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DAILY DIGEST: Trump team weakens endangered species protections for CA salmon and Delta smelt; Reducing regulations for small farmers a priority for Central Valley Water Board; DWR celebrates the completion of tidal habitat restoration in the Delta; As waters rise, so do concerns for sports teams along coast; and more …

Maven
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In California water news today, Trump team weakens endangered species protections for California salmon and delta smelt; Reducing regulations for small farmers a priority for Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board; DWR Celebrates the Completion of Tidal Habitat Restoration in the Delta; As waters rise, so do concerns for sports teams along coast; It’s official: Eureka formally transfers Indian Island land back to Wiyot Tribe; Climate havoc wipes out coastal kelp as S.F. Bay’s native fish species die off; Climate Change Making Stronger El Niños, Study Finds; Reps. Rouda And Babin Introduce Bipartisan SMART Infrastructure Act; A new target for federal action: PFAS-tainted food; and more …

On the calendar today …

In the news today …

Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

BIOLOGICAL OPINIONS

A new approach for managing California’s water and improving the environment: Paul Souza, Barry Thom, and Ernest Conant write, “Water is at the center of California’s economic and environmental health. The need to maintain reliable water supply for California’s farms, families and cities while protecting the environment has been at the forefront of our minds as we have worked to review and finalize a new operations plan for the federal Central Valley Project and the State Water Project … Our three federal agencies have been developing and reviewing the proposed new operations for the Central Valley Project and State Water Project, and their effects on imperiled species, with the goal of ensuring they provide flexibility and water supply while also protecting the environment. … ”  Read more from Cal Matters here: A new approach for managing California’s water and improving the environment

Trump team weakens endangered species protections for California salmon and delta smelt:  “In a move that would boost water deliveries to San Joaquin Valley agriculture and Southern California cities, federal fishery agencies are weakening decade-old endangered species protections for some of the state’s most imperiled native fish populations.  The rollback — coming a year after President Trump targeted the regulations in a memo — rewards Central Valley agribusiness interests that are some of the president’s strongest California supporters. To critics, it highlights the extent to which the Trump administration has injected politics into federal oversight of the nation’s leading environmental laws. ... ”  Read more from the LA Times here: Trump team weakens endangered species protections for California salmon and delta smelt

How much water the Valley receives may change soon. Here’s why.: “A long, contentious chapter in California’s Water Wars is set to close.  In its stead, a new, likely equally contentious chapter is likely to begin. And, as always seems to be the case, the setting is the San Joaquin Valley.  Federal officials are likely to offer a preview of what’s to come on Tuesday, but that preview arrives after a yearlong slog behind the cloak of the Federal bureaucracy. ... ”  Read more from the San Joaquin Valley Sun here: How much water the Valley receives may change soon. Here’s why.

Proposal: Big changes for water:  “The U.S. government today is announcing plans to alter operations of California’s water system, potentially resulting in less water flowing through the Delta into San Francisco Bay and more to cities and San Joaquin Valley farms.  The plan, part of which was announced via a commentary in CalMatters, includes changes that the Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration say will improve habitat for Chinook salmon and Delta smelt, a tiny fish that is teetering on the verge of extinction in the wild. ... ”  Read more from Cal Matters here: Proposal: Big changes for water

OTHER STATEWIDE NEWS

Reducing regulations for small farmers a priority for Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board:  “The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board heard from a panel of researchers and ranchers last week describing how the unique characteristics of upper watershed irrigated pastures may call for a separate set of regulations that would reduce the regulatory burden on Nevada County farmers.  However, a decision by the water board on those different regulations isn’t expected until summer. … ”  Read more from The Union here: Reducing regulations for small farmers a priority for Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board

DWR Celebrates the Completion of Tidal Habitat Restoration in the Delta:  “The Department of Water Resources (DWR) gathered with its partners and contractors Oct.15 to celebrate the completion of the 460-acre tidal wetland known as Tule Red in the Suisun Marsh.  More than 100 attendees watched as a giant excavator perched on top of a 200-foot wide levee removed the earth separating the high tides of Grizzly Bay from the interior channels. The crowd cheered as tides began flowing over the breached levee. With the site opened to the daily tides, this ideal location along the Grizzly Island Wildlife Area will provide much needed habitat to benefit endangered fish and wildlife species. … ”  Read more from DWR News here: DWR Celebrates the Completion of Tidal Habitat Restoration in the Delta

As waters rise, so do concerns for sports teams along coast:  “The infield is made of asphalt right now. So are the dugouts, the outfield and the stands. Someday this might be home to a baseball stadium, but today Howard Terminal is little more than a parking lot for 16-wheelers, populated by far more sea gulls than baseball fans.  Dave Kaval, the Oakland Athletics’ team president, walks from the gigantic cranes on the water’s edge to what soon might be the site of home plate. It smells like diesel fuel, not peanuts or Cracker Jacks. He no longer sees this 55-acre plot of land as a desolate storage space along the San Francisco Bay. He can’t afford to focus on what he sees here today or dwell on what the ballpark might look like when it opens its doors. He has to figure out how a stadium still might be serviceable decades down the road. … ”  Read more from the Washington Post here: As waters rise, so do concerns for sports teams along coast

It’s official: Eureka formally transfers Indian Island land back to Wiyot Tribe:  “With a ceremony that packed the Adorni Center and brought tears to the eyes of many in attendance, the city of Eureka on Monday formally signed the transfer of lands on Indian Island back to the Wiyot Tribe.  The city had agreed to make the transfer in late 2018, but a lengthy process of legwork delayed the formal change-of-hands. Now the land belongs to the tribe once again.  For tribal leaders, the moment is many decades in the making. The tribe lost the lands, which include the sacred Tuluwat Village, in 1860, when a dairy farmer purchased the site without the tribe’s consent. … ”  Read more from the Eureka Times-Standard here: It’s official: Eureka formally transfers Indian Island land back to Wiyot Tribe

Estuary Report Provides Report Card on Bay and Delta Health:  “This is the first report on the health of the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary since 2015. It’s being issued as the two-day, 14th biennial State of the San Francisco Estuary Conference gets underway at the Scottish Rite Center in Oakland. … Highlights include: Resilience and Vulnerability. For the first time, this report looks at measures of landscape and community resilience across the estuary, including a new map depicting the following findings … ”  Read more from The Gazette here: Estuary Report Provides Report Card on Bay and Delta Health

CLIMATE CHANGE

Climate havoc wipes out coastal kelp as S.F. Bay’s native fish species die off:  “A climate-related catastrophe off the California coast has resulted in the death of 90% of the kelp from San Francisco to Oregon as an explosion of ravenous urchins devours everything in sight. And it’s happening at the same time native fish in San Francisco Bay are dying out, two studies released Monday documented.  The studies, by government, university and scientific institute researchers, offer a disturbing look at an underwater ecosystem suffering more than anyone previously suspected — along the coast, in San Francisco Bay and in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. … ”  Read more from the SF Chronicle here: Climate havoc wipes out coastal kelp as S.F. Bay’s native fish species die off

Climate Change Making Stronger El Niños, Study Finds:  “Climate change is making stronger El Niños, which change weather worldwide and heat up an already warming planet, a new study finds.  Scientists examined 33 El Niños — natural warming of equatorial Pacific that triggers weather extremes across the globe — since 1901. They found since the 1970s, El Niños have been forming farther to the west in warmer waters, leading to stronger El Niños in some cases. … ”  Read more from NBC LA here: Climate Change Making Stronger El Niños, Study Finds

NATIONAL

Reps. Rouda And Babin Introduce Bipartisan SMART Infrastructure Act:  “Today, Representatives Harley Rouda (CA-48) and Brian Babin (TX-36), introduced H.R. 4687, the Sustainable Municipal Access to Resilient Technology in Infrastructure (SMART Infrastructure) Act, along with Reps. Grace Napolitano (CA-32) and Ralph Norman (SC-05).  The SMART Infrastructure Act supports innovation and open competition in procurement, allowing the United States to rebuild America’s infrastructure efficiently and sensibly. … ”  Read more from Water Online here: Reps. Rouda And Babin Introduce Bipartisan SMART Infrastructure Act

Acting BLM Director’s Views on Public Lands Causing Alarm:  “Concerns are swirling around William Perry Pendley’s role as acting director of the Bureau of Land Management.  Pendley is under fire for advocating the federal sell-off of public lands, as recently as in a 2016 opinion article – and his part in the land-seizure movement.  Maggie Heumann is an Idaho ambassador for Artemis, an initiative to promote women as hunters, anglers and conservationists. … ”  Read more from the Public News Service here: Acting BLM Director’s Views on Public Lands Causing Alarm

A new target for federal action: PFAS-tainted food:  “A class of toxic chemicals known to have contaminated drinking water in many areas across the country is also presenting human health risks via another exposure method — our food supply.  The contamination stems from treated sewage sludge — or biosolids — often used by farmers as a fertilizer for crops.  Compounding the problem are a lack of research and data on the issue, uncertainty over the extent of the contamination and no specific regulatory framework at the federal level to address the pollution. ... ”  Read more from E&E News here: A new target for federal action: PFAS-tainted food

Solving for Climate Change’s Impact on Urban Water Supplies:  “Climate change and its relationship to water management are having a profound impact on cities, compounded by the global trend toward urbanization. Harvard University recently hosted a wide-ranging discussion titled, “The Future of Cities: Water,” which assembled an international panel of experts to provide insights into the challenges of water-related climate change as well as potential solutions for a broad range of city environments.  … ”  Read more from Urban Land here: Solving for Climate Change’s Impact on Urban Water Supplies

Winter weather outlook: ‘The probabilities tilt slightly toward warmer and drier than normal’:  “As the San Francisco Bay Area faces another bout of balmy days in the middle of October, many are wondering what’s around the corner.  Will winter be wet or dry this year?  While forecasting the weather farther than a week out with definitive accuracy is futile, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has released a prediction for the winter outlook in the United States and the prediction for parts of Northern California, including the San Francisco Bay Area, isn’t going to be good for your garden. … ”  Read more from SF Gate here: Winter weather outlook: ‘The probabilities tilt slightly toward warmer and drier than normal’

In commentary today …

The Real Case for Saving Species: We Don’t Need Them, But They Need Us:  Carl Safina writes, “I recently visited a museum exhibit on big cats. A sign featuring a beautiful jaguar asked, “Why should we care about wild cats?” Its answer: “Because in protecting big cats, we are protecting ourselves.”  Is that really true? That implies big cats are in trouble because “we” don’t care to protect ourselves. And if it turns out that we don’t really need jaguars in order to protect ourselves, have they lost their case for existence?  For decades, many conservationists have been trying to sell a clumsy, fumbling appeal to self-interest: the idea that human beings need wild nature, need wild animals, need the species on endangered lists. “If they go extinct, we’ll go extinct,” is a common refrain. The only problem: it’s false. … ”  Read more from Yale E360 here: The Real Case for Saving Species: We Don’t Need Them, But They Need Us

In regional news and commentary today …

Regulatory challenges postpone start of dam removal in St. Helena:  “Challenges with regulatory agencies have postponed the start of a long-delayed effort to remove an earthen dam blocking fish passage in York Creek.  The removal of the Upper York Creek Dam will not begin in 2019 as previously planned, but the project is still on schedule to be complete by the end of 2020. The city had planned to do the project in two phases: Building downstream sediment traps in 2019 and then notching the earthen dam to release built-up sediment in 2020. The city now plans to do both phases in 2020, after last-minute design changes failed to win regulatory approval in time for the 2019 construction season ending Oct. 31. … ”  Read more from the Napa Register here: Regulatory challenges postpone start of dam removal in St. Helena

Research dive off Marin coast probes ‘unexplored territory’:  “A record-setting deep sea expedition 50 miles off the coast of the Point Reyes National Seashore provided the first look of a marine sanctuary’s unexplored depths.  The eight-day expedition of federal and California Academy of Sciences researchers that began Oct. 4 sent the remotely controlled submersible “Hercules” to a depth of nearly two miles at 3,300 meters along the continental slope within the Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary. It is the deepest dive to occur at the sanctuary and in the history of California Academy of Sciences research, according to the researchers. ... ”  Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here: Research dive off Marin coast probes ‘unexplored territory’

East Bay storm drain fee could more than double:  “Storm drain fees in Alameda could more than double if a ballot measure is passed in November.  Property owners now pay a $56 annual fee to maintain the pipes that handle runoff from rain. But on Oct. 10, the city mailed out ballots asking them to consider ponying up an additional $78 — for a total of $134 each year.  The reason? The city’s stormwater fund is running a $1 million annual deficit and the system needs about $30 million in upgrades, including at its pipe stations, some of which date to the 1940s, according to Liam Garland, Alameda’s public works director. ... ”  Read more from the Mercury News here: East Bay storm drain fee could more than double

900 South Bay Homeowners Impacted in Water District’s Plan to Reclaim 270 Miles of Creekside Property:  “How would you react if someone suddenly took away a big chunk of your backyard?  That’s what hundreds of South Bay homeowners who live along creeks and rivers are facing. The Santa Clara Valley Water District is poised to reclaim land along the waterways and tear down everything homeowners have built on that property. It has been a jarring ordeal for waterway homeowners who are fighting to hold on to land they’ve used, taken care of and built on for decades. … ”  Read more from NBC Bay Area here: 900 South Bay Homeowners Impacted in Water District’s Plan to Reclaim 270 Miles of Creekside Property

Monterey: Public officials say desal is a bad deal:  “More than two dozen elected officials have signed a letter urging the California Coastal Commission to pull the plug on a desalination plant proposed by the California American Water Co. to serve Monterey Peninsula residents.  The letter was released during an event held by Pure Water Monterey on the lawn in front of Monterey City Hall. … ”  Read more from Voices of Monterey Bay here: Public officials say desal is a bad deal

Monterey: Area elected officials back anti-desal project letter:  “Touting a shift in local politics and a preferable alternative, more than two dozen area elected officials signed on to a letter to the Coastal Commission calling for denial of the California American Water desalination project.  At a Public Water Now rally at Colton Hall in Monterey Monday morning that drew several dozen attendees, more than a dozen of those officials blasted what they called Cal Am’s expensive and environmentally damaging desal project. They said the Monterey Peninsula now has a viable and superior alternative in the proposed Pure Water Monterey recycled water expansion project. … ”  Read more from the Monterey Herald here:  Area elected officials back anti-desal project letter

Tulare County: Less groundwater likely available:  “The East Tule Groundwater Sustainability Water Agency is racing the clock when it comes to meeting the state’s requirements by next year but the message is this:  Those who use groundwater will have to prepare for the possibility of pumping 10 percent less than they have in the past, beginning as soon as next year.  That was the message at a joint meeting of the agency’s stakeholders and executive board held on Thursday. While it’s still unknown how much less those who use groundwater will actually have to pump from the ground, an analysis presented on Thursday showed it’s likely less groundwater can be used as soon as next year. … ”  Read more from the Porterville Recorder here: Less groundwater likely available

Santa Clarita: Court tosses lawsuit, green-lights chloride reduction:  “Local sanitation officials were happy to report Monday news of a recent court decision that enables them to proceed with their four-year plan to reduce the amount of chloride ending up in the Santa Clara River.  On Monday morning, members of the Santa Clarita Valley Sanitation District met for a regular meeting at Santa Clarita City Hall and, after approving a half-dozen standard recommendations, they went into closed session for a talk about lawsuits with their lawyers. ... ”  Read more from the Signal here: Court tosses lawsuit, green-lights chloride reduction

L.A. County Cities Win Legal Fight Against Stormwater Rules:  “The most populous county in the U.S. is in the middle of a conflict around watershed management. And those opposed to stricter regulations have just received a boost in court.  “A superior court judge recently struck down certain requirements by the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board that forced cities throughout the county to adopt costly watershed management programs, such as underground infiltration structures for stormwater runoff, that could have cost cities billions of dollars,” according to the Daily Breeze. … ”  Read more from Water Online here: L.A. County Cities Win Legal Fight Against Stormwater Rules

Cadiz Water Project Recognized as a Top 10 Infrastructure Project at the North American Infrastructure Forum:  “Cadiz, (the Company) is pleased to announce that the Cadiz Water Project, the Company’s public-private partnership with California water providers to make available new, sustainable water supplies and groundwater storage for Southern California, was recognized today by Blueprint 2025 as a Top 10 Private Investment in Infrastructure Project at the North American Infrastructure Forum held in Washington D.C.  Blueprint 2025 is a bi-partisan coalition of infrastructure leaders dedicated to transforming the domestic infrastructure market by injecting private investment into key, strategic projects. … ”  Read more from Yahoo Finance here: Cadiz Water Project Recognized as a Top 10 Infrastructure Project at the North American Infrastructure Forum

Along the Colorado River …

‘It’s where we come from’: the River People in Mexico left without a river:  “They are called the River People, but they no longer have a river.  Inocencia González is the traditional tribal elder of the Cucapá – the River People – in northern Mexico. She spends her days beading traditional chaquira jewellery to sell at the community museum, and reminiscing about happier times spent fishing for tilapia and mullet.  González grew up in the Colorado River delta when the mighty waterway and lakes provided abundant food, water, medicines and spiritual nourishment for her people to thrive. ... ”  Read more from The Guardian here: ‘It’s where we come from’: the River People in Mexico left without a river

On The Colorado River’s Banks, A Toxic Pile Continues To Shrink:  “In a park, nestled in a red rock canyon outside Moab, Utah — a short drive from a giant pile of uranium tailings — a crowd gathered for a celebration. Elected officials and community members mingled, and enjoyed refreshments.  Volunteers placed pieces of yellow cake in small paper bowls.  It was a facetious nod to the gathering’s purpose: to celebrate the removal of 10 million tons of toxic uranium tailings from the banks of the Colorado River.  … ”  Read more from KUNC here: On The Colorado River’s Banks, A Toxic Pile Continues To Shrink

And lastly …

Best Bridges in CA: From the Golden Gate to Bixby, 15 of CA’s Best:  “As a photographer, my two favorite non-nature things to shoot are trains and bridges. I have written many times about trains here, here and here but I haven’t dived into my love of bridges quite as often. Really though, California has some of the best bridges in the entire United States, with many well-known ones like the Golden Gate Bridge, but many equally awesome less well-known ones like the Goat Canyon Trestle. You can reach some of these bridges via car and others on foot or train, but all of them have a unique charm that is meant to be experienced for the engineering marvels that they are. ... ”  Read more from Through My Lens here: Best Bridges in CA: From the Golden Gate to Bixby, 15 of CA’s Best

Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

BOOKSHELF: State of the Estuary report; 2019: Pulse of the Bay; Multi-benefit projects

BOOKSHELF: State of the Estuary report; 2019: Pulse of the Bay; Multi-benefit projects

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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.

 

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