In California water news today, California farmers are planting solar panels as water supplies dry up; Study: El Niño has outsize economic effect on California; California may be first to force water suppliers to notify customers of myriad toxic ‘forever chemicals’; NASA Tracks Wildfires from Above to Aid Firefighters Below; California Releases Roadmap for Water Resources Sustainability; UCLA to lead $10 million California conservation project; At a California oyster hatchery, farming native seaweed improved water quality; and more …
On the calendar today …
- Public meeting on the SWP contract amendment for Delta conveyance from 10am to 3pm in Sacramento. Agenda and call-in information by clicking here.
- A webinar on Urban Water Supplier Monthly Reports from 10am to 11am: The webinar will discuss the draft proposal to require urban water suppliers to submit monthly monitoring reports on potable water production. Staff will solicit input and answer questions. Click here for more information.
- A webinar on the Latest Developments in PFAS – Analytical Method Developments and Forensics from 12pm to 1pm, hosted by the Groundwater Resources Association. For more information and to register, click here.
- Public meeting on the Draft EIR for CVP and SWP operations in Sacramento from 1pm to 3pm. Click here for more information.
- Workshop on Protecting Drinking Water and Groundwater Planning in the Salinas Valley from 5pm to 8pm. Click here to RSVP.
In the news today …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
California farmers are planting solar panels as water supplies dry up: “Jon Reiter banked the four-seat Cessna aircraft hard to the right, angling to get a better look at the solar panels glinting in the afternoon sun far below. The silvery panels looked like an interloper amid a patchwork landscape of lush almond groves, barren brown dirt and saltbush scrub, framed by the blue-green strip of the California Aqueduct bringing water from the north. Reiter, a renewable energy developer and farmer, built these solar panels and is working to add a lot more to the San Joaquin Valley landscape. “The next project is going to be 100 megawatts. It’s going to be five times this size,” Reiter said. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: California farmers are planting solar panels as water supplies dry up
Study: El Niño has outsize economic effect on California: “Considering it’s been long known that El Niño conditions often bring about flooding precipitation to California, a ripe field for study would be a thorough examination of the damage wreaked. And who knows catastrophic damage better than insurers? Their specialized knowledge prompted a pair of San Diego researchers to compare 40 years of insurance data against climate and water data to quantify the effect of El Niño on flood damage in the western United States. The findings of Tom Corringham and Daniel Cayan, both of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California at San Diego, confirm the connections between extreme weather events and El Niño, which is the periodic warming of equatorial waters in the Pacific Ocean. … ” Read more from the Washington Post here: Study: El Niño has outsize economic effect on California
California may be first to force water suppliers to notify customers of myriad toxic ‘forever chemicals’: “The clock is ticking. Gov. Gavin Newsom has until Wednesday to decide on a bill that would make California the first state in the nation to require water suppliers who monitor a broad class of toxic “forever chemicals” to notify customers if they’re present in drinking water. “A decision will come tomorrow,” a spokesman for Newsom said Tuesday. He declined to say what it would be. The PFAS chemicals, which have been widely used in everything from firefighting foam to Teflon pans, Scotchgard products and even some dental floss, have been linked in some research to cancers, developmental problems and thyroid and liver disease. They’re known as “forever chemicals” because they don’t break down in the environment or in human bodies. … ” Read more from The Desert Sun here: California may be first to force water suppliers to notify customers of myriad toxic ‘forever chemicals’
NASA Tracks Wildfires from Above to Aid Firefighters Below: “Every evening from late spring to early fall, two planes lift off from airports in the western United States and fly through the sunset, each headed for an active wildfire, and then another, and another. From 10,000 feet above ground, the pilots can spot the glow of a fire, and occasionally the smoke enters the cabin, burning the eyes and throat. The pilots fly a straight line over the flames, then U-turn and fly back in an adjacent but overlapping path, like they’re mowing a lawn. When fire activity is at its peak, it’s not uncommon for the crew to map 30 fires in one night. The resulting aerial view of the country’s most dangerous wildfires helps establish the edges of those fires and identify areas thick with flames, scattered fires and isolated hotspots. ... ” Read more from NASA here: NASA Tracks Wildfires from Above to Aid Firefighters Below
California Releases Roadmap for Water Resources Sustainability: “Earlier this month, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) released the California Water Plan Update 2018. Update 2018 outlines state strategies and actions for managing California’s most precious resource in every region of the state. Natural Resources Agency Secretary Wade Crowfoot highlighted the importance of the Water Plan, “Water management in California is a grand exercise in partnerships…State government and our many partners achieve more when we work together…Perhaps most importantly, Update 2018 prioritizes supporting local and regional efforts to build water supply resilience across California. This approach recognizes that different regions of the state face different challenges and opportunities, yet all benefit from coordinated State support.” … ” Read more from California Forward here: California Releases Roadmap for Water Resources Sustainability
CLIMATE CHANGE
UCLA to lead $10 million California conservation project: “UCLA scientists are leading a $10 million project to help California officials make ecologically wise decisions as the state continues to confront the effects of climate change. The California Conservation Genomics Project, which is funded by the state, will involve conservation biologists, geneticists, ecologists and climate scientists from all 10 University of California campuses, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and Los Alamos National Laboratory, the UC Natural Reserve System and California State University campuses, as well as officials from state and federal regulatory agencies and nongovernment agencies, such as The Nature Conservancy. It is intended to run through 2022 or 2023. … ” Read more from the UCLA Newsroom here: UCLA to lead $10 million California conservation project
At a California oyster hatchery, farming native seaweed improved water quality: “Native seaweed has the potential to be cultivated in California coastal waters and used to alleviate the effects of local ocean acidification, according to a new study funded by NOAA’s California Sea Grant. Besides providing a local and sustainable source of food, researchers and aquaculture producers are exploring how seaweed production may benefit its surrounding environment. “We were interested in how seaweed can help moderate the acidity of the water that it is grown in and how it can be used as a nutrient absorption tool,” said project leader Catherine O’Hare. She co-founded the Salt Point Seaweed Company which makes culinary products from wild harvested seaweed from the north coast of California. Along with co-founders Tessa Emmer and Avery Resor, the woman-owned company is conducting seaweed cultivation research in California. ... ” Read more from Climate.gov here: At a California oyster hatchery, farming native seaweed improved water quality
Climate Change Pushing Western Salmon Toward Extinction: “Pacific salmon that spawn in Western streams and rivers have been struggling for decades to survive water diversions, dams and logging. Now, global warming is pushing four important populations in California, Oregon and Idaho toward extinction, federal scientists warn in a new study. The new research shows that several of the region’s salmon populations are now bumping into temperature limits, with those that spawn far inland after lengthy summer stream migrations and those that spend a lot of time in coastal habitats like river estuaries among the most at risk. … ” Read more from KQED here: Climate Change Pushing Western Salmon Toward Extinction
NATIONAL NEWS
How Old is the Water from the Tree Canopy to Groundwater? “Investigating the time that a raindrop takes to travel from A to B can reveal much about landscape processes such as the transport of contaminants, weathering rates, and groundwater recharge. A recent article in Reviews of Geophysics describes the progress over the past decade in understanding water flow and transport processes in the critical zone. Here the lead authors of an interdisciplinary team that wrote the review initiated by a workshop, answer a few questions about their work and its relevance. … ” Read more from EOS here: How Old is the Water from the Tree Canopy to Groundwater?
Scientists cook up new recipes for taking salt out of seawater: “As populations boom and chronic droughts persist, coastal cities like Carlsbad in Southern California have increasingly turned to ocean desalination to supplement a dwindling fresh water supply. Now scientists at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) investigating how to make desalination less expensive have hit on promising design rules for making so-called “thermally responsive” ionic liquids to separate water from salt. ... ” Read more from PhysOrg here: Scientists cook up new recipes for taking salt out of seawater
Ultra-thin layers of rust generate electricity from flowing water: “There are many ways to generate electricity — batteries, solar panels, wind turbines, and hydroelectric dams, to name a few examples. …. And now there’s rust. New research conducted by scientists at Caltech and Northwestern University shows that thin films of rust — iron oxide — can generate electricity when saltwater flows over them. These films represent an entirely new way of generating electricity and could be used to develop new forms of sustainable power production. … ” Read more from Science Daily here: Ultra-thin layers of rust generate electricity from flowing water
Are bioplastics better for the environment than conventional plastics?: “Have you ever stood in front of a supermarket shelf and wondered if you should buy that product made from bioplastics rather than the conventional kind? Many people assume all bioplastics are made from plants and can break down completely in the environment. But that’s not the case. The term “bioplastics” is actually used for two separate things: bio-based plastics (plastics made at least partly from biological matter) and biodegradable plastics (plastics that can be completely broken down by microbes in a reasonable timeframe, given specific conditions). Not all bio-based plastics are biodegradable, and not all biodegradable plastics are bio-based. And even biodegradable plastics might not biodegrade in every environment. Sounds confusing? It certainly is. … ” Read more from Ensia here: Are bioplastics better for the environment than conventional plastics?
In regional news and commentary today …
NOAA Using Futuristic Sailing Drones to Study Fish Populations Along the North Coast: “A fleet of autonomous, carrot-colored sailboats are patrolling the North Coast. Local fisherman and friend of LoCO Ted Pease took these photos on Friday after happening upon one of the 16-and-a-half-foot drones 3 miles west of Trinidad Head. The solar-powered boats, built by the Bay Area company Saildrone, are conducting a summerlong survey for the Northwest Fisheries Science Center, NOAA spokesperson Michael Milstein told the Outpost. … ” Read more from the Lost Coast Outpost here: NOAA Using Futuristic Sailing Drones to Study Fish Populations Along the North Coast
Tehama County: Reducing Flood Risk on Elder Creek: “The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is completing the second year of the Elder Creek Channel Rehabilitation Project. The five-year project will clear sedimentation and vegetation to restore flow capacity of a four-mile stretch of the state-maintained Elder Creek in Tehama County. With a goal of clearing approximately one mile per year, the project reduces flood risk for the nearby town of Gerber and surrounding farmland, which includes fruit and nut orchards. … ” Read more from DWR News here: Tehama County: Reducing Flood Risk on Elder Creek
Lake Oroville Community Update – July 30 2019: “The current elevation of Oroville reservoir is 873 feet, and water releases from Hyatt Powerplant are approximately 9,200 cubic feet per second (cfs). Releases to the river from Lake Oroville supplement the natural flows of the Feather River to meet environmental needs, salinity standards, and south of Delta State Water Project exports. Coordinated releases from the federal Central Valley Project and the State Water Project from Lake Oroville help to balance conditions throughout the Sacramento Valley watershed. … ” Read more from DWR News here: Lake Oroville Community Update – July 30 2019
The Trust for Public Land gives land to Mendocino National Forest: “The Trust for Public Land, a national conservation nonprofit organization, has donated approximately 3,000 acres within the boundaries of the Mendocino National Forest in Mendocino County. The Trust for Public Land parcel is called the Sanhedrin Donation and is part of the broader 11,800-acre Sanhedrin Acquisition Project. The forest has partnered with The Trust for Public Land and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation to purchase the remaining 8,800 acres with Land and Water Conservation Funds and private philanthropic donations. … ” Read more from Lake County News here: The Trust for Public Land gives land to Mendocino National Forest
Radio show: The History Of Sausal Creek / Russian River Salmon: “First up, the historical significance behind a special creek in East Oakland. Then, we’ll drop into the Russian River, counting salmon.” Listen to radio show from KALW here: Radio show: The History Of Sausal Creek / Russian River Salmon
Redwood Creek Restoration To Resume At Muir Woods National Monument: “Efforts to help improve Coho salmon habitat at Muir Woods National Monument in California are scheduled to begin in August, with crews removing previously placed boulders in Redwood Creek and then revegetating the creek with native plants. To conduct the Salmon Habitat Enhancement Project work, fish in the creek will be relocated out of harm’s way, and then the work zone will be drained of water. Part of the project involves replacing four foot bridges across the creek. After work is completed, the restored creek banks will be re-vegetated with native plants and the project area will be closely monitored by biologists as it recovers. … ” Read more from the National Parks Traveler here: Redwood Creek Restoration To Resume At Muir Woods National Monument
Antioch Dunes Wildlife Refuge needs help counting rare butterfly: “The Antioch Dunes National Wildlife Refuge needs people to help it count the Lange’s metalmark butterflies in the only place on Earth where they can be found: its dunes. “The Lange’s metalmark butterfly lives only at the Dunes and is just one of the many amazing things you can see there,” Julie Haas-Wajdowicz, city of Antioch’s environmental resource coordinator, said of the protected habitat along the southern banks of the San Joaquin River. … ” Read more from the East Bay Times here: Antioch Dunes Wildlife Refuge needs help counting rare butterfly
Sutter County Ordered To Reduce Arsenic Levels In Drinking Water: “Sutter County has been ordered to reduce arsenic levels in its drinking water or face some steep penalties from the Environmental Protection Agency. The county’s water works district is required to develop and comply with the federal government’s Safe Drinking Water Act. If the county doesn’t comply, it could be fined more than $32,000 for each violation. … ” Read more from CBS Sacramento here: Sutter County Ordered To Reduce Arsenic Levels In Drinking Water
Homeless Digging into Levees Put Sacramento at Risk: “Sitting at the confluence of two major rivers, California’s capital city of Sacramento has been prone to inundation almost since its founding. In the 1860s after a massive flood, the governor moved the capital to San Francisco temporarily and ordered parts of the city raised. Even after decades of work and billions of dollars in investment, Sacramento remains one of the two most flood-prone cities in the nation along with New Orleans, according to experts. … ” Read more from Bloomberg Environmental here: Homeless Digging into Levees Put California’s Capital at Risk
Merced: Groundwater Sustainability Plan up for public review: “Over the past 18 months, the three Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) in the Merced Subbasin have worked together to develop a Draft Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) that is now available for public review and comment. The three GSAs are as follows: Merced Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (MSGSA), Merced Irrigation-Urban Groundwater Sustainability Agency (MIUGSA), and Turner Island Groundwater Sustainability Agency (TIWDGSA-1). … ” Read more from the Merced Times here: Merced: Groundwater Sustainability Plan up for public review
Owens Lake, under a microscope: “A caravan of scientists, staffers and water watchers wound its way through the maze of roads on Owens Lake last week in search of answers: Are the dust control measures working and will this project ever be done? The answers are yes and probably not, respectively. The scientists were part of the Owens Lake Scientific Advisory Panel, a branch of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine, established through the stipulated order in the legal settlement between Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. … ” Read more from the Sierra Wave here: Owens Lake, under a microscope
LA County’s Sustainability Plan: Model for California or Empty Words? “Los Angeles is a land of contrasts. Jaw-dropping natural beauty and biodiversity surround some of the country’s worst traffic and air pollution. Tech moguls and actors live in gated mansions, just steps from homeless peoples’ encampments. And our politicians pay lip service to fighting the climate crisis one day – and the next day approve carbon-intensive sprawl development. LA County’s new draft sustainability plan exemplifies these tensions. The plan could serve as a blueprint for protecting our land, air, and water while increasing affordable housing. It could be a model for other communities in California and across the United States. Or it could become a missed opportunity … ” Continue reading at City Watch here: LA County’s Sustainability Plan: Model for California or Empty Words?
Southern California: Efforts to Save Federally Endangered Frogs, Tadpoles Continue: “Close to one thousand Los Angeles Zoo bred mountain yellow-legged frogs and tadpoles (Rana muscosa) will be released into a tributary to Cooper Canyon, located in the Angeles National Forest. Representatives from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Los Angeles Zoo, and Forest Service will release the tadpoles Aug. 14 as efforts to save this federally endangered species enter their thirteenth year. This marks the second year tadpoles have been released into Angeles National Forest. ... ” Read more from SCV News here: Efforts to Save Federally Endangered Frogs, Tadpoles Continue
San Diego: Study to Explore New Regional Water Conveyance System: “The San Diego County Water Authority’s Board of Directors last week approved a contract to study the viability of a new regional water conveyance system that would deliver water from the Colorado River to San Diego County and provide multiple benefits across the Southwest. The $1.9 million contract was awarded to Black & Veatch Corporation for a two-phase study. The engineering firm conducted similar studies for the Water Authority dating back to 1996 but looked at “single use” in those studies. … ” Read more from the Water News Network here: Study to Explore New Regional Water Conveyance System
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
SGMA IMPLEMENTATION: Developing Sustainable Management Criteria
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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.
