A wrap-up of posts published on Maven’s Notebook this week …
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In California water news this week …
California snowpack promising, but more storms needed
“California’s first winter snowpack survey of 2025 showed the snowpack at 91% of the average to date and 37% of the average on April 1, when the Sierra snowpack is typically at its peak. The state Department of Water Resources conducts the official survey at Phillips Station, nestled in the crest of the Sierra near South Lake Tahoe. The snowpack acts as a reservoir for the state: As spring approaches and the snowpack melts, the water runs off into local streams and rivers, then state-run canals and dams for storage and use. Experts say that nearly a third of the water used in California annually comes from the snowpack. Andy Reising, manager of the Department of Water Resources’ snow surveys and water supply forecasting unit, said the snow depth was 24 inches. That’s a good start, according to officials, but more storms are needed especially in Central and Southern California, which are typically drier than Northern California. “As of right now, I am feeling OK, but we’ll need a progression of monthly storms to keep going,” Reising said. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
NOAA says La Niña ocean cooling has finally arrived, but it’s weak and may cause fewer problems
“A long-awaited La Niña has finally appeared, but the periodic cooling of Pacific Ocean waters is weak and unlikely to cause as many weather problems as usual, meteorologists said Thursday. La Niña, the flip side of the better-known El Niño, is an irregular rising of unusually cold water in a key part of the central equatorial Pacific that changes weather patterns worldwide. The last El Niño was declared finished last June, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecasters have been expecting La Niña for months. Its delayed arrival may have been influenced — or masked — by the world’s oceans being much warmer the last few years, said Michelle L’Heureux, head of NOAA’s El Niño team. “It’s totally not clear why this La Niña is so late to form, and I have no doubt it’s going to be a topic of a lot of research,” L’Heureux said. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
Too wet and too dry: The crazy north-south gap in California’s rain
“A remarkably wet kickoff to Northern California’s rainy season has coincided with a desperately dry fall in Southern California — a huge disparity, perhaps unprecedented, between the haves and have-nots of rainfall. Los Angeles usually gets several inches of rain by now, halfway into the rainy season, but it’s only recorded a fifth of an inch downtown since July, its second driest period in almost 150 years of record-keeping. The rest of Southern California is just as bone-dry. At the same time, much of the northern third of the state has weathered nearly two months of storms, flooding and even tornadoes. Santa Rosa, north of San Francisco, has received more rain than nearly any other city in California — nearly two times its average rainfall to date. At the city’s airport, almost 7 inches fell on Nov. 20 alone, an all-time daily record. Northern California is always wetter than the semi-arid southern half. But the scale of the north-south gap that has persisted for several months has stunned experts. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
NOTEBOOK FEATURE: From roads to rivers: How state agencies are tackling salmon-killing tire pollution
Car and truck tires are a significant source of pollution, releasing a harmful mix of chemicals, microplastics, and heavy metals that threaten both human health and ecosystems. A particularly dangerous pollutant is 6PPD, an antidegradant in tires that breaks down into 6PPD-Quinone (6PPD-Q) when exposed to ozone, a highly toxic byproduct linked to the deaths of coho salmon. Tire wear releases particles containing 6PPD, which rainwater carries into rivers and streams, further contaminating aquatic habitats. Recognizing these dangers, California state agencies, including the State Water Resources Control Board, have started addressing 6PPD and 6PPD-Q pollution in waterways through coordinated efforts with the Department of Toxic Substances Control and CalTrans. On December 4, the State Water Resources Control Board, in coordination with the Department of Toxic Substances Control and CalTrans, presented their efforts to tackle 6PPD and 6PPD-Q contamination in the state’s waterways. Click here to read this article from Maven’s Notebook.
Newsom, Biden unveil new water plan amid drought, fish protection debate
“California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Biden-Harris Administration reached a long-awaited agreement on the updated rules for the State Water Project (SWP) and the Central Valley Project (CVP), which transfer water from Northern California to other parts of the state, supplying water to millions of Californians. “The completion of new operating rules for the Central Valley Project is the cornerstone of our efforts to address record drought and changing climate conditions in California,” said Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton. “The plan helps build the state’s resilience to drought, both for water users and the environment. It also dovetails with the significant ecosystem investments and infrastructure projects that Reclamation has funded, including new water storage, capacity improvements, groundwater banking, and the development of a drought plan for the south-of-Delta.” … ” Read more from The Center Square.
California Sportfishing Protection Alliance sues California over operations of the State Water Project
On November 26, 2024, the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance sued the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (DFW) over the “Incidental Take Permit” (ITP) for the operation of the State Water Project. CSPA’s Verified Petition for Writ of Mandate and Complaint for Declarative and Injunctive Relief alleges violations of the law under the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), Public Resources Code (“PRC’) section 21000 et seq.; the Delta Reform Act (“DRA”), Water Code section 85000, et seq.; the California Endangered Species Act (“CESA”), Fish and Game Code (“F&GC”) section 2050, et al.; and the Public Trust Doctrine. In simple terms, CSPA sued DWR over the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for its inadequate analysis in support of the ITP. CSPA sued DFW over the failure of the ITP itself to protect threatened and endangered fish, as well as for other failures of law. An ITP is the state equivalent under the California Endangered Species Act (CESA) and has a function similar to a “biological opinion” under the federal Endangered Species Act. … ” Read more from the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance.
Sites Project Authority launches RFQ for reservoir development and construction
“The Sites Project Authority (Authority) launched a competitive procurement process with the release of a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) for a Reservoir Construction Manager at Risk (CMAR) to construct the up to $3 billion reservoir and roads package that is part of the Sites Reservoir Project (Project). The CMAR delivery method was selected to optimize project delivery, manage risks, encourage local community collaboration, and provide the best value for Project participants. “This next step in our contracting process marks a critical milestone for Sites Reservoir as it progresses from planning to construction,” said Fritz Durst, Chair of the Sites Project Authority Board of Directors. “As one of the largest water infrastructure projects currently under development in California, Sites is a significant opportunity to enhance water reliability for the benefit of our communities, farms, and environment.” … ” Read more from the Sites Reservoir Project.
Los Vaqueros Reservoir expansion officially dead
Statement from Los Vaqueros JPA Chair Anthea Hansen: “Today, the Los Vaqueros Reservoir Joint Powers Authority (JPA) approved the resolution to officially dissolve the JPA and directed staff to proceed with all actions to support this decision. Without question, this is a significant and somber day for the JPA and the Phase 2 Los Vaqueros Reservoir Expansion Project (Project). As we move forward with the dissolution process, it is important to document the contributions and lessons learned from this effort. The Phase 2 Expansion Project brought together diverse partners representing urban, agricultural, and environmental entities to work together to maximize broad public benefits and regional resilience. … ” Continue reading at the Los Vaqueros JPA.
California adopts permanent water rationing
“California implemented permanent water rationing for urban water users on January 1. The California State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) designed the regulations, which will affect about 405 water providers serving about 95 percent of the state’s population. These providers in turn will need to determine how to meet their SWRCB quotas. The stringency of the rationing varies across locations. Newsweek reports estimated water delivery reductions of 92 percent for the City of Vernon, 58 percent for the City of Atwater, and 43 percent for the City of Glendora by 2040. It also reports that by 2040, about 36 percent of water suppliers will need to cut water delivery by an estimated 10 percent or more. About 31 percent of suppliers are estimated to avoid any cuts by 2040. Fines for noncompliance could reach $10,000 per day, though compliance apparently won’t be enforced until 2027. … ” Read more from the Hoover Institute.
Pending state Bay-Delta decision has Solano treading water
“Suisun City Vice Mayor Princess Washington is in a difficult position regarding the proposed Bay Delta Plan. She adamantly opposes the proposal that she and other Solano County officials argue will devastate agriculture, halt all new development, force higher dependency on groundwater and leave her own city bone dry 40% of the time. Washington, however, is also president of the local chapter of the Sierra Club, the state organization which favors the plan designed to improve fish and wildlife habitat, and specially salmon. “For Suisun City in particular, the scenario would result in no water allocations at all, creating an existential crisis for residents, businesses, and public infrastructure. The cascading consequences would include building moratoriums, economic stagnation, and unsustainable groundwater dependency,” Washington noted in comments she delivered to the State Water Resources Control Board. … ” Read more from the Daily Republic.
DELTA COUNCIL: Tackling Delta CHABs: A community-driven monitoring strategy
“Cyanobacteria harmful algal blooms (CHABs) have long been a persistent water quality issue in the Delta, affecting ecosystems and public health for decades. Despite numerous studies highlighting their impacts, the Delta lacks a formal regulatory framework for monitoring CHABs. The Delta CHABs Monitoring Strategy was developed to fill this critical gap, driven by input from the science community and a public workshop held in Fall 2022. The Delta CHAB strategy establishes a community-informed approach to better manage CHABs in the Delta. Its key objectives include coordinating the collection of priority data, developing collaborative approaches to sharing data, and implementing effective mitigation techniques. By aligning scientific expertise with community involvement, the Delta CHABs Monitoring Strategy aims to advance both understanding and management of these harmful blooms. … ” Read more from Maven’s Notebook.
Webb Tract Wetland Project update
“Webb Tract is about to be transformed by a Nature-Based Solutions grant from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Conservancy. The current steward of the approximately 5,500-acre island, the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, is leading the effort to stop or reverse subsidence, reduce greenhouse gas emissions through carbon sequestration, create a mosaic of habitats with eco-cultural benefits, and explore sustainable farming opportunities in the Delta. It’s a big challenge funded by the $20.9 million grant and contributions from Metropolitan. The planning for the Webb Tract Wetland Project (funded by the Delta Conservancy’s Nature Based Solutions grant program) continues on pace. The design team is developing a plan that is flexible, implementable and forward thinking. … ” Read more from Metropolitan Water District.
New report: A framework for permitting innovation in the wastewater sector
“This report, A Framework for Permitting Innovation in the Wastewater Sector, marks the culmination of over a decade of research and engagement on innovation in the water sector. It also marks the beginning of an effort to move the concepts we have developed into practice in this sector, and to apply them in other contexts. In some ways, this report can be summarized in two main results: First, despite reports about permitting as a barrier to innovation, there is little desire among utility managers for relief from stringent permit terms. Rather, the permitting process itself is identified as the primary challenge to initiating innovative projects in a timely manner. Second, there is a clear path forward to improving this process. The clear, research-based framework presented in this report highlights the ingredients for a recipe that has been used with success in many places, and a successful recipe, which we believe can be replicated across the nation. … ” Continue reading from UC Berkeley Law.
From waves to wells: Seawater desalination and coastal groundwater basins
“Traditional sources of freshwater are dwindling as a result of increased demand, reduced natural replenishment, volatile weather patterns, and extended-duration droughts. Desalination, the industrial-scale removal of salt from saline water to create fresh product water, can be a valuable source of “new water.” “New water” is recognized in California as water that would not occur in a watershed or groundwater basin but for human intervention to cause the water to be captured or created. The California Water Plan Update 2023 identifies a goal of increasing desalinated product water by 28,000 acre-feet per year by 2030 and 84,000 by 2040. New desalination projects would benefit from clarifying the project’s legal rights to desalination source water and product water. … ” Read more from Allen Matkins.
The benefits and challenges of desalination
“Communities are expanding their water supply portfolios to address water scarcity driven by population growth, extreme weather, droughts, and urbanization. As freshwater limitations increase, the demand for brackish and seawater desalination is expected to rise. However, significant hurdles — such as high costs due to energy demands and environmental concerns — hinder the widespread adoption of desalination.Based on lessons learned from desalination projects over the last decade, including the Aqaba-Amman Water Desalination and Conveyance Project in Jordan, CDM Smith has developed a road map from concept through procurement. We identified five major steps in this road map … ” Continue reading from Water Online.
Weather whiplash in the Sierra-Cascade and the need to accelerate resilience
“Winter began in earnest when an atmospheric river drenched Northern California with record breaking rainfall totals and dropped a thick blanket of snow on the Sierra-Cascade at the end of November 2024. This historic storm followed another record-breaking weather event in 2024—California’s hottest summer ever recorded. Although it’s too early to know if this year’s winter will bring more record-breaking storms, the fast transition from one extreme weather event to another, known as weather whiplash, is an increasing pattern seen throughout the state. The burst in vegetation growth from a wet 2024 spring quickly dried out during the heatwaves that followed in June and July. Once the Park Fire ignited, it was able to spread rapidly through the fuel load, making it the fourth largest wildfire in the state’s recorded history. For the Sierra-Cascade Region, the record-breaking heat is one of many extreme weather events that have defined the past decade. … ” Read more from the Sierra Nevada Conservancy.
Southern California wildfires …
California weather has been a tale of two extremes as fires rage in L.A. Is La Niña to blame?
“Since the beginning of October, Northern California has faced an abundance of rain, with some places in the North Bay logging twice their typical rainfall over the past three months. But it’s been almost completely dry in Southern California, where parched landscapes are fueling destructive wildfires fanned by strong Santa Ana winds. These stark extremes are somewhat in line with what’s expected during La Niña: wetter than average weather in far Northern California and drier than average conditions in the south. After months of delay, the climate pattern is officially in place, the Climate Prediction Center announced Thursday. While La Niña portends drier than normal conditions for California in the near future, exactly how rainfall will play out across the state for the rest of the wet season is nuanced. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Misinformation spreads like wildfire on the internet while LA neighborhoods burn
“Fish and wildfires don’t tend to go together. But as a series of blazes driven by 100-mile-per-hour winds burned throughout Los Angeles, the country’s incoming president centered blame on a three-inch fish found in a completely different part of the state. In a post on incoming President Donald Trump’s Truth Social, he blamed California Gov. Gavin Newsom for not signing an agreement “that would have allowed millions of gallons of water, from excess rain and snow melt from the North, to flow daily into many parts of California, including the areas that are currently burning in a virtually apocalyptic way” all to “protect an essentially worthless fish called a smelt.” The post was just one of many flooding social media with misinformation and falsehoods assigning blame for the unprecedented fires that have destroyed thousands of homes, forced over 130,000 people to evacuate and killed at least five people. … ” Read more from Inside Climate News.
Peter Gleick: Spreading like wildfire: How Trump’s misinformation about water and fire in Los Angeles inflames the situation
“As devastating wildfires sweep over parts of southern California, it is vital that media, the public, and our policymakers understand what’s happening and how to best respond. The first and most important need is to ensure that local communities have accurate, real-time information about the risks they face, and that emergency responders have the resources they need. In the coming months and years, however, it will be critical to improve our understanding of these risks and how they are changing with accelerating climate change and with changing population and development patterns, and to improve our ability to manage worsening disasters. What’s not helpful are inaccurate statements from politicians. But that’s what Donald Trump offered up when he posted a statement on TruthSocial falsely laying the blame for the fires and for firefighting problems on democratic governor Gavin Newsom and state water policies. … ” Read more from the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists.
Why hydrants ran dry as firefighters battled California’s deadly fires
“As crews have fought the fast-spreading fires across the Los Angeles area, they have repeatedly been hampered by low water pressure and fire hydrants that have gone dry. These problems have exposed what experts say are vulnerabilities in city water-supply systems not built for wildfires on this scale. The water system that supplies neighborhoods simply doesn’t have the capacity to deliver such large volumes of water over several hours, said Martin Adams, former general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. “The system has never been designed to fight a wildfire that then envelopes a community,” Adams said in an interview with The Times. The limitations of local water systems complicated firefighting efforts in Pacific Palisades, where scores of fire hydrants were left with little or no water, and in Altadena and Pasadena, which are served by different utilities and where firefighters say they have grappled with low water pressure. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Parts of L.A. could go days without clean water. Here’s how contaminants wreak havoc after fires
“As authorities across the Los Angeles area warn against using some municipal water supplies to drink and bathe because of wildfire-borne contaminants, experts cautioned that it could be days, weeks, even months before some water supplies become safe to use again. During wildfires, water systems can become contaminated in a number of different ways. When a fire hydrant is not in use but water is flowing beneath it, negative pressure can pull debris and contaminants into a water main. When a house or property loses water pressure because of damage or destruction, contaminants can freely backflow into the water system. And when water pipes and tanks made of thick plastic are burned or heat up, contamination can leach into supplies. More than 9,000 structures have been destroyed or damaged in the Palisades and Eaton fires, according to preliminary estimates that are likely to increase. How long water will remain unusable depends on the scale of contamination. Other major disasters have seen areas go weeks, and in extreme cases months, before water was usable again. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Lack of water is hampering LA fire battle. Why not use ocean water to fight fires?
“As multiple deadly wildfires burn across Los Angeles and hundreds of thousands of residents flee their homes, the lack of water is impeding firefighters’ efforts to fight the flames. More than 27,000 acres of Los Angeles County have been scorched since the flames started Tuesday morning. California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom told CNN’s Anderson Cooper Wednesday the fires had caused “complete and utter devastation.” “We’ve depleted all our resources,” he said as fire hydrants across the region ran dry. “Those hydrants are typical for two or three fires, maybe one fire. And then you have something at this scale.” … In response to a lack of water, firefighters were seen Wednesday scooping water from the Pacific Ocean in a firefighting plane, according to KTLA 5 News. Is it really that simple to use ocean water to fight the blaze? Here’s why using the seemingly obvious solution of neighboring ocean water isn’t as clear an option. … ” Read more from USA Today.
In commentary this week …
Tunneling through trouble: Missteps, mismanagement, and the costly pursuit of the Delta Conveyance Project
In rebuttal to the commentary, Delaying the Delta Conveyance Project puts California’s water security at risk, by Jennifer Pierre, General Manager of the State Water Contractors, Barbara Barrigan-Parilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta, and Eric Buescher, Managing Attorney at San Francisco Baykeeper write, “State Water Project (SWP) contractors who purchase water exported from the Delta are understandably frustrated that after nearly two decades and hundreds of millions of ratepayer dollars, their dream of a so-called Delta solution (now called the Delta Conveyance Project or DCP) is no closer to reality today than in 2017, when the Department of Water Resources (DWR) approved the previous ill-fated twin tunnels project. Despite DWR’s relentless pro-tunnel propaganda, it still lacks most key approvals, including the water rights necessary to divert water at promised levels as well as any means to pay for the latest version of the twenty-plus billion dollar debacle. DWR and SWP contractors have spent much of the last decade bumbling through various tunnel design and permitting processes, all while cynically accusing Delta public agencies, Tribes, and environmental, business, and taxpayer organizations of delay tactics. … ” Continue reading this guest commentary.
C-WIN: Bay-Delta Plan is against the law
“The draft State Water Resources Control Board Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay / Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Watershed (WQCP) is both illegal and morally indefensible, said water policy experts from the California Water Impact Network. “The draft plan would illegally delegate responsibility for maintaining healthy rivers and vibrant communities to water contractors serving corporate agriculture,” said Max Gomberg, a C-WIN board member and the former Climate and Conservation Manager for the State Water Resources Control Board. “It is morally indefensible for the Water Board to rubber stamp backroom deals that deliberately exclude tribes, environmental justice communities, and scientific experts.” Gomberg also noted that the WQCP specifically violates Water Code Section 13241, which requires economic considerations for protecting the “beneficial uses” of water resources. … ” Read more from the California Water Impact Network.
Opinion: It’s good to be a California beaver. Again.
Leila Philip, author of “Beaverland: How One Weird Rodent Made America, writes, “For the first time in 200 years it’s great to be a beaver in California. In a show of unanimous bipartisan support, the state Legislature voted this summer to pass Assembly Bill 2196, which codifies the state’s Beaver Restoration Program at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The law gives the program, which implements beaver-assisted environmental projects, protection from state budget cuts and political upheaval, and it stands as a rebuke to the Supreme Court’s devastating ruling in 2023 that removed up to 70% of the nation’s waterways and wetlands from Clean Water Act protections. California environmental activists, biologists and Indian tribes have been advocating for beavers for more than two decades, launching an extensive education campaign that included having to convince authorities that beavers are a native species throughout the state. Now the restoration effort will add to California’s “30×30” goals — the national effort to set aside and protect 30% of U.S. lands and coastal waters by 2030. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
In regional water news this week …
H.B. 7938 signed into law, protects Klamath Project water users
“Oregon U.S. Congressman Cliff Bentz announcing a law protecting Klamath water users from costs related to certain dam removals has gotten the president’s signature. The bill, HR 7938, passed the U.S. House and Senate late last year and was penned into law by President Biden on January 4th. The now law directs the Bureau of Reclamation to operate the Link River and Keno dams without imposing any costs upon water users. Congressman Bentz called it a just result for farmers and ranchers who have sustained Klamath communities for the past century, emphasizing that promises made by the bureau when it took control of the dams more than ten years ago must be kept. … ” Read more from KOBI 5.
POLICY ANALYSIS: Assessing regional strategies to cope with drought, climate, and environmental flow policy impacts for a sustainable water supply: A case study of the Bay Area
“California’s Bay-Delta watershed encompasses 40% of the state’s runoff and serves water supply and irrigation needs throughout the state. A recently amended policy attempts to rebalance water supply and ecological outcomes by requiring 40% of the flow to remain in-stream in the Tuolumne River and other tributaries between February 1 and June 30 each year. This policy impacts water supply diversions serving millions of customers in the San Francisco Bay Area. This work analyzes possible regional coping responses in the context of climate and policy uncertainty, exploring the effectiveness of various strategies to mitigate climate and policy impacts and improve future water supply outcomes. We find that climate uncertainty has a dominant impact on three measures of water supply performance: the frequency of full storage reserves, minimum storage level, and uncaptured flow remaining. … ” Continue reading this journal article.
Antioch brackish desalination plant set to begin operations
“In an effort to increase the city’s usable water supply, the long-awaited nearly $100-million brackish desalination plant in Antioch is expected to start operating within the next few months. Acting Public Works Director Scott Buenting said the project, which started around 2021, is now nearing completion. “After construction, there is time for debugging the system,” said Buenting in an interview with this news organization. “We figure it will be in operations in the first quarter of 2025.” The project, which was initially projected to cost just below $87 million, was awarded to Shimmick Construction Co. in December 2020. In May 2023, the Antioch City Council approved an amendment to its capital improvement and operating budget for an additional contingency of about 7% of the original bid amount. The final price tag for construction was $97,123,450. … ” Read more from Silicon Valley. | Read via the Mercury News.
Crunch time: Groundwater agency with land in two troubled subbasins working double time to try and hold off state sanctions
“The Tri-County Water Authority has a foot in each of the two groundwater basins now under state probation and is scrambling to find a path to compliance in each. Tri-County covers lands in both the Tule and Tulare Lake subbasins, in the southern portions of Kings and Tulare counties, respectively. Both those subbasins have been placed on probation by the state Water Resources Control Board for having inadequate groundwater sustainability plans. Probation requires farmers to meter and register their wells at $300 each, report extractions and pay the state $20 per acre foot pumped. That’s on top of fees they already pay their groundwater agencies and water districts. In the Tulare Lake subbasin, probationary sanctions have been paused while a lawsuit wends its way through the court system. But that also means Water Board staff aren’t communicating with local water managers to help them develop groundwater plans that meet state expectations. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
The LA River kayaker on a “re-naturalization” mission
“If the Los Angeles River were a living being, we’d call her a survivor. From her headwaters in the Simi Hills and Santa Susana Mountains, her 51 miles wind through one of the most densely populated regions of the country and then flow straight down into the Pacific Ocean near Long Beach. The City of Angels owes its existence to her; over 1,000 years ago, the Tongva established the first settlement on her banks near where Los Angeles City Hall stands today. However, she is now forced to swallow urban discharge and runoff from farms, factories and millions of residents. Ever since devastating floods in the 1930s, most of her body has been imprisoned in a straitjacket of concrete, often polluted by big-city trash such as rusty shopping carts and plastic bags. Yet there are still a few areas where the Los Angeles River is allowed to show her original beauty and meander more naturally. … Melanie Winter has been kayaking here for many years — even before it became legal in 2011 — to show reporters and citizens “what our river actually looks like and how she functions.” … ” Read the full story at Reasons to be Cheerful.
New San Diego council president wants to end SeaWorld fireworks
“The most powerful person on San Diego City Council says SeaWorld’s nightly fireworks shows over Mission Bay “should be stopped.” SeaWorld San Diego hosts nightly fireworks shows during the summer months as well as during major holidays. The marine theme park faced criticism over its shows in the past, but a spate of bird deaths in Mission Bay following consecutive days of pyrotechnics last Fourth of July reignited calls from bird activists to end the noise. “Fireworks, night after night, is something that has to end,” LaCava told Voice of San Diego. “It’s one thing to do Fourth of July or start of the summer season shows, but 150 nights a year is just way beyond.” LaCava added that laser or light shows via drone could be a viable substitute. … ” Read more from the Voice of San Diego.
Announcements, notices, and funding opportunities …
NOTICE: Opportunity to participate in working meetings on Draft Sacramento/Delta updates to the Bay-Delta Plan, from the State Water Board
NOTICE: Streamlined water transfer process available, from the State Water Board
NOTICE of opportunity to comment & public workshop: Nitrate Control Program, Priority 2 Preliminary Management Zone Proposals and Early Action Plans, from the Central Valley Water Board
NOW AVAILABLE: Making Conservation a California Way of Life Regulation FAQs, from the State Water Board
NOTICE: Due Date Extended: Public Comments on Delta Adapts Draft Adaptation Plan, from the Delta Stewardship Council
NOTICE of assignment to SWB’s Administrative Hearings Office: Yuba County Water Agency, from the State Water Board
STATE WATER BOARD: Agenda now posted for February 20 public hearing for the consideration of a probationary designation for the Kern County Subbasin
