On the calendar today …
- WEBINAR: Overview of Proposed Updates to the Drinking Water Cost Assessment Model Workshop 2: Modeled Treatment Analysis from 9am to 12pm. This workshop will provide an opportunity for stakeholders to learn about and contribute to the State Water Board’s proposed updates to the Cost Assessment Model for estimating interim and/or emergency measures and long-term solutions for failing public water systems, at-risk public water systems, at-risk state small water systems, and domestic wells. Click here to register.
- WEBINAR: Planning for Sea Level Rise on California’s Coast from 11am to 12:30pm. Sea level rise presents an unprecedented challenge for California’s mission to protect the coast for present and future generations. Drawing from research funded by the OPC, this webinar will discuss the state of sea level rise adaptation planning on California’s outer coast, including the status of community vulnerability assessment, adaptation planning, and the updating of local coastal plans (LCPs). It will summarize the significant progress that has been made, and the challenges ahead, concluding with some recommendations to support actionable sea level rise adaptation planning that prioritizes social equity and the protection of natural resources. Click here to register.
- PUBLIC WORKSHOP: SB 122: 122 – Protective Screens for Temporary Pump Intakes beginning at 1:30pm. Newly adopted legislation related to diversion of floodflows for groundwater recharge requires that diversions use either existing diversion infrastructure or temporary pumps. Diversions using temporary pumps to divert floodflows directly from rivers or streams are required to use protective screens on intakes to minimize the impacts of diversion to fish and other aquatic life. Pursuant to Water Code section 1242.1, subdivision (e)(4), the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will conduct an online public workshop to review recommended design parameters and ranges of scenarios for deployment and use of protective screens mentioned above. In addition, representatives from the Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) will provide an overview of the new Water Code provisions and resources pertaining to diversions of floodflows for groundwater recharge. Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://wildlife-ca-gov.zoom.us/j/87148696215
Public hearing on proposed urban water conservation regulations …
Making water conservation a ‘California way of life’: Controversial state rules could cost $13 billion
“Saying the targets to cut water use in cities and towns will be costly and difficult to achieve, water agencies throughout California have raised concerns about an ambitious state proposal that would require more water conservation statewide beginning in 2025. The State Water Resources Control Board’s proposed regulations would mandate conservation measures by more than 400 cities and water agencies that serve about 95% of Californians. The measure could wave about 413,000 acre-feet a year by 2030, enough to serve about 1.2 million households per year. During the last three-year severe drought, which ended this year, the Newsom administration set voluntary conservation goals that were largely ineffective. Californians used only about 6% less water from July 2021 through the end of last year compared to 2020, far less than Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 15% goal. The new rules are mandated by a package of laws — enacted in 2018 by the Legislature and former Gov. Jerry Brown — that aim to make “water conservation a California way of life,” not simply an emergency drought measure. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
State Water Board urged to ditch reporting aspect of urban water conservation regulations
“Several speakers pleaded with the State Water Resources Control Board on Wednesday to rethink proposed regulations intended to reduce Californians’ water use in the face of climate change. “Making Conservation a California Way of Life” is a series of proposed regulations that stems from two laws passed in 2018. Those laws require the state water board to implement efficiency standards and performance levels for local agencies’ water use. They would affect over 400 agencies across the state, public and private, that deliver water to 95% of state residents. The plan has four main goals: use water more wisely, end water waste, improve local drought defenses, and improve efficiency and drought planning for agricultural water use. Annual reporting requirements are currently part of the proposal. Those reporting requirements drew the ire of a handful of speakers at Wednesday’s state water board meeting. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
State Water Board holds workshop on water use efficiency regulation
“The State Water Resources Control Board today held a workshop on the draft regulation for Making Conservation a California Way of Life. The regulation is expected to be adopted in summer 2024. Under the “Proposed Text of the Regulation,” urban retail water suppliers would be required to meet an agency specific urban water use objective starting in 2025, comply with annual reporting requirements and implement commercial, industrial and institutional performance measures. More information on the draft regulation is available in ACWA’s two-page fact sheet. ACWA President Pamela Tobin, ACWA staff and several member agencies provided public comments during the day-long workshop to support the development of reasonable and cost-effective statewide efficiency standards that advance water savings, long-term climate resiliency and water affordability. Public comments were still being held as of 5:30 p.m. … ” Read more from ACWA’s Water News.
CA Water Research comments on the Water Board’s draft conservation regulations
“On Wednesday, October 4, 2023, the State Water Resources Control Board held a hearing on proposed regulations to implement 2018 legislation to make conservation a way of life in California. … Although Water Board staff had worked with water agencies for years in drafting the regulations, at the hearing, many water agency staff and board members called for further delay in implementing the regulations. [California Water Research] made these comments in support of implementation. … The California Water Board has been a national leader in climate adaptation in the water sector, and I wanted to thank the Water Board staff for the effort they have put into drafting the Making Conservation as a Way of Life regulations, and to say that we support it. I am saddened by proposals today for delay. We can’t be sugar-coating the risk of more extreme droughts, and we can’t be waiting. California has already seen increased atmospheric thirst and drying of watersheds in the hotter droughts of the 2010s. … ” Read more from California Water Research.
In other California water news …
Mysterious freshwater Peach Blossom Jellyfish spotted in Northern California reservoir
“There’s a puzzling sight floating in the waters of a Northern California reservoir that has wildlife experts on high alert. On September 23, Casey Neet captured video of countless jellyfish in the waters near the Stumpy Meadows Reservoir in the Eldorado National Forest. At first glance, Neet thought it was pollen floating in the waters until he realized he was looking at something you usually only see in the ocean— a jellyfish. Its scientific name is Craspedacusta sowerbyi, but it’s commonly referred to as the Peach Blossom Jellyfish. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the freshwater mystery is native to the Yangtze River valley in China. The tiny penny-sized jellyfish have a complex life cycle and can reproduce both sexually and asexually. … ” Read more from CBS News.
Snow to record heat, wild weather swings to jolt West
“Record-high temperatures are in store for the West late this week. The hot weather will be more typical of summer and a notable change from the recent cold spell, which brought the first snow of the season for many residents in the Rockies, AccuWeather meteorologists say. As the jet stream continues to nudge northward into western Canada over the coming days, an amplified ridge of high pressure will gain influence over the Western states into this weekend, ushering much warmer air in the Pacific Northwest, California, Arizona and the Rocky Mountain states. … ” Read more from AccuWeather.
Audio: Storing the ground beneath our feet (Delta – Lookout Slough)
Mark Schapiro writes, “The Sacramento Delta IS the heart of the state’s water system. About 5 million acre feet of water is pumped from the delta to Central and Southern California every year. The delta was once a big tidal marsh, home to the Miwok and other indigenouspeople. In the years after the Gold Rush, with government support settlers began farming this moist, fertile land. They did it by turning marshes into islands by sucking out the water and building more than a thousand miles of levees. … Entire ecosystems were altered, and the rich terrain made possible by the salt and freshwater mix dried out. Now, step by step, the state is trying to correct those ecological mistakes. I’ve driven out to Lookout Slough. It’s about 30 miles due east of Vacaville, on the edge of the Sacramento Delta. As recently as 2022, Lookout Slough was farmland and a duck hunting club. … ” Read more or listen at KALW.
Could seafloor desalination be a drought solution?
“A water district known for supplying celebrities and affluent communities like Hidden Hills and Calabasas is trying a new approach for collecting fresh water. The Las Virgenes Municipal Water district is studying the feasibility of harvesting drinking water from desalination pods on the ocean’s floor. LA Times reporter Hayley Smith joined Lisa McRee on “LA Times Today” with more on the potential benefits and risks of this pilot program. The Las Virgenes district has come under fire for using more than its fair share of water in the past. Smith explained how this new idea could provide new sources of water for the community. … ” Read more from Spectrum 1.
Where do California reservoirs stand after ‘miracle’ water year? Here’s the data
“In a dramatic turnaround from its driest three-year period on record, California’s 2023 water year brought a deluge of water, replenishing parched reservoirs and highlighting the state’s climate whiplash over the last several years. This water year, which is measured starting Oct. 1 and ending Sept. 30 in order to capture total annual precipitation and winter snow accumulation, was marked by one of the rainiest wet seasons in state history, which led to historic snowpack levels. In total, by Sept. 30, the state received 141% of its annual precipitation average, its snowpack was 237% of average, and its reservoirs were storing 129% of their average water levels. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Irrigating almonds with inches, not feet of water
“When California almond farmer Donny Hicks said he was using 10 acre inches of water to irrigate his orchard, folks thought he either misspoke or was blowing smoke. “Inches?” he was asked. He wasn’t blowing smoke, according to Joseph Gallegos of Umida Agriculture, a company specializing in a new method of delivering irrigation water to almonds. This is significant because it is commonly believed almonds require four acre feet of water annually to produce a good crop. In other areas of his orchards Hicks will use upwards of 48 acre inches of water to achieve maximum yields that can exceed 4,000 pounds per acre. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press.
In commentary today …
Saving groundwater
Geoff Vanden Heuvel, water policy representative for the Milk Producers Council, writes, “The Central Valley developed into an agriculture wonderland through the use of irrigation. Water from rivers and creeks makes up some of that irrigation supply, but water extracted from the ground comprises a substantial share of the water necessary for creating the bounty here in the Valley. Groundwater extraction remained unregulated in California for more than 160 years. In certain places there was a lot of groundwater and in other places, not so much. There was no restriction on where you could drill a well and how much you could pump. That all changed in 2014 with the State Legislature’s passage of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). The term SGMA generally stirs up a lot of anxiety in people’s hearts. That is understandable because access to water is critical for sustaining our lives and our livelihoods. … ” Read more from the Foothills Sun-Gazette.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Wildfire season continues despite rain
“Even though rain is beginning to fall, wildfire season isn’t over yet in Oregon and Far Northern California. Liv Stecker, a PIO with the Rogue River Siskiyou National Forest, said pinpointing the beginning and end of fire season is difficult, based on weather and other factors. “I think we started out a little bit later this year. But then we might be winding down a little bit earlier than we have in years past. I know that when I’ve been here before on fires, you know, we’ve been here till the snow flies. Whether that is the case this year or not kind of remains to be seen,” she said. … ” Read more from Jefferson Public Radio.
The largest dam removal in history stirs hopes of restoring California tribes’ way of life
“At first, the dead floated downstream a few at a time. Then they came by the hundreds, and then the thousands. For mile after mile, the Klamath River was filled with tens of thousands of dead salmon. As Annelia Hillman paddled a canoe with a friend one September day 21 years ago, her heart sank when she saw the carcasses floating past. She and other members of the Yurok Tribe say they will never forget the stench of death. “It’s like seeing your family perish in front of you,” Hillman said. “I would compare it to a massacre, really, in terms of the emotions and the trauma that it has caused for us.” The grief drove Hillman, then 27, to begin protesting to demand change. The mass fish kill of 2002, estimated at up to 70,000 salmon, became a defining event for a generation of young Native activists — a moment that showed the river ecosystem was gravely ill, and badly in need of rescuing. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Bridging the divide to recover salmon for us all
“During a crisis, we cannot choose the challenges we will experience. But we can choose how we respond. Fishermen and Sacramento Valley farmers and water managers are choosing to focus on the “fix” rather than the “fight.” Both of our communities have suffered devastating impacts from the most recent drought. This year, the Chinook salmon fishing season has been shut down, putting commercial fishermen and guides out of work and taking away a revenue source for coastal and inland communities. Last year, water contracts based upon some of the most senior water rights in the state were not fulfilled to hold water in Shasta Reservoir for winter-run Chinook. The unprecedented curtailments led to the fallowing of over 600 square miles of family farms in the Sacramento Valley. … ” Read more from the Northern California Water Association.
City waiting on permit process for Ellis Lake treatments
“Marysville City Manager Jim Schaad informed the Marysville City Council and public on Tuesday night that the city successfully applied for the needed permits to treat Ellis Lake and the algae and aquatic vegetation that has caused a visible deterioration of the water’s visible quality. With the application process now in its final stages, Schaad said he expects full approval near the end of October. However, because of the change in weather from warmer summer temperatures to cooler fall and then winter temperatures, treatments of the lake may not be necessary right away. “The weather is starting to cool, so as the weather cools, both the algae and the weeds begin to go dormant and in 30 days while we’re waiting we’ll be monitoring that to see exactly whether we need to treat at this point in time and how much we need to treat,” Schaad said Tuesday. “Frankly, the algae has already subsided quite a bit. The aquatic weeds are still very much prevalent, so we may be treating the weeds.” … ” Read more from the Appeal Democrat.
BAY AREA
Bay Area heat wave: Today will be San Francisco’s hottest day of the year
“The ridge of high pressure responsible for hot and dry weather across California will stomp out the sea breeze Thursday, and Bay Area residents can expect temperatures to climb up to 20 degrees above average for October. Without the natural A.C., Thursday will be the hottest day so far this season for San Francisco, with highs in the 90s expected at the city’s official weather station.The National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for residents along San Francisco Bay, in the South Bay and the Santa Cruz Mountains from 11 a.m. Thursday to 11 p.m. Friday. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Pleasanton considers new wells
“A first look at how to bring Pleasanton’s groundwater back to full capacity suggests that drilling two new wells in the Bernal subbasin may be the city’s best bet for clean water. The city shut down one of its three groundwater wells in 2019 after testing showed that the water contained per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance (PFAS) concentrations above state response levels. Afterwards, evolving research and changing state advisory levels then prompted the city to take its remaining two wells offline last November. Pleasanton has since relied for its water wholly on the Zone 7 Water Agency, the region’s water wholesaler. … ” Read more from the Independent.
CENTRAL COAST
Cal Am, Peninsula water district each fire shots ahead of buyout meeting
“With less than a week before the Monterey Peninsula water district will publicly unveil its strategy Tuesday to acquire California American Water Co., the water retailer launched an aggressive marketing campaign aimed at swaying customer opinion in its favor. But two can play that game. Within days of Cal Am sending out flyers to its customers listing a half-dozen reasons why a takeover of the investor-owned utility is bad idea, the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District sent out its own flyer dispelling the claims made by Cal Am. For example, Cal Am claims the district’s efforts to acquire most of its assets has cost customers “millions of dollars.” The exact figure is in the neighborhood of $2.7 million. Critics of Cal Am are quick to point out that in terms of cost, the corporate retailer charges some of the highest rates in the country. … ” Read more from the Monterey Herald.
Carrot boycott over water rights gains traction in Cuyama Valley
“A carrot boycott that was launched in the Cuyama Valley this summer has galvanized the residents of the remote agricultural region to come together in protest. In late July, farmers and ranchers kicked off a boycott against the carrot corporations in their midst, two global companies that are roping all 700 valley landowners into an expensive water rights lawsuit. About 150 valley residents attended the launch at the Cuyama Buckhorn. Now, the organizers say they’re having trouble keeping up with the demand for boycott yard signs, bumper stickers and banners, which are posted prominently along Highway 166 and Highway 33. They say they’ve also been swamped with press requests for interviews, from regional media to The New York Times. … ” Read more from Noozhawk.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Better fish habitat, clearer hiking paths are coming soon to Oakdale stretch of Stanislaus
“A crew has begun to reshape some of the Stanislaus River’s banks in east Oakdale to enhance fish habitat. The $2.7 million project along Kerr Park also will reduce thorny vines and other non-native plants that hinder hikers. The city got state and federal grants for the work, aimed mainly at salmon and steelhead trout. The public is barred from this part of the park until the expected Nov. 15 completion. City officials and fishery experts gathered for a ceremonial groundbreaking Tuesday morning. The actual earth-moving started a day earlier under a contract with Ford Construction Co. of Lodi. … ” Read more from the Modesto Bee.
Ceres: River water coming to your tap next month
“A monumental project to bring treated water from the Tuolumne River to Ceres taps will be realized next month and the difference in taste, smell and color may be noticeable. Starting in November, gradually water coming from taps in Ceres and Turlock will be blended with ground and water pumped and filtered from the Tuolumne River. “Through the public outreach we are letting residents know that it’s going to smell different, it’s going to look different and it’s going to taste a little different,” said Royal. “This will be blended with our well distribution system.” The water will also be softer since it has less hard minerals. … ” Read more from the Ceres Courier.
Fresno County agencies seeking $40 million – and counting – in federal funds to fix last winter’s flood damage and prep for upcoming El Niño
“Agencies in Fresno County, from small cities to irrigation districts, are hoping money from the Federal Emergency Management Agency arrives in time to help them fix damage from last winter’s battering storms as they scramble to get ready for another looming wet winter. Fresno County was slammed hard by storms in January and March. While some repairs are almost finished, local governments and other agencies are still waiting to hear the outcome of applications they sent FEMA for tens of millions of dollars in reimbursements. The total, so far, across Fresno County agencies is nearly $40 million. There is no word on when FEMA may start cutting checks. Meanwhile, agencies throughout the valley are still assessing damages and sending updated numbers to FEMA. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Del Oro treatment plant worries Springville residents
“After months of back and forth between residents and their water supplier, Springville is set to get a new water treatment plant sometime during November. The Water Warriors Against Del Oro (WWADO), a group of outspoken residents, have once again highlighted concerns brought about in the aftermath of March flooding. While Del Oro Water Company’s (DOWC) treatment plant inches towards completion, with an initial testing startup scheduled for mid-October after being in development limbo for 10 years, the water supplier has worked to bring online three wells which were previously damaged in the flood. While this has created a steady water supply for the community, some residents have expressed concern due to all three wells being connected to the same electric panel.” … ” Read more from the Foothills Sun-Gazette.
EASTERN SIERRA
BLM seeks public input on proposed water pipeline project in Kern County
“A proposed project to increase water supply in Kern County is now open for public comment. The Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority has proposed a water pipeline that would be partially located on Bureau of Land Management public lands in Kern County in order to provide additional water to the City of Ridgecrest and the Indian Wells Valley. The Groundwater Authority originally identified this project in a Groundwater Sustainability Plan published in 2020 and approved by the California Department of Water Resources in 2022. The proposed pipeline would stretch between California City and Ridgecrest and include a right-of-way and authorization to construct a 50-mile buried pipeline up to 24-inches in diameter, of which 21 miles would pass through BLM-managed public lands. … ” Read more from the Bureau of Land Management.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Supervisors approve $12 million grant agreement for Bouquet Creek recovery; community meeting to be held
“The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved the $12 million grant agreement for the Bouquet Canyon Creek Recovery Project Planning to be awarded to L.A. County Public Works as part of the board’s consent calendar on Tuesday. LARC Ranch and Bouquet Canyon residents’ well water supply was reduced to a trickle over concerns of road flooding a decade ago due to the water being no longer released regularly from the Bouquet Reservoir, owned by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. The primary issue that has been slowing progress on the issue has been the presence of the unarmored threespine stickleback, an endangered fish in Bouquet Creek. … ” Read more from The Signal.
State Water Board will allow public comment on CEMEX Mine Project
“California State Assemblywoman Pilar Schiavo has announced her bill, Community Water Protection (AB163), in which California State Senator Scott Wilk was a principal co-author, has helped advance a critical priority for the Santa Clarita Valley: allowing for public comment on the more than 30 year old CEMEX mine project. The pressure of the bill compelled the California State Water Resources Control Board to take the action outlined in the bill, which will now give the public a chance to share their position on the community impact of the CEMEX mine, something the SCV community has been demanding for years. … ” Read more from SCV News.
SAN DIEGO
Oceanside gets grant for water recycling, desalination project
“The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation awarded Oceanside $201,000 for the city’s Water Recycling and Desalination Planning Project, it was announced Wednesday. Oceanside received the award after applying for WaterSMART funding to investigate expanding water reuse and increasing water recharge, according to the city’s water utilities department. The federal funding will be used to evaluate the expanded use of treated wastewater at the San Luis Rey Water Reclamation Facility to produce recycled water and expansion of the Advanced Water Purification Facility for groundwater recharge and higher quality recycled water and seawater desalination, according to the city. … ” Read more from KPBS.
San Diego fined $4.6M for Sweetwater sewage spill as aging pumps fail and overflows intensify
“Most of the fish that Marco Valdez catches at the mouth of the Sweetwater River in the South Bay he throws back. He says that in his community, talk of water contamination circulates on the regular – and ever more often. “You hear this in the news all the time, Pa’,” Valdez told an inewsource reporter as he reeled in his line. In 2020 one of the two largest sewage pumps in San Diego was undergoing electrical issues when a storm came through. The pump unleashed 11 million gallons of untreated sewage water into the Sweetwater River just above Pepper Park in National City, a widely used fishing and community gathering spot with public waterway access for local boats. … ” Read more from KPBS.
Along the Colorado River …
How top lawmakers are working to secure Arizona’s drinking water
“The Colorado River is one of the most important sources of fresh water in the United States, flowing through Arizona and six other states. Without thoughtful planning and legislation to ensure sustainability, this life-giving source could die. We spoke with Senator Mark Kelly about water levels at Lake Mead, a Colorado River reservoir, which had fallen to devastating lows last October. “When you consider where the water level is today, and the amount of water that’s in the reservoir, that’s the lowest it’s been since the Hoover Dam was built,” said Kelly. Some progress is being made. … ” Continue reading from Channel 15.
‘That was the deal breaker’: California couple halts move to Arizona over water woes
“Pete and Judy Dorazio thought they’d found their dream retirement home. The couple lives in California, but with the area becoming more and more expensive, they wanted to move to a place where their money would stretch further. The Dorazios thought they found it in Sun City Festival, on the North end of Buckeye, Arizona. While visiting friends who lived there, the Dorazios came across a move-in ready home for sale on the golf course. It was almost perfect, they said. They put down $30,000 to secure it. But Pete Dorazio spoke with 12News from California, not from his new dream home in Arizona — because the Dorazios never bought their dream home. “I started researching and doing more and more research and finding out more and more,” Pete said. “There really is an issue out here.” … ” Read more from Channel 12.
Rio Verde Foothills water to be restored by end of the week
“”We were hoping to have water by the end of the month, which we’ve missed that date by a few days already,” said Meredith DeAngelis, board chairwoman for the Rio Verde Foothills Standpipe District. Where’s the water? That’s what residents and state leaders are wondering after Rio Verde Foothills was supposed to get water by the end of September. DeAngelis tells ABC15 she expects to have water by the end of the week. … ” Read more from ABC 15.
Saudi firm that grows hay in California and Arizona to lose farm leases over water issue
“A Saudi dairy company that grows hay in Southern California and Arizona for export to the Middle East is set to lose several leases that allow it to pump unlimited water from government-owned farmlands. Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs announced this week that the state has terminated one of the leases held by the company, Fondomonte, and will not renew three other leases when they expire in February. The action, although partly focused on details of the company’s rental agreements, reflects concerns among some political leaders about the use of water to export alfalfa and other water-intensive crops at a time when chronic shortages are prompting calls to rein in water use along the Colorado River and throughout the Southwest. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Glen Canyon Dam ground zero for war on invasive smallmouth bass in Colorado River
“For people who love freshwater fishing, a smallmouth bass is one of the hardest fighters out there. They can grow up to 12 pounds and 27 inches in length. But for a humpback chub — a threatened native fish in the Colorado River — they’re a nightmare. Smallmouth eat “anything that moves” according to one fishing website. That includes smaller fish up to about 35% of the smallmouth’s body length. That’s a problem for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the agency that controls dams along the Colorado River. When the 23-year drought took Lake Powell to about 25% full, smallmouth bass were finding their way through Glen Canyon Dam and they became a threat to the humpback chub. … ” Read more from KLAS.
In national water news today …
Tackling America’s water crisis: A cross-sector approach
“Abundant and diverse water resources exist in the United States, from complex river systems and wetlands to coastal waters. The country is endowed with some of the world’s largest freshwater and marine reserves.1 Yet, under severe pressures from climate change and accelerating land use demands, the nation is facing major water challenges. We interviewed 54 water specialists across the public and private sectors (figure 1) who experience relevant issues. We then captured the pain points and discussed new ways to encourage cross-sector collaboration and better manage our water resources. Our analysis suggests that to succeed, public-private partnerships must acknowledge inherent challenges in managing complex water systems while working to align values, set mutually beneficial objectives, prioritize projects that meet these objectives, and effectively leverage the partnership’s combined resources. These collaborations are more likely to lead to long-term, sustainable, and equitable solutions for managing our national water supply. … ” Read more at Deloitte.
Why summers may never be the same: The globe’s warmest months on record redefined summer for many Americans.
“It felt like the opening minutes of a disaster movie. This summer, Trevor O’Donnell, 64, had been reading the cascade of news about extreme weather: wildfire smoke covering the country, deadly flooding in unexpected places, record-breaking heat. To Mr. O’Donnell, a tourism executive who splits his time between Palm Springs, Calif., and Douglas, Mich., American life now resembled a scene straight of out a Hollywood film, when the hero’s family is making breakfast as alarming television news bulletins play in the background. “There’s an ominous feeling,” he said. “You notice that something’s fundamentally off. It just struck me that what we’re experiencing right now is so similar to that prelude.” … To many Americans, the season felt like a climate inflection point: a peek at what the country is facing in the future, and a new definition of summer. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
Interior Department’s No. 2 is stepping down
“The Interior Department’s No. 2 is stepping down at month’s end, leaving open a role in the Biden administration that oversees some of its most controversial decisions on oil, energy and conservation. Tommy Beaudreau, will leave after two years as deputy interior secretary, during which he oversaw the approval of the Willow Alaskan oil project and a deal to protect the Colorado River’s water supply. An energy lawyer who spent part of his childhood in Alaska, Beaudreau became a point person on the administration’s effort to overhaul mining rules, enhance conservation measures, and speedup the build out of renewable energy and transmission on federal lands. … ” Read more from the Washington Post.
