In California water news today, The Frightening Spread of Toxic Algae; California Moves To Boost Recycled Water; Oil Spill Risk Cited in Fight Over San Francisco Bay Dredging Plan; Santa Clara’s Llagas Creek flood control project was decades in the making; The Old Farmer’s Almanac Predicts Cool Winter, Below-Average Rainfall For California; Southwestern US to have record-challenging heat as drought remains into the weekend; BLM move conflict spurs new ‘review’; The Most Expensive Natural Disasters in U.S. History; San Francisco: Millennium Tower: Panel OKs $100M fix for SF’s tilting building; and more …
On the calendar today …
- Coastal Watershed Flood Risk Reduction Program Workshop – San Luis Obispo from 1pm to 3pm. DWR will host a public workshop to provide information about how the Coastal Watershed Flood Risk Reduction Program was established, what the Draft Guidelines cover, and how the solicitation process works. Click here for more information.
- Water Resilience Portfolio Listening Session in Madera from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. Click here for more information.
In the news today …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
- METROPOLITAN BAY-DELTA COMMITTEE: Salmon predation in the Delta
- SCIENCE NEWS: Scientists pinpoint parasite killing sea otters; SF Zoo brings red-legged frogs back to Yosemite; Beaver reintroduction key to solving freshwater biodiversity crisis; How algal blooms affect coastal systems; and more …
- NEWS WORTH NOTING: Wildlife Conservation Board funds enviro improvement projects; SoCal Water Coalition responds to Newsom’s water resilience portfolio initiative; Water and climate update: July 2019 Earth’s hottest month since record-keeping began
- WATER PLAN eNEWS: ~~Speaker Series~ Climate Summit~ AWMP Guidebook~ Water Stewardship~ Forest Project~ Sustainability Outlook ~~
The Frightening Spread of Toxic Algae: “Humans and animals who stumble across a brightly colored blue-green or red pool don’t always recognize the threat. Toxic algal blooms aren’t high on many people’s radar. Vacation-goers obliviously wade into ocean and lake waters that can cause gastrointestinal or respiratory problems. They eat contaminated fish and shellfish with potentially lethal consequences. Dog owners unknowingly allow their beloved pets to frolic in toxic ponds—leading to death within hours. Toxic algae is one of the quickest-spreading deadly effects of the climate crisis in the United States. ... ” Read more from the New Republic here: The Frightening Spread of Toxic Algae
California Moves To Boost Recycled Water: “A new plan recommends four strategies to advance water reuse in California over the next three decades – an important part of both the state and regional water resilience portfolio. The California WateReuse Action Plan includes a comprehensive set of proposed actions that will more than double the use of water recycling in California and help prepare the state for the impacts of climate change, according to WateReuse California, which released the plan in July. But getting to that goal will require several steps, including: Completing research to advance water recycling and potable reuse; developing and streamlining recycled water regulations and permitting; increasing grant and loan opportunities to expand recycled water infrastructure; and, implementing integrated regional planning. ... ” Read more from the Water News Network here: California Moves To Boost Recycled Water
Oil Spill Risk Cited in Fight Over San Francisco Bay Dredging Plan: “A major oil spill in one of the nation’s most economically important waterways could become more likely unless a plan to dredge two San Francisco Bay channels less frequently is reconsidered, lawyers for the state of California and a conservation group argued in court Wednesday. “That kind of catastrophe can obviously have very intense environmental impacts,” attorney Erica Maharg said at a hearing on the plaintiffs’ motion for summary judgment. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service here: Oil Spill Risk Cited in Fight Over San Francisco Bay Dredging Plan
Santa Clara’s Llagas Creek flood control project was decades in the making: “After decades of costly floods — and 65 years after Congress first approved it — construction on Santa Clara Valley Water District’s flood control project along the Upper Llagas Creek, is finally happening. By 2023, construction along nearly 14 miles of the creek will protect 1,100 homes, 500 businesses and 1,300 acres of agricultural land in Morgan Hill, Gilroy and San Martin — and get those residents and business owners off the hook for costly flood insurance. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here: Santa Clara’s Llagas Creek flood control project was decades in the making
Illegal cannabis farms still scarring public lands, two years after Prop. 64: “When California voters legalized cannabis in 2016, supporters of Proposition 64 hoped it would significantly reduce the scourge of black market weed cultivation, particularly on public lands. Yet nearly two years later, illegal marijuana grows are still rampant across wide swaths of the national forests in California, leaving behind a trail of garbage, human waste, dead animals and caustic chemicals. Nearly all of these farms are the work of Mexican drug trafficking organizations, posing dangers not just for the environment, but to hikers and others who might encounter them. ... ” Read more from the LA Times here: Illegal cannabis farms still scarring public lands, two years after Prop. 64
The Old Farmer’s Almanac Predicts Cool Winter, Below-Average Rainfall For California: “The 2020 edition of the Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts a cooler than normal winter and summer for our region, which stretches from the Oregon state line to the Mexican border. According to the yearly publication, which covers November 2019-October 2020, the coolest temperatures will occur in mid- to late December and mid- to late January, early to mid-February, and early and late March. ... ” Read more from CBS Sacramento here: The Old Farmer’s Almanac Predicts Cool Winter, Below-Average Rainfall For California
Southwestern US to have record-challenging heat as drought remains into the weekend: “Record highs dating back to the 1940s will be in jeopardy across the southwestern United States as intense heat builds into the Labor Day weekend. While average high temperatures start trending down at this point in the season most years, this weekend will feel more like the middle of summer due to widespread highs in the 90s, 100s and 110s F. “California, the Great Basin, Desert Southwest and Intermountain West region will be hot and mainly dry into this weekend, with many areas having temperatures as much as 4-14 degrees Fahrenheit above normal,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Jack Boston said. … ” Read more from AccuWeather here: Southwestern US to have record-challenging heat as drought remains into the weekend
Rancher greens arid site with beaver dam analogs: “Bruneau, Idaho, rancher Chris Black is using beaver dam analogs to make his property wetter and greener. The structures, with their willow walls and intermittently spaced wooden poles, mimic beaver dams by holding back or slowing water. They’re effective and fairly cheap — important in that they can blow out occasionally, just like the real thing. “Since ’17 when they put them in, that whole stretch now has become continuously watered,” Black said. “The meadows are starting to sponge that water up, and become greener and more alive.” … ” Read more from the Capital Press here: Rancher greens arid site with beaver dam analogs
WOTUS Found To ‘Violate The Law’: “More than four years since it was first put in place, a group of 10 states has won a legal victory against the U.S. EPA’s 2015 Waters of the United States rule. The rule was put into place as a layer of the Clean Water Act meant to clarify water resource management under the Obama administration, but it has long been contested, with the Trump administration announcing its intent to revise or rescind it in 2017. Now, a recent court ruling in a lawsuit brought by the states has emboldened that effort. … ” Read more from Water Online here: WOTUS Found To ‘Violate The Law’
BLM move conflict spurs new ‘review’: “Sniping over the proposed Bureau of Land Management reorganization continued today, with a soon-departing Interior Department official calling the tenor and timing of concerns raised by two key Democratic lawmakers “unfortunate” and “disappointing.” But in what could be one of his last official acts as assistant Interior secretary for land and minerals management, Joe Balash also pointedly told the Democrats their opposition will have consequences. “Given your apparent strong feelings about the Department’s actions and intentions, we pledge to review and reconsider the relocation of additional Departmental resources to your State,” Balash wrote Sen. Tom Udall (D-N.M.). … ” Read more from E&E News here: BLM move conflict spurs new ‘review’
The Most Expensive Natural Disasters in U.S. History: “Mother Nature has certainly wreaked havoc over the years. Storms, floods, drought and fire have taken a toll, both in lives lost and property damaged. 2019 has been a fairly quiet year – so far. Much of the southern plains experienced damaging river flooding this spring, delaying planting for farmers and tying up commercial boat traffic on the Mississippi. Still, hurricane season is only halfway over, so keep your emergency kit ready and your fingers crossed, and have a look at the 10 most expensive natural disasters in U.S. history. ... ” Read more from Kiplinger Personal Finance here: The Most Expensive Natural Disasters in U.S. History
And lastly … Monster Hybrid Tumbleweed Species Is Taking Over California, Scientists Warn: “A new invasive species of tumbleweed that can grow up to six feet in height is taking over parts of California—and scientists are warning it could spread even further as climate change makes its growing conditions more favorable. Salsola ryanii was first identified in California in 2002. It is a hybrid made up of two other invasive species—Salsola tragus, which is native to Russia and China, and Salsola australis, from Australia and South Africa. The latter, scientists say, is “one of the world’s worst weeds” and is currently found in 48 U.S. states. The new species, is however, far bigger and faster growing than its parents, reaching about six feet in height. … ” Read more from Newsweek here: Monster Hybrid Tumbleweed Species Is Taking Over California, Scientists Warn
In commentary today …
Like almonds, grapes and oranges? Then you will want a key Valley canal to be fixed, says the Fresno Bee: They write, “A key reason the San Joaquin Valley is one of the world’s premier farming regions is a ribbon of water called the Friant-Kern Canal. Part of the federal Central Valley Project, the 152-mile-long canal carries water from Millerton Lake north of Fresno to the Kern River in Bakersfield. Along the way 15,000 farmers use irrigation to grow $10 billion worth of crops. But the ability of farmers south of Porterville to produce those crops has been dramatically hindered in recent years because the canal has sunk — or, more accurately, the ground on which the canal sits has fallen. That is the result of groundwater pumping during drought years. The pumping caused the sinking, also known as subsidence. … ” Read more from the Fresno Bee here: Like almonds, grapes and oranges? Then you will want a key Valley canal to be fixed
The Legislature must rethink SB 1. It will hurt water management efforts, says Peter Nelson: He writes, “If not amended, Senate Bill 1 will perpetuate California’s water and environmental troubles, not help to resolve them, as its proponents claim. How? As written, SB 1 limits the use of research conducted over the last decade meant to better understand Delta water management and its relationship to fish and wildlife. The State Water Project — funded by ratepayers throughout California, including the Coachella Valley — has spent tens of millions of dollars to improve this understanding. ... ” Read more from The Desert Sun here: The Legislature must rethink SB 1. It will hurt water management efforts
In regional news and commentary today …
Humboldt Bay: ‘We need to come together’: Harbor commissioners stress united front on dredging: “Several dozen Humboldt County residents gathered at the Samoa Cookhouse on Wednesday afternoon for a discussion about, essentially, mud. Or, as harbor commissioner Pat Higgins rebranded it, “reusable clean sediment.” The Humboldt Bay Harbor Working Group, which meets monthly at the cookhouse, is focused on looking at how the local harbor can become an international port. This month’s meeting honed on the subject of dredging and efforts being made to clear local channels. It featured two harbor commissioners. … ” Read more from the Redwood Times here: ‘We need to come together’: Harbor commissioners stress united front on dredging
Plumas County: Public Works ponders completing final steps for Tobin water project: “Exhausting all reasonable efforts to obtain a contractor to complete the Tobin water project, Plumas County Public Works appears willing to step in and complete the job. During a Community Development Commission meeting Aug. 20, Executive Director Roger Diefendorf along with supervisor and CDC Commissioner Jeff Engel shut off the taps on efforts to flush out a contractor for the job. The last contractor, a business in Reno, seemed interested, but according to Diefendorf finally didn’t respond. … ” Read more from the Plumas County News here: Public Works ponders completing final steps for Tobin water project
San Francisco: Millennium Tower: Panel OKs $100M fix for SF’s tilting building: “Independent experts charged with reviewing the proposed $100 million fix to San Francisco’s famously sinking and tilting Millennium Tower endorsed the plan Tuesday, saying that they “see no reason to withhold approval of the building permit for the structural upgrade of the foundation.” The four-person panel, hired by the city and headed up by Stanford engineering professor Gregory Deierlein, submitted its review of the “perimeter pile upgrade” plan to San Francisco officials. ... ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: San Francisco: Millennium Tower: Panel OKs $100M fix for SF’s tilting building
EBMUD readies for next major quake by replacing aging pipes: “It’s only 8 inches in diameter, and each segment ranges from 10 to 18 feet. But EBMUD’s quake-resistant pipes may well prove to be a true lifeline, keeping the water flowing when the next big quake hits along the Hayward fault. Every weekday since June, an East Bay Municipal Utility District crew has been installing quake-resistant ductile iron pipes in the Northampton Avenue area off of Spruce Street in the Berkeley hills. It’s tricky, intricate, methodical work, owing to Northampton, which slopes down from Spruce into a narrow, curvy road. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here: EBMUD readies for next major quake by replacing aging pipes
Local leaders unite to fight development on Bay’s salt ponds: “”We don’t build on the Bay,” Bay Area environmental groups have long declared. Now, local leaders are once again sounding this call. On Aug. 20, San Mateo County Supervisor Dave Pine joined advocates from Save the Bay, the Committee for Green Foothills, and other local advocacy organizations at Bedwell Bayfront Park in Menlo Park. Their purpose, as Pine tweeted later that day, was to “announce a broad coalition opposed to development on the Cargill Salt Ponds,” where the developer is testing the waters for a potential housing project. … ” Read more from the Almanac here: Local leaders unite to fight development on Bay’s salt ponds
Manteca: Valley Green Leader: “Food scraps left today on plates at Applebee’s along with the vegetable oil McDonald’s uses to deep fry McNuggets will end up powering the City of Manteca solid waste truck collecting brown and blue residential carts later this week. That’s because what Public Works Director Mark Houghton touts as “Manteca’s own refinery” is now converting methane gas generated at the wastewater treatment plant along with food waste to produce compressed liquefied gas. And in doing so, Manteca is well on its way to effectively wiping out all CO2 impacts the wastewater treatment process creates and then some. That’s because all of the city’s heavy duty trucks as they are replaced will have engines powered by clean burning CNG to eliminate the use of diesel fuel. … ” Read more from the Manteca Bulletin here: Manteca: Valley Green Leader
Seaside wants to take golf course irrigation water and earmark it for housing: “The city of Seaside retains a lawyer named Russell McGlothlin, whose hourly rate is $740. The Weekly emailed him to ask for an interview but he didn’t respond. A subsequent conversation with Seaside City Manager Craig Malin revealed why. When McGlothlin got the Weekly’s request, he asked the city whether to proceed. But the city said no because it didn’t want to be billed for the time he would take to answer questions. One of the reasons McGlothlin can charge so much is that he specializes in water and works in a state where fortunes depend on having access to it. A biography on the website of McGlothlin’s Los Angeles-based firm, O’Melveny, notes that he helped write the very laws that govern groundwater in California. “He is certainly one of the best water lawyers in the state,” Malin says. … ” Read more from Monterey Weekly here: Seaside wants to take golf course irrigation water and earmark it for housing
Appeal of Cal Am’s Carmel Valley pump station unanimously denied: “California American Water’s Monterey Peninsula water supply project took another small step forward on Tuesday as the Board of Supervisors rejected an appeal of a proposed Carmel Valley pump station. By a unanimous vote, the county board during its afternoon session denied an appeal by Marina Coast Water District of the pump station planned for a four-acre site on Rancho San Carlos Road, which was also unanimously approved by the county Planning Commission in May … ” Read more from the Monterey Herald here: Appeal of Cal Am’s Carmel Valley pump station unanimously denied
Paso Robles groundwater basin included in high-tech Stanford study: “A pair of upcoming North County groundwater studies are expected to shed new light on the hydrogeological conditions of two key water sources in the region. The Paso Robles Groundwater Basin is one of three basins in the state chosen to participate in a Stanford University study that will deploy state-of-the-art aerial electromagnetic technology to better understand its characteristics. … ” Read more from New Times SLO here: Paso Robles groundwater basin included in high-tech Stanford study
Kern County: Continued oil leaks prompt expert study, new violations for Chevron: “State regulators have taken the rare step of placing an entire oil field under technical scrutiny following continued, uncontrolled releases of oily fluid at Chevron Corp. operations near McKittrick. California’s Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources said it is “exploring swift next steps” to investigate fluid releases at the Cymric Oil Field. The evaluation will be done with the help of scientists at the prestigious Lawrence Livermore and Lawrence Berkeley national laboratories in the Bay Area, DOGGR said. ... ” Read more from Bakersfield.com here: Kern County: Continued oil leaks prompt expert study, new violations for Chevron
Antelope Valley: $1.12M dam addition approved: “The wet winter may have been a good thing for water supplies, but the rain did create some expensive problems for the Palmdale Water District. Last fall, the District began construction on a project to remove sediment from the Littlerock Dam reservoir to increase its storage capacity, but the winter rain flooded the construction site and halted work for more than six months. On Monday, the District’s Board of Directors unanimously approved a nearly $1.12 million addition to the contract with ASI Construction to cover the additional costs of securing the site and removing equipment during the shutdown and the delay. ... ” Read more from the Antelope Valley Press here: Antelope Valley: $1.12M dam addition approved
High levels of arsenic in Thermal mobile home park’s drinking water prompt federal response: “A mobile home park on the Torres Martinez Indian Reservation in Thermal had elevated levels of arsenic in the water system, prompting the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to direct the park’s owner to make fresh water available to residents and find ways to mitigate the contaminants, the federal agency said Wednesday. EPA officials said groundwater tests at the privately owned and operated Oasis Mobile Home Park in the 88-700 block of Avenue 70 revealed the presence of arsenic at 16 to 97 parts per billion. The federally recognized maximum limit is 10 parts per billion for drinking water. ... ” Read more from The Desert Sun here: High levels of arsenic in Thermal mobile home park’s drinking water prompt federal response
New Educational Hydro Station Project Opens in Chula Vista: “The first Hydro Station in California opened August 15 in Chula Vista. The interactive educational space is a joint educational partnership between the Sweetwater Authority, Otay Water District, and the Chula Vista Elementary School District. The Hydro Station, at the Richard A. Reynolds Groundwater Desalination Facility, features learning exhibits and hands-on activities to introduce fifth grade students to the ecological cycle of water, water conservation, water quality, and careers in the water industry. … ” Read more from the Water News Network here: New Educational Hydro Station Project Opens in Chula Vista
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
METROPOLITAN BAY-DELTA COMMITTEE: Salmon predation in the Delta
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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.
