Good morning!
On the calendar today …
FREE WEBINAR: Enhancing Climate Resilience in the Water Sector from 10am to 11am
Expert panelists from the water sector will discuss tools and resources to assist utility staff with assessing risks and mainstreaming resilience strategies into core business functions. Participants will learn about the “Creating Resilient Water Utilities” (CRWU) initiative developed by the EPA to enhance security and resilience to prepare for and respond to all hazards. Click here to register.
FREE WEBINAR: Water and the COVID-19 Pandemic from 12pm to 1pm
The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the value of water and its connections to human health, while highlighting longstanding water equity, policy, and management deficiencies. There is an urgent need to provide clear messages about these issues and to offer guidance on individual, business, and government actions. Join the Pacific Institute for a special webinar to hear key findings and important recommendations from recent research. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
Newsom lays out big dreams for California’s water future
“Touting ways to shield California’s most precious resource from climate change, Governor Gavin Newsom released strategies Tuesday to improve drinking water quality, revive a stalled multibillion-dollar tunnel and build new dams. Newsom says the sweeping water portfolio will help the Golden State prepare for global warming by reinforcing outdated water infrastructure and reducing the state’s reliance on groundwater during future droughts. “Water is the lifeblood of our state, sustaining communities, wildlife and our economy,” said Newsom in a statement. “For more than a year, my administration has worked to assemble a blueprint to secure this vital and limited resource into the future in a way that builds climate resilience for all communities and sustains native fish and the habitat they need to thrive.” … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service here: Newsom lays out big dreams for California’s water future
Radio show: How California Fish Passage Forum clears the way
“Our region is famous for salmon and other fish that return from the ocean and swim past major obstacles to return to spawning grounds in fresh water. But we’ve put a lot of obstacles in their way over the years, in the form of dams and other human-built structures. The California Fish Passage Forum brings together public and private groups and agencies working to remove barriers to fish passage. We get a quick lesson in the projects and progress of the Forum in an interview with Chair Bob Pagliuco and Coordinator Alicia Marrs.” Listen at Jefferson Public Radio here: How California Fish Passage Forum clears the way
Representative TJ Cox secures increased investments for drinking water in house-passed funding bill
“Last Friday, the House passed H.R. 7608, a legislative package funding several federal programs and agencies for Fiscal Year 2021. Rep. TJ Cox (CA-21) has been fighting for Central Valley priorities and secured funding for drinking water programs that will help Valley communities get clean water. “The availability of safe drinking water represents deeply ingrained inequity in the Valley, and it’s time that it comes to an end,” said Rep. TJ Cox. “My constituents’ health and safety are my top priority, and a lack of clean, safe drinking water is a risk to public health. That’s why I have been fighting hard to increase federal investments in the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Funds, as well as other programs that provide both funding and technical assistance to underserved communities like those in my district.”
Remembering severe biological opinions that restricted flows
“Tom Birmingham is the general manager of the Westlands Water District. He looked back a few years, at how bad it truly was for the almond pistachio growers in the district. “The frustration with respect to those calendar-based restrictions was that the reductions in pumping would occur regardless of the distribution of Delta Smelt in the Delta. … ” Continue reading at Ag Net West here: Remembering severe biological opinions that restricted flows
In regional water news and commentary today …
LaMalfa announces FEMA grant funding for Paradise Irrigation District
“Congressman Doug LaMalfa issued the following statement after the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) awarded $3,440,574 to the Paradise Irrigation District as a result of damage incurred due to the Camp Fire in 2018. LaMalfa said: “With much of Paradise’s infrastructure damaged or destroyed in the Camp Fire, it’s been a slow process bringing it back into operation. This FEMA funding will assist with restoring Paradise’s water system and bring safe potable water back to residents. I will continue working at the federal level to expedite the recovery process for Paradise and the Ridge.” …
Ecosystem restoration effort builds momentum at Tahoe Forest Stewardship Day
“Volunteers and team members from the League to Save Lake Tahoe, along with staff from the Tahoe Resource Conservation District, restored native wetland habitat in Johnson Meadow on Saturday, July 25, continuing work started in 2019. Teams stabilized crumbling stream banks, removed invasive plant species and cleared remnants of historic ranching operations. This work is the continuation of an ecosystem restoration project at Johnson Meadow that began during Tahoe Forest Stewardship Day last September. ... ” Read more from YubaNet here: Ecosystem restoration effort builds momentum at Tahoe Forest Stewardship Day
Stockton algae bloom has higher level of toxins this year, officials say
“A yearly algae bloom in the Port of Stockton is back. The bloom happens during the summer and turns the waterway green, creating a problem in the ecosystem. The watchdog group Restore the Delta said the harmful levels of algae are showing up earlier this year. While the Central Valley Water Board said the timing of the bloom is about normal. … ” Read more from KCRA here: Stockton algae bloom has higher level of toxins this year, officials say
The San Joaquin River feeds stomachs and souls of countless people (says unidentified author)
“Seven miles into the Ansel Adams Wilderness I got my first view of Thousand Island Lake from the Pacific Crest Trail. Its numerous namesake rocky islands — many complete with pine trees — broke up the gently wind whipped blue water sparkling below the 12,942-foot prominence of Mt. Banner dotted with several small glaciers. The lake before me was unlike the 10 others I had passed as I made my way into the High Sierra from June Lake. This was the headwaters of the Middle Fork of the San Joaquin River where some of the snowmelt — if it is lucky — will make a 366 mile journey before flowing into Suisun Bay at the Delta’s edge on its way to San Francisco Bay then out the Golden Gate to mingle into oblivion with the vast waters of the Pacific Ocean. ... ” Read more from the Escalon Times here: San Joaquin River: Feeds Stomachs And Souls Of Countless People
Visalia prepares to clamp down on outdoor watering
“Visalia’s groundwater has sunk by 7 feet since April, just one month into the summer season, and it’s not because people are home washing their hands more frequently and doing their dishes more often. The Visalia City Council took action last week to stave off a repeat of the rapid decline in water levels seen during the historic drought from 2011-2017. At its July 20 meeting, the council unanimously approved moving the city from Stage 1, its least stringent level of its water conservation ordinance, to Stage 3, just one level short of declaring a water emergency. … ” Read more from the Foothills Sun-Gazette here: Visalia prepares to clamp down on outdoor watering
Could the central and south coasts be impacted by another La Nina, and below average rainfall?
“Last rainfall season was a big one for the Central and South Coasts, with above average rainfall for many drought impacted local communities. Oxnard had 135% of average rainfall, Ojai 121%, and Lake Cachuma recorded136% of normal rainfall. But, could we be headed back to a drought year? There are some early indications it’s a possibility, with a nearly 50-50 chance of us being impacted by a “La Nina” pattern of cooler ocean water in the Western Pacific. … ” Read more from KCLU here: Could the central and south coasts be impacted by another La Nina, and below average rainfall?
SoCal: Trout disease in hatcheries leads to lack of the fish in area lakes
“It’s summertime and the fish aren’t jumping. At least not the trout in Southern California. A contagious, potentially fatal bacteria has infected trout in the three state-run hatcheries that provide the fish to public lakes in Southern California and the eastern Sierra. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife expects to euthanize all 3.2 million trout in those hatcheries this week. The disease, which never before has seen in California, was first identified at the Mojave River Hatchery in Victorville in April, and then at the Black Rock and Fish Springs hatcheries in the Owens Valley in June. … ” Continue reading at the OC Register here: Trout disease in hatcheries leads to lack of the fish in area lakes
Controversial Poseidon desalination plant in Huntington Beach set for hearings this week
“Poseidon Water’s seawater desalination plant in Huntington Beach, first proposed in 1998, could be getting closer to beginning construction after more than two decades. The Santa Ana Regional Water Board will hold online hearings this week and decide whether to issue Poseidon a permit. The hearings begin at 9 a.m. Thursday and are scheduled to continue Friday, as well as Aug. 7 if needed, with a vote scheduled at the end of the hearings. The hearings can be viewed at cal-span.org. Should the regional board approve the plant, Poseidon would also need a permit from the California Coastal Commission before it could purchase water from the Orange County Water District and begin construction. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Controversial Poseidon desalination plant in Huntington Beach set for hearings this week
Imperial Irrigation District files opening brief in lawsuit against MWD
“Following the Imperial Irrigation District’s recent win on a monumental water case in California’s appellate court against Michael Abatti, the water district is back in court filing the opening brief against the other large water district is Southern California, the Metropolitan Water District. Last March, MWD took the unprecedented move to cut IID out of intrastate negotiations on the Drought Contingency Plan, promising to pay IID’s water bill to Lake Mead if water elevations shrank to 1,074 feet, triggering California’s response to the drought. … ” Read more from The Desert Review here: Imperial Irrigation District files opening brief in lawsuit against MWD
Along the Colorado River …
Navajo Nation residents hope federal act, aid will finally bring big water projects
“Last summer, Navajo Nation President Jonathan Nez sat before the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee and pleaded for the passage of a bill that would formalize water rights for the Utah portion of the Navajo Nation. “More than 40% of Navajo households in Utah lack running water or adequate sanitation in their homes,” Nez said in the June 2019 testimony. “In some cases, such as in the community of Oljato on the Arizona-Utah border, a single spigot on a desolate road, miles from any residence, serves 900 people. The legislation provides the means to address these critical needs of the Navajo people.” … ” Read more from the Salt Lake Tribune here: Navajo Nation residents hope federal act, aid will finally bring big water projects
In commentary today …
Thomas Elias: Trump’s ‘war on California’ is reaching new levels
He writes, “President Trump’s more than three-year administrative war on California has now morphed beyond his many attempts to exact revenge upon this state, which provided the margin by which he lost the popular vote in 2016, when the Electoral College made him America’s second minority president out of the last three. Not that Trump’s moves against California are trivial: He’s attempted to stop the Golden State’s long-running battle against smog, he’s tried end runs around clean water laws, he’s attempted to end sanctuary city laws passed by many cities, and much more. … ” Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here: Thomas Elias: Trump’s ‘war on California’ is reaching new levels
In national water news today …
The new water wars
“The coronavirus economic crash is tightening the financial vise on utilities that supply water and sanitation across the country, potentially putting water companies on the verge of financial insolvency while millions of Americans struggle to pay their utility bills. As hand-washing and sanitation became crucial during the pandemic, cities from Detroit to Philadelphia issued moratoriums on new water shutoffs and directed utilities to reconnect homes that had been cut off for nonpayment. While only 10 states have guaranteed residents full protection from water and energy shutoffs, an estimated 85 percent of drinking water utilities have suspended disconnections, according to a survey by the American Water Works Association. The industry estimates these moves to cost the industry $5.5 billion in lost revenue. … ” Read more from Politico here: The new water wars
Green groups challenge Trump rollback of bedrock environmental law
“The White House is facing a lawsuit from environmental groups challenging its latest rollback to a bedrock environmental law. The Trump administration finalized changes to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) just two weeks ago. Environmentalists say the administration’s actions gut a law designed to weigh environmental and community impacts before roads, pipelines, oil and gas drilling and other major construction projects are permitted. … ” Read more from The Hill here: Green groups challenge Trump rollback of bedrock environmental law
Democrat asks for probe of Trump administration ‘forever chemical’ rulemaking
“Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.) on Tuesday pushed for a probe into the rulemaking process used by the Trump administration regarding the regulation of a class of cancer-linked chemicals called PFAS. He wrote to the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) inspector general (IG) and asked for an investigation into what he called “potential irregularities” during the finalization for a rule aiming to restrict the use of certain types of PFAS chemicals in consumer products. ... ” Read more from The Hill here: Democrat asks for probe of Trump administration ‘forever chemical’ rulemaking
RELATED: Trump EPA Continues to Aggressively Address PFAS on the Federal, State, and Local Level, press release from the EPA
Believe it or not, forests migrate — but not fast enough for climate change
“We’re all familiar with migration: Wildebeests gallop across Africa, Monarch butterflies flit across the Americas … but did you know that forests migrate, too? In his new book The Journeys of Trees, science writer Zach St. George explores an agonizingly slow migration, as forests creep inch by inch to more hospitable places. Individual trees, he writes, are rooted in one spot. But forests? Forests “are restless things.” As old trees die and new ones sprouts up, the forest is — ever so slightly — moving. ... ” Read more from National Public Radio here: Believe it or not, forests migrate — but not fast enough for climate change
‘Man cannot win against nature’: Amid catastrophic floods, China’s dams come into question
“The white-haired farmer ran barefoot to his fields at 2 a.m. so he could harvest his crops before the floods came. He was one of tens of thousands of villagers whose homes and fields were about to be engulfed as a dam gushed open to release rising waters. “We have to think big-picture, think of the greater good,” said the farmer identified as Qiao in a recent local news video from Anhui province. “Isn’t it like this every year?” Qiao spoke as many rural residents of the Yangtze River floodplains do, accustomed to swelling waters whenever big rains hit. But this year is the worst in decades, with 433 rivers surging above flood control levels since June, 33 of them setting records. … ” Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here: ‘Man cannot win against nature’: Amid catastrophic floods, China’s dams come into question
Today’s featured articles …
DPIIC MEETING: The CVPIA and the state’s Incidental Take Permit: Ecosystem-based Management in the Delta
The Delta Stewardship Council established the Delta Plan Interagency Implementation Committee (DPIIC) after the adoption of the Delta Plan in 2013. The Committee is comprised of high-ranking members of 18 state, federal, and regional agencies who meet at least twice a year to coordinate programs and projects that affect land, wildlife, and water resources in the Delta.
At the July 2020 committee meeting, members heard presentations on the Central Valley Project Improvement Act and the state’s new Incidental Take Permit for the State Water Project and how those programs utilize principles of ecosystem-based management.
Click here to read this article.
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
NOW AVAILABLE: Delta Plan Performance Measures Dashboard Update