With sustainability plans filed, groundwater agencies now must figure out how to pay for them: “The bill is coming due, literally, to protect and restore groundwater in California. Local agencies in the most depleted groundwater basins in California spent months putting together plans to show how they will achieve balance in about 20 years. Now, after submitting those plans to the state in January, groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) must figure how to pay for them. Protecting, preserving and restoring critically overdrafted groundwater basins takes money — to administer the plan, and eventually for the brick-and-mortar groundwater projects that will help keep large swaths of San Joaquin Valley agriculture in business. Passing those costs to the people pulling water from an aquifer could be complicated. ... ” Read more from Western Water here: With sustainability plans filed, groundwater agencies now must figure out how to pay for them
California Fish and Game Commission meeting that descended into chaos rescheduled for next week: Dan Bacher writes, “I tried to join yesterday’s on-line emergency teleconference of the California Fish and Game Commission, but this reporter, along with many others, wasn’t able to get on the call or webinar. The Commission was scheduled remotely to meet at 8:30 a.m. Thursday, April 9, to discuss delegating temporary authority to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) to “delay, suspend or restrict sport or recreational fishing if the CDFW director, in consultation with the president of the commission, finds that such action is necessary to protect against the threat from COVID-19 based on state, federal, local and tribal public health guidance and public safety needs”. ... ” Continue reading at the Daily Kos here: California Fish and Game Commission meeting that descended into chaos rescheduled for next week
Price of reclaimed water still too high for ag: “If you’re a Central Valley farmer and haven’t yet been hit up by someone about reusing crummy water for irrigation — just wait. Companies are springing up all over with the latest gizmo they believe will take nasty, salty water, mostly from shallow aquifers on the valley’s west side or oilfield produced water, and make clean “new” irrigation water. It’s true, there are ways to clean even the worst water. … Each has its pros and cons, but two big questions always remain: What about the waste? What’s the energy cost? … ” Continue reading at SJV Water here: Price of reclaimed water still too high for ag
LaMalfa pushes for rural water, aid amid virus crisis: “Northern California’s U.S. Rep. Doug LaMalfa has been doggedly in pursuit of help for rural areas amid the coronavirus crisis, seeking more water for farmers, money for medical clinics and access to aid for rural residents, according to news releases. The Richvale, Calif., rice farmer, a Republican, has sent letters to California Gov. Gavin Newsom asking the state to maximize water deliveries to growers to stabilize the food supply chain and to create a streamlined process for smaller towns and counties to receive aid from the state’s coronavirus relief fund. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press here: LaMalfa pushes for rural water, aid amid virus crisis
Environmental engineers and scientists play important role in stemming pandemic: “Environmental engineers and scientists have played pivotal roles in protecting the public from viral illnesses, and continue to do so today. We develop drinking water and municipal wastewater treatment technologies, make discoveries that inform related regulations and policies, and conduct critical research on the presence, persistence, and transport of viruses in the environment. A wide range of impactful research in our field has focused mainly on nonenveloped human enteric viruses such as human noroviruses and enteroviruses. … ” Read more from the CWEA here: Environmental engineers and scientists play important role in stemming pandemic
Where did California’s atmospheric rivers go? “Perhaps nothing else better explains the fickleness of the Valley’s weather since last fall than the dearth of atmospheric rivers finding their way to California. The Weather Channel reports that of 40 atmospheric rivers hitting the West Coast from October to March, just seven were rated “strong” and only one made it to the Golden State. Where did the strong atmospheric rivers land? … ” Read more from GV Wire here: Where did California’s atmospheric rivers go?
Delta Plan: A California appellate court on Friday reversed a trial court finding that the state’s management plan for the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta needs to include legally enforceable regulations, ruling that the Legislature gave Delta Council “broad power” to adopt regulations “as needed.” Via Courthouse News.
New appointee to Delta Stewardship Council: From the Office of the Governor: “Daniel Zingale, 59, of Sacramento, has been appointed to the Delta Stewardship Council. Zingale served as senior advisor for strategy and communications in the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom from 2019 to 2020. He was senior vice president at the California Endowment from 2010 to 2019, senior advisor in the Office of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and chief of staff to First Lady Maria Shriver from 2005 to 2010, and a member of the Agricultural Labor Relations Board from 2003 to 2005. Zingale served as cabinet secretary in the Office of Governor Gray Davis in 2003 and was executive director for AIDS Action from 1996 to 1997. He earned a Master of Public Administration degree from Harvard University. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $50,497. Zingale is a Democrat.“
IN MEMORIAM: William R. Gianelli: “William R. Gianelli, the Water Education Foundation’s second president and a leading figure in California water during construction of the State Water Project, died March 30, 2020, in Monterey County. He was 101. Mr. Gianelli was president of the Foundation from 1985-1989 and made a major financial donation that helped the Foundation create an educational program for young professionals from diverse backgrounds, which was named the William R. “Bill” Gianelli Water Leaders Class in his honor. The year-long program began in 1997 and now includes more than 400 graduates. … ” Read more from the Water Education Foundation here: IN MEMORIAM: William R. Gianelli
Data centers buzz as COVID-19 bolsters network use, stressing water supplies where they’re tightest: “While the coronavirus is giving the planet’s environment a respite from pollution, not all resources are getting a break. Groundwater supplies, particularly in drier parts of the U.S., are being tapped more than ever by the enormous data centers run by Microsoft, Google and other tech giants, which require vast quantities of water for cooling and power generation. Data center usage is soaring amid a surge in telecommuting services like video conferencing and virtual private networks as employees are forced to work from home. … ” Read more from Karma here: Data centers buzz as COVID-19 bolsters network use, stressing water supplies where they’re tightest
House bill would ban water shutoffs, require water service reconnection: “Legislation introduced in the House today would offer states and tribes $1.5 billion to aid low-income households with their water bills. There is a catch. To receive aid, states and tribes must agree not to turn off water to homes during the coronavirus public health emergency. They must also agree to reconnect water service to homes in which water was previously turned off. Reconnecting water to these homes is a move that Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer ordered in March for utilities in her state. … ” Read more from Circle of Blue here: House bill would ban water shutoffs, require water service reconnection
New Rule Defines Waters of the United States (WOTUS): “Dr. Sue Colvin Assistant Professor of Sustainable Fisheries at Unity College interviews collaborators Drue Banta Winters, Policy Director for the American Fisheries Society and Dr. Mažeika Sullivan, Associate Professor and Assistant Director of the School of Environment and Natural Resources at the Ohio State University, about the recently published Navigable Waters Protection Rule that defines “waters of the United States” (WOTUS) also more commonly referred to as the WOTUS rule. Sue, Drue, and Mažeika discuss what the WOTUS rule is and how it was developed, what was formerly protected under the Obama era rule and what water bodies and ecosystem services have lost federal protection under the new rule. They also discuss whether state level protections are sufficient and whether science backs the new rule (it doesn’t).” More resources here.
The Green Island of Ischia, Italy: Steve Baker writes, “Appreciating water can be no better explained than an Australian that has been transplanted to the island of Ischia off the coast of Naples, Italy. Water has a way of influencing our live no matter where we live on the planet. Water is a Many Splendor’ed Thing brings you another water relationship that has a personally significant impact to your life.” Produced by Steven Baker, Operation Unite® Bringing People Together to Solve Water Problems, Online at www.operationunite.co
Regional water board has few answers on Mule Creek spills: “California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitations (CDCR) has had more than 50 industrial waste spills into Mule Creek since 2006. Nearly 13.5 million gallons of storm water, grey water, sewage and industrial waste carrying Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) and Semivolatile Organic Compounds (SVOCs) spilled into Mule Creek over the past four months. There are more questions than answers or solutions from the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) that regulates the CDCR and Mule Creek State Prison (MCSP) facility. ... ” Read more from the Amador Ledger-Dispatch here: Regional water board has few answers on Mule Creek spills
Groundwater education continues for eastern Solano schools: “In 2018, a nonprofit freshwater conservation and restoration organization known as The Freshwater Trust contracted with the Solano Resource Conservation District to create hands-on, regionally specific groundwater education lessons to schools located within the Solano County sub-basin. The success of these educational programs has resulted in a renewed partnership between the two organizations to continue educating youth in eastern Solano County about their local freshwater, Solano RCD officials wrote in a news release. The program is funded by the Department of Water Resources (DWR) Proposition 1 Sustainable Groundwater Planning Grant Program. ... ” Read more from The Reporter here: Groundwater education continues for eastern Solano schools
Bay Area sea-level report explores cost of inaction: “A new report on rising sea levels presents a worst-case scenario and a call to action for Bay Area communities to work together to address a common threat. Led by the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, the report takes study findings from throughout the region to demonstrate the shared impacts of sea level rise ranging from 12 to 108 inches on housing, transportation networks, critical environmental habitat, jobs and disadvantaged communities. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here: Bay Area sea-level report explores cost of inaction
Positive spring, summer water supply outlook for Santa Clara County, but Anderson Dam storage issues linger: “Although local rainfall and statewide snowpack totals remain below average, the water supply outlook for spring and summer is more encouraging than one month ago. A recent series of storms soaked the region with beneficial rainfall and delivered several feet of snow across the Sierra Nevada, typically the source of about 50% of the water used in Santa Clara County. At the end of February, the statewide snowpack measured at 39% of average. At that same time, reservoir levels in Santa Clara County were 49% of their restricted capacity. Five of our 10 reservoirs have seismic restrictions that limit the amount of water that can be stored in them. … ” Read more from Valley News here: Positive spring, summer water supply outlook for Santa Clara County, but Anderson Dam storage issues linger
Santa Barbara: Jameson, Gibraltar reservoirs over capacity as recent rains help drought-stricken South Coast: “Both Jameson and Gibraltar reservoirs are over capacity, with each holding some 100.4% of their respective capacities. Gibraltar Reservoir, holding 4,603 acre-feet of water, has experienced an increase of 2,064 acre-feet during the 2020 water year, which began Sept. 1, 2019, and runs through Aug. 31. As of Friday, Jameson Reservoir was holding 4,868 acre-feet, just 221 acre-feet more than the start of the water year, according to the county Flood Control District. … ” Read more from the Santa Barbara News-Press here: Santa Barbara: Jameson, Gibraltar reservoirs over capacity as recent rains help drought-stricken South Coast
Cachuma Lake comeback shows impressive water supply: “One of the poster-lake shots for the California drought in 2016 was Cachuma Lake in the Santa Ynez Valley when it dropped down to a muddy level of seven percent surrounded by brown hills. This morning after impressive rains and a direct runoff from the Santa Ynez watershed it is rising to within 15 feet of the spill level at Bradbury Dam. ... ” Read more from KEYT here: Cachuma Lake comeback shows impressive water supply
Redlands: Recharge totals get boost from March rains, with more to come: “Last month’s storms brought nearly 4.5 inches of rain to the San Bernardino region — about 57 percent above normal for March — helping to reverse the season’s plummeting precipitation totals to about 86 percent of normal for this time of year, the San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation District has announced. The district captured and recharged some 40 million gallons of those March rains into the region’s natural groundwater aquifers, which store significant amounts of water for use in times of severe drought. That increase in precipitation, following a dry January and February, helped lessen concerns about drought in 2020. ... ” Read more from the Community News here: Redlands: Recharge totals get boost from March rains, with more to come
Six- to 10-day outlook for L.A. region looks moist with normal temperatures: “The outlook for April 17 to 21 calls for above-normal precipitation in the southern part of the state, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Temperatures in the southern half of the state are expected to be normal or slightly below during the same period. Northern California, which has lagged on precipitation after a dry autumn, will see above-normal temperatures and normal or below-normal precipitation. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Six- to 10-day outlook for L.A. region looks moist with normal temperatures
San Diego to release water from Hodges Reservoir: “Due to recent heavy rainfall, the city of San Diego will release approximately 923 million gallons of water from Hodges Reservoir into San Dieguito River, city officials said Saturday. The water, which may eventually lead to the ocean, was released through valves in the dam starting around 11 a.m. Saturday. It will continue for a week or until the reservoir elevation is near 295 feet, spokesman Jose Ysea said. … ” Read more from Channel 5 here: San Diego to release water from Hodges Reservoir
MTJP | Joshua Tree from More Than Just Parks on Vimeo.
- WETLANDS REGULATIONS: Revised notice of public workshops on the State Wetland Definition and Procedures for the Discharges of Dredged or Fill Material to Waters of the State
- FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: New Department of Conservation SGMA Watershed Coordinator Grant Program
- OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT: Corps releases Final Post Authorization Change and Environmental Reports for Sacramento River Bank Protection Project
- NOTICE: Draft Final Policy for Developing the Fund Expenditure Plan for the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water Fund
Image credit: Poppies in the East Bay, photo by Jay Huang via Flickr.
