintaining streamflows and wetlands, and to protect wildlife. To move water around, over 1,400 dams and miles of aqueducts have been constructed. A tidal wetland-turned-agricultural land, the Sacramento – San Joaquin Delta is the center of California’s water distribution center. About half of California’s developed water moves through the delta via two pumping plants: Central Valley Project (CVP) and the State Water Project. … ” Read more from EnviroBites here: Farmers vs Fish: The Story of Delta Smelt
Despite Record Snow Melt, Toxic Algae Continues To Bloom In California Lakes And Ponds: “California’s record snowpack is melting into significant runoff this summer, filling the state’s lakes and ponds with cold, fresh water. These flows usually help prevent blue-green algae blooms, which form in waterways and are toxic to humans and can be deadly to pets. But since mid-spring, there’s been reports of the dangerous — and stinky — algae blooms across the state. “It’s interesting — and maybe a bit surprising — that we do see these blooms even after these big winters,” said Keith Bouma-Gregson, manager of the California Freshwater Harmful Algal Blooms Program. ... ” Read more from Capital Public Radio here: Despite Record Snow Melt, Toxic Algae Continues To Bloom In California Lakes And Ponds
State may receive reinforcements in nutria battle: “In the war against nutria, reinforcements will soon be on the way, thanks to new funding. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is slated to receive nearly $2 million from the state budget, pending Gov. Gavin Newsom’s signature. The department also received an $8.5 million, three-year grant last month from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy. And members of Congress from the Central Valley want to send money to the state from Washington. That should help the solitary person who’s been trying to keep the swamp rat from taking over California’s interior waterways, as has already happened to Maryland, Louisiana and 16 other states. … ” Read more from Ag Alert here: State may receive reinforcements in nutria battle
Oroville operations update: “Water releases from Hyatt Powerplant are approximately 4,009 cubic feet per second (cfs). The current elevation of Oroville reservoir is 895 feet. The Feather River watershed snowpack has mostly melted and use of the main spillway to manage lake levels is unlikely. However, if DWR determines that it is necessary to use the main spillway, in addition to Hyatt Powerplant, DWR will notify the public and media. A full reservoir is a welcome sight after years of drought and low lake levels to accommodate reconstruction. … ” Read more from DWR News here: Oroville operations update
Atmospheric rivers getting warmer along U.S. West Coast: “Most of the West Coast of the United States relies on a healthy winter snowpack to provide water through the dry summer months. But when precipitation falls as rain rather than snow, it can diminish summer water supplies, as well as trigger floods and landslides. A new study in AGU’s Journal of Geophysical Research: Atmospheres finds atmospheric rivers –plumes of moisture that deliver much of the west’s precipitation—have gotten warmer over the past 36 years. … ” Read more from PhysOrg here: Atmospheric rivers getting warmer along U.S. West Coast
Atmospheric rivers drive local sea-level rise: “In 2015, two sites on the west coast of North America saw sea-level rise of around half a metre during a couple of strong atmospheric river events. Although the boosts lasted for only five to seven days, the average sea-level rise from January to March 2015 at Neah Bay in Washington would be 6 cm lower without the effect of atmospheric rivers, according to analysis. The study suggests that any long-term changes in atmospheric rivers could impact sea-level variation along the coast. … ” Read more from Physics World here: Atmospheric rivers drive local sea-level rise
As the oceans acidify, these oyster farmers are fighting back: “When visitors to Hog Island Oyster Co. shuck Pacific oysters at picnic tables overlooking Tomales Bay, it’s the final stage in a story that founding partner Terry Sawyer likes to tell about the shellfish, the bay, and all the steps that went into bringing the briny delicacies to the plate just a few hundred meters from where they were harvested. It’s a story that now also touches on the carbon cycle, climate change, and the ways in which the very chemistry of the ocean is shifting and how small businesses like Hog Island – along with the entire ocean ecosystem – are struggling to adapt. ... ” Read more from the Christian Science Monitor here: As the oceans acidify, these oyster farmers are fighting back
Old Flames: The Tangled History of Forest Fires, Wildlife, and People: “A yellow plastic sign stapled to a skinny black tree warned ENTERING BURN: STAY ON ROADS AND TRAILS. It was a classic June day in western Montana: 50 degrees and you judge how good the weather is by how hard the rain is beating against the windshield. I was in the passenger seat of a Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Richard Hutto, a professor emeritus at the University of Montana, was leading me into the heart of the Rice Ridge Fire burn area in the foothills of the Swan mountain range. Nine months earlier, in September 2017, this burn was the nation’s top firefighting priority during the second-most-expensive fire season on record. Rice Ridge eventually consumed 160,000 acres of forest and cost the U.S. Forest Service $49 million to fight. … ” Read more from Living Bird Magazine here: Old Flames: The Tangled History of Forest Fires, Wildlife, and People
Earth Notes: Drought Eye: “Drought in the Southwest is something people want to track—and temperature is one way to do that. All over the United States, space satellites and weather stations collect temperature data in real time. But processing and presenting that data can take a long time. That’s why researchers created an interactive online map called Drought Eye. ... ” Read more and view map from KNAU here: Earth Notes: Drought Eye
Most illustrations of the water cycle are missing an important ingredient: People.: “Some 80% of wastewater worldwide goes back into ecosystems without getting treated for pollution. Human-caused climate change is making droughts more common and water more scarce, threatening to displace tens to hundreds of millions in the next decade. People use water to grow crops, cool power plants, flush toilets and more. And global demand for water keeps climbing, with a projected rise of 20–30% over the next 30 years. But if you just looked at sketches of the water cycle — the diagrams that pop up everywhere from elementary school textbooks to scientific publications — you wouldn’t know about this human impact. … ” Read more from Ensia here: Most illustrations of the water cycle are missing an important ingredient: People.
Will Sarni: “Cyber security is critical for water utilities”: “William Sarni is an international water strategy and innovation veteran, founder and CEO of Water Foundry, who has dedicated his entire career to supporting private and public-sector companies implement corporate-wide water strategies. Currently working on a book titled: ‘Digital Water: New Technologies for a More Resilient, Secure and Equitable Water Future,’ he has also served as key author of Xylem and IWA’s recently released comprehensive white paper: ‘Digital Water: Industry Leaders Chart the Transformation Journey’. We speak to him about the potential of digital water and its future trends. ... ” Read more from Smart Water Magazine here: Will Sarni: “Cyber security is critical for water utilities”
Long-Term Trends in Agricultural Production and the Nation’s Natural Resources: “Agriculture is dynamic, adjusting in response to changes in the economy, technology, the environment, and policy – and agricultural production affects a wide range of natural resources. Understanding the complex links among public policies, economic conditions, farming and conservation practices, productivity and technological change, resource use, and the environment, is important for agricultural decision making. A new report from USDA’s Economic Research Service, Agricultural Resources and Environmental Indicators, 2019, provides a comprehensive review of the use of natural resources (land and water) and commercial inputs (such as energy, nutrients, and pesticides) in the agricultural sector, as well as the impact of agricultural production on environmental quality. Here are just a few of the findings from the multi-chapter report. … ” Read more from the USDA here: Long-Term Trends in Agricultural Production and the Nation’s Natural Resources
Agriculture Department buries studies showing dangers of climate change: “The Trump administration has refused to publicize dozens of government-funded studies that carry warnings about the effects of climate change, defying a longstanding practice of touting such findings by the Agriculture Department’s acclaimed in-house scientists. The studies range from a groundbreaking discovery that rice loses vitamins in a carbon-rich environment — a potentially serious health concern for the 600 million people world-wide whose diet consists mostly of rice — to a finding that climate change could exacerbate allergy seasons to a warning to farmers about the reduction in quality of grasses important for raising cattle. ... ” Read more from Politco here: Agriculture Department buries studies showing dangers of climate change
In commentary today …
The infrastructure crisis lurking in the shadows: Bill DiCroce writes, “California, like many states, faces an infrastructure crisis, but not just the one affecting the roads we drive on, water systems we rely on, and the electricity that powers our everyday lives. As critical as it is for state and federal policy makers to focus on the resiliency of the state’s infrastructure, we also need to focus on a critical element that often is overlooked: the people who know how to build, maintain and operate the infrastructure we use every day. … ” Continue reading at Inland Empire Community News here: The infrastructure crisis lurking in the shadows
In regional news and commentary today …
Butte County: Warning stands for staying out of Horseshoe Lake: “The public should continue to refrain from playing in Horseshoe Lake, according to Butte County Public Health on Tuesday. Last week, the county issued a warning after evidence of harmful algae bloom was detected in the man-made lake. ... ” Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here: Warning stands for staying out of Horseshoe Lake
Massive winter means smaller beaches at Lake Tahoe this summer: “Lake Tahoe beachgoers should prepare for those sandy slices of heaven to be skinnier this year with some areas inaccessible for a while after winter’s fury. The lake is full and beaches are going to be smaller later into the summer while the mountains shed their snowy blanket. It’s going to be a tight fit while enjoying part of Tahoe’s glory. ... ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune here: Massive winter means smaller beaches at Lake Tahoe this summer
Upgrades in Calistoga’s water quality in time for Napa County Jury report: “The latest Napa County Grand Jury report, released June 14, concludes that the county’s tap water is safe to drink. But while the investigation found the water meets state and federal quality standards, the water generally has odor, taste and color issues. As a result, the Jury wants Calistoga and other municipalities to pay more attention to complaints about water quality. … ” Read more from the Napa Register here: Upgrades in Calistoga’s water quality in time for Napa County Jury report
UC Davis Bodega Marine Lab: Performing A Myriad of Environmental Monitoring Programs: “A couple of University of California, Davis Bodega Marine Lab programs have been featured in previous Environmental Monitor articles, but there are many more in progress. Professor John Largier, Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute Associate Director for International Programs, for example, is heavily involved in the oceanographic monitoring project. “Our oceanographic monitoring program incorporates classical water quality monitoring, which is part of the CeNCOOS system. We do this monitoring at the mouth of San Francisco Bay. … ” Read more from Environmental Monitor here: UC Davis Bodega Marine Lab: Performing A Myriad of Environmental Monitoring Programs
Toxic algae may be affecting SLO County marine mammals: “Summer has arrived on the Central Coast, and that means birthing time for sea lions and large gatherings of sea lions and other marine mammals. But something in San Luis Obispo County ocean waters may be affecting the behavior of area marine mamals. A recent video went viral of a sea lion biting a Paso Robles teenager at a south San Luis Obispo County beach. It’s a rare event that could be the result of toxic algal blooms. … ” Read more from KCBX here: Toxic algae may be affecting SLO County marine mammals
Turlock: Surface water project receives federal funds: “Representative Josh Harder (CA-10) announced $750,000 in funding from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for Turlock and Ceres’ surface water treatment plant project. “Farmers and folks who live in Ceres need access to a consistent and reliable water source – and that’s just what this project will provide,” said Harder. “Bringing home federal funding for water projects is one of my top priorities, and this is just the first of several investments I’m working on.” … ” Read more from the Turlock Journal here: Turlock: Surface water project receives federal funds
Mono County: Wilson and Mill: A tale of two creeks: “Public, private and advocacy groups came to the Mono County Board of Supervisors last week, some with hope the County had the wisdom and power of Solomon to solve the issue of water in Wilson and Mill creeks. The Board didn’t have that power or will. The only real solution to maintaining and returning valuable watershed features to both appears to be more water. The issue of a dried up Wilson Creek came to the board two weeks ago when Katie Bellomo spoke during the public comment period, bringing photos of dead trout in the dry creek bed. … ” Read more from Sierra Wave here: Wilson and Mill: A tale of two creeks
Isabella Lake levels on target: “It doesn’t take a meteorologist or hydrologist to predict that this year will be a good year for water recreation on Isabella Lake. The lake has been steadily filling, thanks to an above-normal winter snowpack. As the weather warms, that snowpack melts, becoming a torrent of water flowing down the Kern River, where it eventually ends up in Isabella Lake. Despite the fact that there is still a good amount of snow remaining at the higher elevations, the amount of water in Isabella Lake will soon level off. ... ” Read more from the Kern Valley Sun here: Isabella Lake levels on target
Southern California beaches mostly clean during summer but winter brought dirty water, says 2019 report: “The good news is that 95% of Southern California beaches scored an “A” or a “B” for summer water quality in Heal the Bay’s 2018-2019 Beaches Report Card released Wednesday. Orange County hosts to 10 of the state’s 33 “Honor Roll” beaches with perfect scores while Los Angeles County is home to two. … ” Read more from the Riverside Press-Enterprise here: Southern California beaches mostly clean during summer but winter brought dirty water, says 2019 report
Breakwater changes still being studied by Long Beach and Army Corps, with no timeframe for a decision: “Long Beach and the Army Corps of Engineers aren’t shutting the door on bringing back some waves to the city’s low-key beachfront — but the two agencies aren’t clear on when they might make a decision, either. Long Beach’s Manager of Government Affairs Diana Tang said during a Tuesday, June 25 Surfrider Foundation meeting that the two bodies are making progress on studying potential changes to the city’s breakwater, but “we don’t yet have a timeframe” on when that study period may end, she said. ... ” Read more from the Long Beach Press Telegram here: Breakwater changes still being studied by Long Beach and Army Corps, with no timeframe for a decision
Along the Colorado River …
Lower Colorado River Basin Can Still Expect Shortage Next Year: “The Lower Colorado River Basin does not avoid a shortage in 2020 despite the plentiful snowpack on the Rocky Mountains this past winter. Why? Well, the new Drought Contingency Plan defines different “tiers” of shortage. The Lower Basin will not drop into a Tier One shortage next year because Lake Mead will almost certainly remain above 1,075 feet in elevation. At the same time, Mead will likely remain under 1,090 feet. That triggers a Tier Zero shortage. … ” Read more from KJZZ here: Lower Colorado River Basin Can Still Expect Shortage Next Year
And lastly …
The spectacularly doomed plan to fill the bay with a 36-lane freeway: “In 1946, the Bay Bridge wasn’t even 10 years old and already people were complaining about the traffic. “The present facility is not adequate. It is already carrying more vehicles than many thought it would. And each year the volume of traffic increases,” Marvin E. Lewis, San Francisco city supervisor and the head of a powerful planning group lobbying for a new crossing, said at the time. … Lewis and his fellow planners were tasked with presenting proposals for a bay crossing south of the current Bay Bridge to a joint board of Army and Navy engineers. During World War II and for several years after, the military exercised jurisdiction over San Francisco Bay navigation and infrastructure. Most of those proposals involved building a steel girder bridge similar to the existing San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge. But a few called for a “fill and tube” plan, a solution blissfully unconcerned with aesthetics or the environment. … ” Read more from SF Gate here: The spectacularly doomed plan to fill the bay with a 36-lane freeway
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
CA WATER COMMISSION: Governor Newsom’s Water Resilience Portfolio Initiative Listening Session
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: Wetlands Restoration for Greenhouse Gas Reduction
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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.
