DAILY DIGEST, 6/15: What’s the dam problem with deadbeat dams?; CA’s estuaries go virtual this summer; IID and farmer Michael Abatti square off over the Imperial Valley’s water; CA lawmakers take up budget in tense economic times; and more …

On the calendar today …
  • WEBINAR: Engaging diverse communities around water, climate, and the environment from 11:45am to 1:15pm.  This series of public webinars on the human dimensions of California water and environmental management and policy issues is part of the hiring process for a California Sea Grant Extension Specialist based at the Delta Stewardship Council. This position will contribute to advancing collaborative partnerships and catalyzing social science research to inform management of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta region.  This candidate is Joshua Cousins, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, SUNY-ESF  Click here for Zoom link.

In California water news today …

What’s the dam problem with deadbeat dams?  “Damming rivers was once a staple of public works and a signal of technological and scientific progress. Even today, dams underpin much of California’s public safety and economy, while having greatly disrupted native ecosystems (Quiñones et al. 2015, Moyle et al. 2017), displaced native peoples (Garrett 2010), and deprived residents of water access when streamflow is transported across basins. California’s dams are aging and many will require expensive reconstruction or rehabilitation. Many dams were built for landscapes, climates and economic purposes that no longer exist. California’s current dams reflect an accumulation of decisions over the past 170 years based on environmental, political, and socio-economic dynamics that have changed, sometimes radically. Former Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbitt remarked, “Dams are not America’s answer to the pyramids of Egypt… Dams do, in fact, outlive their function. When they do, some should go.” ... ”  Continue reading at the California Water Blog here:  What’s the dam problem with deadbeat dams?

California’s estuaries go virtual this summer:  “The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way families, educators and students can experience state parks — through expanded online programs.   The Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve, on the U.S.-Mexican border south of San Diego, showcases the salt marsh where the Tijuana River meets the Pacific Ocean. Education coordinator Anne Marie Tipton says the reserve’s virtual field trips teach classrooms around the state about the estuary’s role in the environment. ... ”  Read more from the Public News Service here:  California’s estuaries go virtual this summer

IID and farmer Michael Abatti square off over the Imperial Valley’s water:  “Water is power in California’s Imperial Valley, and a years-long fight over allocations from the Colorado River to the agriculture-heavy region landed back in court on Friday.  Attorneys representing local farmers and the Imperial Irrigation District squared off in front of a three-judge panel at the state appellate court level over a water-rights lawsuit expected to be decided in 90 days. … ”  Read more from the Desert Sun here: IID and farmer Michael Abatti square off over the Imperial Valley’s water

California lawmakers take up budget in tense economic times:  “The California Legislature will meet Monday to pass a budget for these uncertain times, without knowing how much money they have to spend and without an agreement with Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose veto pen could force lawmakers to start over.  The result will be a speculative spending plan that leaves cash-strapped local governments and public school districts hanging as they await their fate in a budget that must somehow cover a deficit the governor’s office has estimated at $54.3 billion. … ”  Read more from NBC 4 here: California lawmakers take up budget in tense economic times

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In national/world news today …

This week in water: “We may soon have more discarded face masks in the ocean than jellyfish.  Plastics are being carried high in the atmosphere and then depositing in remote areas when it rains or snows.  A Russian diesel spill shows how buildings in the permafrost are vulnerable to global warming.  Abandoned coal mines in the UK are finding new life providing heat.  Returning sea otters sequester carbon.”  Listen to podcast/Read stories here: This week in water

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Weekend Daily Digest …

This weekend in California water news:

  • CA Legislature must pass balanced budget by Monday. Will they?;
  • Solano County Water Agency withdraws appeal of certification of consistency for the Lower Yolo Ranch Restoration Project;
  • Trinidad Rancheria asks for pipeline extension to get water via Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District;
  • Anderson Dam bill clears assembly;
  • Demolition begins in July for contaminated Santa Susana Field Laboratory buildings; 
  • Coastal Commission approves $1.7 million in fines for illegal beach yards in Newport Beach;
  • San Diego: Draft study highlights region’s water conveyance options;
  • The COVID-19 pandemic is unleashing a tidal wave of plastic waste;
  • David Zetland’s Jive Talking Podcast: Brian Richter solves water scarcity;
  • and more …


Click here to read the Weekend Daily Digest.

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Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

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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 Association53(2), 411-430.

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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