Hey folks!
Check out the new clickable index to the Daily Digest below. Click on the link on the right of the gray box to expand the table of contents. Then click on your headline of interest to be taken directly to that story in the Digest. Click on the Return to Top at the bottom of each section to return back to the Table of Contents. I hope you find this a useful new feature. Let me know what you think.
Have a great weekend!
Regards, Maven
On the calendar today …
ONLINE MEETING: The Central Valley Flood Protection Board meets beginning at 9am.
Agenda items include the monthly DWR report, a hearing on the Lower Yolo Restoration Project, and an update from the Army Corps on Sacramento River and San Joaquin River levee projects. Click here for the full agenda and sign on instructions.
FREE WEBINAR: The River Feeds Us: Food Sovereignty & Community Resilience webinar from 12pm to 1pm.
Part of the Advocacy & Water Protection in Native California Training Course. Click here to join Zoom meeting.
In California water news today …
NOAA’s La Niña watch could signal a dry winter for Los Angeles
“The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued a La Niña watch earlier this month, meaning that conditions are favorable for development of a La Niña in the next six months. A La Niña typically means a dry winter across the southern United States, including Southern California. La Niña is part of a climate phenomenon called the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, often referred to as “ENSO.” It has nothing to do with the Ensos or their icy planet Ensolica in Star Wars, but La Niña is the cool phase of this climate phenomenon, and the opposite of its warm sibling, El Niño. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: NOAA’s La Niña watch could signal a dry winter for Los Angeles
Interior may shift projects to former Bernhardt client
“The Trump administration is working to transfer ownership of federal water infrastructure to California’s Westlands Water District, the country’s largest irrigation provider and a former lobbying client of Interior Secretary David Bernhardt. Westlands, an agricultural powerhouse in the San Joaquin Valley, has requested title transfer of several facilities under new authority in a 2019 public lands law, according to documents obtained in a Freedom of Information Act request and shared with E&E News. The Rhode Island-sized district is seeking ownership of 1,034 miles of buried pipeline, multiple pumping plants and canals, and two field offices. The Bureau of Reclamation confirmed it is moving forward with the transfer. … ” Continue reading at E&E News here: Interior may shift projects to former Bernhardt client
Researchers identify factor behind 2017 Oroville Dam Spillways incident
“In a February 2017 incident, failures in the spillways of Oroville Dam forced the evacuation of 188,000 people and caused $1 billion in damage repairs. According to scientists, a warmer climate might create more dangerous events like this. Researchers at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego and the University of Colorado analyzed the event to understand why there was such a large inflow of water into the reservoir behind the dam leading up to the breach. They were interested in the potential role of intense “atmospheric river” storms, phenomena that transport large amounts of water vapor in focused “rivers” of precipitation to coastal areas. … ” Read more from Scripps Institution of Oceanography here: Researchers identify factor behind 2017 Oroville Dam Spillways incident
Central Valley could get federal aid for drinking water crisis. Will Trump support it?
“Central Valley neighborhoods are a step closer to new money to fix broken water systems and access clean, safe drinking water — if the White House and Congress agree on an infrastructure package currently moving through the U.S. House of Representatives. On Friday, the House will vote on a funding bill that includes $100 million in grants for small towns and water districts to drill new wells, install filtration systems, and receive technical assistance to fix water systems that currently deliver unsafe drinking water to thousands of homes and businesses. ... ” Read more from the Fresno Bee here: Central Valley could get federal aid for drinking water crisis. Will Trump support it?
California measure aims to protect almost a third of state’s land and oceans, increase access for people of color
“Juan Altamirano grew up in Southern California with very few parks or green spaces near his home. That’s why he wants to see Assembly Bill 3030 become law, a California proposal that would help guarantee around a third of the state’s land and oceans be shielded from things like development. “As somebody who grew up in Anaheim near Disneyland, I didn’t have access to open spaces,” he said, referring to the vast landscape of parking lots and concrete that fill the theme park. “So, I think that being able to see myself in this bill is incredibly important.” ... ” Read more from Capital Public Radio here: California measure aims to protect almost a third of state’s land and oceans, increase access for people of color
State Water Boards proposes plan to streamline regulation of water pollution
“Streamlined regulations could be coming to a marina near you – and an active recreational boating organization is not too happy with the state’s proposed plan. The State Water Resources Control Board, also known as the State Water Board, specifically proposed a five-year plan to meet the requirements of the federal Clean Water Act, or CWA. The plan, per the conditions of the CWA, must implement a management program to control nonpoint source pollution. The goal of any plan proposed by the State Water Board would have to reduce pollution sources and improve water quality, according to a review of the state’s proposed plan. ... ” Read more from The Log here: State Water Boards proposes plan to streamline regulation of water pollution
Invasive swamp rat fight getting boost from Congress
“It looks like California is about to get more money to eradicate giant swamp rats that have infiltrated the Central Valley. The House of Representatives is voting today on a bill that includes a $1.75 million pot of money that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service can tap into to kill the rats, called nutria. It also opens up about $300 million in funding to address restoring environments they’ve destroyed. The fund to kill the rats is an increase of $500,000 over last year’s funding to combat nutria, and it’s the first time California will be able to access the money. … ” Continue reading at the Stockton Record here: Invasive swamp rat fight getting boost from Congress
Legal alerts …
California PFAS push now includes POTWs as State Water Board rolls out new testing order
“On July 9, 2020, the California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) issued an investigative order (the Order) to sample for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at more than 250 publicly owned treatment works (POTWs). The Order applies to waste water treatment plants throughout California with a design capacity at or exceeding one million gallons per day (mgd). The State Water Board’s action is the latest phase of a sweeping investigation that the Board announced last year to study and identify industrial and municipal sources of PFAS in California, including at airports, landfills, manufacturing facilities, bulk terminals, chrome platers, and wastewater treatment facilities. ... ” Read more from Downey Brand here: California PFAS push now includes POTWs as State Water Board rolls out new testing order
Sixth District Holds CEQA Does Not Require Supplemental Review for a Streambed Alteration Permit
“The Sixth Appellate District, in Willow Glen Trestle Conservancy v. San Jose (2020) 49 Cal.App.5th 127, held that seeking a new Streambed Alteration Agreement (“SAA”) from the California Department of Fish & Wildlife (“CDFW”) for a previously approved project does not constitute a “further discretionary approval” within the meaning of CEQA Guidelines section 15162 and therefore does not require supplemental review. … ” Continue reading at Downey Brand’s CEQA Chronicles here: Sixth District Holds CEQA Does Not Require Supplemental Review for a Streambed Alteration Permit
State Water Board has authority to implement temporary emergency regulations curtailing water diversions without prior evidentiary hearing
“The Third Appellate District held that the State Water Resources Control Board has the authority to issue temporary emergency regulations and curtailment orders which establish minimum flow requirements, regulate unreasonable use of water, and protect threatened fish species during drought conditions. Stanford Vina Ranch Irrigation Co. v. State of California, No. C085762 (3rd Dist., June 18, 2020) … ” Continue reading from Perkins Cole here: State Water Board has authority to implement temporary emergency regulations curtailing water diversions without prior evidentiary hearing
How Tribes can respond to Clean Water Act review limits
“Tribal governments may be looking for ways to enact new public health policies and assert their sovereignty in light of this summer’s two pivotal events: the distress of the COVID-19 pandemic, with its disproportionate impact on Native American communities, and protests demanding social justice, with related calls to honor Native American sovereignty. … ” Read the article at Brownstein Hyatt here: How Tribes can respond to Clean Water Act review limits
In national news today …
Making comprehensive water resources modeling more accessible
“The growing global population and continued economic development will likely cause a significant increase in water demand, especially in developing regions. At the same time, climate change is already having global, regional, and local impacts on water availability. A huge challenge that will require strategies and policies informed by science will be ensuring that the changing supply can meet the continuously growing demand without compromising the sensitive aquatic environments from which it is derived. … ” Read more from PhysOrg here: Making comprehensive water resources modeling more accessible
Critics fear EPA appeals shakeup sidelines environmental justice
“When the EPA issued critical permits for offshore oil exploration in the Arctic more than a decade ago, two Indigenous groups fought back—not in the courtroom, but in an obscure office planted deep within the bureaucracy of the Environmental Protection Agency. The Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission and the Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope took their complaints to the Environmental Appeals Board, where they argued that agency officials ignored environmental justice concerns when they approved air permits for Royal Dutch Shell Plc subsidiaries to hunt for oil in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas. … ” Read more from Bloomberg Law here: Critics fear EPA appeals shakeup sidelines environmental justice
Climate change poses ‘systemic threat’ to the economy, big investors warn
“Climate change threatens to create turmoil in the financial markets, and the Federal Reserve and other regulators must act to avoid an economic disaster, according to a letter sent on Tuesday by a group of large investors. “The climate crisis poses a systemic threat to financial markets and the real economy, with significant disruptive consequences on asset valuations and our nation’s economic stability,” reads the letter, which was signed by more than three dozen pension plans, fund managers and other financial institutions that together manage almost $1 trillion in assets. … ” Read more from the New York Times here: Climate change poses ‘systemic threat’ to the economy, big investors warn
In commentary today …
Facing needless obstruction from Newsom, Trump admin. focused on improving water supply for all Californians, says Daniel Jorjani with the US Department of Interior
He writes, “Over the last four years, the Trump Administration has improved the ability of California families and farmers to enjoy safe, reliable and bountiful water supplies. Beginning in 2018, President Trump directed his Administration to maximize water deliveries throughout California and the western United States, instructing federal agencies to replace outdated environmental restrictions that caused water to needlessly be wasted to the ocean. … ” Continue reading at the San Joaquin Valley Sun here: Facing needless obstruction from Newsom, Trump admin. focused on improving water supply for all Californians
An early success story in the Delta, by Jeff Kightlinger, General Manager of Metropolitan Water District
He writes, “A century ago, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta was a massive wetland habitat. The construction of levees over the past 100 years has dried out these wetlands and converted them into farmland, eliminating 95 percent of this important aquatic habitat for fish. But scientists are finding out that given the right conditions, nature can reclaim itself. Case in point: one of those levees was breached last fall as part of a restoration project jump-started with funding from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. The results so far have been great news for fish. … ” Continue reading at LinkedIn here: An early success story in the Delta
California Public Utilities Commission finds new ways to make utility services affordable, says CPUC Commissioner Clifford Rechtschaffen
He writes, “California will always remain a place of tremendous opportunity, but even before the current economic downturn brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic it also had some of the worst poverty in the nation, with millions of residents struggling to meet their monthly expenses. Now, with four million people out of work due to the public health crisis, Californians are facing even greater financial challenges. ... ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: California Public Utilities Commission finds new ways to make utility services affordable
In regional news and commentary …
Klamath water arrives, saving 50,000 ducklings from certain death
“More than 50,000 ducklings and other newborn waterfowl and shorebirds were saved from certain deaths this week after an emergency delivery of water to the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. “A week ago, we were worried the birds wouldn’t make it,” said John Bradenburg, supervisory biologist for the refuge. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Klamath water arrives, saving 50,000 ducklings from certain death
Placer County, PCWA split $12 million revenue distribution
“In 1961, Placer County voters overwhelmingly approved the sale of bonds to finance the construction of the Middle Fork American River Hydroelectric Project (MFP). Nearly 60 years later, with the MFP bonds fully paid and financial reserves fully funded, the first-ever distribution of net revenue from the MFP has been made by Middle Fork Project Finance Authority Board (Authority) to the County of Placer and Placer County Water Agency (PCWA). News of the distribution was shared with the PCWA Board of Directors at its meeting last week. … ” Continue reading at Roseville Today here: Placer County, PCWA split $12 million revenue distribution
SFPUC to offer virtual tours of facilities, watershed properties
“With the coronavirus pandemic preventing in-person visits to San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) sites, the agency is embarking on an innovative new program that will offer virtual tours of its watersheds, facilities and other properties, including some locations that never been visited before by the public. “We are saddened that we cannot meet personally with visitors at our sites, but that doesn’t mean we cannot teach others about the unique history and makeup of our system,” said SFPUC General Manager Harlan L. Kelly, Jr. … ” Read more from Water World here: SFPUC to offer virtual tours of facilities, watershed properties
Newman: Planned conservation area offers host of benefits
“An innovative project being developed by the city will transform property just east of Newman into a conservation area which naturally filters and cleans storm drain flows while offering outdoor education and recreational opportunities. The City Council recently approved an expenditure of up to $85,000 to complete environmental studies which will accompany a master plan on the projects. … ” Read more from Westside Connect here: Newman: Planned conservation area offers host of benefits
$8 million in grants will make Tuolumne friendlier to fish, and to west Modesto folks
“New state grants totaling about $8 million will enhance fish habitat on the Tuolumne River, and better connect west Modesto residents to the waterway. The grants will continue efforts to restore spawning areas and floodplains for salmon, trout and other fish between La Grange and Modesto. This stretch often runs low and slow because of upstream diversions to local irrigation districts and the Bay Area. … ” Read more from the Modesto Bee here: $8 million in grants will make Tuolumne friendlier to fish, and to west Modesto folks
Pasadena: Environmentalists win the Devil’s Gate Dam settlement
“The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted July 7 to approve a settlement between LA County, the Arroyo Seco Foundation (ASF) and Pasadena Audubon Society (PAS) in a long-standing dispute over the sediment removal project at Devil’s Gate Dam in Pasadena’s Hahamongna Watershed Park. The settlement will reduce the negative impacts of the project and enable a more environmentally conscious approach that will protect endangered bird species that have been sighted within the area. ... ” Continue reading at Pleasanton Weekly here: Environmentalists win the Devil’s Gate Dam settlement
IID scores big win in Abatti case appeal
“Although Imperial Irrigation District officials are pleased with the outcome of last week’s decision by the Court of Appeals siding with the district’s position that there is no privileged class of water users, the case could still be challenged in state Supreme Court by plaintiff and farmer Mike Abatti. For now, though, the district is claiming victory over a case that challenged IID’s domain as the stewards of the Imperial Valley’s water rights on behalf of all water users. … ” Read more from the Holtville Tribune here: IID scores big win in Abatti case appeal
National water and climate update
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-20200723And lastly …
Iceland wants to hear you scream. Here’s why
“Thank you, Iceland, for the release we all need right now: a good scream. The self-described land of fire and ice will broadcast your best scream — loud enough to blast the bottled-up tension we’re all feeling right now — into the country’s remote outdoors. For free. … ” Read more at the LA Times here: Iceland wants to hear you scream. Here’s why
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.
