DAILY DIGEST, 2/25: Water Year 2021: The suspense continues; Traditional hydrologic models may misidentify snow as rain, data shows; One California community shows how to take the waste out of water; Navigating the Waters of the United States; and more …


On the calendar today …

  • MEETING: The Delta Stewardship Council meets beginning at 9am. Agenda items include an update from the Delta Watermaster, a briefing on the Delta Landscapes Scenario Planning Tool, Update and public comment on the Delta Adapts climate vulnerability study, and a briefing on the Environmental Justice Issue Paper.  Click here for the full agenda and remote access information.
  • MEETING: The Wildlife Conservation Board meets beginning at 10am.  Agenda items include selection of new Chair and Vice Chair; mapping important plant areas; and programmatic permitting for aquatic habitat restoration.  Click here for the full agenda and remote access instructions.
  • FREE WEBINAR: Data for Lunch with Thomas Painter: Airborne Snow Observatories from 12pm to 1pm. Tom  Painter is a snow hydrologist and remote sensing specialist. He was recruited to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory/Caltech in 2010 to create what became the NASA Airborne Snow Observatory. In  2019, he departed NASA/JPL to pursue the technology transfer of ASO to the operational commercial world to make true the vision of providing quantitative snow measurements and accurate snowmelt runoff forecasting around Planet Earth.  Click here to register.
  • FREE WEBINAR: Exploring the role of the natural hydrograph in riverine ecology: Elements of the natural flow regime for consideration in management of regulated rivers at 12pmClick here to register.
  • WORKSHOP: Delta Adapts Climate Change Adaptation Workshop from 4:30 to 6:00pm. The Delta Stewardship Council is beginning the next phase of Delta Adapts to prepare an adaptation strategy and we need your thoughts on the scope.  We will start the workshop with a short presentation but devote most of the time to hearing your thoughts.  To receive a link to join the event, click here to register.
  • PUBLIC MEETING: Redwood Creek Flow Enhancement Project from 5pm to 6:30pm.  Salmonid Restoration Federation (SRF) will be hosting a public meeting on February 25 to share information on the status of the existing Marshall Ranch flow enhancement project and other potential scenarios to achieve significant flow enhancement and habitat restoration in the Redwood Creek watershedClick here to register.
  • SCOPING MEETING/OPEN HOUSE: Pacheco Reservoir Project from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.  Valley Water is inviting you to join us at one of two virtual public scoping meetings to learn the latest news about the scope and content of the Project EIR for the Pacheco Reservoir Project that Valley Water is preparing. We’re encouraging the public and agencies to provide any additional comments on the scope and content of the EIR. The meetings will include a detailed presentation, open house and an opportunity for you to ask questions.  Click here to register.

In California water news today …

Water Year 2021: The suspense continues

California’s hydrologic conditions remain dry as February draws to a close. Although late January storms improved a then-dismal snowpack, statewide snowpack remains at about two-thirds of average for this time of year (or 54 percent of the April 1st average) and natural flow in key Sierra Nevada watersheds is still tracking at amounts seen in the severe drought years of 2014 and 2015.  Storage in the largest northern California reservoirs is also well below average, reflecting cumulative impacts from a dry 2020. Virtually all the state remains in a precipitation deficit, with much of the state having received about half or less of average precipitation to date. … ”  Read more from DWR News here: Water Year 2021: The suspense continues

Low initial CVP allocations met with disappointment

The Bureau of Reclamation has released the initial water allocations for Central Valley Project (CVP) contractors for 2021. Low CVP allocations reflect drier than average winter conditions combined with lower reservoir storage for the year. While the low allocations were not a surprise, multiple water agencies expressed disappointment in the announcement.  “We anticipate that many growers throughout the south San Joaquin Valley and on the Eastside will need to rely heavily on groundwater supplies, just as they did in 2020,” the Friant Water Authority said in a written statement. … ”  Read more from Ag Net West here: Low initial CVP allocations met with disappointment

Traditional hydrologic models may misidentify snow as rain, new citizen science data shows

Normally, we think of the freezing point of water as 32°F – but in the world of weather forecasting and hydrologic prediction, that isn’t always the case. In the Lake Tahoe region of the Sierra Nevada, the shift from snow to rain during winter storms may actually occur at temperatures closer to 39.5°F, according to new research from the Desert Research Institute (DRI), Lynker Technologies, and citizen scientists from the Tahoe Rain or Snow project.  The new paper, which published this month in Frontiers in Earth Science, used data collected by 200 volunteer weather spotters to identify the temperature cutoff between rain and snow in winter storms that occurred during the 2020 season. Their results have implications for the accuracy of water resources management, weather forecasting, and more. … ”  Read more from the Desert Research Institute here:  Traditional hydrologic models may misidentify snow as rain, new citizen science data shows

One California community shows how to take the waste out of water

As this year’s below-average rainfall accentuates the problem, a public-private partnership in the Monterey/Salinas region has created a novel water recycling program that could serve as a model for parched communities everywhere.  As Stanford civil engineers report in the journal Water, this now urbanized region, still known for farming and fishing, has used water from four sources — urban stormwater runoff, irrigation drainage, food processing water and traditional municipal wastewater — and treated it so that this recycled water now supplies one-third of all drinking water on the Monterey Peninsula while providing irrigation water for 12,000 acres of high-value crops in the northern Salinas Valley.  This first-of-its-kind program creates a sustainable management plan by taking a “one water” approach that considers all of the region’s water, new and used, as part of one network. ... ”  Read more from Stanford News here: One California community shows how to take the waste out of water

Multi-benefit levee improvement project reduces flood danger across Sacramento region

The Department of Water Resources (DWR) is working to reduce flood risks for more than a half million people in the Sacramento region as part of the first multi-benefit flood management and habitat project under the Central Valley Flood Protection Plan.  The Lower Elkhorn Basin Levee Setback Project, located just southeast of the Sacramento International Airport, will build floodway capacity for the Sacramento river system by adding seven miles of new setback levee.  “The Lower Elkhorn Basin Levee Setback project is a glimpse into the future of California’s flood improvement investments. DWR is working with federal, state, and local partners toward the common goal of modernizing flood control infrastructure while creating habitat for fish and wildlife, safeguarding agriculture operations, and offsetting climate change impacts,” said Kristopher Tjernell, DWR’s deputy director of Integrated Watershed Management. ... ”  Read more from DWR here: Multi-benefit levee improvement project reduces flood danger across Sacramento region

Delta Adapts: Assessing climate change vulnerabilities

As Executive Officer Jessica R. Pearson identified in her December blog on the Delta Adapts initiative, “social vulnerability means that a person, household, or community has a heightened sensitivity to the climate hazards and/or a decreased ability to adapt to those hazards.” With an eye toward social vulnerability and environmental justice along with the coequal goals in mind, we launched our Delta Adapts climate change resilience initiative in 2018. A public review draft of Phase 1 of the initiative – a Vulnerability Assessment – was released in January of this year.  The findings of this assessment, coupled with the forthcoming Adaptation Strategy, will inform our work, prioritize actions and investments, provide climate information for local governments, and create a framework for future work both within and beyond our agency. … ”  Read more from the Delta Stewardship Council here: Delta Adapts: Assessing climate change vulnerabilities

California’s water futures market: explained

A recently launched water futures market in California drew global attention, from Wall Street to the United Nations. While news of the market has brought both skepticism and speculation, much of the coverage has failed to address some fundamental questions: what actually is a water futures market? How does it work, and who are the players? And most importantly, what are the potential benefits and risks?  In this short piece, we explain the California water futures market in simple terms.  … ”  Continue reading at the Pacific Institute here: California’s water futures market: explained

Hurtado introduces bill to improve California’s water resilience

Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger) has introduced the State Water Resiliency Act of 2021 – legislation that could provide up to $785 million to restore the capacity of California’s critical water delivery infrastructure and repair aging roads and bridges.  The new legislation, Senate Bill 559, could fund repairs to the Friant-Kern Canal, Delta-Mendota Canal, San Luis Canal and California Aqueduct – California’s main state and regional water conveyance infrastructure. … ”  Read more from the Hanford Sentinel here: Hurtado introduces bill to improve California’s water resilience

Burning California to save it: Why one solution to raging wildfires can’t gain traction

On a crisp, breezy February morning near Lake Tahoe, a crew of five firefighters descended on a snow-covered, heavily-forested park straddling the California-Nevada border. They came to start fires, not put them out.  Armed with gas and diesel drip torches, they lit stacks of tree trunks, limbs and brush that had been cut and piled together 18 months earlier. Within minutes the firs and pines were going up in spires of brownish-gray smoke. The crew, clad in protective fire jackets and hard hats, periodically poked the piles with pitchforks to make sure everything burned. ... ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: Burning California to save it: Why one solution to raging wildfires can’t gain traction

California’s iconic redwoods, sequoias and Joshua trees threatened by climate change

California’s iconic coastal redwoods, some standing since before Julius Caesar ruled Rome, are in a fight for their lives. They are increasingly threatened by wildfires that are larger and more intense due to the impact of human-caused climate change.  And it’s not just the redwoods — giant sequoias and Joshua trees are also in trouble. These majestic trees are unique to the West Coast and are an integral part of the fabric of California’s storied landscape. But the experts who know and love these trees are genuinely worried about their future. … ”  Read more from CBS News here: California’s iconic redwoods, sequoias and Joshua trees threatened by climate change

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In commentary today …

Don’t be smug about Texas’ troubles. California isn’t prepared for disasters either, says seismologist Lucy Jones

Lucy Jones, seismologist and the founder of the Dr. Lucy Jones Center for Science and Society writes, “The collapse of the power grid in Texas last week, and the cascading infrastructure failures that resulted from it, are stark examples of why a proactive government matters. A complete evaluation will surely show that, like most accidents and failures, many factors played a role, but it is already easy to see that the avoidance of government regulation contributed to the cold-weather chaos.  As we watch Texans of every socioeconomic level struggle to keep warm and access water, it would be easy for those of us living in a state that embraces government regulation to feel smug that we couldn’t have these problems. It would also be a mistake. ... ”  Read more from the LA Times here: Commentary: Don’t be smug about Texas’ troubles. California isn’t prepared for disasters either

There are cooperative areas ahead, but farmers and ranchers must be ready to act, says Dan Keppen

Dan Keppen, Executive Director with the Family Farm Alliance writes, “The Family Farm Alliance board of directors typically meets face to face once per year at our annual meeting, which has, in recent years, been held in Reno. One of the key orders of business is the development of priorities and initiatives for the upcoming year. This year, we had to make the tough decision to cancel our on-site meeting due to the COVID-19 restrictions in place in Nevada. Instead, we conducted a series of virtual Zoom calls and came out with a new game plan.  At the top of the list was developing a strategy to engage with the Biden administration. … ”  Continue reading at the Western Farm Press here: Water Lines: There are cooperative areas ahead, but farmers and ranchers must be ready to act. 

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In regional water news and commentary today …

Mendocino City Community Services District:  Groundwater management and conservation remain a concern

2021 has the makings of another major drought year. With just 51 percent of normal rainfall last year, groundwater management and conservation are more important than ever.  In 2020, the Mendocino City Community Services District re-adopted their Groundwater Management program which included the Groundwater Shortage Contingency Plan, Groundwater Extraction Permit Ordinance and GWSCP Ordinance.  To address concerns raised by a few community members, the MCCSD Board formed a Groundwater Management Advisory Committee. … ”  Read more from the Mendocino Beacon here: Mendocino City Community Services District:  Groundwater management and conservation remain a concern

SEE ALSO: MCCSD approves audit, discuss transparency concerns

Supervisors adopt North Complex alternative debris removal resolution, support AB36 for Paradise sewer

A jam-packed Butte County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday covered a wide range of topics including, but not limited to, debris removal deadlines in areas impacted by the North Complex fires, the Paradise sewer project, issues surrounding homelessness and flood risk reduction in north Chico.  The meeting, which was the fourth of the year with the new board, extended past 4:30 p.m. from its 9 a.m. start time, with a mid-day break and time allotted for closed session items. … ”  Read more from the Oroville Mercury Register here: Supervisors adopt North Complex alternative debris removal resolution, support AB36 for Paradise sewer

Colusa Subbasin Well Monitoring Pilot Program application deadline approaching

Applications for the Colusa Subbasin Well Monitoring Pilot Program, which spans portions of Colusa and Glenn counties, are due on Friday.  According to Mary Fahey, Water Resources Division manager for the County of Colusa, this voluntary, non-regulatory program will gather information about groundwater use in the Colusa Subbasin.  “It will provide participants near-real-time access to information on production and groundwater levels at their wells as a way to support their irrigation management,” said Fahey. … ”  Read more from the Colusa Sun-Herald here: Colusa Subbasin Well Monitoring Pilot Program application deadline approaching

Bolinas septic program aims to boost housing

Marin County supervisors have approved a pilot project to create up to 22 apartments in Bolinas by upgrading septic systems at homes.  The project to promote “accessory dwelling units,” also known as granny or in-law apartments, is a collaboration involving the county, the Bolinas Community Land Trust and Bolinas Community Public Utility District.  “It is an opportunity for us to make accessory dwelling unit development possible here that was really impossible prior to this,” said Arianne Dar, executive director of the land trust. … ”  Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here: Bolinas septic program aims to boost housing

Half Moon Bay: Coastside utilities prepare for emergencies

Days without power and below-freezing temperatures brought harrowing stories of survival in Texas last week. Coastsiders aren’t strangers to blackouts, especially during fire season when planned outages have become commonplace. But it wasn’t just the outages that plagued Texans — failing water systems have deepened the crisis. Local water and sewer providers say they’re ready for sustained outages and other emergencies. … ”  Read more from the Half Moon Bay Review here: Half Moon Bay: Coastside utilities prepare for emergencies

Paso Robles residents are facing a big increase in their sewer bills. Here’s why

By 2025, Paso Robles residents could be paying 50% more for their sewer bills — thanks mostly to water treatment upgrades and the city’s biggest customer shifting to its own system.  City leaders are considering the significant rate hike to help fund a series of upgrades to the city’s sewer system and to pay off state loans taken out to pay for a new recycled water plant.  Under the plan City Council members tentatively approved in February, customers would get a 24% increase in July, followed by an 8% hike each year for the next four years. … ”  Read more from the San Luis Obispo Tribune here: Paso Robles residents are facing a big increase in their sewer bills. Here’s why

Drought conditions continue for Kern County

The weekly Drought Monitor Report was released early Thursday morning and it remains the same, but that’s not good news.  As drought conditions continue for the state, here in Kern County the valley remains in moderate drought with severe drought status in the mountains from the Kern River Valley to the Tehachapi area. … ”  Read more from KERO here: Drought conditions continue for Kern County

State Fish and Wildlife reinstate “Fishmas”trout opener dates in Eastern Sierra

While California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife haven’t set the new schedule in stone as yet, it has, tentatively, given “Fishmas,” the Eastern Sierra’s chambers of commerce business marketing plan, back to businesses in the Eastern Sierra. It’s a little more complicated than that though. … ”  Read more from the Sierra Wave here: State Fish and Wildlife reinstate “Fishmas”trout opener dates in Eastern Sierra

Lawsuit against the Ballona wetlands restoration

On Jan. 28 Defend Ballona Wetlands filed a lawsuit with the Los Angeles Superior Court against the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to stop the restoration project in the Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve and challenge the environmental impact report. The proposed project is set to restore and revitalize 640 acres across the wetlands and create 10 miles of bike and footpaths. … ”  Read more from The Log here: Lawsuit against the Ballona wetlands restoration

$650 million Santa Ana River plan adds fish-saving methods to water-saving projects

The San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District has decided to join them, not fight them.  Stymied by environmental barriers and losses in court for 11 years, the large water wholesaler serving 700,000 residential and business customers from Fontana to Yucaipa is on the precipice of releasing an environmentally based plan that would nearly double its supply of water by diverting billions of gallons from the Upper Santa Ana River, while mitigating the effects on 20 indigenous fish and bird species. … ”  Read more from the San Bernardino Sun here: $650 million Santa Ana River plan adds fish-saving methods to water-saving projects

Newport Bay boat yards to pay penalties over violations of Clean Water Act

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced settlements with Basin Marine, Inc. and Balboa Boatyard of California, Inc., to resolve Clean Water Act violations for discharging contaminants into Newport Bay. Under the settlements, Basin Marine and Balboa Boatyard will pay a combined $202,132 in penalties and will maintain preventative measures to reduce the discharge of pollutants through stormwater runoff into Newport Bay, an impaired water body for numerous pollutants. The violations pertained to discharges of paint solvents, fuel, oil, hydraulic fluid, and heavy metals, including lead, zinc, and copper. Stormwater discharges containing heavy metals have been found to harm aquatic life and sensitive marine ecosystems. … ”  Continue reading this press release from the EPA here: Newport Bay boat yards to pay penalties over violations of Clean Water Act

Holtville council approves contract for water plant upgrades

The Holtville City Council unanimously approved a $3.3 million construction contract to bring its water treatment plant into compliance with state water-quality standards during its meeting Monday, Feb. 22.  In doing so, the city left open the possibility that it may incur a cost of about $286,000 that remains to be funded by the California Clean Water State Revolving Fund, which has approved a $4.4 million grant for the overall improvement project. … ”  Read more from the Holtville Tribune here: Holtville council approves contract for water plant upgrades

Will California’s desert be transformed into Lithium Valley?

California’s desert is littered with remnants of broken dreams — hidden ghost towns, abandoned mines and rusty remains of someone’s Big Idea. But nothing looms larger on an abandoned landscape than the Salton Sea, which languishes in an overlooked corner of the state.  The water shimmers and broils in the desert like a rebuke: born of human error, made worse by 100 years of neglect and pollution. California’s largest lake is also one of its worst environmental blights, presenting a problem so inverted that its toxic legacy intensifies as its foul water disappears. … ”  Read more from Cal Matters here:  Will California’s desert be transformed into Lithium Valley?

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Along the Colorado River …

How does a state use 40 percent less water?

Arizona, California, and Nevada will need to cut their use of Colorado River water by nearly 40 percent by 2050. A study by researchers at Utah State University, which the Arizona Daily Star reported this past Sunday, noted that Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming—the Upper Basin states—will have to reduce their usage, as well, though not by as much as those pulling water from the Lower Basin.  While Arizona water officials declined to engage with these findings when asked by the Star, Kathryn Sorensen, the research director of Arizona State University’s Kyl Center for Water Policy, told the paper that she agreed with “everything” in the study.  “We are going to have to take a much harder look at how water is used in the basin,” Sorensen said. ... ”  Read more from The New Republic here: How does a state use 40 percent less water?

Report: Estimates of future Upper Colorado River Basin water use confound previous planning

Some water experts fear that a long-held aspiration to develop more water in the Upper Colorado River Basin is creating another chance to let politics and not science lead the way on river management.  “Alternative Management Paradigms for the Future of the Colorado and Green Rivers,” a white paper released this month by the Center for Colorado River Studies, says that in order to sustainably manage the river in the face of climate change, we need alternative management paradigms and a different way of thinking compared with the status quo.  Estimates about how much water the upper basin will use in the future are a problem that needs rethinking, according to the paper. … ”  Read more from the Post Independent here: Report: Estimates of future Upper Colorado River Basin water use confound previous planning

Groups call Lake Powell hydropower project ‘unsustainable’

Federal regulators have issued a preliminary permit for a pumped-hydropower project using water from Lake Powell, but conservation groups say climate change could make the plan unsustainable.  The project would pump water from the lake, drain it downhill to a generator, and send the power to massive batteries for storage.  The 2,200-megawatt project would supply cities in Arizona, California and Nevada, over lines previously used by the retired Navajo Generating Station.  Gary Wockner, executive director for Save the Colorado, which opposes the plan, said falling water levels will make the Colorado River Basin an unreliable source of water. ... ”  Read more from the Public News Service here:  Groups call Lake Powell hydropower project ‘unsustainable’

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In national water news today …

Navigating the Waters of the United States

The Clean Water Act, introduced nearly 50 years ago in the wake of the infamous fire on the Cuyahoga River, set out to develop national water quality standards and regulate water pollution. But for as long as the law has been around, uncertainty has persisted over what bodies of water the law actually protects.  While the Clean Water Act applies specifically to “waters of the United States” (WOTUS), that phrase has brought a flood of complications. An expansive lake or an interconnected tributary might obviously qualify for protection, but what about a remote wetland, seemingly detached from the rest of a river system? Is a stream that flows just a few months per year technically subject to federal jurisdiction? … ”  Read more from Resources here: Navigating the Waters of the United States

Biden urged to back water justice bill to reverse decades of underinvestment

Democratic lawmakers and advocates are urging Joe Biden to back legislation proposing unprecedented investment in America’s ailing water infrastructure amid the country’s worst crisis in decades that has left millions of people without access to clean, safe, affordable water.  Boil advisories, leaky lead pipes, poisonous forever chemicals, bill arrears and raw sewage are among the urgent issues facing ordinary Americans and municipal utilities after decades of federal government neglect, which has brought the country’s ageing water systems hurtling towards disaster. … ”  Read more from The Guardian here: Biden urged to back water justice bill to reverse decades of underinvestment

Drowning in debt: the financial impacts of covid-19 on small community water systems

The Pacific Institute, in collaboration with project partners, is providing information for advocates and policymakers to address revenue declines experienced by U.S. small community water systems and debt accumulation by their customers due to the COVID-19 crisis.  More than 45,000 small community water systems (defined as those serving fewer than 10,000 people) exist in the United States. These small community water systems are distributed across the country, serving 53 million people across rural and urban settings, on tribal reservations, in the midst of huge metropolises, and in growing communities. … ”  Continue reading at the Pacific Institute here: Drowning in debt: the financial impacts of covid-19 on small community water systems

Biden EPA makes first moves to address PFAS in drinking water

We don’t need to wait for the confirmation of Michael Regan as the new Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to get the first look at how the Biden administration intends to regulate certain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) chemicals. The agency is moving toward establishing a drinking water standard for PFOA and PFOS and has stated that it is considering avenues for regulating additional groups of PFAS under the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) as well. The SDWA is just one of several statutes EPA is actively considering for additional regulation of PFAS. For example, EPA is considering hazardous substance and hazardous waste designations under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) and/or the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). … ”  Read more from the National Law Review here: Biden EPA makes first moves to address PFAS in drinking water

What are the costs of life-cycle distributed stormwater control measures?

Climate change and growing urbanization are making stormwater management a priority, but to do so, it helps to understand the effects of gray-green stormwater control measures on the overall stormwater system. Grayer SCMs such as cisterns or underground detention structures are designed to remove, temporarily store, then release water. Greener SCMs are designed to promote infiltration, thus reducing runoff and pollution loads; reducing the stormwater burden for centralized sewer systems.  A new paper in the Journal of Sustainable Water in the Built Environment, “Life-Cycle Costing for Distributed Stormwater Control Measures on the Gray-Green Continuum: A Planning-Level Tool” by Jennifer Krieger and Emily Grubert, Ph.D, A.M.ASCE, presents a module that advances understanding of stormwater cost profiles using a process-based tool. … ”  Read more from Civil Engineering Source here:  What are the costs of life-cycle distributed stormwater control measures?

Report: U.S. legal cannabis water use to almost double by 2025

Two research firms and a nonprofit group recently released a joint report titled Cannabis H2O: Water Use and Sustainability in Cultivation.  The three organizations — New Frontier Data, a data, analytics and technology firm specializing in the global cannabis industry, the Resource Innovation Institute (RII) and the Berkeley Cannabis Research Center — started the project in April of 2020. The report provides an in-depth look at water usage in the regulated cannabis cultivation market and how its use compares to the illicit market and traditional agricultural sectors. The report also includes strategic recommendations for policy makers, industry leaders and other key stakeholders. … ”  Read more from Water Technology here: Report: U.S. legal cannabis water use to almost double by 2025

Who will clean up the ‘billion-dollar mess’ of abandoned US oilwells?

Jill Morrison has seen how the bust of oil and gas production can permanently scar a landscape.  Near her land in north-east Wyoming’s Powder River Basin, where drilling started in 1889, more than 2,000 abandoned wells are seeping brine into the groundwater and leaking potent greenhouse gasses.  The problem is getting worse. As the oil and gas industry contracts owing to the pandemic, low prices and the rise of renewables, more than 50 major companies have gone bankrupt in the last year. … ”  Read more from the Guardian here: Who will clean up the ‘billion-dollar mess’ of abandoned US oilwells?

SEE ALSOPlugging Orphaned Oil and Gas Wells: What We Know and Need to Know

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Today’s featured articles …

STATE WATER BOARD:  Climate change and water rights permitting

Recognizing that the implications to California’s water resources due to climate change are significant, the State Water Board in 2017 adopted a resolution directing staff to ‘identify data needs, and evaluate and make recommendations on regulatory and policy changes regarding the use of models to account for projected impacts of climate change when conducting water availability analyses and shortage analyses.’

The State Water Board staff has prepared the report, Water Rights Response to Climate Change, which presents their recommendations to make permitting water availability analysis more robust and actions for an effective response to climate change within the existing water rights framework in California.

At the February 16 meeting of the State Water Board, Amanda Montgomery, Environmental Program Manager, and Jelena Hartman, Senior Scientist, presented the staff’s recommendations to the Board.

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Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

WATER PLAN eNEWS: ~~ Green Tape~ Coastal Resilience~ Water Availability~ Biodiversity Report~ Nature-based Solutions~ New Look~ Interview Series ~~

OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT/WORKSHOP: Update regarding the status of phase 1 of the Salton Sea Management Program

NOTICE: CDFA Now Accepting Grant Applications For Climate Smart Agriculture Technical Assistance Program

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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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