- Delta Independent Science Board Teleconference Meeting from 9am to 1pm. Agenda items include the Delta Lead Scientist’s report which will include an overview of the Social Science Strategy; DISB updates on the reviews of the montioring enterprise, ecosystems, water supply reliability, science needs, and the IEP; and consideration of future reviews. Click here for meeting notice and webcast instructions.
Judge throws water on California bid to slow Delta pumping: “With a recent victory over environmentalists in tow, the Trump administration was back in federal court again Thursday arguing it could continue boosting water to California farmers without harming salmon despite the state careening toward another drought. The Trump administration is defending guidelines passed in 2019 that gave it more leeway in deciding how much water it can safely take from California’s largest estuary and sell to farmers. The feds claim the rules, or biological opinions, were crafted with the best scientific data and are a much-needed update to pumping limits enacted by the Obama administration in 2009. But environmentalists and the state believe the rules were poisoned by political influence and meant to help President Donald Trump back up his campaign promise to “open up the water” to California farms. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service here: Judge throws water on California bid to slow Delta pumping
The Fox Canyon water market: a market-based tool for groundwater conservation goes live: “Ventura County, California, is an agricultural powerhouse. In 2017, its revenues from agriculture were an estimated $2.1 billion. It also faces extraordinary population pressure, with nearly 450 people per square mile – about five times the average population density of the United States. Both agriculture and infrastructure are dependent on, and impacted by, the availability of water – which has itself been impacted by California’s rapidly-diminishing groundwater reserves. … Following passage of SGMA, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) applied for and received a $1.8 million Conservation Innovation Grant from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to develop the Fox Canyon Water Market. ... ” Read more from the Department of Agriculture here: The Fox Canyon water market: a market-based tool for groundwater conservation goes live
How do salmon always find their way home? Study reveals a remarkable GPS embedded in their skin: “When it’s time to spawn, salmon have an uncanny ability to swim from the middle of the Pacific Ocean in almost a straight line directly back to the mouth of the river where they were spawned and make their way upstream. The mystery of this unflappable internal GPS system has fascinated ichthyologists for centuries. But now there may be an answer: The fish have tiny magnets in their flesh that allow them to use the Earth’s magnetic field as both a map and a compass, according to new research unveiled last month. ... ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune here: How do salmon always find their way home? Study reveals a remarkable GPS embedded in their skin
California’s mountain snow cover is vanishing a month early, in a worrying setup for fire season: “On Monday, California fire officials gathered to launch the state’s annual Wildfire Preparedness Week. The message they delivered was clear: Summer 2020 would not mimic summer 2019, when wildfires mostly remained small and manageable into August. “Last year you’ll remember we had a lot of snow in the mountains, a lot of late-season rain, and we had a slow start to our fire season,” Cal Fire Director Thom Porter said at the news event. “That’s not going to be the same this year.” ... ” Read more from the Washington Post here: California’s mountain snow cover is vanishing a month early, in a worrying setup for fire season
Summerlike heat wave to gradually fade in California, desert Southwest: “A blistering heat wave will persist across portions of California and the southwestern United States into the weekend — but meteorologists say that relief from the stifling summerlike conditions may finally be on the way across parts of the region. Excessive heat warnings and heat advisories are in effect for portions of California. ... ” Read more from Accu-Weather here: Summerlike heat wave to gradually fade in California, desert Southwest
Phosphorus in our pee — the new gold? “It’s hard to imagine tennis fans fertilizing the pristine lawns at Wimbledon with urine, or soccer supporters slipping off at half time to donate their pee to green the grounds of Bayern Munich’s home stadium. Yet such scenarios could become reality as a result of a Swiss invention called the “Urine Express.” The novel mobile treatment plant can be set up next to grass sports fields to recycle urine and collect phosphorus and other valuable minerals that would otherwise be swallowed into the sewage system. “We want to use it as a way to make a contribution to saving resources,” Bastian Etter, one of the project’s founders, told DW. “We usually use 100 liters of water to flush away a single liter of urine.” … ” Read more from DW here: Phosphorus in our pee — the new gold?
Agency leans on 1870s ‘housekeeping’ law to block science: “EPA is trying to use a 19th-century statute giving department heads the right to manage personnel and internal record keeping to contain the science it uses when drafting regulations, including those on greenhouse gases. The March supplementary proposal for a rule EPA bills as improving transparency of the science and modeling that underpin important agency work points to an obscure “housekeeping statute” enacted in 1874. It has roots in laws enacted under President Washington when early federal agencies were founded. The proposed rule in question, known as “Strengthening Transparency in Regulatory Science,” would banish long-used scientific studies from future rulemaking processes if they rely on data that isn’t made public. ... ” Read more from E&E News here: Agency leans on 1870s ‘housekeeping’ law to block science
California must keep small water systems from failing, says Jim Maciel: He writes, “In a pandemic when hand-washing could be a matter of life or death, everyone must have access to clean water as a public health issue and a basic human right. But what if you can’t afford your water bill? … But now we’re faced with another public health conundrum. What happens to the small water systems that provide water to disadvantaged communities when the people they serve lose jobs, face economic devastation, and can no longer afford their bills as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak? ... ” Read more from the Visalia Times-Delta here: California must keep small water systems from failing
Susan Tatayon: Communicating What’s at Stake: the Art of Communicating Science: She writes, “In recent weeks, we have all faced a sweeping and unprecedented disruption of daily activities as the world grapples with the coronavirus pandemic. During this time of uncertainty, I’m deeply grateful to our governments, healthcare workers, farmers, food providers, and countless others who are working around the clock to keep us safe and healthy. I’m also grateful for the scientists and analysts who have distilled probability and statistics data into a simple and effective call-to-action to “flatten the curve,” or slow the spread of coronavirus to better match emergency response capacity. Developed by The Economist based on research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, analysts created a chart to show the projected number of coronavirus cases with and without protective measures. This single image effectively conveys what’s at stake, and it inspired me to consider how we can modify communications about scientific findings related to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, especially as we adapt to limited in-person interactions during these extraordinary times. … ” Read more at the Delta Stewardship Council here: Susan Tatayon: Communicating What’s at Stake: the Art of Communicating Science
Feds seek comment on proposed Del Puerto Canyon Reservoir: “The federal Bureau of Reclamation is inviting public comment on the proposed Del Puerto Canyon Reservoir project, which would create an 82,000 acre-feet reservoir in the canyon west of Patterson. The controversial project is being proposed by the Del Puerto Water District and San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors to develop additional water storage south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The proposed project involves a 260-foot high earthen dam and three saddle dams. The 800-acre reservoir would be connected by pipeline to the Delta-Mendota Canal. … ” Read more from Westside Connect here: Feds seek comment on proposed Del Puerto Canyon Reservoir
Central Coast: Farm, grower groups push back on proposed regulations designed to restore water quality: “Since 2004, the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board has issued multiple agricultural orders that are used to record data on water quality conditions and impose regulations on farmers throughout the region. But a draft of the most recent order, which was released in February, has agricultural groups concerned it could permanently change farming in the region.“The proposed draft order would create sweeping new regulations related to nitrogen application limits, riparian vegetation requirements, and other significant requirements that go far above and beyond any other similar order in the state,” Claire Wineman, president of the Grower-Shipper Association of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties, said in an email to the Sun. … ” Read more from the Santa Maria Sun here: Central Coast: Farm, grower groups push back on proposed regulations designed to restore water quality
From fiery lights to fetid smell, the red tide sweeps San Diego: “As if to celebrate the reopening of San Diego County beaches, the Pacific Ocean threw a party, complete with a light show. Then it left behind a smelly mess of dying algae. The microorganisms produce stunning bioluminescence that has illuminated the surf for several weeks. Red tides occur when they reproduce en masse, staining seawater rusty brown with as many as 20 million cells per liter. A photochemical reaction in the cells when they are jostled by waves emits a flash of electric blue, in a sort of southern, aquatic version of the aurora borealis. As the bloom dies out, however, the unpleasant scent of decay can travel miles from shore. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune here: From fiery lights to fetid smell, the red tide sweeps San Diego
Top 10 worst environmental decisions in California’s history: “California has a paradoxical history with its environment. On one hand, the state boasts incredible natural beauty, along with a government that is an internationally recognized leader for strong environmental policies. But the state’s residents have also caused severe environmental destruction, particularly in the late nineteenth century — some of which helped spur the mobilization that led to these environmental successes. Looking at California’s history, what were some of the most striking examples of environmental destruction? To qualify for this “Top 10” list, the destruction had to be irreparable (at least in anyone’s lifetime) and of a uniquely beautiful environmental feature (landscapes and plants). Of note, animals are not included, nor is an assessment of the economic trade-offs or alternatives. … ” Read more at the Legal Planet here: Top 10 worst environmental decisions in California’s history
The Natural Resources Conservation Service produces this weekly report using data and products from the National Water and Climate Center and other agencies. The report focuses on seasonal snowpack, precipitation, temperature, and drought conditions in the U.S.
dmrpt-20200507
Image credit: CA streamflow assessment map, courtesy of Belize Lane. From this paper: Lane, B. A., Dahlke, H. E., Pasternack, G. B., & Sandoval‐Solis, S. (2017). Revealing the diversity of natural hydrologic regimes in California with relevance for environmental flows applications. JAWRA Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 53(2), 411-430.
