In California water news today, A giant mass of warm water off the Pacific Coast could rival ‘the blob’ of 2014-15; Valley Growers Pin Hopes On Far – Reaching San Joaquin Valley Blueprint; Prioritizing equity helps ensure poor communities receive benefits of bond measures; The story of a California delta island selling for less than a San Francisco condo; New Income Source From Farming?; Report reveals play-by-play of first U.S. grid cyberattack; and more …
On the calendar tomorrow …
- Listening session on the Governor’s Water Resilience Portfolio at Fresno State from 10am to 2pm. Click here to register.
In the news today …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
- SAC PRESS CLUB: Droughts, Tunnels & Clean Water: A Conversation on California Water Policy
- NEWS WORTH NOTING: State Water Board appointees Laurel Firestone and Sean Maguire confirmed by State Senate; PPIC: New publications: Water Management in a Changing Climate
- KLAMATH DAMS: State Water Board denies water quality certification for Lower Klamath Project
- DELTA eNEWS: ~~ Pittsburg Marina~ Pittsburg Festival~ ISB Meeting~ DPC Meeting~ Delta Cleanup~~
- FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: Northern California Forests and Watersheds Program
New Marine Heatwave Emerges off West Coast, Resembles “the Blob”: “About five years ago “the Blob” of warm ocean water disrupted the West Coast marine ecosystem and depressed salmon returns. Now, a new expanse of unusually warm water has quickly grown in much the same way, in the same area, to almost the same size. The warm expanse building off the West Coast stretches roughly from Alaska south to California. It ranks as the second largest marine heatwave in terms of area in the northern Pacific Ocean in the last 40 years, after “the Blob.” … ” Read more from NOAA here: New Marine Heatwave Emerges off West Coast, Resembles “the Blob”
A giant mass of warm water off the Pacific Coast could rival ‘the blob’ of 2014-15: “A large and unusually warm mass of water is threatening to disturb the marine ecosystem along the Pacific Coast from Southern California to Alaska, scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday. They call it the Northeast Pacific Marine Heatwave of 2019, and if it doesn’t dissipate soon, researchers said it could be as destructive as the infamous “blob” of warm water that caused massive toxic algae blooms along the coast and wreaked havoc on whales, salmon, baby sea lions and other marine life in 2014 and 2015. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: A giant mass of warm water off the Pacific Coast could rival ‘the blob’ of 2014-15
- MORE COVERAGE: The ‘Blob’ is back: New marine heat wave emerges off West Coast, from the San Jose Mercury News
- New marine heat wave is reminiscent of ‘the Blob’ and scientists, researchers are concerned about ocean impact, from the Orange County Register
Podcast: Valley Growers Pin Hopes On Far – Reaching San Joaquin Valley Blueprint: “The state’s groundwater management law is set to take effect beginning next year. January 1, 2020 is the date when over critically overdrafted groundwater basins, mostly in the Valley, must have a plan to manage pumping. By 2040 groundwater basins must be in balance, only extracting the amount that’s recharged. Valley farmers and water districts will be facing a new reality of pumping less water and are worried about the land that will be taken out of crop production. But the water and agriculture industries are drafting a large-scale plan to fill the gap with more dams and water deliveries from the Delta. Vic Bedoian reports from Fresno.”
Prioritizing equity helps ensure poor communities receive benefits of bond measures: “In 2014, California voters approved Proposition 1, which set bold goals to fund water quality, supply and infrastructure improvements. In a new paper, UCLA researcher Jon Christensen investigated how it prioritized investments in disadvantaged communities. Christensen wanted to know if Prop. 1 was living up to its goals. We spoke with him about the study and how its findings can inform future environmental funding. … ” Read more from UCLA News here: Prioritizing equity helps ensure poor communities receive benefits of bond measures
The story of a California delta island selling for less than a San Francisco condo: “It sold for less than the price of a San Francisco condo. A 10-acre island in Isleton, an hour south of Sacramento in the California Delta’s fresh-water Seven Mile Slough, is changing hands for $1.195 million. (SF’s median condo price is about $1.25 million.) The buyer is Thai Tran, who owns a mini-chain of Vietnamese pho restaurants in Sacramento, and listing agent Tony Wood of KW Commercial says Tran and his family plan to transform the property at 1200 West Brannan Island Road into a destination. … ” Read more from SF Gate here: The story of a California delta island selling for less than a San Francisco condo
Dairy lagoon water successfully blended in subsurface drip: “Using dairy lagoon water to irrigate silage corn is standard practice. Running the thick, nutrient-rich water through subsurface drip systems (SDI) could someday be just that as two California dairy farms, an irrigation company, and an environmental organization are working together to solve the challenges involved in the water thrifty practice. For several years DeJager Farms near Chowchilla has irrigated its silage corn with a subsurface irrigation system that blends fresh water with lagoon water through an automated system that is yielding good results. ... ” Read more from the Western Farm Press here: Dairy lagoon water successfully blended in subsurface drip
The Western View: New Income Source From Farming? “Thanks to some creative thinkers in private industry, Cap-and-Trade could become a new income source for growers. Cap-and-Trade was a controversial program invented some years ago as a way for big polluters to offset the damage done by their pollution. It’s had its problems being implemented, but It has also had some success in reducing carbon pollution. It works like this: the government sets how much pollution a company can release. If they go over that amount, they must offset it some way or face big penalties. ... ” Read more from Ag Net West here: The Western View: New Income Source From Farming?
High Tide Bulletin: Fall 2019: When you may experience higher than normal tides between September and November 2019: “The rising and falling of the sea is a phenomenon upon which we can always depend. Tides are the regular rise and fall of the sea surface caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun and their position relative to the earth. There are some factors that cause the tides to be higher than what is “normally” seen from day to day. This bulletin tells you when you may experience higher than normal high tides for the period of time between September and November 2019. We also publish annual high tide flooding reports that present a broad outlook of what to expect for a given year in terms of high tide flooding, as well as a summary of high tide flooding events for the previous calendar year. … ” Read more from NOAA here: High Tide Bulletin: Fall 2019
The EPA isn’t doing enough to protect people in harm’s way: “Many hazardous chemicals that cause health issues are still in use in industrial, commercial, and private settings, despite well-documented harms. As the federal government implements the 2016 Frank Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act, which amends the 1976 Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), experts say some of the same problems that plagued the original act are hampering progress, despite new legal requirements that promise better protection. The TSCA legally oversees about 40,000 chemicals in the United States. The new amendments mandate protection of what the law calls susceptible and highly exposed populations, but the EPA is not adequately assessing the risk to these populations in their first 10 risk evaluations, experts write in a commentary in PLOS Biology. … ” Read more from Futurity here: The EPA isn’t doing enough to protect people in harm’s way
Report reveals play-by-play of first U.S. grid cyberattack: “A first-of-its-kind cyberattack on the U.S. grid created blind spots at a grid control center and several small power generation sites in the western United States, according to a document posted yesterday from the North American Electric Reliability Corp. The unprecedented cyber disruption this spring did not cause any blackouts, and none of the signal outages at the “low-impact” control center lasted for longer than five minutes, NERC said in the “Lesson Learned” document posted to the grid regulator’s website. But the March 5 event was significant enough to spur the victim utility to report it to the Department of Energy, marking the first disruptive “cyber event” on record for the U.S. power grid (Energywire, April 30). ... ” Read more from E&E News here: Report reveals play-by-play of first U.S. grid cyberattack
In commentary today …
Wayne Western Jr.: On two critical water bills, we can hear praise and silence: He writes, “Why would a Valley lawmaker who authored a bill to save jobs, irrigate farms, and ensure communities receive clean water, then vote to pass a different bill which denies all of that? Earlier this year, State Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D–Sanger) authored SB559, a bill that has drawn widespread bipartisan support by lawmakers, water agencies, and businesses alike by making available $400 million to repair the Friant-Kern Canal damaged by subsidence. … Most people and lawmakers seem to agree with her sentiments, given the broad support that has crossed party lines. But on the floor of the California Senate on May 29, Hurtado voted yes on SB1. … ” Read more from the San Joaquin Sun here: On two critical water bills, we can hear praise and silence
In regional news and commentary today …
Lower Klamath refuge to start getting water: “The Lower Klamath National Wildlife Refuge began receiving 50 cubic feet per second (cfs) of Klamath Project Supply through Ady Canal, operated by Klamath Drainage District, according to a press release. This delivery, on top of water already being provided, comes at a critical time for fall waterfowl migration, and has become available through extensive coordination and efforts by Klamath Project irrigators. … ” Read more from the Herald & News here: Lower Klamath refuge to start getting water
First step taken toward pipe bringing water from Paradise to Chico: “An idea to pipe water from Paradise to Chico took its first step Wednesday, when the Paradise Irrigation District board signed off on a feasibility study for the proposal. The plan might seem far-fetched at first glance, but it would solve a couple of problems. In the short-term, PID needs someone to buy its water in order to stay solvent, as most of its customers were burned out by the Camp Fire last November. In the long-term, California Water Service’s Chico Division needs an additional source of water to ease its complete dependence on wells. ... ” Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here: First step taken toward pipe bringing water from Paradise to Chico
Multimillion-dollar facelift planned for Old Sacramento: “One of Sacramento’s top tourist attractions will soon be getting a major facelift. A design team has been selected to transform the Old Sacramento waterfront, and change the look and feel of the river district. Brian Crilly, of Stantec, is the lead architect in the project to revitalize the waterfront. Crilly said his goal is “finding a way to open the water itself back to Front Street.” That plan includes the River Terrace project, which would bring people right onto the water on moving platforms that look like floating docks with elongated slopes. ... ” Read more from KCRA Channel 3 here: Multimillion-dollar facelift planned for Old Sacramento
Llagas Creek flood control project is underway: “Construction has begun on the first phase of a five-year, $180 million flood control protection project for the historic Upper Llagas Creek watershed, from Gilroy to north Morgan Hill. Federal, state and county officials participated in groundbreaking ceremonies Aug. 28. “When completed, this project will provide flood protection for residents, businesses and farming areas of southern Santa Clara County,” said Norma Camacho, chief executive officer of Valley Water. “It will also improve the creek habitat for plants, fish and wildlife, an effort which includes planting more than 100 acres of native vegetation to create on-site wetlands mitigation at Lake Silveira.” … ” Read more from the Gilroy Dispatch here: Llagas Creek flood control project is underway
Commentary: How Modesto and others can access more water despite climate change: Vance Kennedy writes, “The column about Farmland Working Group fighting sprawl mentions the two authors who have been tremendous long-term leaders in saving farmland, and there are many others who also deserve some credit. What is not discussed are the tremendous benefits that preserving permeable farmland presents for increasing water availability during climate change. Global warming is inevitable and is well along already. ... ” Read more from the Modesto Bee here: How Modesto and others can access more water despite climate change
Video: Kern County In Depth: Complying with groundwater regulations and balancing Kern’s needs: “Local groundwater agencies in Kern County have unveiled plans for groundwater sustainablity for local review. Some water districts are taking aggressive action to comply with state law to reduce groundwater consumption and balance supplies over the next 20 years. Some other water districts are taking a different approach. Jim Scott discusses state regulations with water agency officials and how it’s impacting farms in Kern County.” View video from KGET here: Video: Kern County In Depth: Complying with groundwater regulations and balancing Kern’s needs
A look inside Ventura’s wastewater operations. What’s the future of its estuary discharge? “There’s a lot of confusion and concern about what will happen once the city of Ventura no longer discharges millions of gallons of water into the Santa Clara River Estuary. There are questions over what will happen to the birds, fish, turtles, ducks and other critters once their environment dramatically changes. Residents wonder what will happen to the diverted wastewater and whether converting it to drinking water is — beyond the optics — healthy and safe. To help residents get a better understanding of how Ventura’s wastewater operations work, and to help answer those questions, city officials opened up its facility to the public last week. … ” Read more from the Ventura County Star here: A look inside Ventura’s wastewater operations. What’s the future of its estuary discharge?
Santa Clarita: Groundwater managers now taking applications for 7 advisers: “Water officials tasked with hammering out a plan to manage Santa Clarita Valley groundwater announced Thursday they are now accepting applications for seven people to serve as the agency’s advisory group. In a news release issued Thursday, members of the Santa Clarita Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency announced: “Applications are being accepted for a public advisory committee to help develop a plan for sustainable management of the local groundwater basin in the Santa Clarita Valley.” … ” Read more from the Santa Clarita Signal here: Groundwater managers now taking applications for 7 advisers
Valley Voice: Regional effort puts water solutions in place for the Coachella Valley: Berlinda Blackburn writes, “Behind the scenes, the valley’s public water agencies have been working together to earn grants and improve water management for our entire region. In 2008, they formed the Coachella Valley Regional Water Management Group (Regional Group) to: reduce water demand, increase our region’s water supply, improve regional water quality, serve as stewards of our shared water resource, and improve efficiency and flexibility. ... ” Continue reading at the Desert Sun here: Valley Voice: Regional effort puts water solutions in place for the Coachella Valley
RMWD pursues untreated water study, spray field bids: “Ramona Municipal Water District (RMWD) directors unanimously agreed to study the district’s untreated water system and to move forward with building the San Vicente Recycled Water Upper Spray Field. The special meeting on Aug. 20 was held as an alternative to RMWD’s Aug. 13 meeting in which the board lacked a quorum to vote on agenda items. The three directors participating in the Aug. 20 meeting were President Jim Robinson, Treasurer Thomas Ace and Secretary Bryan Wadlington. … ” Read more from the San Diego Tribune here: RMWD pursues untreated water study, spray field bids
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
SAC PRESS CLUB: Droughts, Tunnels & Clean Water: A Conversation on California Water Policy
KLAMATH DAMS: State Water Board denies water quality certification for Lower Klamath Project
DELTA eNEWS: ~~ Pittsburg Marina~ Pittsburg Festival~ ISB Meeting~ DPC Meeting~ Delta Cleanup~~
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: Northern California Forests and Watersheds Program
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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.
