Aerial view of Drakes Bay on the Point Reyes Peninsula, California. Photo credit: Brian Cluer, NOAA/NMFS/WCR/CCO

DAILY DIGEST, weekend edition: Biden Admin. requests reconsultation on SWP/CVP operations; Forecast points to above-normal rain for Calif. in second week of October; State Water Board launches new era of stream restoration at Mono Lake; and more …

In California water news this weekend …

Biden Administration requests reinitiation of consultation on the Long-Term Operation of the CVP and SWP

The Bureau of Reclamation requests reinitiation of consultation on the Long-Term Operation of the CVP and SWP.  The reinitiation is warranted based on anticipated modifications to the Proposed Action that may cause effects to listed species or designated critical habitats not analyzed in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Biological Opinions, dated October 21, 2019.

Click here to read the letter.

California Republican delegation statement on Biden administration politicizing water deliveries for struggling communities

Representatives McCarthy, Calvert, Garcia, Issa, Kim, LaMalfa, McClintock, Nunes, Obernolte, Steel, and Valadao issued the following  statement opposing  the Biden Administration’s action:  “We strongly oppose the Biden administration’s reckless, anti-scientific, and politically-motivated attempt to rewrite the 2019 biological opinions. “The 2019 opinions reflect years of work by career staff experts at the U.S. Department of the Interior and the U.S. Department of Commerce to incorporate the best available science and latest data to ensure a reliable water supply for California’s families, farms, and communities while protecting listed species and their environment in our state. Just as important, multiple rigorous peer reviews confirmed the scientific findings on which the 2019 opinions are based.  “Yet, the opinions are adamantly opposed by most California Democrats, the Newsom administration, and radical environmental groups. This opposition is particularly shocking given that those most impacted by the lack of water supply are disadvantaged, rural minority communities. Moreover, these opinions are less than two years old – salmon have a three-year life cycle – so the federal government has not been able to fully evaluate their effectiveness. … “  Read the full statement here:  California Republican delegation statement on Biden administration politicizing water deliveries for struggling communities

‘Exciting stuff’: Forecast points to above-normal rain for Calif. in second week of October

The government agency that provides long-term weather forecasting favored above-normal precipitation for most of California in its nationwide precipitation outlook for Oct. 5 to 9. The Climate Prediction Center, an arm of the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, released the map Sept. 29, and many meteorologists are celebrating the promising forecast in the drought-ridden state that’s desperate for rain. The National Weather Service’s Eureka office, which monitors the weather in California’s most northern reaches, called it “exciting stuff.” ... ”  Continue reading from SF Gate here: ‘Exciting stuff’: Forecast points to above-normal rain for Calif. in second week of October

DWR REPORT: Water Year 2021: An Extreme Year

Water Year 2021 (October 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021) was an extreme year in terms of temperature and precipitation, and it followed a Water Year 2020 that was likewise warm and dry. Water Year 2020 was California’s fifth driest year based on statewide runoff; Water Year 2021 has ended up as second driest. The Colorado River Basin, an important supply for Southern California, continued dry in Water Year 2021, with storage in Lakes Mead and Powell reaching new record lows. State emergency proclamations for drought were issued in April (Sonoma and Mendocino counties), May (Klamath River, Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, and Tulare Lake watershed counties), and July (selected coastal and eastern Sierra counties), resulting in 50 counties being covered under the emergency proclamations. … ”

Click here to view/download report.

Retired farmer warns of huge water problem

For many years. retired farmer Tom Willey of T&D Willey Organic Farms, pumped water onto his 75 acres of farmland in Madera County.  During his 20 years of farming, Willey didn’t think of much other than growing his crops and living off the land.  However, now he realized he was part of the problem and, if something isn’t done, the entire Central Valley could be in for a rude awakening when it comes to water issues.  “A couple of weeks ago, I ran into my friend, Matt Angell, who owns Madera Pumps,” Willey said. “He basically goes around and services a bunch of agriculture wells. He has been running cameras down people’s wells at a rate of about three a day. People have been calling him frantically of what is going on with their pump with no water or water quality bad. … ”  Continue reading at the Madera Tribune here: Retired farmer warns of huge water problem

Dry wells, drastic cutbacks. For many Californians, drought hardships have already arrived

Staci Buttermore turned a faucet on the morning of May 28. She got nothing more than a stuttering sound, a staccato burp of air.  Her well, 95 feet deep, had gone dry.  For 24 years she and her husband had lived on a small ranch in Glenn County without a hint of water problems. Her husband’s family had lived there for a quarter-century before that, and every time the faucet was turned on, the water gushed out.  Suddenly, they had become the latest victims of California’s drought. … ”  Read more from the Sacramento Bee here:  Dry wells, drastic cutbacks. For many Californians, drought hardships have already arrived

Governor asks urban users to voluntarily reduce water use as nut growers suck up water

Dan Bacher writes, “On July 15, Governor Gavin Newsom added nine counties to the regional drought state of emergency and urged Californians to voluntarily reduce their water use by 15 percent “with simple measures” to protect water reserves if drought conditions continue.  “The realities of climate change are nowhere more apparent than in the increasingly frequent and severe drought challenges we face in the West and their devastating impacts on our communities, businesses and ecosystems,” said Governor Newsom.  The Governor signed an Executive Order calling on all Californians to voluntarily reduce their water use by 15 percent compared to 2020 levels through “simple actions such as reducing landscape irrigation, running dishwashers and washing machines only when full, finding and fixing leaks, installing water-efficient showerheads and taking shorter showers.” ... ”  Read more from the Daily Kos here: Governor Asks Urban Users to Voluntarily Reduce Water Use As Nut Growers Suck Up Water

There are a lot of solutions to drought. Some may work better than others.

Drought isn’t a new thing in the West, but right now, much of the region is gripped in a historic drought. An unusually dry year coupled with record-breaking heat waves has strained water resources in the West this year. In fact, water levels are so low that the Bureau of Reclamation declared a water shortage on the Colorado River basin for the first time ever in mid-August. There are a lot of ideas for how to relieve the drought and ease its impacts—some more feasible than others. But when you think about water in the West, you have to think about scarcity too. … ”  Read more from Wyoming Public Radio here: There are a lot of solutions to drought. Some may work better than others.

Setting sail on the winding waterways of California’s Delta

The wind was a perfect 20 knots, the warm breeze filling our sails, as we angled westward, riding the current down the Sacramento River. We sailed past Sherman Island, slowly cruising through a group of kiteboarders and windsurfers who flew by our hull throwing peace signs. The Montezuma Hills rolled leisurely to the west, dotted with a mass of languorous windmills while tule reeds, permanently slanting eastward, shuddered as a flight of swallows rose in unison.  Tacking east, rounding the southern bend of Decker Island, we passed the rusted remains of a pair of barges, the sloping decks covered with scrubby brush, before dropping anchor near a sprawling oak tree. As the sun dipped low in the sky, a herd of cattle meandered down to the water, shooting skeptical looks our way as we jumped off the bow for a swim. … ”  Read more from the New York Times here: Setting sail on the winding waterways of California’s Delta

How Dixie Fire got so big — and what that means for future blazes

The Dixie Fire is only the second wildfire in California history to approach 1 million acres. Its monumental sweep across the northern Sierra ravaged Gold Rush towns, sacred Native American sites and thick conifer forests.  On Sept. 30, firefighters said they don’t expect to fully contain the fire until Oct. 30. The blaze has burned for more than 2½ months, and it stands at 963,309 acres, or about 1,500 square miles. The size of the fire is a testament to both the harrowing conditions this year, including the drought, and a long-term trend of bigger, hotter fires, largely caused by global warming. The past decade has seen 14 of the state’s 20 biggest fires, including last year’s record-setting 1,032,648-acre August Complex in Northern California’s Coast Range.  Following is a breakdown of the reasons why the Dixie Fire got so big. … ”  Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: How Dixie Fire got so big — and what that means for future blazes

Return to top

Podcasts …

ECONEWS REPORT: Eel River Salmon Win Before FERC

In a set back to the Two Basin Partnership — which sought to gain control over the two fish-blocking dams on the Eel River — FERC denied a request for a delay by the coalition, damaging their chances at gaining control (and forestalling decommissioning of the dams).  Friends of the Eel River think that this is BIG win for the salmon of the Eel River and dam removal of both Scott and Cape Horn Dam now seems more likely.  Click here to listen at the Lost Coast Outpost.


CMUA WATER & POWER LEADERSHIP PODCAST: What is it like to lead LA water and energy?

Guest: Martin L. Adams, general manager and chief engineer, Los Angeles Department of Water and Power  In a wide-ranging conversation, Adams talks about his long career at LADWP, how the water and energy industry is changing in Southern California, and what LADWP is doing to lead on issues such as zero carbon energy, clean drinking water, and diversity and equity.


RIPPLE EFFECT PODCAST: Riparian Rights 101

Joseph Dellapenna, former Professor of Law at the Charles Widger School of Law at Villanova, current visiting Professor of Law at Beijing University in their school of national law, talks us through the history and application of Riparian water rights doctrine.


WATER IS A MANY SPLENDOR’ED THING PODCAST: Be a Good Neighbor

Water supplies are much more obtainable and sustainable if we consider our water source in a larger area of availability. Share and consider your neighbors and yourself as the stewards and consumers of the water supply. This can develop into the dependable supply that all of us need.  Mr. Rogers was right….  Water is a Many Splendor’ed Thing brings you another water relationship that has a personally significant impact to your life.  Podcast produced by Steven Baker, Operation Unite® Bringing People Together to Solve Water Problems, Online at www.operationunite.co

Return to top

In commentary this weekend …

The time has come to rethink state policy and increase drought resilience

Tom Coleman, General Manager at Rowland Water District, writes, “Here we are again. California is in the grips of another drought, just five years after the last historic dry period ended. The lessons we learned from that time should inspire us to push our water-saving lessons even further.  In 2015, Californians were shocked by the governor’s order for a 25% reduction in water use – the first mandatory restrictions in state history. We came within a hair of the goal, managing to cut 24.5% from a 2013 benchmark level.  While residents have eased up a bit on efficiency efforts in the years since, we have managed to stay 16% below the benchmark. Statewide last August, the average daily residential use was 118 gallons per person, down from 123 gallons in 2014.  This effort and its results show that we can – and will – do hard things, especially when it comes to protecting our most valuable resource. … ”  Read more from KBTX here: The time has come to rethink state policy and increase drought resilience

In regional water news this weekend …

SACRAMENTO VALLEY

Public meetings planned to discuss Colusa Subbasin

The Colusa Groundwater Authority (CGA) and the Glenn Groundwater Authority (GGA) will host two public meetings to discuss the Public Draft Colusa Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) next week.  “We’re at the culmination of a long process and on the cusp of implementing projects that will better monitor and enhance our groundwater,” said Denise Carter, GCA board chair and Colusa County Supervisor. “These meetings and the public comment period are a critical opportunity for stakeholders to give their input to the CGA and GGA before we approve the GSP and submit it to the state. I encourage every affected groundwater user in the subbasin to attend one of these meetings, review the plan and give us your feedback.” … ”  Continue reading at Yahoo News here: Public meetings planned to discuss Colusa Subbasin

MOUNTAIN COUNTIES

Washoe Tribe scientists discuss using traditional knowledge to mitigate wildfire risk and restore Tahoe’s Meeks Meadow

With wildfire threatening many areas surrounding Lake Tahoe this summer, members of the Washoe Tribe have embarked on a project to integrate use of their tribe’s traditional knowledge into current land management strategies to restore Tahoe’s Meeks Meadows, an area of cultural significance to the tribe.  For centuries, the tribe’s cultural practices helped mitigate wildfire risk, as well as enhance wildlife and resilience to drought. The effort is called the MÁYALA WÁTA Restoration Project at Meeks Meadow, and is the subject of the latest Living With Fire Podcast episode released by University of Nevada, Reno Extension.  The restoration project began in December 2020, with a $380,000 grant from the California Tahoe Conservancy to the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California. Meeks Meadow is part of the Meeks Creek Watershed on the west shore of Lake Tahoe, about 5 miles south of Homewood Mountain Ski Resort, off Highway 89. … ”  Read more from Nevada Today here: Washoe Tribe scientists discuss using traditional knowledge to mitigate wildfire risk and restore Tahoe’s Meeks Meadow

Commentary: Our chance to save Lake Tahoe

Darcie Goodman Collins, PhD, chief executive officer of the League to Save Lake Tahoe / Keep Tahoe Blue, writes, “For the last 30 years, science showed us that climate change was threatening the planet and our way of life. Despite decades of warnings, the world has not done enough to stop it. We just felt the full force of climate change’s impacts here in Tahoe as the Caldor Fire endangered the lives of firefighters, thousands of homes and Tahoe’s sensitive ecosystem.  Our recent, tragic experience should serve as a lesson. When scientific evidence warns of environmental disaster, we need to listen and take action to prevent it. Sadly, Lake Tahoe is facing another environmental catastrophe: aquatic invasive weeds.  For nearly a decade, science has shown us that these underwater, non-native plants threaten to destroy Lake Tahoe’s native ecology, pristine water quality and world-famous clarity, and ruin our enjoyment of this mountain paradise. … ”  Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune here: Commentary: Our chance to save Lake Tahoe

NAPA/SONOMA

Lake Mendocino level now about 75% of what water managers had hoped

The storage level in Lake Mendocino was on pace to drop below 15,000 acre feet on Saturday, meaning a quarter of the supply water managers had hoped to keep in store by Oct. 1 already has been released.  The rapid shrinkage of the reservoir after two years of historic drought raises unsettling questions about the future for a range of consumers along the upper Russian River, whose supplies already are heavily restricted.  Meteorologists say predicted La Niña conditions are expected to produce drier than usual weather for much of central and southern California this winter, but that Sonoma County’s location in a transition zone means it has equal chances of being wet. … ”  Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here: Lake Mendocino level now about 75% of what water managers had hoped

End of below-average water year for North Coast marks start of new one, anticipated to be dry

A new water year began Friday, officially marking the end of a second-straight dry year for the North Bay, which saw a meager 39% of its historic average precipitation. And meteorologists expect another dry year as Sonoma County heads into what’s forecast to be another La Niña winter.  For the period that began Oct 1. last year and ended Thursday, Santa Rosa recorded 13.01 inches of rain. The region’s 30-year average is 36.28, according to Ryan Walbrun, meteorologist at the National Weather Service.  The water year is different from a calendar year because precipitation from the snow can’t be measured until it melts in the spring or summer. … ”  Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here: End of below-average water year for North Coast marks start of new one, anticipated to be dry

Sonoma County: Release of final draft groundwater sustainability plans and opportunity to comment at upcoming community meetings

Sonoma County’s three groundwater sustainability agencies, Petaluma Valley, Sonoma Valley and Santa Rosa Plain, are releasing the Final Draft Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) on October 1.  The GSPs assess the conditions of the groundwater basin, analyze the basin’s sustainability over a 50-year period, and identify projects and actions needed to ensure the basin is sustainable by 2042. … ”  Read more from Sonoma County here: Sonoma County: Release of final draft groundwater sustainability plans and opportunity to comment at upcoming community meetings 

BAY AREA

Marin County’s reservoirs dip to just 36% capacity

With 88% of California in extreme or exceptional drought conditions, counties across the Bay Area are preparing for what could be several more dry years to come.  The Bay Area Council hosted a panel Thursday to discuss the current conditions, and solutions.  “Sadly, almost 45% of the state is what is characterized as exceptional drought,” Bill Sloan, a partner at Venable LLP, said. “When we get there, fields are fallowed, orchards are removed, vegetable yields go down, fires become very expensive…and on and on and on.” … ”  Read more from KGO here: Marin County’s reservoirs dip to just 36% capacity

Marin commentary: Amid ongoing drought, North Marin Water District GM sets a path

Drew McIntyre, general manager of the North Marin Water District, writes, “In recent months, North Marin Water District officials have received questions, comments and ideas from customers and others about how we plan to ensure reliable water supplies as we face a hotter and drier future.  As the authority serving Novato and West Marin, we would like to provide an update.  In late September, NMWD’s Board of Directors approved a significant new local water supply enhancement study to identify potential new water sources for district customers. The enhancement study will explore numerous water supply options, including expanding water recycling, adding desalination, capturing and storing stormwater, increasing Stafford Lake’s capacity and storing water in underground basins in wet years and saving it for dry years. The goal of this study is to identify local solutions for possible implementation. … ”  Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here: Marin commentary: Amid ongoing drought, North Marin Water District GM sets a path

California drought: San Francisco Bay Area exits dismal 2020-2021 rain season

Unlike a typical calendar year, the water year for California begins on Oct. 1 and the most recent season the drought-stricken region is leaving behind was one of the driest on record.  According to the National Weather Service, normal rainfall for Santa Rosa from Oct 1-Sept 30 is 36.28 inches. Over the most recent time span, the area received just 13.01 inches or 39 percent of normal.  For San Francisco, those totals were 23.65 inches for a normal year and just 9.04 inches fell during the 2020-2021 water year. It was the second-driest on record dating back over 170 years. … ”  Read more from CBS San Francisco here: California drought: San Francisco Bay Area exits dismal 2020-2021 rain season

Livermore commentary: Be thankful for our water

Kenneth Henneman of Pleasanton writes, “Water, its availability is essential for us living here in our three great Livermore Valley communities. Thankfully it is available, even during this drought year.  This drought year lets be thankful for our water supply; and for the great leaders that emerged during three historically critical, pivotal, time periods (late 1950s, early 1960s, late 1990s). One: Planning period. In the late 1950s, after the 1955 floods and after groundwater levels dropped 100 feet, the County, aware of the problems, acted and it planned. They engaged with the Department of Water Resources (DWR) to resolve water supply problems. … ”  Read more from the Livermore Independent here: Livermore commentary: Be thankful for our water

CENTRAL COAST

Monterey: A state appeals court hears arguments about whether state law preempts voter-approved Measure Z

Almost five years after 56-percent of Monterey County voters approved Measure Z, a 2016 county ballot initiative that sought to ban fracking, wastewater injection and any new oil and gas development in the county, attorneys once again faced off in court, arguing whether or not counties in California have jurisdiction to regulate oil and gas operation within their borders.  This comes after a 2017 ruling by Monterey County Superior Court Judge Thomas Wills, who upheld the initiative’s fracking ban (no fracking was occurring in the county at the time) but halted the implementation of the remainder of the initiative because he believed it was preempted by state and federal law. … ”  Read more from Monterey Weekly here: A state appeals court hears arguments about whether state law preempts voter-approved Measure Z

EASTERN SIERRA

State Water Board launches new era of stream restoration at Mono Lake

Yesterday evening in Sacramento the California State Water Resources Control Board issued Order WR 2021-0086 EXEC amending the Mono Basin water rights of the City of Los Angeles to incorporate extensive new requirements that maximize the restoration of the 20 miles of streams, forests, and fisheries that lie downstream of the Los Angeles Aqueduct diversion dams.  The action draws on decades of detailed scientific study to prescribe specific measures that will significantly advance the recovery of the streams, trout populations, and the streamside forests and wildlife, all of which suffered extensive damage due to past excessive water diversions by the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (DWP).  The Board’s measures are also essential to building the resilience the stream habitats desperately need as climate change impacts, such as rising water temperatures and extended drought, increase. … ”  Continue reading from the Mono Lake Committee here: State Water Board launches new era of stream restoration at Mono Lake

SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY

Kings County: Drought ratchets up feed prices for dairy farmers

Driven in large part by higher prices during the COVID-19 pandemic, dairy products were among the most valuable commodities produced in the San Joaquin Valley last year, and the single most valuable in Kings County.  But escalating costs of feed and operations largely attributable to drought could put milk on shaky ground in coming years, according to dairy officials. The 2020 Crop Report for the Kings County Department of Agriculture shows livestock and poultry products increased in worth, with a value for the year of over $700 million. Of of that dollar value, cows’ milk made up $694 million. … ”  Read more from the Hanford Sentinel here: Kings County: Drought ratchets up feed prices for dairy farmers

Tehachapi: Water district will continue electing representatives from divisions

A practice put in place nearly 50 years ago is still working.  That’s the opinion of a majority of members of the governing board of the Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District when it comes to how board members will be elected. The district was formed by voters in 1965. Its first ordinance was dated Feb. 21, 1973, determining that directors would be elected from divisions in accordance with a section of the state Water Code. … ”  Read more from the Tehachapi News here:  Water district will continue electing representatives from divisions

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Oil spill reaches O.C. coast, Huntington Beach closes ocean waters

The city of Huntington Beach on Saturday night closed ocean waters from the Santa Ana River jetty to the city pier due to an oil spill that the U.S. Coast Guard was investigating earlier in the day, officials said. Oil reached Huntington Beach on Saturday night and was also expected to affect beaches in Newport Beach.  The spill was estimated at 126,000 gallons as of Saturday evening, said Jennifer Carey, a spokesperson for the Huntington Beach Police Department. … ”  Read more from the OC Register here: Oil spill reaches O.C. coast, Huntington Beach closes ocean waters

COACHELLA VALLEY

Agricultural overhaul: Coachella Valley farmland shrinks as dates replace grapes

On a late September morning, workers are busy harvesting dates at Oasis Date Gardens, a century-old orchard in Thermal.  Bob Harrick stands on a layer of date pits that coat the ground as he watches the workers.  “It helps keep down the dust,” Harrick says of the pits. “We used to get rid of them … Now there’s a company in L.A. that buys them and makes coffee out of them.”  Harrick, a former employee at Oasis and now vice president of sales under the orchard’s new owner, Woodspur Farms, said demand for dates and date products has never been higher. … ”  Read more from the Desert Sun here: Agricultural overhaul: Coachella Valley farmland shrinks as dates replace grapes

Along the Colorado River …

Thrust into the record books by climate change, profound U.S. Southwest drought isn’t going away

If you’re one of the more than 60 million people living in the U.S. Southwest, you probably have at least an impression of the unusually dry and warm conditions that have drained reservoirs and spurred raging wildfires in recent years.  Now, a new report shows just how bad it has been. From January 2020 through August 2021, Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah experienced the lowest total precipitation, and the third-highest daily average temperatures, ever recorded since 1895. Together, these dry and hot conditions have “imposed an unyielding, unprecedented, and costly drought,” according to the report, released on September 21st by a task force of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. … ”  Read more from Discover Magazine here: Thrust into the record books by climate change, profound U.S. Southwest drought isn’t going away

Seven states in jeopardy as prolonged drought threatens power generation

Colorado River’s Glen Canyon Dam is at risk of reaching dead pool – that is, the water level at which a dam’s turbines are no longer able to generate power. A new report from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation puts the risk at 3 percent next year, escalating to 34 percent in 2023, and up to 66 percent in 2025.  The Colorado River, with its intricate network of tributaries and dams, provides water to 40 million people across seven states and northern Mexico. The dam project made Lake Powell the country’s second-largest manmade reservoir, producing electricity to power to Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada and Nebraska. … ”  Continue reading at Governing here:  Seven states in jeopardy as prolonged drought threatens power generation

Has the Walton family gained an outsized influence over a crucial environmental crisis?

The Walton family, billionaire heirs to the Walmart Inc. fortune, have been very involved in efforts to solve the water shortage crisis on the Colorado River, a Wall Street Journal analysis found. Over the past decade, they’ve given around $200 million to various advocacy groups, universities, and media outlets devoted to helping the river bounce back, putting them far ahead of any other donor to the cause, per the Journal.  While that sounds like a good thing — and there clearly are benefits — there are some skeptics who feel that the Walton’s preference for water markets as a solution isn’t the right approach because it could lead to a rush of outside speculators investing in water, potentially to the disadvantage of farmers and the poor. And considering the money they’ve invested, as well as the fact that two officials in the Biden administration were once affiliated with the Waltons’ foundation, there are concerns that the family has secured an outsized influence on policy discussions surrounding the Colorado River Basin, the Journal writes. … ”  Read more from The Week here:  Has the Walton family gained an outsized influence over a crucial environmental crisis?

In national news this week …

Supreme Court could curb agency powers

The Supreme Court could weigh in this term on the scope of authority bestowed to federal agencies.  With high-profile gun and abortion disputes on the horizon, the Supreme Court’s term begins Monday with a groundwater dispute between Mississippi and Tennessee.  But the real blockbuster environmental battles could come through a series of pending petitions for the Supreme Court to get involved in legal fights over the scope of EPA regulations under the nation’s bedrock clean air and water laws.  “The fight about the environment at the Supreme Court significantly overlaps with the fight about executive power and agency power,” said Sean Marotta, a partner at the law firm Hogan Lovells. “What we see in the court’s environmental rulings is not so much strong feelings about the environment but fears of agency overreach.” … ”  Read more from E&E News here: Supreme Court could curb agency powers

This interactive atlas lets you travel to the future, and past, of climate change

Climate scientists have long been saying that a few degrees of temperature change could mean a heck of a lot for the global climate. That warning has become even louder since the release of the most recent IPCC report last month, with evidence that retreating glaciers, dangerous heat waves, and other disasters are becoming more inevitable. Of course, there’s still time to avoid the worst climate change impacts—but for many people, the fight needs to get a bit more personal.   Thankfully, the IPCC has an answer to that as well. The AR6 Working Group I Interactive Atlas, officially released earlier this week, allows anyone with internet access to dig through troves of stats and projections to look at the present, past, and future of climate change. … ”  Read more from Popular Science here: This interactive atlas lets you travel to the future, and past, of climate change

Also on Maven’s Notebook this weekend …

UPDATE: October 1 Update on Curtailment Status of Water Rights and Claims in the Delta watershed

UPDATE: Lower Russian River Curtailment Updates for October 2021

PRE-CONFERENCE ORDER: City of Stockton

PUBLICATION: Water Year 2021: An Extreme Year

NOTICE: Notice of Hearing Request Received for the Pesticide Contamination Prevention Act (PCPA) Review Process of Imidacloprid

Return to top

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.
Print Friendly, PDF & Email