A wrap-up of posts published on Maven’s Notebook this week …
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In California water news this week …
NOTEBOOK FEATURE: Are farm fields a hidden source of microplastics?
Alastair Bland writes, “I first tuned in to murmurs about plastic pollution in the late 1980s, when my mom would send me and my siblings to school with lunches packed in brown paper bags and wax-based sandwich wrappers. Compostable was in, and plastic bags out. I embraced her disdain, and for decades to come I would use whatever means possible to avoid plastic produce bags while shopping. By carrying home dinner in a canvas bag or even my bike helmet, I cultivated the illusion that I had cleared a plastic-free pathway from farm to table. But I’d overlooked the farm itself, and as it turns out the fields that grow our food are filthy with plastic waste — the direct result of modern farming’s increasing reliance on the signature material of the Anthropocene. Whether incidentally littered onsite or directly diffused into the soil via polymer-coated chemical pellets, plastic is now embedded both in agricultural practices and the tilled earth itself. It leaks into waterways, might be poisoning our food, and is virtually unregulated. Nobody knows what to do about it. … ” Read more from Maven’s Notebook.
How a water scientist hopes to save California habitats that could be pumped dry
“California is recognized as one of the world’s hotspots of biodiversity, with more species of plants and animals than any other state. And a significant number of the state’s species, from frogs to birds, live in habitats that depend on groundwater. These rich ecosystems — including spring-fed streams, wetlands, riparian forests and oak woodlands — are vulnerable to declines in groundwater levels. In areas where unchecked pumping from wells severely depletes aquifers, once-thriving wetlands and forests can dry up and die. Spotting threats to vulnerable natural areas has become a mission for Melissa Rohde, a hydrologist who has spent years analyzing satellite data and water levels in wells to come up with strategies for preventing ecosystems from being left high and dry. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via AOL News.
PPIC Report: Climate-smart tools to protect California’s freshwater biodiversity
“California’s freshwater ecosystems—and the native plants and animals that rely on them—have been in decline for decades. Roughly half of California’s native freshwater species are highly vulnerable to extinction within this century. But efforts to protect and recover native species now face an additional serious threat: climate change, which is accelerating and compounding the impacts of past and current land and water management issues. Simply working harder, using the same insufficient approaches to conservation, is unlikely to be successful. New approaches, including some that are experimental or highly controversial, are urgently needed. Although California has recently made important strides in setting goals for salmon, the state lacks a comprehensive approach to protecting native biodiversity in the face of climate change. We have identified a portfolio of actions that can help California rise to this urgent challenge. … ” Read more from the PPIC.
How River Partners finds climate solutions in river restoration, funded by public-private partnerships
“We often talk about water infrastructure as it relates to reservoirs, aqueducts, levees, and other means of water storage and flood protection. But California’s water infrastructure isn’t just made of concrete. Floodplain restoration is fast becoming a key part of California’s water puzzle. Dos Rios Ranch Preserve – near Modesto at the confluence of the Tuolumne and San Joaquin Rivers – became Dos Rios Ranch State Park in April, and officially opens to the public in June. …Dos Rios was a flagship project of River Partners, a not-for-profit organization focused on creating wildlife habitat while at the same time benefiting people and the environment. River Partners President Julie Rentner recently sat down with ABC10 to discuss the Dos Rios project and the importance of river restoration as a climate adaptation tool. … ” Read more from Channel 10.
Environmentalists urge California wildlife officials to investigate bottled water operation
“Environmental activists have opened a new front in their long-running fight against a company that pipes water from the San Bernardino Mountains and bottles it for sale as Arrowhead brand bottled water. In a petition to the state, several environmental groups and local activists called for an investigation by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, arguing that the company BlueTriton Brands is harming wildlife habitat and species by extracting water that would otherwise flow in Strawberry Creek. Those who oppose the taking of water from San Bernardino National Forest want the state agency to assess the environmental effects and uphold protections under state law, said Rachel Doughty, a lawyer for the environmental nonprofit Story of Stuff Project. “They’ve dewatered the creek,” Doughty said. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via AOL News.
Kings County farmers face probation as state demands well registration, detailed pumping reports
“Probation has started for the Tulare Lake subbasin and farmers will be getting a list of “to-dos” in the mail this week. The State Water Resources Control Board is sending step-by-step instructions of what’s expected under this historic designation, in which board staff will begin collecting pumping information. The board declared the region under probation at an April 16 hearing after water managers failed to come up with a coordinated plan to get pumping in check to stop subsidence and better protect domestic wells. Probation is the first step toward a state pumping take over – known as an interim plan – if locals can’t come up with their own plan that’s acceptable to the Water Board over the next year. Ever since the April 16 hearing, questions and confusion have roiled Kings County farmers. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Kings County farmers frustrated with water district’s latest move worry it will hasten state pumping takeover
“Ignoring a letter signed by more than 200 landowners that requested their resignation, the Kings County Water District board of directors not only kept their seats but voted unanimously to remove the district from the Mid-Kings River Groundwater Sustainability Agency within 60 days. That throws another curveball into an already confusing situation in the Tulare Lake subbasin, where growers are hurriedly buying meters, registering wells and paying new pumping fees while adjusting to a probationary status handed down by the State Water Resources Control Board in a historic decision on April 16. “Contrary to what’s been said, I don’t believe we have failed,” said Kings County Water District Chairman Barry McCutcheon. “I don’t plan on stepping aside. But I will make a motion to remove the district from the (Mid-Kings) GSA.” McCutcheon was referring to a letter circulated by the Kings County Farm Bureau, that demanded the resignation of the four-member board and general manager Dennis Mills. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Kings County Water District withdraws from Mid-Kings River GSA
“During a special board meeting on May 29, the Kings County Water District voted to withdraw from the Mid-Kings River Groundwater Sustainability Agency and the joint powers authority it operates under. The motion to withdraw was made by KCWD president Barry McCutcheon — who also serves as the MKR GSA president — and seconded by KCWD director Ernest Taylor. The motion passed without opposition. After the Tulare Lake Subbasin was placed on probation in April, the Mid-Kings River GSA was scrutinized for not approving a revised draft groundwater plan that the five GSAs within the Tulare Subbasin planned to bring before the State Water Board at the probationary hearing. … ” Read more from Valley Ag Voices.
Groundwater accounting platform offers data-driven solution for the American West
“As the American West faces intensifying water challenges, water managers, landowners, and water users are increasingly turning to the Groundwater Accounting Platform as a data-driven tool that enables them to track water availability and usage with user-friendly dashboards and workflows. This critical tool is now available throughout California to support sustainable groundwater management practices. Unsustainable groundwater pumping across much of the West has endangered long-term water supplies and lead to millions of dollars of infrastructure damage from sinking land. The Groundwater Accounting Platform empowers users to manage long-term, and helps communities avoid undesirable outcomes and maintain clean water supplies at lower costs. Additionally, this critical functionality supports Groundwater Sustainability Agencies as they manage resources in priority basins under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. … ” Read more from the Environmental Defense Fund.
Press release: Real-time conditions show Sites Reservoir would be 100% full at close of 23-24 wet season
“The Sites Project Authority (Authority) announced that at the close of this storm season, Sites Reservoir could have captured in excess of 1.5 million acre-feet of water from early 2023 through April 2024. Based on an analysis of 2023 flows and significant storms this year, it is estimated that Sites Reservoir would be at full capacity today. “We’re seeing that Sites would perform as expected during these wet years, saving us much needed new water supply for the dry years,” said Fritz Durst, Chair of the Sites Project Authority Board of Directors. “If Sites were operational today, the project beneficiaries would be heading into summer with additional stored water that they could manage and use when they need it. Having that extra savings account can make a huge difference during dry years that we know are coming.” … ” Read more from the Sites Project.
Water right exactions
Karrigan Börk writes, “Water right exactions are a proposed tool to mitigate costs associated with water rights and water infrastructure that would also help users make better decisions about how much water to use. But first, what are exactions? Exactions are a land use permitting tool used by cities and other permitting agencies to ensure developers bear some of the public costs of new development, like increased traffic, a need for more parks, or increased sewage from new residents. Technically, an exaction is property (money or other property) given by a developer in exchange for a discretionary permit (i.e., a permit that the permitting entity can decide whether or not to issue). So, when developers seek a permit from a city to build a new development, the city might require the developer to build a park in the new development or install a stoplight at the entrance to the new development. These requirements, called exactions, mean that the developer is bearing some of the costs of the development by paying for public amenities that mitigate new costs. … ” Read more from the California Water Blog.
Former California water district manager pleads guilty in conspiracy case
“A former California public water district manager pleaded guilty in federal court Tuesday in connection with the theft of federally owned water. Dennis Falaschi, 78, of Aptos, appeared before U.S. District Court Judge Jennifer Thurston, where he entered pleas on conspiring to take federally owned water and filing a false tax return. Falaschi, formerly the general manager of a public water district in Fresno and Merced counties, faces a maximum of five years’ incarceration and $250,000 fine on the conspiracy charge, and three years in prison and $100,000 fine on the tax charge. All remaining charges will be dropped. The sentence is in the judge’s hands. However, prosecutors in Falaschi’s plea agreement stated that they will recommend the guideline range — a system used to determine a potential sentence in federal court — be dropped by up to 50%, if he provides significant assistance to the government. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
California water board member who admitted to stealing $30K in water sentenced to jail
“A man who served as a board member of two Southern California water agencies and admitted to stealing $30,000 in water for his farm has been sentenced to 30 days in jail. Daniel Naumann, 66, of Camarillo will also have to serve two years of probation and has been ordered to pay restitution. In March, Naumann admitted to stealing water for his Oxnard farm while serving as an elected board member of the United Water Conservation District. He also previously served as an alternate board member of Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency, officials said. … ” Read more from KTLA.
A cruise ship sinks near Stockton
“Dreamers who bring geriatric ships to Stockton’s Delta are often so enamored by what a vessel could be they don’t see what it likely will be: derelict. So it goes with the MV Aurora, a 293-foot pocket cruise ship, which sank last week near Herman & Helen’s Marina. The old codger is resting stern-down in 13 feet of water in Little Potato Slough, leaking “petroleum product.” “The incident was completely accidental, a tragic twist of fate …” Chris Willson, the previous owner, wrote on his Facebook page, after speaking with the current owner, whom he doesn’t name. The ‘incident’ was inevitable — if not the sinking, the ship’s owner walking away and leaving the burden on taxpayers. … ” Read more from Stocktonia.
A ticking toxic time bomb
“Between 2014 and 2015, a “blob” of record-breaking warm water traversed the west coast of the U.S., gaining media attention as the warm temperatures wreaked havoc on the bottom of the food chain, causing fisheries like sockeye, pink, and coho salmon to collapse and thousands of sea lions and sea birds to starve. However, amid this devastation, one microscopic creature thrived or “bloomed”—a neurotoxin-producing diatom called Pseudo-nitzschia—causing devastating multi-million dollar losses for many West Coast commercial and tribal crab and shellfish fisheries that had to shut down due to the risk of toxin-contaminated seafood. … Beyond the clear ecological and economic devastation, this 2015 blob-associated harmful algal bloom also left the scientific community in shock. The prevailing understanding was that toxic Pseudo-nitzschia blooms were associated with nutrient-rich, cold-water pulses of water seasonally brought up or “upwelled” from the depths along the Pacific west coast. With the massive hot blob of water hovering over the coastline in 2015, there was little to no upwelling. So how did a toxic bloom occur during this massive heatwave? … ” Read more from USC Dornsife.
California’s first heat wave of year is coming. These areas could see extreme temperatures
“California is about to heat up in a big way, with the hottest weather so far this year expected for next week. Medium-range weather models have come to a consensus on a strong area of high pressure developing over the western U.S. by the middle of next week, bringing a multiday heat wave to large swaths of California. Parts of the Central Valley will easily reach the triple digits, which is about 10 to 15 degrees above normal for early June. After a brief cooldown this weekend, a strong ridge of high pressure takes hold over the southwest U.S. early next week. Temperatures will push higher as the week progresses, with California’s peak heat likely occurring from Wednesday through Friday. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Defining the “snow deluge” and projecting its future
“For California’s Sierra Nevada, the winter of 2022-2023 delivered an epic snowpack that broke many records and busted a severe drought. The exceptional season, dubbed the “snowpocalypse” by some, caused havoc during the winter and flooding later in the year while also replenishing reservoirs and making skiers happy—once the roads and resorts emerged from storm closures. Both hazardous and helpful, the banner year was also of interest to snow scientists, such as Adrienne Marshall, an assistant professor of geology and geological engineering at the Colorado School of Mines in Golden. Marshall was lead author of a paper published in April in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that introduces the term “snow deluge” to describe extreme snow years like the one California weathered. … ” Read more from the Water Desk.
In commentary this week …
Taking back California – Abundant water
Edward Ring writes, “If energy powers modern civilization, then water gives it life. And in California, for at least the last 20 years, with escalating severity, life has been tough. There isn’t enough water to go around. But as with energy, the water shortages in California are largely the product of political choices. And as with energy, this presents an opportunity for politicians willing to present voters with alternatives.California’s chronic water shortages aren’t happening because droughts have become more severe, although that is part of the cause. But the main reason there is water scarcity is because Californians have been relying on a water supply infrastructure that was largely completed more than 50 years ago, when the state’s population was half what it is today. Since then, investment in water infrastructure has been neglected at the same time as environmentalists have demanded increasing percentages of water remain in the rivers as “unimpaired flow.” In response, rationing has been the tool of choice to allocate what water supplies remain available for the state’s farms and cities. … ” Read more from American Greatness.
C-WIN: Hydropower or salmon? A false choice
The California Water Impact Network writes, “In a recent letter to the State water Resources Control Board, several California utilities commented on the agency’s proposed updates to the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan. The plan lists several management alternatives, including some that would increase freshwater flows through the San Francisco Bay-Sacramento River/San Joaquin River Delta Estuary. Such flows are necessary to bring California’s once mighty salmon runs back from the brink of extinction: the fish need clean, cold water delivered at critical times of the year to survive. The utilities, however, claim enhanced “unimpaired” flows are a horrible idea. … ” Read more from the California Water Impact Network.
California needs bold new strategies to save what’s left of its freshwater species
Ted Sommer, Public Policy Institute of California-CalTrout Ecosystem fellow at the PPIC Water Policy Center and former DWR lead scientist, writes, “Californians are blessed with a dazzling array of freshwater species. I should know: I’ve experienced much of this diversity firsthand while exploring the state’s mountains, rivers, lakes, valleys, bays and coastline. As a child I spent so much time in the water that my family joked that I should be considered part frog. I turned my passion for the natural world into a profession: as a trained biologist, I spent decades working for California’s Department of Water Resources. As its lead scientist, I grew to better understand the many challenges facing our waterways and the species that call them home. Working to improve conditions for these species has been the privilege of my life. At the same time, I have witnessed startling and heartbreaking declines in native freshwater species. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
California’s water rights system still needs fixing
Amanda Fencl, Western States Senior Climate Scientist at the Union of Concerned Scientists, writes, “I’ve spent years writing about California water policy and my thoughts on water rights can be summarized simply: the current system is inequitable and must be modernized if the state has any hope of staving off the worst impacts of the climate crisis. It is only a matter of time before we are in another major drought and our water supply becomes even more scarce. Like many other water policy, climate adaptation and environmental justice experts, I am encouraged by two common-sense bills being considered by the California Legislature that would make modest but important improvements to this system. The bills are currently making their way through the committee process and it is vital they pass. The Coachella Valley’s water future depends on it. … ” Read more from the Desert Sun.
Fire season is almost here. California isn’t as ready as it should be
Ken Pimlott, appointed director of Cal Fire by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2011 and served for eight years, with over 30 years of fire service experience, writes, “Although we were fortunate to have a relatively calm wildfire season across the West last year, smoke from the catastrophic Canadian wildfires severely affected the air quality across the United States — in communities that would otherwise rarely experience these impacts. It was a stark reminder of the destructive power of wildfire seasons and a look into our future if we do not initiate critical pre-wildfire measures to contain and slow more intense and severe wildfires. The glimpses of hot weather we’ve recently started to see in parts of California are a sign that another wet winter is over, making us aware of the wildcard Mother Nature dealt us: More precipitation leads to increased vegetation growth. According to the National Interagency Fire Center, unusually high rain and snowfall can lead to overstocked fuel conditions and brush-laden fire scars, leaving land more susceptible to large fires once it dries out. We need to prepare for a wildfire season that could begin with more fuel across the landscape. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Everywhere and forever all at once: PFAS and the failures of chemicals regulation
William Boyd, Professor of Law at UCLA School of Law and Professor at the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, writes, “Earlier this spring, the Biden administration finalized two important rules targeting a small subset of so-called forever chemicals: one establishing drinking water standards for six such chemicals and the other designating two of the more prominent ones as hazardous substances under CERCLA (the Superfund Law). These chemicals, which are part of a much larger family of some 15,000 chemicals known as Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (or PFAS), are called forever chemicals because of their extreme environmental persistence. They are now widespread in America’s drinking water, showing up in about half of the country’s tap water, and ubiquitous in the broader environment, where they bioaccumulate in living organisms. As their name suggests, these chemicals last, well, like, forever—or at least until we clean them up, which takes enormous effort, not to mention time and money. … ” Read more from the Legal Planet.
Securing sustainable water supplies requires taking action now
Infamous Anniversary – Reflections one year after SCOTUS attack on clean water
Andrew Fahlund, Senior Program Officer and Policy Advisor at the Water Foundation, writes, “Last week marked the one-year anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett v EPA, which gutted the Clean Water Act (CWA). That bedrock environmental law was originally passed with bipartisan support in 1972 and signed by then President Richard Nixon in response to unchecked oil spills, toxic pollution, and raw sewage flowing through downtown rivers, threatening public and environmental health and damaging our economy. While the Supreme Court’s poorly reasoned decision has not yet caused any rivers to catch fire, it is unquestionably leading us into a new crisis. And by the time most people start feeling the worst effects, it will be too late. As our name implies, we at the Water Foundation support organizations from every corner of the country, working on a whole variety of issues affecting water, for the benefit of people and nature. Virtually every aspect of that work is influenced by the Clean Water Act. What may surprise people is just how many benefits the Act has provided. … ” Continue reading at the Water Foundation.
In regional water news this week …
Klamath River water improving, according to California water board
“Concerns about the presence of heavy metals like lead and arsenic in the river after several dams were breached were first voiced by residents and Siskiyou County officials in March. But a new round of monitoring from early May suggests those metals concentrations, many of which are naturally occurring, are dropping as decades of sediment continues to wash down the river. “The metals really are associated with the sediments. They’re bound up in the sediments. And so, as the sediment concentrations come down, the metal concentrations are also coming down,” said Matt St. John, an environmental program manager at the North Coast water quality board. … ” Read more from Oregon Public Broadcasting.
CDFW releases more than 2 million chinook salmon into Klamath River
“The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) this week successfully completed the release of more than 2 million fall-run Chinook salmon smolts into the Klamath River. On Wednesday, May 15, CDFW released approximately 1.3 million fall-run Chinook salmon smolts below the Iron Gate Dam and carried out another release of approximately 800,000 fish from the same location on Wednesday, May 22. The salmon smolts were trucked about 7 miles to the release point from CDFW’s new, state-of-the-art Fall Creek Fish Hatchery. The fish carried coded-wire tags and had their adipose fins clipped to later identify them as being of hatchery origin and provide scientists and hatchery managers with data about their life histories and the success of the release. … ” Read more from the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
Amid long and costly legal battles, SF urged to update wastewater system, fix sewage discharges
“It’s a clear, sunny day on Mission Creek. Kayakers are paddling by, and people are walking their dogs past the houseboats that line the banks near Oracle Park. But longtime resident Peter Snider said that, especially after heavy rains, some pretty nasty things go floating downstream. “Condoms,” Snider said. “Turds, actual turds, come down. Dead fish.” San Francisco discharges nearly 2 billion gallons of combined stormwater and raw sewage each year into Mission Creek and other points around the shoreline. And this has been an issue for decades. “When I first moved down here,” Snider said, “it used to be called s**t creek.” … ” Read more from KQED.
Strange bedfellows align in latest Supreme Court water case
“One of the nation’s most liberal cities is enmeshed in a new Supreme Court battle against the Biden administration’s top environmental watchdog — with the backing of fossil fuel trade groups. In the Supreme Court petition San Francisco v. EPA, which the justices granted Tuesday, the California city contends that federal water regulators failed to get specific enough in setting limits on how much pollution local wastewater treatment and collection facilities can send into the Pacific Ocean. EPA’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) requirements leave permit holders unable to comply with federal standards, lawyers for San Francisco wrote in their request for help from the Supreme Court. “San Francisco has invested billions of dollars in infrastructure to meet the [Clean Water] Act’s requirements and stands ready to invest further to reduce pollution if the Act so requires,” they wrote in their petition. “Generic water quality prohibitions, however, neither set limits on the quantities of pollutants that San Francisco may discharge nor prescribe management practices that the City must implement.” … ” Read more from E&E News.
‘Gross mismanagement’: Beleaguered San Francisco aquarium stripped of key accreditation
“San Francisco’s waterfront aquarium, which pushed out its CEO this week amid deep financial problems, has lost its accreditation from a key organization that certifies the institution is meeting international standards for the care and welfare of animals. The Aquarium of the Bay, which operates under the nonprofit Bay.org, was stripped of its accreditation May 13 by the internationally respected Association of Zoos and Aquariums over concerns about its financial instability, staffing capabilities and employee morale and turnover, the association said in a statement Friday. “This is really the face of what I believe to be gross mismanagement,” said Jon B. Fisher, who recently became chairman of the Bay.org board and emphasized that he was made aware of the accreditation issues this week. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Few farmers opted for excess river water to reduce well pumping east of Modesto area. Why?
“Above-average storms have allowed the Modesto Irrigation District to offer Tuolumne River water to nearby farmers who normally tap wells. It is getting few takers. The program is designed to boost the stressed aquifer generally east of Waterford, just outside MID boundaries. The district board on Tuesday debated whether to drop the price to spur interest, but a majority voted to leave it unchanged. The discussion came amid a state mandate to make groundwater use sustainable by about 2040. MID does not have a major problem within its territory, which stretches west to the San Joaquin River. But it is part of a regional effort to comply with the 2014 law. … ” Read more from the Modesto Bee. | Read via Yahoo News.
Groundwater agency sues Delano over Niagara water bottling plant
“Concerns over how a newly built water bottling plant will impact the already over drafted aquifer prompted the Southern San Joaquin Municipal Utility District to sue the City of Delano last month. The district is asking that approvals for the Niagara water bottling plant be set aside and, ultimately, that a permanent injunction be granted to bar the plant from operating. The lawsuit, filed April 22, alleges Delano did not conduct appropriate environmental reviews under the California Environmental Quality Act and that it didn’t hold a public hearing before approving the Niagara plant, which is already hiring employees and hosting community events. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Los Angeles chooses to preserve Mono Lake level gains—will not increase diversions this year
““Planned export is 4,500 acre-feet”—that is the much-anticipated decision from Los Angeles on water diversions from the Mono Basin this year. This means Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (DWP) diversions will not increase from last year, even though existing rules would allow DWP to quadruple their exports from the Mono Basin. This is good news for Mono Lake, because the decision will help preserve the five feet of recent wet year lake level gains. Thanks and credit for this decision go to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for her leadership, city council and agency leaders, community leaders for speaking up for environmental sustainability, and citywide investment in water resilience such as stormwater capture and other local water conservation measures. It follows a request by the Mono Lake Committee and a diverse coalition of supporters in March to not increase diversions. … ” Read more from the Mono Lake Committee.
A drying Salton Sea pollutes neighboring communities
“When desert winds stir up dust from the Salton Sea’s exposed lakebed, nearby communities suffer from increased air pollution. The deterioration coincides with reduced flows into California’s largest lake, a new research paper in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics finds. Disadvantaged communities have been affected more than others in the areas near the Salton Sea, which has been shrinking for years, said the paper’s co-leading author Eric Edwards. He is an assistant professor of agricultural economics at University of California, Davis, who did the research while at North Carolina State University. “We have a dusty area, and any time there is wind, it’s going to pick up dust and move it around,” Edwards said. “We think this new dust is increasing the amount of pollution faced by disadvantaged communities in the region surrounding the lake.” … ” Read more from UC Davis.
Announcements, notices, and funding opportunities …
NOTICE: DWR’s EIR for the Long-Term Operation of the State Water Project in the Delta, Suisun Marsh, and Suisun Bay Now Available for Public Review and Comment
YOUR INPUT WANTED: Draft Grand Challenges to Delta Science
NOTICE: Water Right Petition for Long-Term Transfer by Yuba County Water Agency
NOTICE: Friant Water Authority Announces Public Scoping Meeting for the Friant-Kern Canal Pump-Back Project
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: Fiscal Year 2024 Building Partner Capacity and Promoting Resiliency and Equity under Clean Water Act
