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On the calendar today …
- MEETING: State Water Resources Control Board beginning at 9am. Agenda items include an update on status of the Underground Storage Tank Cleanup Fund and opportunity for public comment on allocation of certain funds generated from the petroleum storage fee. Click here for the full agenda and remoite access instructions.
- WEBINAR: Creating & Maintaining Drinking Water Data from 11am to 12:30pm. Join EPIC, the Center for Geospatial Solutions (CGS), and the Internet of Water (IoW) on May 21st for a webinar highlighting ways to easily maintain and update drinking water data. We’ll dive into details on a key drinking water dataset—who gets water from whom?—and learn about tools to easily collate, create and update this information. We’ll feature innovative solutions like IoW/CGS’s BoundarySync tool, which is designed to lower the digital divide for water utilities and streamline the data curation process. We’ll also open the discussion to learn from others about how this data complements lead service line inventories. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to deepen your understanding of critical drinking water datasets and the transformative possibilities they present. Click here to register.
- WEBINAR: Supporting Ancestral Land Return & Tribal Environmental Leadership: Progress Toward Healing and Restoration from 12pm to 1:30pm. California Native American tribes have been stewarding lands here for thousands of years. Recent progress supporting ancestral land return and building tribal-state partnerships are critical steps supporting tribal environmental leadership. Join us to discuss this effort and unpack the recent announcement providing over $107 million for land return to California Native American tribes. We’ll dive into efforts to return ancestral land, restore landscapes and habitat, protect our coast, build wildlife resilience, and integrate Traditional Ecological Knowledge into all the Natural Resources Agency does. Click here to register.
- GRA SoCAL: Down to the Last Drop: North Orange County Water Balance from 6pm to 8pm. This month’s GRA Southern California Branch meeting combines three of our favorite things: a tour, a talk, and free dinner! Come see old friends and make new ones as we learn about Orange County’s water budget, its water conservation projects, and its groundwater contamination concerns. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
Kings County Farm Bureau sues over state monitoring of groundwater
“A lawsuit has been filed over California’s decision to take over monitoring groundwater use in part of the fertile San Joaquin Valley under a landmark law aimed at protecting the vital resource. The Kings County Farm Bureau and two landowners filed a lawsuit last week over a decision by the State Water Resources Control Board in April to place the Tulare Lake Subbasin on so-called probationary status. The move placed state officials, instead of local officials, in charge of tracking how much water is pumped from the ground in a region that state officials deemed had failed to come up with a plan to sustainably manage the resource. … ” Read more from Fox 40.
CDFA wants to streamline reporting regs
“California’s agriculture agency has released a concept paper proposing ways to streamline ag-related food safety and water quality reporting requirements. The paper is part of a regulatory alignment study led by the state Department of Food and Agriculture in coordination with the California Environmental Protection Agency and the State Water Resources Control Board. Officials said the objective is to reduce paperwork for farmers and ranchers. Informed by a broad range of interviews and feedback, the proposals presented in the concept paper serve as a foundation and are not final recommendations. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press.
- NOTE: For links to webinars and workshops, go here: NOTICE: CDFA’s Regulatory Alignment Study looks to streamline streamline ag-related food safety and water quality reporting requirements
NOTICE of changes to the proposed ‘Making Conservation a California Way of Life’ Regulation; Comments due by June 4
“Today, the State Water Resources Control Board formally begins a third public comment period for the proposed Making Conservation a Way of Life regulation. The third public comment period is open from May 20 until June 4, 2024. … ” More information here.
PRESS RELEASE: Delta Counties say Delta Conveyance cost benefit analysis is insufficient and biased
“In response to Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) cost estimate and benefit-cost analysis released today for a proposed $20.1 billion Delta Conveyance Project in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, Patrick Hume, Chair of the Delta Counties Coalition (DCC), made the following statement on behalf of the five jurisdictions that would be most negatively impacted: “Upon initial review, this analysis presents accurately neither the costs, nor the benefits of this last-century proposal. These reports are the latest attempt by the State to justify the Delta Conveyance Project and were conducted with the same preoccupation that the tunnel is the most desirable proposal, lacking acknowledgement of the more cost-effective and environmentally benign alternatives. … ” Read more from the Delta Counties Coalition.
REPORT SUMMARY: The State Water Project Delivery Capability Report
“The Department of Water Resources has released the draft State Water Project Delivery Capability Report for 2023, which provides information about the key factors affecting the operation of the State Water Project and its long-term capability to continue delivering water. … The report found that under existing conditions, the State Water Project’s average annual deliveries are estimated to be 2,238,000 acre-feet, 83 acre-feet less than the estimate for the 2021 DCR Report. The likelihood of Article 21 deliveries has increased by 11% relative to what was presented in the 2021 DCR report. Under hot-dry climate change scenarios with no adaptation actions taken, the estimated State Water Project deliveries are 11%-21% lower than under existing conditions. Hydrological patterns are expected to intensify, with periods of high flows exceeding the capacity of existing infrastructure to capture it, and prolonged and more intense dry spells that will challenge operations.” Read the full summary here.
Will ditching dams be the coastline’s renewal?
“In late August 2024, Steve Rubin, a fish biologist with the US Geological Survey, will dive into the frigid, briny water of the Juan de Fuca Strait, nearly two kilometers from the mouth of the Elwha River in Washington State. It will be Rubin’s 12th dive at the site since the Elwha Dam was breached in 2011, sending a century’s worth of accumulated sediment surging downstream. The megatonnes of sediment that were released by the dam’s removal were expected to help rebuild the twists and turns of the Elwha River. But some feared that they might end up suffocating the coastal ecosystems near the delta. … More than a decade after the Elwha Dam’s removal, researchers are finally getting a more full picture of its impact on coastal ecosystems. … ” Read the full story at Hakai Magazine.
When sea otters lose their favorite foods, they can use tools to go after new ones
“In parts of the ocean where sea otters face stark competition for their favorite kinds of food, some otters are getting by with the help of tools — like rocks and even glass bottles — that let them bash open tougher prey that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to eat. That’s according to a new study of sea otters in Monterey Bay, California, which took a look at the tool use of individual otters to see how it affected their health and nutrition. The findings, published in the journal Science, reveal how this special skill set may increase their chances of survival in an uncertain world. Sea otters are large marine mammals that spend their days foraging in kelp forests. They dive to the bottom to grab tasty morsels, plus sometimes rocks that they plan to use as tools. They bring these to the surface and float on their backs, using their bellies as tables as they get to work on opening and eating their snacks. … ” Read more from Capital Public Radio.
Sutter Buttes: The magical California state park that doesn’t allow visitors
“About 60 miles north of Sacramento, the Sutter Buttes rise starkly from the floor of the Central Valley, the remnants of a volcano active more than 1.4 million years ago. Their cathedral-like spires twist upward, some reaching more than 2,000 feet into the sky — an imposing circular formation, 10 miles in diameter, that’s been called “the smallest mountain range in the world.” Sheltered within these lava domes is an oasis of rolling hills, rich with wildflowers and Native American artifacts, and watched over by hawks and countless other species of birds. Bitter debates over the lack of public access to the Sutter Buttes have roiled for years. But most everyone on both sides agrees on this: They encompass some of the most magical and otherworldly terrain in California. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via MSN News.
Fire, ecosystems, climate: It’s complicated
“Fire is fundamental to humanity. Without it, civilization as we know it wouldn’t be possible. Using fire, people can do many things, like cook food we couldn’t eat otherwise. Harnessing fire opened a world of technological possibility when people began using it to smelt metal, without which our advanced, industrialized society wouldn’t exist. But before people started using fire as a tool, fire was already foundational in ecosystems. The presence or absence of fire, how frequently and when an area burns, and the intensity of fire—collectively known as the fire regime—contribute to and are affected by the type of ecosystem in an area. In turn, fire regime and ecosystem type are interconnected with an area’s climate. The relationship between fire, ecosystem, and climate is interwoven and complex. Each part in this triad of factors influences and is influenced by the other two parts. People are included in this relationship, too. USGS scientists are at the forefront of studying changes to the fire-ecosystem-climate relationship and predicting what those changes mean for ecosystems and people. … ” Read more from USGS.
USGS research brings new focus to strategic monitoring of wildfire impacts on water supplies
“After a wildfire, loss of canopy vegetation and changes to soil properties can occur, which leads to more water flowing over land during rainfall. This can lead to flooding, erosion, and the movement of sediment, ash, pollutants and debris to surface water. The range of water quality impacts after a wildfire varies, from no noticeable change to large increases in the amount of sediment, nutrients, metals and other constituents. This can result in decreased water quality, loss of reservoir storage capacity, stream habitat degradation and increased treatment costs for drinking water providers. The most severe water quality impacts are often delayed until high-intensity rainstorms occur, which can happen months to years after a wildfire. This can complicate efforts to collect post-wildfire water quality data, as funding opportunities for data collection have likely diminished by the time the most severe impacts have occurred. … ” Read more from the USGS.
In commentary today …
CA’s revised budget highlights critical need for a climate bond
“California has prided itself on its bold leadership on climate change. In the past twenty years, it has made unprecedented commitments and investments to reduce emissions and build climate resilience. Unfortunately, amid a dire state budget crisis, California leaders are struggling to ensure that the state will continue its leadership in meeting the challenge of climate change. Immediate and large-scale climate action is essential to protect people and birds. Audubon’s Survival by Degrees report found that 389 species of North American birds are likely to see significant population declines due to climate change if global temperature increased beyond 3 degrees Celsius, which now seems almost unavoidable. … ” Continue reading from Audubon.
In regional water news and commentary today …
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
North Tahoe Environmental Improvement efforts in focus at TRPA webinar
“Tahoe Regional Planning Agency gathered for a virtual webinar in on May 16 to provide insight to community members on the organization’s Environmental Improvement Program, also known as the EIP. Initially launched in the 1990s under the Clinton Presidency, the EIP aims to reach local environmental goals in the Lake Tahoe Basin. “The Lake Tahoe EIP is an unparalleled partnership working to achieve the environmental goals of the region,” the Lake Tahoe EIP’s website states. “Local, state, and federal government agencies, private entities, scientists, and the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California have collaborated for more than 20 years to restore the environmental health of Lake Tahoe.” The landscape-scale collaboration is a partnership amongst 80 public and private organizations, and the EIP focuses on basin-wide improvements in four main categories: watersheds and water quality, forest health, sustainable recreation and transportation, and science, stewardship, and accountability. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Northern California river receives endangered salmon for first time in 80 years
“For the first time in 80 years, a Northern California river welcomed an endangered species of salmon to its waters. Currently, spring-run and winter-run Chinook Salmon are listed at the state and federal level as “threatened” and “endangered,” which means they are considered at critical risk of extinction. Since the 1940s, the winter-run Chinook salmon have been blocked from accessing the McCloud River area in California because of the Shasta and Keswick dams. Because of the restriction, the California Department of Water Resources, Winnemem Wintu Tribe, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Association Fisheries Service said they partnered together to “save the salmon” and help the fish mitigate to areas of the McCloud River. … ” Read more from Fox 40.
NASA photos show dramatic change at Shasta Lake, California’s largest reservoir
“Pictures taken from a NASA satellite earlier this month show a big difference in the water level at Shasta Lake from just two years ago. According to NASA, the older photo shows the lake at around 40% capacity, the low water level leaving a bright outline around California’s biggest reservoir. The more recent aerial photo shows the lake as it is approaching full capacity. … ” Read more from Fox 40.
Sacramento River spring pulse flows – 2024
“The US Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), in cooperation with other state and federal agencies, conducted two short-term flow release experiments from Shasta Reservoir in the spring of 2024 to help juvenile salmon reach the ocean. 2024 is a relatively wet year, and it follows a very wet year in 2023 that left a lot of water in storage in Shasta and other Reclamation reservoirs. The peak emigration to the ocean of wild and hatchery spring-run and fall-run salmon smolts usually occurs in the April-May time period, but may extend into June, especially in wetter years. Reclamation and its partners are developing pulse flow prescriptions for a flow management plan as part of the Action for the Long Term Operation of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project. “Spring pulse flows are designed to improve survival rates of outmigrating spring-run Chinook salmon smolts through the Sacramento River.” … ” Read more from the California Fisheries blog.
PODCAST: Partnerships are key to success in Cosumnes Watershed
“The Bureau of Land Management is a partner with many other organizations and landowners — public, private, and non-profit — in managing the Cosumnes Watershed. The 46,000-acre Cosumnes River Preserve is an important stopping point for migratory birds, and a beloved recreation area for people living in California’s Central Valley near Sacramento. Amy Fesnock is the BLM’s Cosumnes River Preserve manager in Galt, California. BLM received $76,000 from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and more than $7.5 million from the Inflation Reduction Act for landscape restoration. BLM and its partners plan a variety of projects at the site, from improving the habitat for the threatened giant garter snake, to providing environmental education and growing native seedlings for replanting with local school children. In this interview, Fesnock speaks to the vital role that partnerships play in the success of improving the river’s landscape. … ” Read more from the Bureau of Land Management.
Solano County faces 75% water supply cut under Bay-Delta plan
“Solano County is one of the fastest growing counties in San Francisco Bay Area. But its water supply faces uncertainty because of proposed changes to California’s long-running conservation plan for the watershed that supplies the neighboring Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. County, city and agricultural district water managers are concerned about how a draft update to the Bay-Delta Plan could impact local water reliability, housing growth and the economy. They are working with the State Water Resources Control Board to address the concerns. Most of Solano County’s water comes from Lake Berryessa in Napa County via Putah Creek. It flows out from Montecito Dam and along the Solano-Yolo county line past Winters until it feeds into a canal and slough in the delta. … ” Read more from the North Bay Business Journal.
NAPA/SONOMA
Sebastopol City Council planning water rate increase as some city workers seethe
“Sebastopol residents could pay an average of $43 more per month for water and sewer services beginning July 1. The proposed increase, to be discussed by city leaders on Tuesday and be voted on by the Sebastopol City Council in June, is meant to cover the cost of much needed maintenance and replacements on the city’s aging system. The city has dipped into reserves for the past five years, depleting its “rainy day” account. According to city documents, the city expects its water fund to have just $13,000-plus on the books at the end of the 2023-24 fiscal year, while its wastewater fund will be in the hole by more than $1 million. … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
BAY AREA
Marin Municipal Water District looks to update grey water rules
“Installing drought-tolerant landscaping or using recycled water for irrigation could become substitutes for grey water systems under a proposal from the Marin Municipal Water District. The district’s communications and water efficiency committee has endorsed a proposal that will overhaul the grey water ordinance that was adopted in 2016. Grey water is wastewater from bathtubs, showers, bathroom sinks and clothes washers. The existing ordinance states that applicants seeking new water service, and projects requesting expanded water service for large residential or commercial remodels, must install a grey water recycling system for landscape irrigation. However, the district allowed customers to self-certify whether a grey water system was feasible, resulting in many owners of eligible sites exempting their properties, staff said. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Manteca will need to pay $16,461 annually for flood protection
“Should levees holding back the San Joaquin River fail in a 200-year flood event, Manteca would face a citywide health emergency. That’s because flood waters would inundate the city’s wastewater treatment plant that is located west of Airport Way in the 200-year floodplain. It is one of 32 city-owned parcels in the 200-year floodplain subject. It is one reason when the council meets tonight at 6 p.m. they are expected to authorize City Manager Toni Lungren to cast ballots in favor of a 30-year assessment to pay for the city’s share of $467 million in upgrades needed to protect against 200 year flooding. … ” Read more from the City of Manteca.
Tehachapi: Water district’s suit against city still waiting for judge’s decision
“There was no news last week from Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Stephen Acquisto on a dispute over the city’s approval of the proposed Sage Ranch subdivision. As of mid-afternoon Monday, the court website had not published a decision. At a May 15 meeting of the Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District Board of Directors, General Manager Tom Neisler said the judge has 90 days from the hearing date to make a decision. The long-awaited hearing on the first through third causes of action of the case, Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District vs. City of Tehachapi, took about three hours on May 3, with Acquisto questioning attorneys about case law and water. … ” Read more from the Tehachapi News.
EASTERN SIERRA
Supreme Court finds in favor of IWVGA in fee challenge brought by desert pistachio grower
“Pending any further court action, the Indian Wells Valley Ground Water Authority (IWVGA) will ask for a “stop pumping order” for Mojave Pistachios. This falls on the heels of the California Supreme Court denying a request for rehearing the case challenging a fee required to preserve groundwater resources brought by Mojave Pistachios. This decision bars any claims for damages associated with the imposition of the fee and paves the way for an order to prevent further pumping. The ruling supports the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority in its efforts to manage the critical overdraft of the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Basin, according to a news release dated May 15. The dispute centered on a replenishment fee adopted by IWVGA, formed by Kern County, Inyo County, San Bernardino County, the Indian Wells Valley Water District, and the City of Ridgecrest. … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Healthy Sierra Nevada Snowpack delivers billions of gallons of water to the Inland Empire for storage in the Chino Basin
“On April 29, 2024, Chino Basin Water Conservation District’s (CBWCD’s) percolation basins began receiving approximately 19,000-acre feet of water from the California State Water Project via Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) and the Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA), equivalent to 6.2 billion gallons of water that will fill CBWCD’s percolation basins to replenish the Chino Basin aquifer. Recently, the Department of Water Resources announced an increase in allocation from the State Water Project from 30 to 40 percent due to this year’s healthy Sierra Nevada Snowpack. It will take up to eight months to complete this water delivery, and CBWCD’s basins are scheduled to be banking imported water from the Sierras through December 2024. … ” Continue reading at the Inland Empire Utilities Agency.
Biden-Harris administration announces $3 million through Investing in America Agenda to rehabilitate and revitalize communities in Southern California
“Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $3 million in grants from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to expedite the assessment and cleanup of so-called brownfield sites – contaminated properties that often constitute blight on a community — in southern California. This historic investment from EPA’s Brownfields Multipurpose, Assessment, and Cleanup (MAC) Grant Program, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will help turn contaminated, vacant properties into community assets and create rewarding jobs, fostering economic revitalization in overburdened communities. EPA selected the City of Carson, Orange County Council of Governments (OCCOG), and Orange County Transportation Authority to receive three grants totaling $3 million in competitive EPA Brownfields funding through the MAC Grant program. Their work will directly benefit five communities in California. … ” Read more from the EPA.
SAN DIEGO
Rainbow MWD approves $10M financing agreement for capital projects
“The Rainbow Municipal Water District will be paying for $10 million of capital projects and equipment with a loan. A 5-0 Rainbow board vote April 23 approved a resolution authorizing an installment purchase agreement with U.S. Bank to finance the infrastructure and equipment. The loan will begin as a line of credit with a variable interest rate before converting to a 4.7% fixed rate for the remainder of the ten-year period. “We’re hoping to use the debt to help keep our cash reserves healthy and prevent any type of shock rate increase,” said Rainbow general manager Jake Wiley. … ” Read more from the Village News.
Along the Colorado River …
Nevada: ‘Without water, you can’t live here’: Mining claims like redeclaration of war for some
“Across the street from Judi Faber’s quaint one-story house in Amargosa Valley is a wooden stick. Initially, the 77-year-old retiree didn’t think much of it. But inside the plastic container tied to the plank is a folded-up paper — a foretelling note from a mining company claiming its stake to the minerals that may lie in the ground near her property. At best, it signals the company could begin exploratory drilling to assess the area for minerals. At worst, she could one day live next to an open-pit mine. “Would they like a mine in their backyard?” Faber said. “Would they like it in their children’s yard? If they cared about the people, they would move somewhere else.” Since the end of April, Rover Critical Minerals has hammered nearly 400 sticks marking its territory in the small town of Amargosa Valley, representing about 8,000 acres of mining claims right up to the border of California. And those are just the ones environmentalists have found so far. … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Arizona tribes were left out of water decisions until 1908. Here’s how they negotiate today
“Arizona is home to 22 federally recognized tribes. Each is trying to tap into the state’s ever-shrinking supplies of surface and groundwater, and, most of all, the Colorado River, following decades of exclusion. Why do tribes need water rights at all? “Water is something that kind of tears people apart because it’s so legal,” said Native American Rights Fund staff attorney Daniel Cordalis, who is Navajo, and leading the Walton Family Foundation-funded Tribal Water Institute. “As a lawyer, you tell your clients, ‘Don’t share information, we’re in litigation.’” This first-of-its-kind initiative at the national nonprofit, also known as NARF, is supposed to help provide legal support to tribes and develop water policy solutions. “So I’ve talked to some tribes who are like, ‘Our legal has told us not to talk to anyone, and we’ve felt isolated for years,’” added Cordalis. “Water is one of those resources that feels like, you know, collaboration and communication between users is really important.” … ” Continue reading at KJZZ.
Arizona: A year after new groundwater limits, booming suburbs are looking for ways to keep growing
“You wouldn’t know about Arizona’s recently imposed limits on housing development by driving through Queen Creek. Banners wave on the fronts of spacious model homes inviting buyers to come look. Construction crews are busy erecting whole new neighborhoods. On a recent morning, Paul Gardner, Queen Creek’s utility services director, stopped by one of the town’s newest master-planned communities. “In Queen Creek we probably have a dozen subdivisions similar to this at similar phases, and we’re averaging somewhere between 1,200 to 1,500 homes a year of new move-ins,” Gardner said. Queen Creek is the fastest-growing city in Arizona and the 14th fastest-growing city in the nation, according to U.S. census data. In his nearly 40-year career managing water in the town, Gardner has witnessed that boom firsthand. … ” Read more from KJZZ.
In national water news today …
EPA warns of increasing cyberattacks on water systems, urges utilities to take immediate action
“Cyberattacks against water utilities across the country are becoming more frequent and more severe, the Environmental Protection Agency warned Monday as it issued an enforcement alert urging water systems to take immediate actions to protect the nation’s drinking water. About 70% of utilities inspected by federal officials over the last year violated standards meant to prevent breaches or other intrusions, the agency said. Officials urged even small water systems to improve protections against hacks. Recent cyberattacks by groups affiliated with Russia and Iran have targeted smaller communities. Some water systems are falling short in basic ways, the alert said, including failure to change default passwords or cut off system access to former employees. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
SEE ALSO: EPA Outlines Enforcement Measures to Help Prevent Cybersecurity Attacks and Protect the Nation’s Drinking Water, press release from the EPA
Scientists sound alarm over drinking tap water when pregnant
“Scientists have urged expectant mothers to avoid drinking unfiltered tap water after finding a link between fluoride exposure and disruptions to fetal brain development. Since 1962, the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) has recommended that public water supplies contain fluoride to help prevent tooth decay. Today, roughly 3 in 4 Americans receive fluoride-fortified water, which the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says have reduced dental carries in children and adults by roughly 25 percent. Both the CDC and USPHS say that fluoride consumption at the levels set by the U.S. government—2.0 mg per liter of water—is safe. However, others have raised concerns about the potential health impacts of this fluoride exposure, even at low levels, especially for a developing fetus. … ” Read more from Newsweek.
States need to keep PFAS ’forever chemicals’ out of the water. It won’t be cheap.
“In recent years, Michigan has spent tens of millions of dollars to limit residents’ exposure to the harmful “forever chemicals” called PFAS. And some cities there have spent millions of their own to filter contaminated drinking water or connect to new, less-polluted sources. “We’ve made significant investments to get up to speed,” said Abigail Hendershott, executive director of the Michigan PFAS Action Response Team, which serves as a coordinating group for the state’s testing, cleanup and public education efforts. “There’s still a good chunk of the country that hasn’t taken on anything.” That’s about to change. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued new standards last month for PFAS levels in drinking water, giving water systems three years to conduct testing, and another two years to install treatment systems if contaminants are detected. State officials and utilities say it’s going to be difficult and costly to meet the requirements. … ” Read more from Stateline.
Report reveals ‘catastrophic decline’ of migratory fish
“Populations of salmon, trout, eel, sturgeon, and other migrating freshwater fish have shrunk by 81 percent on average since 1970, a new report finds. “The catastrophic decline in migratory fish populations is a deafening wake-up call for the world,” said Herman Wanningen, founder of the World Fish Migration Foundation, one of the groups behind the report. “We cannot continue to let them slip silently away.” The analysis, published by a coalition of conservation groups, finds that fish have been in decline for 30 years, and that their collapse is most severe in Latin America and in Europe. Humans are driving the losses by overfishing, polluting waterways, damming rivers, converting wetlands to farmland, and by fueling warming. … ” Read more from Yale e360.
