On the calendar today …
PUBLIC MEETING for Systemwide Flood Risk Reduction Program Draft Guidelines from 10am to 11am
DWR is pleased to announce the opening of a 45-day public comment period for the Systemwide Flood Risk Reduction Program Draft Guidelines. The draft guidelines are available at https://water.ca.gov/Programs/Flood-Management/Flood-Projects/Systemwide-Flood-Risk-Reduction. Comments can be submitted to SystemwideFRR@water.ca.gov before or after the webinars. The public comment period will end at 5:00 p.m. on October 30, 2020. Click here to register.
PUBLIC MEETING for Systemwide Flood Risk Reduction Program Draft Guidelines from 4pm to 5pm
DWR is pleased to announce the opening of a 45-day public comment period for the Systemwide Flood Risk Reduction Program Draft Guidelines. The draft guidelines are available at https://water.ca.gov/Programs/Flood-Management/Flood-Projects/Systemwide-Flood-Risk-Reduction. Comments can be submitted to SystemwideFRR@water.ca.gov before or after the webinars. The public comment period will end at 5:00 p.m. on October 30, 2020. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
California tribe offered solution to wildfire management. Was U.S. Forest Service listening?
“Leeon Hillman walked slowly, sadly, to a semicircle of piled rocks surrounded by blackened trees. He knelt there, turning away from the heap of ash, which was all the massive Slater Fire had left of his house. The 53-year-old member of the Karuk Tribe was among dozens of Native Americans who lost their homes in the forested hillsides surrounding Happy Camp, in Siskiyou County. The fire, which is still burning across the border in Oregon, raced through the area in September. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: California tribe offered solution to wildfire management. Was U.S. Forest Service listening?
George Skelton column: Thank Newsom’s childhood pet — an otter — for helping protect California land and waters
“Now we get it: Gov. Gavin Newsom was first inspired to fight climate change and protect the environment by his childhood pet — Potter, the river otter. Some of us thought Gov. Jerry Brown was a bit strange. But he didn’t cozy up to a river otter as a little kid. Nor was Brown particularly concerned about insects — at least that we know about. Newsom was and is. Newsom told reporters about his early introduction to environmental causes last week while unveiling yet another executive order — this one to protect 30% of California’s land and coastal waters in their semi-natural state by 2030. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: George Skelton column: Thank Newsom’s childhood pet — an otter — for helping protect California land and waters
Eel River: Marshall Ranch flow enhancement
“Since 2013, Salmonid Restoration Federation has been conducting low-flow monitoring in Redwood Creek, a critical tributary to the South Fork Eel River. The South Fork Eel River is considered one of the highest priority watersheds in the state for flow enhancement projects. Forested tributaries like Redwood Creek provide refugia habitat for threatened juvenile coho salmon but suffer from the cumulative impacts of legacy logging and unregulated water diversions. With funding from the Wildlife Conservation Board and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, SRF and Stillwater Sciences have been exploring the feasibility of various streamflow enhancement opportunities in Redwood Creek. Stillwater Sciences conducted a feasibility study in a segment of the watershed that helped to identify priority projects that could improve summer flows. … ” Read more from the Salmon Restoration Federation here: Marshall Ranch flow enhancement
Napa County faces big cleanup job following Hennessey and Glass fires
“Between the structure-destroying Hennessey and Glass fires, there is one big mess to clean up. Combined, the fires destroyed about 600 homes and 350 commercial buildings. That’s close to 1,000 lots with ash and debris that must be hauled away. Karl Van Orsdol lost his small farmhouse and barn at his James Creek Olive Ranch on Butts Canyon Road to the Hennessey Fire on Aug. 24. He wants to get started with clean-up. … ” Read more from the Napa Register here: Napa County faces big cleanup job following Hennessey and Glass fires
California fires take a deep toll on wine country
“The 2020 vintage was already difficult in Napa Valley. It was born in a drought, matured through terrible heat spikes and had endured smoky conditions from the haze of numerous Northern California fires. Then, on the last weekend of September — in the middle of harvest — savage wildfires seemed to attack the northern end of the valley from all directions. ... ” Read more from the New York Times here: California fires take a deep toll on wine country
Los Angeles: The Exide battery recycling plant left a big toxic mess. A court could let it walk away
“For decades, families across a swath of southeast Los Angeles County have lived in an environmental disaster zone, their kids playing in yards polluted with brain-damaging lead while they wait on a state agency to remove contaminated soil from thousands of homes. Now, the cleanup faces even greater uncertainty. A bankruptcy plan by Exide Technologies, which operated the now-closed lead-acid battery smelter in Vernon that is blamed for the pollution, would allow the site to be abandoned with the remediation unfinished. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Los Angeles: The Exide battery recycling plant left a big toxic mess. A court could let it walk away
Return of the tern: If you build it, they will come… eventually
“The California least tern (Sterna antillarum browni) faces many hurdles for successful nesting and chick production, and this year was no exception. A strong red tide, predators and recreational trespassing affected least terns at sites throughout California. Despite all odds, about 10–15 adult tern pairs, along with their 10 offspring, were observed at San Dieguito Lagoon this past spring, marking the first ever nesting success at two manmade sites. ... ” Read more from the US FWS here: Return of the tern: If you build it, they will come… eventually
San Diego water agencies assist in fighting Valley Fire
“The Sweetwater Authority and the Otay Water District collaborated with multiple agencies during the recent Valley Fire in San Diego County. Water infrastructure played a key role in the firefighting effort. Cooperation and collaboration are critical elements during wildfires. Both water agencies worked with multiple responders, including U.S. Forest Service firefighters, CALFIRE and SDG&E, to ensure the safety of crews and keep a safe, reliable water supply flowing for their customers. … ” Read more from the Water News Network here: Water Agencies Assist in Fighting Valley Fire
New guide addresses stagnant water in buildings with low occupancy
“At a time when many buildings are not fully occupied due to COVID-19, the American Water Works Association (AWWA) and the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officials (IAPMO) have developed a guide to help building managers address water system stagnation. Stagnation within building water systems is a concern in periods of low or no occupancy. When water does not move through the system, water quality issues may arise at an outlet, a group of outlets or throughout an entire building water system, causing potential health risks. … ” Read more from Water Finance & Management here: New guide addresses stagnant water in buildings with low occupancy
Daily Digest, weekend edition …
- La Niña may signal scant relief from California’s seemingly endless loop of hot, dry weather
- NOAA projects persistent drought conditions stretching from Texas to California this fall
- California thought it could delay climate disaster. Now millions of acres are burning.
- Setting ‘good fires’ to reduce the West’s wildfire risk
- Department of Water Resources calls for Delta community’s input
- Trump blathers about ‘little tiny fish’ and ‘tiny little windows’ during Hannity interview
- Column: Trump unleashes another unhinged rant about California water and wildfires
- NOTEBOOK PODCAST: Implementing SGMA, and the lawsuits in the Indian Wells Valley
- Wildfires have ravaged Napa Valley. Will California’s wine industry survive?
- Monterey: “Cal Am, Marina open to meeting on desal project ‘solution’
- How the coronavirus is changing L.A. County’s waste stream
- Vast new reservoir in south Orange County gets its first drops of water
- The immense potential of solar panels floating on dams
- And more …
Click here to read the weekend edition of the Daily Digest.
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
- NOTICE: Eastern San Joaquin Surface Water Panel Review Public Meeting November 6
- NOTICE: Public Comment Opens for Madera Groundwater Sustainability Plans
- NOTICE: Term 91 Notice of Curtailment
