DAILY DIGEST, 9/8: San Francisco, ag water suppliers sue state over drought restrictions; CA can keep thirstiest crops, state ag chief says; Growers hope groundwater markets provide flexibility; and more …


On the calendar today …

  • MEETING: FRGP Peer Review Committee Meeting from 10am to 12pm. Agenda items include a review of past program advice and action in response, the 2021 PSN, 2022 PSN, and a presentation from CDFW on BACI monitoring and wood loading targets, and discussion of related issues. Join the meeting ONLINE at 10:00 a.m.,or call in (audio only): +1 (916) 535-0984 Phone Conference ID: 303 191 483# Click here for the agenda.
  • FREE WEBINAR: Water justice from 12pm to 1pm. This monthly series of webinars will touch on themes of environmental justice relevant to issues in California and the Delta. Scholars and public service experts will speak on the importance of environmental justice as it pertains to state water management, climate resilience, indigenous stewardship, and management of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Webinars are presented through zoom, and are free and open to the public with registration.  Click here for more information and to register.

In California water news today …

State’s curtailment orders draw lawsuits from Modesto-area water users and San Francisco

The state’s curtailment of river diversions has drawn lawsuits from eight irrigation districts in and near Stanislaus County, along with San Francisco.  The three filings claim that the State Water Resources Control Board exceeded its authority with the Aug. 20 orders. The plaintiffs also said they did not get enough chance beforehand to make their cases for continued diversions.  One suit was filed Sept. 2 by the Modesto, Turlock, Oakdale and South San Joaquin irrigation districts and San Francisco. It involves the Tuolumne and Stanislaus rivers.  The second filing was a day earlier by the Patterson, West Stanislaus and Banta-Carbona irrigation districts. They mostly tap the San Joaquin River on the West Side.  The third suit was filed Tuesday by the Merced Irrigation District over its use of the Merced River. … ”  Read more from the Modesto Bee here: State’s curtailment orders draw lawsuits from Modesto-area water users and San Francisco

San Francisco, agriculture suppliers want their water, sue state over drought restrictions

San Francisco, along with a handful of Central Valley irrigation districts, is suing the state for enacting drought restrictions that are keeping thousands of landowners and suppliers from drawing water from rivers and creeks.  The lawsuit, filed late last week in Fresno County Superior Court, claims that the State Water Resources Control Board — drought or no drought — does not have the authority to suspend the draws of those with the most senior claims to California’s water. These water-rights holders include farms and many of their suppliers, as well as San Francisco. The city holds water rights on the Tuolumne River that date from between 1901 and 1911, allowing it to collect mountain runoff in reservoirs at and around Yosemite National Park and pipe it 160 miles to the Bay Area. … ”  Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: San Francisco, agriculture suppliers want their water, sue state over drought restrictions

Merced Irrigation District sues state regulators over stiff water cutbacks amid drought

The Merced Irrigation District’s attorney on Tuesday announced he has filed a lawsuit to fight the drastic curtailments set out earlier this year by state water regulators.  The State Water Resources Control Board cut off Merced and central San Joaquin Valley farmers Aug. 4 from their main irrigation supplies — which are California’s rivers and streams — as the drought worsens.  MID’s lawsuit is meant to protect water rights and disadvantaged communities on the eastern side of Merced County, according to a MID news release. … ”  Read more from the Merced Sun-Star here: Merced Irrigation District sues state regulators over stiff water cutbacks amid drought

California can keep thirstiest crops, state ag chief tells ‘State of Mind’ podcast

The head of California’s agriculture agency says the Golden State can says on the “California State of Mind” podcast that even devastating drought doesn’t mean that the state must uproot its thirstiest crops.  Instead says Karen Ross, head of state Department of Food and Agriculture, improvements in water usage among some of the state’s biggest water consumers will help solve the problem.  “Yes, we can continue to grow almonds and these other (water-intensive) crops,” Ross said on the podcast’s newest episode. “We need to do even more plant breeding to be able to increase the drought resiliency of the varietals we grow.” … ”  Read more from Cal Matters here: California can keep thirstiest crops, state ag chief tells ‘State of Mind’ podcast

California reservoir levels continue to drop. Here’s why relief may be coming even later in the year.

Dangerously low water levels at Shasta Lake were captured on drone video by ABC10 reporter John Bartell and photojournalist Tyler Horst on Tuesday.  Shasta Lake is California’s largest reservoir, capable of holding 4,552,000 acre feet of water. Right now, it has 1,186,057 acre feet of water stored. Breaking that down into percentages, the reservoir is at 26% capacity and 42% of average for this date.  Many Northern California reservoirs are hitting equally low numbers as the state digs deeper into drought. … ”  Read more from Channel 10 here: California reservoir levels continue to drop. Here’s why relief may be coming even later in the year.

Coastal grape growers can use less water during drought

California grape growers in coastal areas can use less water during times of drought and cut irrigation levels without affecting crop yields or quality, according to a new study out of the University of California, Davis.  The findings, published today (Sept. 1) in the journal Frontiers in Plant Science, show that vineyards can use 50% of the irrigation water normally used by grape crops without compromising flavor, color and sugar content. … ”  Read more from the Western Farm Press here: Coastal grape growers can use less water during drought

Growers hope groundwater markets provide flexibility

Some San Joaquin Valley farmers could someday have a new “crop” to sell — their groundwater.  In the face of looming groundwater pumping restrictions, some groundwater agencies are looking at internal markets to give growers a way to save water and still earn a profit.  These nascent markets are still in the talking and tinkering stages and may take years to get underway. Most of the markets are being worked out by groundwater agencies that were formed under the state’s new Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. The act aims to reduce groundwater pumping and bring the state’s over drafted aquifers into balance by 2040. … ”  Read more from SJV Water here: Growers hope groundwater markets provide flexibility

Farmers face mounting stress amid hard times

California farmers and ranchers have no shortages of stress this year. They face drought and water supply cuts, devastating wildfires and pandemic impacts. There are also labor shortages and financial pressures from fluctuating commodity prices or trade disruptions.  These impacts inspire serious discussions in agricultural communities about looking after farmers’ mental health.  “This year for us has been mentally and emotionally the most trying year of our lives, honestly, as long as we’ve been farming. Just the uncertainty of being able to make ends meet, you feel so out of control,” said Tulelake rancher Erika DuVal, who grows alfalfa hay and produces registered Black Angus cattle with her husband Ben DuVal, president of the Klamath Water Users Association. … ”  Read more from the California Farm Bureau here: Farmers face mounting stress amid hard times

‘Deadbeat dams’ and their impact on cold-water ecosystems

As drought-stricken California considers constructing new dams, a new study finds that many of the state’s existing structures— despite efforts to prioritize healthy water temperatures— are failing the cold-water ecosystems that depend on them.  The study, published in PLOS One, crunched data from 77 cold-water streams across California to characterize their “thermal regime” — that is, their annual temperature fluctuations over an eight- to 12-year period. Salmon, trout and a variety of other cold-water species are sensitive to disruptions in temperature patterns; the temperature range is as important to their life cycle as the amount of water flow. But across the state, the study found, certain dams disrupted these rhythms for up to 31 miles (50 km) of the rivers involved. … ”  Continue reading at High Country News here:  ‘Deadbeat dams’ and their impact on cold-water ecosystems

UK-led study reveals dramatic impact of climate change in the Sierra Nevada

In California, the impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly obvious. Turn on the news and you will hear about extreme heat waves, droughts and frequent wildfires plaguing the state.  “Climate change is one of the grand challenges facing society,” said Michael McGlue, associate professor in the University of Kentucky’s Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences in the College of Arts and Sciences. “California, our most populous state and one of the largest economies globally, faces major threats from hot, dry conditions. This is manifested in the four major fires burning, largely uncontained, in the state right now.” ... ”  Read more from the University of Kentucky here: UK-led study reveals dramatic impact of climate change in the Sierra Nevada

First the snow vanished, then the mudslides began: Mt. Shasta’s summer of pain

A brutal summer of record heat and punishing drought has claimed yet another California victim: the majestic, snow-covered slopes of Mt. Shasta.  Just as the impacts of global warming have revealed themselves in extreme wildfire behavior and plunging reservoir levels, climate change is now altering the skyline of far Northern California and wreaking havoc on communities surrounding the dormant volcano.  The unseasonable disappearance of Mt. Shasta’s postcard-perfect snowpack has not only turned the landmark’s peak from white to brown but has also hastened the melting of mountain glaciers, unleashing thunderous torrents of mud, boulders and trees that have destroyed bridges, made roads impassable and threatened water infrastructure. Flows of volcanic ash also have turned once-green meadows into ghostly gray moonscapes. … ”  Read more from the LA Times here: First the snow vanished, then the mudslides began: Mt. Shasta’s summer of pain

Weather West: Heat and possibly some dry lightning in NorCal to ring in autumn

Dr. Daniel Swain writes, “It was a Tale of Two Summers this year in California: a blisteringly and unrelentingly hot summer if you resided inland and/or (especially) at a higher elevation, and a “remarkably unremarkable” and mild one if you lived close to the coast. This pattern of striking contrasts lasted straight from June through August, and strongly contributed to the explosion of wildfire activity across forested portions of northern California in recent months. 2021 will likely hold the paradoxical title of “hottest on record” for California despite the fact that the vast majority of CA residents did not even experience a top-10 hottest summer–a consequence of the persistent marine layer near the highly populated coastal strip vs. the unrelenting heatwaves that pervaded most areas more than 10-20 miles from the coast and above ~2,000 feet in elevation. … ”  Read more from Weather West here:  Heat and possibly some dry lightning in NorCal to ring in autumn

Sierra Nevada Sequoias sprouting new life after battling drought, fires

The perfect storm of climate events is hitting the sentinels of the forests in the Sierra Nevada.  The towering Giant Sequoia trees are not only some of the largest living species on our planet, but also among the oldest.  Years of drought have weakened them, and they’ve gone up in flames from the numerous wildfires. But there are small shoots of hope. … ”  Read more from Channel 7 here: Sierra Nevada Sequoias sprouting new life after battling drought, fires

As summer wanes, California could enter another active fire period in the fall

California is again the center of the nation’s biggest and most destructive wildfires. Over 2 million acres have burned, with the enormous Dixie and Caldor fires (more than 917,000 and more than 216,000 acres, respectively) accounting for more than half of this acreage. More than 3,050 structures have been damaged or destroyed, and over 14,000 firefighters are battling blazes in the state.  The winds around the Dixie and Caldor fires have calmed in recent days, and a major disaster has been averted for South Lake Tahoe. A mandatory evacuation order for the city was lifted at the weekend. Last week, a combination of improved weather and a history of fuel-thinning in the region allowed firefighters to keep the Caldor Fire out of the popular resort area.  However, the state still must weather the windy autumn months, which historically have set up the most dangerous fire scenarios for populated areas. Winds are likely to ramp up in the coming weeks. … ”  Read more from the Washington Post here: As summer wanes, California could enter another active fire period in the fall

Wildfire burn scars can intensify and even trigger thunderstorms, leading to catastrophic flooding – here’s how

Wildfires burn millions of acres of land every year, leaving changed landscapes that are prone to flooding. Less well known is that these already vulnerable regions can also intensify and in some cases initiate thunderstorms.  Wildfire burn scars are often left with little vegetation and with a darker soil surface that tends to repel rather than absorb water. These changes in vegetation and soil properties leave the land more susceptible to flooding and erosion, so less rainfall is necessary to produce a devastating flood and debris flow than in an undisturbed environment.  Burn scars can also initiate or invigorate thunderstorms, raising the risk both of flooding and of lightning that could spark more fires in surrounding areas, as my research with fellow atmospheric scientist Elizabeth Page has shown. … ”  Read more from The Conversation here: Wildfire burn scars can intensify and even trigger thunderstorms, leading to catastrophic flooding – here’s how

Smoke in the water: In the drought-stricken West, fires further threaten water supplies

It’s Wednesday, September 8, and all the biggest fires are burning in California … Some evacuation orders were downgraded to warnings this week for parts of Lake Tahoe as firefighters managed to contain 49 percent of the Caldor Fire, a blaze that threatened to wipe out towns surrounding North America’s largest alpine lake. But even though Caldor has so far been kept away from South Lake Tahoe, ash from the blaze has reached Lake Tahoe, turning its famed crystal blue waters cloudy. Scientists aren’t yet sure whether the murkiness will encourage more algae blooms or cause other damage, but they know from past experience that wildfire ash, soot, and smoke can have lasting effects on water quality and, by association, public health. … ”  Read more from Grist here:  Smoke in the water: In the drought-stricken West, fires further threaten water supplies

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In regional water news and commentary today …

Judge sets plan for Army Corps on ‘failed’ NW dam management

A federal judge has ordered the Army Corps of Engineers to take significant measures at several dams in Oregon to protect threatened salmon, ruling that the agency’s repeated delays in implementing mitigation measures has further imperiled the fish.  The 60-page order lays out extensive steps that the Army Corps must take in its operations of dams in the Willamette River basin to help wild spring chinook salmon and winter steelhead.  It comes after Chief Judge Marco Hernández of the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon ruled more than a year ago that the Army Corps and other agencies had illegally failed to implement measures required under the Endangered Species Act and laid out in a 2008 biological opinion, or “BiOp.” … “The Corps,” Hernández wrote, “has failed to carry out several of the most important RPA measures.” ... ”  Read more from E&E News here: Judge sets plan for Army Corps on ‘failed’ NW dam management

Federal judge blocks ban on water deliveries for Asian pot farmers in Northern California

A federal judge has blocked a Northern California county’s ban on trucks delivering water to Hmong cannabis farmers, saying it raises “serious questions” about racial discrimination and leaves the growers without a source of water for basic sanitation, vegetable gardens and livestock.  On Friday, Chief U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller issued a temporary injunction against Siskiyou County’s prohibition on trucked-in water deliveries to Hmong farmers growing marijuana in the Mount Shasta Vista subdivision in the Big Springs area north of Weed.  “Without an injunction, the plaintiffs and other members of the Shasta Vista Hmong community will likely go without water for their basic needs and will likely lose more plants and livestock,” she wrote. … ”  Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: Federal judge blocks ban on water deliveries for Asian pot farmers in Northern California

Sacramento Valley Local agencies in discussions with Marin over water transfers

The Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District (GCID) has had discussions with the Marin Municipal Water District about a potential water transfer in 2022, according to GCID Finance Director Louis Jarvis.  According to the Marin Independent Journal, Marin Municipal Water District approved contracts on Monday as part of a project to build a pipeline that would bring water from the Sacramento Valley to Marin County.  Jarvis said Tuesday that no timeline has been established for an agreement between the two agencies. He said it has been discussed that up to 15,000 acre-feet of water could potentially be transferred to Marin. … ”  Continue reading at the Colusa Sun-Herald here: Local agencies in discussions with Marin over water transfers

Yuba Water provides $15,000 grant to the Camptonville Community Services District to help with water supply reliability

The Yuba Water Agency Board of Directors today approved a $15,000 grant for the Camptonville Community Services District to help them seek additional financial and technical support to ensure the community is better able to handle drought.  Camptonville will use the grant to prepare a drought relief funding application through the California Department of Water Resources’ Small Community Drought Relief Program.  During drought conditions, Camptonville’s surface and groundwater supply falls below the amount needed for basic community services. … ”  Read more from YubaNet here: Yuba Water provides $15,000 grant to the Camptonville Community Services District to help with water supply reliability

Thunderstorms to roll into Napa, Sonoma counties, raising concern that dry lightning could spark new fires

The North Bay could see thunderstorms this week — a double-edged forecast for a region beset by drought but wary of the possibility of vegetation fires sparked by dry lightning.  The thunderstorms, which may or may not bring precipitation, are expected to roll into Napa and Sonoma counties Thursday afternoon and evening, said Jeff Lorber, a National Weather Service meteorologist. … ”  Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Thunderstorms to roll into Napa, Sonoma counties, raising concern that dry lightning could spark new fires

Full closure of Highway 4 in Delta set to start on weekend of Sept. 17

Drivers are being warned to plan ahead for a full closure of Highway 4 in the San Joaquin Delta coming in the middle of September.  Caltrans says, starting the night of Sept. 17, Highway 4 just west of the Middle River Bridge will be fully closed for 55-hours. … ”  Continue reading from Channel 13 here: Full closure of Highway 4 in Delta set to start on weekend of Sept. 17

San Ramon, East Bay residents pay millions in Oroville repairs

With California’s seemingly endless drought, it may be years before the spillway at Oroville Dam — which created Lake Oroville, the largest state-owned reservoir — sees another drop of water.  That wasn’t the case in February 2017, when runoff from torrential rains filled Lake Oroville to its 1.1-trillion-gallon capacity, forcing dam operators to release torrents of water that damaged both the main and emergency spillways. Short-lived evacuation orders were issued as a precaution for more than 180,000 people living downstream. ... ”  Read more from the Patch here: San Ramon, East Bay residents pay millions in Oroville repairs

Santa Clara County residents failing to meet water conservation goals

On June 9, as California’s historic drought deepened, the largest water agency in Santa Clara County declared a drought emergency and asked the county’s 2 million residents to cut water use by 15% from 2019 levels to preserve dwindling supplies.  “We can’t afford to wait to act,” said Tony Estremera, chairman of the Santa Clara Valley Water District, at the time. “Our water supplies are being threatened locally and across California. We are in an emergency.”  But three months later, the public isn’t heeding the call. New water use numbers show that overall, Santa Clara County residents reduced water use by just 6% in July, compared with July 2019 — well short of the 15% target. … ”  Read more from the Mercury News here: Santa Clara County residents failing to meet water conservation goals

SEE ALSO: Which cities in Santa Clara County are saving the most and the least water, from the San Jose Mercury News

Harmful algae bloom found at San Luis Reservoir in Merced County

It was an urgent warning Tuesday for people and their pets heading to the San Luis Reservoir.  The Merced County waterway is experiencing a dangerous level of toxic blue-green algae, so the Department of Water Resources issued a danger advisory and it remains in effect until further notice.  Sarge Green, a Research Scientist with Fresno State’s Water Institute, urges people to not go inside the water.  “If you see floating materials on the edge of the reservoir, don’t go in it, don’t drink it and don’t let your pets get near it,” he said. … ”  Read more from Channel 7 here: Harmful algae bloom found at San Luis Reservoir in Merced County

Santa Maria crews renovating city landscapes to reduce water usage

Santa Maria Rec and Parks crews are digging up the grass near Seward Drive.  “We’re converting pop-up sprays to a more efficient water supply so it’s going to be a drip system,” said crew leader Jose Paz of the Rec and Parks Department.  They’re renovating city landscapes in light of the state-wide drought. … ”  Read more from KEYT here: Santa Maria crews renovating city landscapes to reduce water usage

Settlement agreement helps restore flows to the Ventura River

Santa Barbara Channelkeeper’s advocacy for Ventura River reached a critical milestone on Aug. 5, when the city of Ventura, for the first time in history, curtailed all pumping at its well field at Foster Park, specifically for the purpose of restoring flows to the parched river ecosystem. Within days, the sounds of water, croaking frogs and children playing were audible as flows rebounded. … ”  Continue reading at Coastal View here: Settlement agreement helps restore flows to the Ventura River

Malibu’s endless lagoon problems

The Lagoon is getting worse and worse every year,” said Andy Lyon, former Malibu city council candidate, surfer, and community “activist. His concerns were validated on August 12, when the Los Angeles County Health Department issued a water quality warning, cautioning citizens to refrain from swimming, surfing, and playing in ocean waters at Surfrider Beach and the Malibu Lagoon due to potentially hazardous conditions, including exceeding bacteria standards, and to exercise caution where Malibu Creek discharges into the ocean and near discharging storm drains. Such warnings have been intermittently issued recently.  Lyon added that many surfers and Malibu residents believe that before a 2013 restoration, the Lagoon, a 31-acre shallow water embayment at the terminus of the Malibu Creek watershed and a wetland connected to Surfrider Beach, was cleaner, surfing at the famous Third Point was more enjoyable, and Surfrider beach was in better condition. … ”  Read more from Malibu Magazine here: Malibu’s endless lagoon problems

With sediment removed from Devil’s Gate Dam in Pasadena, here’s what it looks like

The controversial Devil’s Gate Dam sediment removal project is concluding a year earlier than expected.  More work remains to be done on the project’s planned habitat restoration efforts, but local activists and public works officials are excited for the future.  Years in the making, the excavation is the first time since 1994 crews were allowed to haul soil and debris out of the oldest dam in the county’s care.  Along with the restoration of the facility’s flood control capacity to protect the communities downstream, county officials also sought to establish a permanent maintenance area and restore native habitat in the surrounding 70 acres of the watershed because they were worried mountain runoff may overflow into the dam’s spillway during a major storm — potentially inundating the Rose Bowl, Brookside Park and 447 structures in Pasadena, South Pasadena and parts of Los Angeles. … ”  Read more from the Pasadena Star News here: With sediment removed from Devil’s Gate Dam in Pasadena, here’s what it looks like

LAX benefits from storm water management efforts

The initial phase of a $5.5 billion transportation improvement initiative at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) showcases Oldcastle Infrastructure’s storm water management products. Key to the sustainability and effectiveness of Intermodal Transportation Facility-West, a new parking structure deemed the face of LAX, is the Oldcastle Infrastructure StormCapture detention system. This system and accompanying products provided an efficient on-site solution to facilitate storm water drainage and treatment.  “With StormCapture, we’re providing a storm water solution that will be effective for decades,” said Brent Neubauer, director of storm water product management for Oldcastle. … ”  Read more from Storm Water Solutions here: LAX benefits from storm water management efforts 

Orange County: Poof! Plans underway to transform sewage into electricity, clean water

It’s like a magic trick for poop.  Put it in one end of the machine, and out the other comes electricity, distilled water and a small amount of ash. And there’s none of the greenhouse gas — namely methane — produced by traditional sewage treatment and sewage sludge decomposition.  Though it might seem futuristic, this innovative blueprint has attracted grants from the U.S. Department of Energy and the California Energy Commission, the latter to the tune of $1.6 million. The money is helping to fund a demonstration project at south Orange County’s Santa Margarita Water District. Partners include Stanford University’s Codiga Resource Recovery Center. … ”  Read more from the Long Beach Press-Telegram here: Poof! Plans underway to transform sewage into electricity, clean water

San Diego: Water rates could increase in Poway under new proposal

Residents and businesses in Poway soon could be paying more on their water bills.  Poway City Council on Tuesday unanimously voted to set a public hearing on a proposed four-year rate increase for water, recycled water and wastewater rates. It comes as the city grapples with how to deal with the future of water for its residents, challenged by rising costs to import water and the need to pay into capital improvement projects. … ”  Read more from Channel 5 here: San Diego: Water rates could increase in Poway under new proposal

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Along the Colorado River …

Essay: When the Colorado River runs dry

Even as she was going blind, my mom, ever the poet, delighted in sitting out among the palms and birds, and enjoying and visualizing the scene, as I irrigated my date gardens in the Coachella Valley of California.  In her 1997 poem, “Colorado Water,” she wrote:  The palm said, “My clover is cool around my bole, over my hidden roots.  My fronds clatter, crash like waves in the far off sea.”  I follow the tradition of thousands of years, of date palm growers diverting the waters of the Nile, the Tigris and Euphrates and Indus, to irrigate their gardens.  Water that entered the Colorado River basin as melted snow in Wyoming and Utah, Colorado and Arizona, and even New Mexico, contributes to the flow onto my property.  But this is a historic moment, too. … ”  Read more from Zocalo Public Square here: Essay: When the Colorado River runs dry

Western rivers and the binational climate challenge

Both the Rio Grande and Colorado rivers shrunk in 2021, another bad water year in a two-decade megadrought brought on by a warming Western United States.  Demands on the rivers — from growing cities, agriculture, wildlife and international treaties — are hitting the reality of a reduced supply of water in both rivers. In August, federal officials declared the first-ever shortage on the Colorado River lower basin, triggering a plan to reduce water usage in several states and Mexico. … ”  Read more from El Paso Matters here: Western rivers and the binational climate challenge

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In national water news today …

EPA, Army Corps to apply pre-2015 standard for Clean Water Act jurisdiction

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced on September 3 that they have halted implementation of the Trump administration’s 2020 Navigable Waters Protection Rule (NWPR) and will interpret the “waters of the United States” definition as “consistent with the pre-2015 regulatory regime until further notice.” The agencies’ announcement follows an August 30 decision by the U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona that vacated the NWPR. … ”  Continue reading at Best Best & Krieger here: EPA, Army Corps to apply pre-2015 standard for Clean Water Act jurisdiction

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Today’s featured articles …

RISING VOICES: Realizing the human right to water

Each month, the Water Hub is checking in advocates and organizers in California to talk about the water issues impacting local communities. In this September issue, we spoke with Community Water Center’s Senior Policy Advocate, Uriel Saldivar, about the expiration of California’s water shut off moratorium, water debt and protecting the human right to water.

Click here to read this article.


BLOG ROUND-UP: Water monopolies and the public interest; Whitewater rafting and California water policy; When snow disappears without a trace; As the climate changes, where are the safest places to live?; and more …

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Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: CVPIA fisheries habitat and facilities improvement

WATER PLAN eNEWS: ~~Climate Report~ Drought Website~ Environmental Justice~ Groundwater Recharge~ Green Tape~ CWC Meeting ~~

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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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