In California water news this weekend …
Why California is having its best wildfire season in 25 years
“It’s nearly August, but one familiar summer trend has been very scarce this year: wildfires. California is off to its slowest start to fire season in 25 years. A state traumatized by huge fires over the past decade that have burned millions of acres — killing more than 200 people, and generating choking smoke and apocalyptic orange skies — has seen almost no major fire activity so far in 2023. As of Thursday, just 24,229 acres had burned in California since Jan. 1, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. That’s 82% less than the state’s 10-year average and is the lowest of any year since 1998. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
California’s Delta waters, explained | Extended interview with Delta Watermaster Jay Ziegler
ABC10’s Brenden Mincheff speaks with Jay Ziegler, Delta Watermaster with the State Water Resources Control Board. Water from across Northern California from the Sacramento River to Sierra snowmelt to the San Joaquin River flows into the Delta on its way out to the San Francisco Bay and the Pacific. The Delta is home to numerous species found nowhere else. It’s an important stopover on the Pacific Flyway and it’s also a fertile agricultural region.
California’s groundwater systems, explained | Extended Interview with Rosemary Knight
Rosemary Knight speaks with ABC10’s Carley Gomez about the state of California’s groundwater systems and what’s being done to boost storage.
Approved groundwater sustainability plans now totals 40
“The Department of Water Resources (DWR) recently announced the approval of additional groundwater sustainability plans (GSPs). Ten plans were approved for non-critically overdrafted groundwater basins. Approval was given to the East Bay Plain, East Contra Costa, Ukiah Valley, Sierra Valley, North San Benito, North American, South American, Butte, Vina, and Wyandotte Creek basins. The recent announcement brings the total number of GSPs that have been approved up to 40. “Local groundwater sustainability agencies have put a tremendous amount of work into these plans that will have long-term benefits for communities, agriculture, and the environment across California,” DWR Deputy Director of Groundwater Management Paul Gosselin said in a press release. … ” Continue reading from Ag Net West.
The big problem in the Columbia River no one is talking about
“Archer Mayo holds a deep reverence for water. A windsurfer, scuba and free diver in the Columbia River Gorge, Mayo often swims with sturgeon, salmon, steelhead, lamprey and other inhabitants of the river. As a salvage driver, Mayo also specializes in finding lost items. With his Underdog Dive Search/Recovery operation, based out of White Salmon, Wash., he’s spent years exploring the river and making other discoveries. “Once I figured out that in certain places there are series of underwater cliffs that run parallel to the shore, I started free diving in the river,” Mayo, 54, tells Columbia Insight. The experience has given him a deep knowledge of how the river runs and where its cliffs and odd geology exist—sand bars, pits and other dark, tough-to-access places. … All of this has led to Mayo to a weighty discovery — lead. Turns out, there’s lots of it in the Columbia River. What began with Mayo finding pockets of lead fishing weights and sinkers has turned into a crusade. Mayo wants the lead—and its toxic effects—out of the Columbia River. … ” Read more from The Columbian.
What’s it like to hike the High Sierra this year? ‘Grueling,’ say Pacific Crest Trail hikers
“Coming over Walker Pass in the southern tail of the Sierra Nevada is a view that has turned hundreds of hikers off of the Pacific Crest Trail this year: an endless landscape of undulating snow punctuated by jagged granite peaks and ridges extending as far as the eye can see. Venturing there means traversing the slushy, crunchy, treacherous remnants of winter’s historic snowpack coating the High Sierra all the way to Lake Tahoe along a remote 400-mile stretch with mortally threatening pitfalls and few easy exits. Under such intimidating circumstances, most long-distance PCT hikers have opted to bail in the Bishop area and skip the Sierra until later in the year or abandon it altogether. But where many see misery, a small class of gritty mountain walkers sees a tempting challenge. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Dan Walters: After decades of historic growth, California switching to a period of chronic stagnation
“From its founding 173 years ago, California’s history has been dominated by one word: growth. Its population grew from a few thousand to nearly 40 million, becoming by far the nation’s most populous state. Its economy grew to $3.6 trillion, the fourth largest in the world, and its $310.8 billion state budget is virtually the same as Russia’s. But that was then and this is now. California’s indices of growth have hit a plateau. The state’s population has been drifting downward for several years, and the state Department of Finance recently projected that it will remain virtually unchanged at just under 40 million at least until 2060 – a radical change from earlier predictions that it would top 50 million by then. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
In commentary this weekend …
California walks away from hundreds of millions of dollars for safe drinking water
Corinne Bell, senior attorney at the NRDC, writes, “By walking away from hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding, California is fumbling an important opportunity to protect communities from lead in their drinking water. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, provides states with a total of $15 billion over five years for the removal of lead from our drinking water systems, specifically the service lines connecting residences to the water system. The funds are distributed to the states by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) based on their purported needs, which are reported by utilities to the EPA via the Drinking Water Infrastructure Needs Assessment Survey and Assessment. California then distributes the funds once applications for the funding have been submitted, evaluated, and ranked, which are then included in an Intended Use Plan (IUP). … ” Read more from the NRDC.
In people news this weekend …
Promotions, passings, profiles – submit people news items to maven@mavensnotebook.com.
Supervisor Mitch Mashburn Re-elected as Delta Conservancy Board Chair; Appointed Public Member Leo Winternitz Elected as Vice Chair
“The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy Board on Wednesday re-elected its chair and elected a new vice chair.
Solano County Supervisor Mitch Mashburn will serve as the Conservancy Board’s chair for 2023-2024. He was first elected as chair in 2022 and represents the 5th District of Solano County, which includes the city of Rio Vista, Elmira, portions of Fairfield, Suisun City, and Vacaville, as well as the rolling hills of eastern Solano County. Additionally, Leo Winternitz — an appointed public member of the Board with experience in environmental management and water resources — was elected as vice chair. “We greatly appreciate the support and oversight of our governing Board made up of appointed public members, county supervisors from the five Delta counties, representatives from local nonprofits, special districts, and state and federal agencies,” said Delta Conservancy Executive Officer Campbell Ingram.”
Climate resilience expert Letitia Grenier to lead the PPIC Water Policy Center
“We are thrilled to announce that senior scientist and climate resilience expert Letitia Grenier will join PPIC as the next director of the Water Policy Center. Letitia is currently the Resilient Landscapes Program director at the San Francisco Estuary Institute (SFEI). She will assume her new role on September 25, 2023. Grenier brings a wealth of expertise to the organization, as well as a deep commitment to finding collaborative solutions to California’s most pressing water issues. At SFEI, Grenier has led rigorous, independent scientific research that aims to help decision makers improve management of California’s natural resources. … “I’m honored to further the PPIC Water Policy Center’s mission, and excited to continue fostering dialogue among diverse stakeholders to collaboratively address problems and generate novel solutions,” said Grenier. “This is the only way we are going to tackle the many challenges California faces.” … ” Read more from the PPIC.
Appointments …
Krystal Acierto, of Rocklin, has been appointed Deputy Secretary for Public Policy at the California Environmental Protection Agency.
Acierto has served as a Principal Program Budget Analyst III at the California Department of Finance since 2019 and was a Finance Budget Analyst there from 2016 to 2019. Acierto was an Associate Governmental Program Analyst in the California Office of the Inspector General from 2015 to 2016. She was an Environmental Scientist at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife from 2012 to 2015. Acierto earned a Master of Public Policy and Administration degree from California State University, Sacramento and a Bachelor of Science degree in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Plant Sciences from the University of California, Santa Cruz. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $170,004. Acierto is registered without party preference.
Nefretiri Cooley, of Sacramento, has been appointed Deputy Secretary, Communications and External Affairs at the California Environmental Protection Agency.
Cooley has served as Deputy Director of Communications at the California State Water Resources Control Board since 2020. She was Executive Director of Marketing and Communications at the University of the Pacific from 2018 to 2020. She was Executive Director of Marketing and Communication, Student Affairs at the University of California, Davis from 2015 to 2018, where she also served as Director of Marketing and Communication, Student Affairs from 2011 to 2015. Cooley earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Business Administration from Oklahoma State University, a Master of Arts degree in Publication Design from the University of Baltimore and a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and Rhetoric and Communication from the University of California, Davis. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $168,432. Cooley is a Democrat.
Scott Lichtig, of Sacramento, has been appointed Deputy Secretary of Environmental Policy and Emergency Response at the California Environmental Protection Agency.
Lichtig has served as a Deputy Attorney General in the California Attorney General’s Office since 2013. He was Associate General Counsel at the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency from 2009 to 2013 and an Associate at Cox, Castle & Nicholson LLP from 2007 to 2009. He was Contracts & Grants Counsel for the University of California, San Francisco in 2007 and a Law Clerk at Hobbs, Straus, Dean & Walker from 2005 to 2006. Lichtig earned a Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University Law Center and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Policy from Stanford University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $179,832. Lichtig is a Democrat.
Podcasts …
WHAT MATTERS: Wade Crowfoot
Experts say we could lose 10% of our water supply in the next 20 years due to climate change. Preparing for this challenge is a mammoth responsibility, confronting state and water leaders, like those at California’s Natural Resources Agency. We’re with the trailblazer in charge of this agency today: Wade Crowfoot. As Secretary of Natural Resources, Crowfoot advises the Governor on environmental and natural resource issues, making him a key player in securing our state’s future. He is a public policy and environmental expert with over twenty years of experience in water, fisheries, climate, and sustainability issues. Tune in to learn more about the issue and opportunities facing California water now and the man given the responsibility for charge for meeting those challenges.
AQUAPOD: Winning water independence through effective use of real-time groundwater data with Water Replenishment District
Learn how the Water Replenishment District is collecting real-time data at dozens of well sites throughout Southern California through its Regional Groundwater Monitoring Program and securing water independence for the region.
WATER IS A MANY SPLENDOR’ED THING: A Well’s Economic Value
Imagine a thirty-year loan. A commitment that everything related to a home mortgage will occur as predicted by the bank; even an adequate water supply. Losing a water supply at a home is now being recognized by a few as a significant risk worth evaluating. Water is a Many Splendor ’ed Thing brings you another water relationship that has a personally significant impact to your life. Produced by Steven Baker, Bringing People Together to Solve Water Problems, water@operationunite.co 530-205-6388
In regional water news this weekend …
NORTH COAST
Damning Harbor dredging evidence learned from arbitration hearing
“The Triplicate has learned through internal communications between a past harbormaster and elected commissioners, evidence that contradicts Harbor claims the District was unaware of critical dredging priorities back in May of 2015. The evidence submitted helped arbitrators decide in favor of a $1.9 million Harbor award for Fashion Blacksmith in its lawsuit against the harbor. The debt remains active to date. From the meeting, the facts became apparent from the approved minutes of April 6, 2021. Commissioner s present at this meeting are the very same as the current commission. President Brian Stone, secretary Wes White, commissioners Rick Shepherd, Harry Adams and Gerhard Weber. … ” Read more from the Del Norte Triplicate.
Harbor dredging faces daunting deadline
“Only three Harbor Commissioners were present and met last Tuesday to update the public on status of future dredging permits in the inner harbor. … “ Difficult but possible,” was the response from Harbormaster Tim Petrick when The Triplicate asked him what is the road map to dredge the inner harbor, allowing larger vessels to access the Fashion Blacksmith syncrolift. Petrick continued to report soil samples are being tested and submitted to the State Water Quality Board. … ” Continue reading from the Del Norte Triplicate.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Invasive aquatic weed project underway at Tallac and Taylor creeks at Lake Tahoe
“The USDA Forest Service and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency are working together to remove aquatic invasive weeds from wetlands at Baldwin and Kiva beaches to improve water quality, wildlife habitat, and recreational access.”
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Butte County groundwater agencies approve fees; DWR approves plans
“Fees to support two groundwater sustainability agencies that cover the majority of urban Butte County have been passed this week and will be placed on the 2023-2024 assessor’s property tax roll. The boards for the Vina GSA and the Wyandotte Creek GSA on Wednesday and Thursday approved their budgets at public meetings where residents protested the fees and did not succeed in stopping them. In addition to fees being passed, all three groundwater sustainability plans for the Vina subbasin, Wyandotte Creek subbasin and the Butte subbasin have been approved by the Department of Water Resources. … ” Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record.
Bringing Ellis Lake back to its glory days: New lakefront custodians schedule kick-off clean up event on Aug. 12
“Coach Rosellini’s Cleanup Crew just recently signed on to become one of the official “caretakers’’ of Ellis Lake through Marysville’s Adopt-A-Park program. The goal of Rosellini’s Cleanup Crew is to initiate consistent weekly efforts to clean both the lake and its grounds while progressing toward larger projects such as lighting, painting, landscaping, and upgrades to sidewalks and waste receptacles. “We realize that this might seem like an impossible task to take on or wishful thinking to even believe that the lake can be restored to its former glory or maybe even better,” said John Kenyon, one of the group’s primary organizers. “But we believe it can be accomplished if we as a community are willing to help.” … ” Read more from the Appeal Democrat.
BAY AREA
State approves sustainability plan for Bay Area basins
“Two Bay Area underground basins have been approved by the state for their plans to maintain their water supplies, the California Department of Water Resources announced this week. The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act of 2014 requires local governments to form groundwater sustainability agencies for basins deemed high and medium priority. These agencies craft plans to maintain the basins and mitigate “overdraft,” which is when more groundwater is being pumped out of the basin than water being put into it. … ” Read more from CBS News.
CENTRAL COAST
Engineering faculty take on innovative climate resilience projects
“From building more efficient greenhouses to improving wildfire management, Baskin Engineering professors are leading three major projects to address climate crisis issues with funding from UCSC’s newly launched Center for Coastal Climate Resilience. The Center recently announced a total of more than $4.6 million in award funding for efforts to fight climate change in coastal communities across California and beyond. All three of the projects led by engineering faculty are pilot awards, meaning they were previously unfunded efforts to address climate impacts and solutions. “We are very excited about these new initiatives as we continue to build capacity, expertise and partnerships,” said Anne Criss, Assistant Dean of the Baskin School of Engineering who is coordinating climate change-related projects at the school. … ” Read more from UC Santa Cruz.
Ojai commentary: A diversion from the truth
Candice Meneghin of Camarillo, a member of the nonprofit Friends of the Santa Clara River, writes, “Re: your July 3 article, “UWCD general manager says scandal is root cause of drought,” which ran online: It appears United Water Conservation District’s General Manager Mauricio Guardado is attempting to rewrite history and fact with his recent statements. United has operated the Vern Freeman Diversion since 1991. Southern California steelhead was listed as endangered under the Federal Endangered Species Act in 1997. In 2008, the National Marine Fisheries Services issued a final Biological Opinion finding that the dam jeopardized the existence and recovery of the endangered species. … ” Read more from the Ojai Valley News.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Lathrop well water may need more treatment
“If the federal proposal to reduce the cap on the amount of Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in drinking water were to go into effect in 2026 as is currently planned, each of Lathrop’s wells that were tested for the substance would exceed the maximum containment levels for the substance. And the city is hoping that a $69,000 investment to get the ball rolling on treatment options will help the city solidify its drinking water for the foreseeable future. Earlier this month the Lathrop City Council approved a contract with EKI Environmental and Water Inc. to begin the PFAS Characterization and Evaluation of Planned PFAS Treatment – a substance that detected in five of the wells that provides the city its drinking water. … ” Read more from the Manteca Bulletin.
Delicato winery wastewater is key to pushback on general plan
“Delicato has a growth problem that is about the disposing of wastewater. The 99 year-old winery has been buying up land on its southern and eastern flanks to allow for land disposal of winery wastewater with heavy concentrates of everything from nitrates to salts. The firm — that is spearheading an effort to throw out the just adopted Manteca general plan update that would allow housing roughly a half mile or so away from the actual winery — has been acquiring that land not as much as a buffer but to expand their disposal of wastewater. … ” Read more from the Manteca Bulletin.
Farmers shoot holes in Modesto Irrigation plan for selling water to outsiders
Garth Stapley writes, “Observations from a recent gathering of 70 growers from the west end of Stanislaus County in a barn near Modesto: No one who spoke up favored the Modesto Irrigation District’s lousy idea to sell surface water to a handful of out-of-district nut growers in east Stanislaus County at a ridiculously low price. Many questioned the relationship between MID Board President Larry Byrd and prospective buyers, some of whom apparently are his east-end neighbors and business partners. Several scoffed at the name chosen for the proposal — Groundwater Replenishment Plan — saying there is no way 60,000 acre-feet applied with modern irrigating techniques, such as microspray nozzles, will seep down to recharge an aquifer in danger of depletion. … ” Continue reading at the Modesto Bee.
Dinuba looks to raise water, sewer rates
“Unless more than half of the citizens say no, the monthly fixed rate for water in Dinuba will jump $3 while the sewer rate will increase more than $10. At its July 25 meeting, Dinuba City Council approved a rate study that recommended increasing sewer and water rates for most customers starting Oct. 1. According to a council staff report from George Avila, interim Public Works director, the increased rates are necessary to offset an annual $100,000 structural deficit. Revenues collected from the current water and sewer rates are insufficient to cover annual operation costs – $3.5 million for water and $4 million for sewer. … ” Read more from the Foothills Sun-Gazette.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation District on track to break 100-year record for recharge at 21.15 billion gallons and counting
“Record rain and snowfall has brought record levels of groundwater recharge to the region: storing enough water in an underground aquifer to serve more than 190,000 families for a year, the San Bernardino Valley Water Conservation District announced today. The Los Angeles region saw its eighth wettest season in 145 years this year, with local mountains receiving up to 240 inches of snow. That, combined with recent improvements to local recharge facilities, helped make the most of this double windfall with 64,493 acre-feet or 21.15 billion gallons of water stored. “Coming on the heels of the worst drought in California, this winter has been a blessing for our state,” said General Manager Betsy Miller. “Locally, we are on track to break our 2019 record of 24 million gallons — a number that we hadn’t seen since the 1920s.” … ” Read more from the San Bernadino Valley Water Conservation District.
Yucaipa: Options dry up, water district addresses conservation
“By 2025, Yucaipa Valley Water District customers could see a 24 percent reduction in their residential water allocation. The Yucaipa Valley Water District (YVWD) met July 18 to focus on one topic of discussion: legislative overviews of Senate Bill 606 and Assembly Bill 1668, making water conservation a California way of life. These bills establish a new framework for long-term urban water use efficiency and drought planning as California adapts to climate change. District Water Resource Specialist Madeline Blua gave an overview of the bills and said these are ways for California to move forward with water conservation throughout the state. … ” Read more from the Yucaipa News Mirror.
Along the Colorado River …
The historic heatwave that has hit the U.S. Southwest is set to cool a little
“A historic heat wave that has gripped the U.S. Southwest throughout July, blasting residents and baking surfaces like brick, is beginning to abate with the late arrival of monsoon rains. Forecasters expect that by Monday, people in metro Phoenix will begin to see high temperatures fall under 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43.3 degrees Celsius) for the first time in a month. But not on Saturday. The high temperature in the desert city with more than 1.6 million residents climbed past 110 F for the 30th straight day, the National Weather Service said. The previous record stretch of 110 F or above was for 18 days in 1974. … ” Read more from Capital Public Radio.
Colorado River losing vast amounts of water due to warming climate, study finds
“For much of the last 23 years, the Colorado River has been ravaged by unrelenting dryness, its reservoirs falling to their lowest levels since they were filled. New research shows that global warming is a major culprit, shrinking the river’s flow and robbing the region of a vast amount of water. A team of scientists at UCLA estimated that from 2000 to 2021, rising temperatures led to the loss of about 32.5 million acre-feet of water in the Colorado River Basin, more than the entire storage capacity of Lake Mead, the country’s largest reservoir. The scientists said that if it weren’t for the effects of climate change, the river’s reservoirs probably would not have declined to the point of triggering the first-ever government-declared shortage. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via Yahoo News.
Lake Mead expected to gain 20 feet of water by end of 2023
“By the end of the year, the water level at Lake Mead is expected to be almost 20 feet higher than it was in January. Future releases from Lake Powell to Lake Mead are expected to raise the lake another six feet, the Bureau of Reclamation forecast this week. Just a few months ago, the lake, which is fed by the Colorado River, was only about 100 feet above what’s called “dead pool” status, according to hydrologist David Kreamer at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. “If the lake goes down to a dead pool level, about 950 feet above sea level, no more water can go through Hoover Dam and go downstream to California, to the crops and the fields that are located there. And that would be a pretty tremendous impact, not only for the Southwest, but for the entire United States,” Kreamer said in February. … ” Read more from Channel 8.
‘We’re not the place’: Yuma County residents fight hazardous waste permit
“An online petition to stop a Yuma waste company’s proposal to start managing hazardous materials has received more than 4,300 signatures just weeks before Yuma County officials are scheduled to vote on a special use permit for the company. If the Yuma County Board of Supervisors approves the permit at its Aug. 7 meeting, it would allow A.A. Sydcol, an environmental services company based in Yuma County, to process hazardous material. Many Yuma residents want to stop the county from approving the proposal, saying they’re worried about toxic chemicals potentially contaminating their air, land and water – especially with Yuma Palms Mall, agricultural fields and a housing subdivision so close to the property. … ” Read more from Cronkite News.
Arizona: Soaring July temps, a late monsoon: the savvy “ICG” pros called it all … in May
“Despite what looks to be the hottest July ever by several measures, softball teams in the Phoenix area are toughing it out. Sure, we’ve got these super-hot days, but the kids keep on practicing and playing. Of course, a lot of those practices and games are being played at 2 am. Social media lately is full of novel cooking tips. Can you cook a hamburger in your car? Yep. Two hours in the back seat under the afternoon sun at 200 degrees (!) and those patties are well done. … Who could have seen this coming? In the wake of record winter snowpacks in the mountains and a long, lingering (relatively) cool spring, where did all this blistering summer heat come from? Could anyone have seen it coming? Well, as a matter of fact, someone did. … ” Read more from the Arizona Department of Water Resources.
Arizona commentary: Hobbs should terminate the Saudi lease in Butler Valley
Former Governor Bruce Babbitt and former State Land Commissioner Robert Lane write, “The notorious state lease that is giving away Butler Valley groundwater to grow and export alfalfa to Saudi Arabia will expire on Feb. 14 of this coming year. The next question, already surfacing in the national press is: what next? Will Arizona capitulate to lobbyists pressuring Governor Hobbs to renew the lease? The Saudi lease holder, Fondomonte, has applied to the State Land Department for a ten-year lease renewal, signaling its intention to continue exporting alfalfa and depleting the groundwater basin. Fondomonte has suggested in media interviews that to get a new lease it might agree to revise rental terms beyond the current giveaway fee of approximately 25 cents per acre-foot of water pumped from the aquifer. … ” Read more from the Arizona Capitol Times.
One strategy that could fill Lake Powell without draining the Mississippi River
“Lake Powell is a reservoir on the Colorado River on the border of Utah and Arizona. It’s the second-largest reservoir in the United States. … If the water drops below 3,490 feet, the Glen Canyon Dam will no longer be able to generate electricity. It is currently at only 3,581 feet. Clearly, if we don’t find a way to fill Lake Powell, it’s just a matter of time before the lake evaporates to an unsustainable level. Some people have proposed radical solutions, like pumping water over the Rocky Mountains from the Mississippi River. This solution would be expensive, environmentally damaging, and take many years to complete. However, there is a solution to fill Lake Powell that would not require pumping water all the way from the Mississippi. It’s something that could be done in the state of Colorado at a fraction of the cost. But it might just transfer the problem from one region to another. Read on to find out what this possible solution is, and see if you think it’s the best option. … ” Continue reading from A to Z Animals.
The Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins are one step closer to further protection
“The bill to reauthorize the Upper Colorado and San Juan River Basins’ Endangered Fish Recovery Programs is one step closer to further protect four endangered fish species and providing long-term security for 1,200 Colorado water and power projects. The bill, HR 4595, received a hearing Thursday in the House Committee on Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries. It is sponsored by U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, a Republican representing Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District. Sen. John Hickenlooper, a Democrat from Colorado, sponsored the Senate bill, SB2247. … ” Read more from The Journal.
