In California water news today, Trump jump-starts repairs for sinking California canal. But who will pay?; California farmer fights government claim that dirt is a pollutant; Rep. TJ Cox says it’s time for feds to ‘step up’ to drinking water crisis, announces $100M bill; California schools must eliminate lead in water, but what about nearby homes?; California flood, debris flow threat Wednesday, then a second wave of rain, mountain snow this weekend; Housing versus agriculture: The battle for California’s land; Hidden gotcha in artificial turf installations; and more …
On the calendar today …
- The State Water Resources Control Board will host an event and Datathon today and tomorrow focusing on PFAS in California: Past, Present, and Future beginning at 9am. Topics will include usage, chemistry, and toxicological background, the occurrence in drinking water, exposure pathways and investigation challenges, approaches to treatment and remediation, efforts being made in product stewardship, and a status of current and an outlook on future PFAS regulatory efforts in California. Click here for more information. Click here to watch on webcast.
In the news today …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
- FELICIA MARCUS: One Delta, one estuary–Connecting California through water
- NEWS WORTH NOTING: Reclamation seeks input for Friant-Kern Canal fix; State Water Board adopts 2019 Ocean Plan review that ranks important water quality issues
- NOTICE: New Fully Appropriated Stream Systems (FASS) Web Map Tool
Trump jump-starts repairs for sinking California canal. But who will pay?: “The Trump administration is jump-starting a plan to repair a badly sinking canal in the San Joaquin Valley, a year after California voters rejected a bond measure that would have had them pay for the project. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation said Tuesday it will begin studying the environmental impact of fixing a 33-mile stretch of the Friant-Kern Canal — a critical water artery on the Valley’s east side. The federal agency said the repairs are needed to boost water deliveries to 1 million acres of farmland that have been dramatically reduced because of the sagging canal. ... ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: Trump jump-starts repairs for sinking California canal. But who will pay?
California farmer fights government claim that dirt is a pollutant: “No one told Jack LaPant that he could be in violation of the Clean Water Act for farming his own land. That’s mostly because the federal law includes a clear exemption for “normal” farming activities. But it’s also because the government officials LaPant consulted didn’t view overturned dirt that has been tilled and plowed as pollution. In 2016, the Army Corps of Engineers, which administers the Clean Water Act with the Environmental Protection Agency, began legal action against LaPant for plowing he did in 2011 to plant wheat on a ranch property he owned in Northern California. ... ” Read more from the Daily Signal here: California farmer fights government claim that dirt is a pollutant
Rep. TJ Cox says it’s time for feds to ‘step up’ to drinking water crisis, announces $100M bill: “Rep. TJ Cox unveiled a $100 million “slice of justice” for families in the San Juaquin Valley — and across the nation — suffering contaminated drinking water and crumbling infrastructure. On Monday, Cox and a smattering of Valley mayors visited a water storage facility in the rural Fresno County community of Pariler, where the congressman announced the Disadvantaged Community Drinking Water Assistance Act. … ” Read more from the Visalia Times-Delta here: Rep. TJ Cox says it’s time for feds to ‘step up’ to drinking water crisis, announces $100M bill
California schools must eliminate lead in water, but what about nearby homes? “California authorities are addressing the problem of lead in drinking water at public schools through a statewide program to test pipes and upgrade plumbing, but experts warn the threat goes well beyond schools – and nearby homes and businesses may unknowingly be affected. “The same water systems tainted by lead that feed into these schools most likely feed into other buildings in the area as well,” said Felicia Federico, a UCLA researcher who heads the California Center for Sustainable Communities. ... ” Read more from Cronkite News here: California schools must eliminate lead in water, but what about nearby homes?
California flood, debris flow threat Wednesday, then a second wave of rain, mountain snow this weekend: “Rain has returned to California, and it’s only the first of two rounds of rain and and mountain snow through this weekend, continuing a stormy period that kicked off before Thanksgiving. A stubborn upper-level low that has loitered off the California coast since last weekend is finally being kicked through the state. That’s only the first system. … ” Read more from The Weather Channel here: California flood, debris flow threat Wednesday, then a second wave of rain, mountain snow this weekend
Housing versus agriculture: The battle for California’s land: “California loses square mile of farmland every five days, according to the state’s Department of Conservation. And 70 percent of that loss is prime farmland, areas with rich soils and water access. The department has spent decades mapping out how land has changed due to urbanization. It’s a battleground that’s been brewing and could reach the tipping point soon with Governor Newsom’s call to add an additional 3.5 million new housing units by 2025. … ” Read more from ABC 10 here: Housing versus agriculture: The battle for California’s land
Fishing groups sue federal agencies over latest water plan for California: “The fracas over California’s scarce water supplies will tumble into a San Francisco courtroom after a lawsuit was filed this week claiming the federal government’s plan to loosen previous restrictions on water deliveries to farmers is a blueprint for wiping out fish. Environmental and fishing groups sued the the National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Monday for allegedly failing to protect chinook salmon, steelhead trout and delta smelt. ... ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Fishing groups sue federal agencies over latest water plan for California
Fishing, environmental groups challenge biological opinions justifying increased Delta water diversions: “A coalition of fishing and environmental groups sued two federal agencies in U.S. District Court in San Francisco on Tuesday, challenging biological reports that would justify increased diversions of water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The biological opinions were issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in October in connection with a U.S. Bureau of Reclamation plan to increase diversions of water to the Central Valley and Southern California. … ” Read more from SF Gate here: Fishing, environmental groups challenge biological opinions justifying increased Delta water diversions
‘Deeply sorry’ PG&E takes blame for California’s deadliest wildfire, seeks ‘technologies’ to limit future risks: “As PG&E accepts the latest round of blame for setting off California’s deadliest and most destructive wildfire ever, the state’s largest utility says it’s exploring innovative means of preventing similar disasters in the future. A new report by state regulators details how PG&E failed to properly inspect and maintain the equipment that ignited the November 2018 Camp Fire, which devastated the Northern California town of Paradise, killing 85 people and destroying 18,804 structures. … ” Read more from USA Today here: ‘Deeply sorry’ PG&E takes blame for California’s deadliest wildfire, seeks ‘technologies’ to limit future risks
Hidden gotcha in artificial turf installations: “When school systems, universities and colleges, or local governments choose to install artificial turf fields, they seem all bright, shiny green and clean. How many of those buyers pay attention to the endgame—the disposing of many tons of hazardous waste? Intrepid reporting by Sharon Lerner at The Intercept, in collaboration with scientists at the Ecology Center (Ann Arbor), revealed that the so-called ‘forever chemicals’—PFAS (perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances)—are used in the production of artificial turf. … ” Read more from Environmental Health News here: Hidden gotcha in artificial turf installations
Climate change is accelerating: ‘Things are getting worse’: “More devastating fires in California. Persistent drought in the Southwest. Record flooding in Europe and Africa. A heat wave, of all things, in Greenland. Climate change and its effects are accelerating, with climate related disasters piling up, season after season. “Things are getting worse,” said Petteri Taalas, Secretary General of the World Meteorological Organization, which on Tuesday issued its annual state of the global climate report, concluding a decade of what it called exceptional global heat. “It’s more urgent than ever to proceed with mitigation.” ... ” Read more from the New York Times here: Climate change is accelerating: ‘Things are getting worse’
And lastly … See how the world’s most polluted air compares with your city’s: The New York Times has visualized the damaging, tiny particles that wreak havoc on human health. From the Bay Area to New Delhi, see how the world’s worst pollution compares with your local air.” Check it out from the New York Times here: See how the world’s most polluted air compares with your city’s
In commentary today …
On water, California and feds need to work together for the benefit of fish, farmers and 27 million people, says Jason Peltier: He writes, “We face an important opportunity to finally put the seemingly permanent conflicts that have defined water and environmental management in California behind us, but not if we let it drift away. This new era of opportunity springs from a common recognition that our ways of doing business have failed to meet the needs of all interests. We have a choice: continue to live the never- ending “Groundhog Day” of conflict, apocalyptic rhetoric and litigation, or embrace the opportunities to meaningfully improve the way we make decisions and get things done for the good of all. … ” Read more from Cal Matters here: On water, California and feds need to work together for the benefit of fish, farmers and 27 million people
In regional news and commentary today …
Multiple agencies take part in restoration project for the Lake Tahoe Basin: “A new plan was released by Lake Tahoe West Restoration Partnership to restore forest and watershed health across the West Shore of the Lake Tahoe Basin. In a collaborative effort led by the USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, California Tahoe Conservancy, California State Parks, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Tahoe Fire and Fuels Team, and National Forest Foundation, the Landscape Restoration Strategy was developed to reduce fire hazards near West Shore communities. … ” Read more from Channel 4 here: Multiple agencies take part in restoration project for the Lake Tahoe Basin
Bay Area: Let there be light: creeks gain visibility through restoration: “Stroll through just about any of the cities ringing the San Francisco Bay and you’re likely walking on water. Not literally, of course. Rather, chances are that somewhere along your way, there’s a stream running beneath your feet. As land around the Bay was developed, creeks were rerouted underground through pipes called culverts for flood protection. But in some spots, these hidden waterways can be brought back up to the surface to provide habitat for wildlife and respite for people. … ” Read more from the Bay Area Monitor here: Let there be light: creeks gain visibility through restoration
Alameda: Voters pass drain fee: “The City Council will certify the Water Quality and Flood Protection Initiative at its Dec. 17 meeting after Alameda property owners voted in favor of a fee hike. The initiative is designed to help finance increased costs of the city’s storm-water system. ... ” Read more from the Alameda Sun here: Alameda: Voters pass drain fee
San Simeon CSD has banned new water hookups for 31 years. This study could change that: “When will the San Simeon services district end its 31-year ban on issuing new water connections? Members of the San Simeon Community Services District board of directors took initial steps toward that goal on Nov. 13, unanimously authorizing the preparation of a major report about lifting the longtime moratorium on new water connections in the tiny town. The analysis and study would list potential impacts to the environment if the moratorium were to be lifted, a study that’s required by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The study also could itemize various options for mitigating those impacts. … ” Read more from the San Luis Obispo Tribune here: San Simeon CSD has banned new water hookups for 31 years. This study could change that
Water restrictions in Poway likely to extend through Friday: “The boil-water advisory that Poway has been under since the weekend will likely be lifted on Friday, Poway Mayor Steve Vaus said Tuesday night just prior to the start of a City Council meeting. Vaus said tests continue to show no contamination of the city’s water supply, but state regulators are requiring two more days of testing before giving the all clear. Near the start of the meeting, Poway Public Works Director Eric Heidemann gave a detailed explanation of how the water crisis came to be. ... ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune here: Water restrictions in Poway likely to extend through Friday
New oxygenation system to improve reservoir water quality: “The City of San Diego’s Public Utilities Department last week took a major step toward completing an innovative project to improve water quality in Lake Hodges. A newly installed oxygenation system, designed by city engineers, will introduce highly oxygenated water to the bottom of the reservoir to reduce the accumulation of excess nutrients and harmful algae growth. The increase of nutrients and algae in the water has been caused by human activities in the watershed upstream of the reservoir, including residential and commercial development, agriculture, and land clearing. Degraded water quality can restrict the ability to move water in and out of the reservoir. … ” Read more from the Water News Network here: New oxygenation system to improve reservoir water quality
San Diego, IB officials calling for federal action on Tijuana River: “A group of local officials from around the county introduced a resolution Tuesday calling on the federal government to take action to stop cross-border sewage flows in the Tijuana River Valley. The group of officials — including San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, Imperial Beach Mayor Serge Dedina, Port of San Diego Commissioner Dan Malcolm and county Supervisor Greg Cox — held a news conference in Imperial Beach to introduce a list of recommended actions, which will be voted on by multiple city councils and boards in the coming weeks. … ” Read more from KPBS here: San Diego, IB officials calling for federal action on Tijuana River
Surfrider to IB residents: Shut up or get sued: “A group of IB locals who have organized opposition to Surfrider’s plan to manage sewage and toxic flows from TIjuana’s failed infrastructure have received a letter threatening them with legal action if they don’t stop taking the Surfrider Foundation name in vain. Leon Benham, the executive director of Citizens for Coastal Conservancy, received the letter in mid-October, telling him that his public statements about their proposed plan to clean up the storm water and sewage flows from the Tijuana River into the US are libelous to the group. … ” Read more from the San Diego Reader here: Surfrider to IB residents: Shut up or get sued
Precipitation watch …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
FELICIA MARCUS: One Delta, one estuary–Connecting California through water
https://mavensnotebook.com/2019/12/04/website-note-daily-digest-somewhat-delayed-this-morning/
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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.
