In California water news today, Increased population strains limits of Chico’s sewer system; Study: Former San Geronimo Golf Course should be wastewater site; A floating plastic island in the San Francisco Bay may offer a new way to protect coasts from floods; The Monsoon Was A Total Letdown For The Southwest; Park Service plan for Colorado River below Glen Canyon to include reward for catching brown trout; Enviros lament ‘lost opportunity’ with lead rule revamp; The week in water podcast; and more …
In the news today …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
- DAILY DIGEST, weekend edition: Wildfires affect water resources long after the smoke clears; Small farmers and SGMA; Envisioning and designing the floating future; The salmon cannon podcast; and more …
- NEWS WORTH NOTING: Reclamation, SLDMWA release revised final EIS for long-term transfers; Metropolitan, Sanitation districts launch new water recycling demonstration plant; LADWP’s Upper Stone Canyon Reservoir returns to service with newly installed floating cover
- CALENDAR EVENTS: State of the Estuary conference; Flood MAR public forum; Localizing California waters conference; PPIC: Preparing California’s water system for climate extremes; Mountain Counties water symposium
- FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: 2020 Nonpoint Source (NPS) Grant Program – Clean Water Act section 319(h) & Timber Regulation & Forest Restoration Fund
Increased population strains limits of Chico’s sewer system: “Your toilet tells a story — and if you’re a homeowner, it’s worth listening to. Did you know the City of Chico’s Waste Water Treatment plant is permitted to treat 12 million gallons per day of wastewater? … On Nov. 8, the day of the Camp Fire, the city’s population grew from approximately 92,000 people to more than 112,000 — overnight. And overnight, the sewer system was working at the highest capacity the city has ever seen. … ” Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here: Increased population strains limits of Chico’s sewer system
Study: Former San Geronimo Golf Course should be wastewater site: “Building a recycling facility on the former San Geronimo Golf Course property is the best option for wastewater treatment in Woodacre and the San Geronimo flats, according to a new study. The study was done by Questa Engineering and financed with a $75,000 grant from the state Water Resources Control Board and $15,000 from the county of Marin. The Board of Supervisors accepted the report on Tuesday as part of its consent calendar. ... ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here: Study: Former San Geronimo Golf Course should be wastewater site
A floating plastic island in the San Francisco Bay may offer a new way to protect coasts from floods. It could even house people inside. “A tiny fiberglass island is bobbing up and down in the San Francisco Bay right now. From far away, it looks like a beluga whale poking through the water. Up close, it looks like a misshapen raft. In reality, it’s a buoyant structure known as the “Float Lab,” which is designed to foster a floating ecosystem. … ” Read more from Business Insider here: A floating plastic island in the San Francisco Bay may offer a new way to protect coasts from floods. It could even house people inside.
Oceanside to launch sand retention study: “Alarmed by Oceanside’s shrinking beaches, a group of residents succeeded this week in getting the city to consider taking on the federal government’s oversight of a local sand replenishment project. The City Council unanimously approved a motion Wednesday by Mayor Peter Weiss to have staffers prepare a capital budget amendment to cover the anticipated costs of a sand-retention project. Details will be presented at an upcoming council meeting. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune here: Oceanside to launch sand retention study
The Monsoon Was A Total Letdown For The Southwest: “A seasonal weather pattern that brings high hopes for rain, thunder and lightning was a dud across much of the U.S. Southwest this year. The monsoon season runs from mid-June through September, characterized by a shift in wind patterns and moisture being pulled in from the tropical coast of Mexico. Usually, it means rain that can cool down scorching cities like Phoenix and Las Vegas, water crops in low-lying areas and reduce the risk of wildfire. It also can be disappointing. ... ” Read more from Colorado Public Radio here: The Monsoon Was A Total Letdown For The Southwest
Park Service plan for Colorado River below Glen Canyon to include reward for catching brown trout: “The National Park Service approved a plan this week to protect native fish and other aquatic species in the Colorado River below the Glen Canyon Dam within Glen Canyon National Recreation Area and Grand Canyon National Park. … The park service will soon begin a public fishing program, also known as an incentivized harvest, to reduce the growing population of brown trout in the Glen Canyon Reach (Lees Ferry area) below Glen Canyon Dam. ... ” Read more from St. George News here: Park Service plan for Colorado River below Glen Canyon to include reward for catching brown trout
Over a quarter of Colorado is now officially in a drought: “Unfortunately, those drought-free conditions didn’t last all that long in Colorado. Only a few months removed from a rare and mostly drought-less summer, more than a quarter of Colorado (27.5%) is officially in a drought, according to the United States Drought Monitor’s weekly update, released on Thursday. ... ” Read more from the Denver Post here: Over a quarter of Colorado is now officially in a drought
Enviros lament ‘lost opportunity’ with lead rule revamp: “While EPA officials celebrate their new lead-in-drinking-water regulation, advocates lament the first update to the federal standards in nearly 30 years as a “lost opportunity.” The new standards, EPA says, will require water systems to act sooner to reduce lead levels in drinking water, and be more transparent about when lead levels are a risk to children and families (Greenwire, Oct. 10). The new rule will also better protect children in the most vulnerable areas, the agency says. But public health experts say the new standard is more rollback than revamp, slowing the pace at which lead pipes will be replaced nationwide. While there are some much-needed improvements in the new proposal, they say, it won’t be enough to counteract other steps back. … ” Read more from E&E News here: Enviros lament ‘lost opportunity’ with lead rule revamp
The week in water podcast …
Fake Grass May Lead to Real Problems. That story and other headlines in the latest edition of This Week in Water
In commentary today …
Another take on Klamath Dams water quality certification: Siskiyou County Water Users President Richard Marshall writes, “Recently the SDN and Mt. Shasta Area Newspapers printed a lengthy front page article which quoted Matt Cox, spinmeister for the Klamath River Renewal Corporation in response to the State Water Resources Control Board, denial without prejudice of KRRC’s request for a very important 401 water quality certification for the Lower Klamath Project to remove four hydro- electric facilities on the Klamath River. After a year of investigation and over 6,000 pages of Environmental Review and public testimony (2,500 comments) and numerous reports paid for by California’s taxpayers, KRRC essentially stated that it wasn’t important and that it had no impact on their proceeding forward with their efforts to transfer the hydro license with partial demolition of the hydro structures releasing millions of tons of sediment down river damaging the riverbeds and ultimately plugging up and destroying the estuary at the mouth of the Klamath. ... ” Read more from Siskiyou Daily News here: Another take on Klamath Dams water quality certification
As a birder, I see the effects of climate change every day. Now, Audubon has quantified the threat, says Kenn Kaufman: He writes, “For serious birders who regularly observe birds in the wild, ignoring climate change isn’t possible. We have been seeing and documenting the effects of a warming climate since at least the 1950s. In recent decades, that has meant a consistent northward shift in where species are found. Glossy black great-tailed grackles, previously found primarily in the tropics, first reached southeastern California in 1964; they now stalk and squawk around lowland ponds throughout most of the state. … ” Read more from PhysOrg here: As a birder, I see the effects of climate change every day. Now, Audubon has quantified the threat
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
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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.
