A wrap-up of posts published on Maven’s Notebook this week …
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In California water news this week …
Lawmakers attack governor’s plan to streamline Delta tunnel
“Fifteen California lawmakers from both parties are up in arms over Gov. Gavin Newsom’s latest proposal to to use the budget process to fast-track the Delta tunnel — a deeply controversial, $20 billion plan to replumb the estuary and funnel more water south. With the clock ticking for the Legislature to pass a budget bill tackling the state’s $12 billion deficit, Newsom dropped a spending plan last week that would add sweeping changes to permitting, litigation, financing, and eminent domain and land acquisition issues aimed at speeding approval of the massive project. “We’re done with barriers — our state needs to complete this project as soon as possible, so that we can better store and manage water to prepare for a hotter, drier future,” Newsom said in a statement last week. “Let’s get this built.” Assembly and Senate Democrats and Republicans representing Delta counties, including Sacramento, Yolo, Contra Costa and San Joaquin, fired back in a letter last week, saying it would “change several, separate parts of state law to benefit only a portion of California, to the detriment of Californians north of the Delta.” … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
Press release: Southern California water agencies issue strong support for Governor Newsom’s proposal to streamline Delta Conveyance Project approvals
“The Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA), Western Municipal Water District (Western Water), Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD), and Three Valleys Municipal Water District (Three Valleys/TVMWD) is issuing strong support for Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent proposal to streamline and expedite approvals for the long-awaited Delta Conveyance Project (DCP). The DCP is a critical infrastructure project that aims to modernize the State Water Project’s (SWP) delivery system by constructing a new, single-tunnel conveyance pipeline through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The SWP provides clean water to 27 million Californians and 750,000 acres of farmland. “Eastern Municipal Water District’s Board of Directors (EMWD) unanimously adopted a resolution in support of the DCP, underscoring our commitment to ensuring sustainable and reliable water supply for our region,” stated Joe Mouawad, EMWD’s General Manager. … ” Continue reading this press release.
Tribes, environmental groups blast Newsom’s fast-tracking of Delta Tunnel, urge audit of DWR funding
“As Central Valley salmon and Delta fish populations plummet to record low levels, the Delta Tribal Environmental Coalition (DTEC) and a coalition of statewide organizations dedicated to the “equitable stewardship of California’s water resources” sent letters to legislative leaders urging them to reject Governor Newsom’s proposed budget trailer bill. They say the bill “would accelerate the Delta Conveyance Project, otherwise known as the Delta Tunnel, and eliminate critical environmental reviews for the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan.” The Governor’s proposal to fast-track the Delta Tunnel and circumvent legal protections is also facing unanimous opposition from the California Legislative Delta Caucus, who held a major press conference yesterday in collaboration with statewide organizations and Tribes opposing the project. … ” Read more from the Daily Kos.
‘Ecosystem in crisis:’ Groups say Delta water policies endanger salmon
“The Delta is an “ecosystem in crisis,” with state and federal water policies doing great harm to chinook salmon and steelhead populations, seven environmental groups and a Native American tribe allege in a letter to the State Water Resources Control Board. Two of the state’s top water delivery systems, the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project, are “exacerbating conditions for endangered species at high risk of extinction in the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary” that violate maximum fish take rates under the Endangered Species Act, the May 16 letter states. The groups and tribe allege that the State Water Project exceeded the annual loss limit for hatchery winter-run chinook salmon. And they blame the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for water releases that are killing more salmon and steelhead than their permits allow. … ” Read more from Stocktonia.
Conservation, tribal groups notify State Water Board: Trump’s Bureau of Reclamation is not a reliable partner, and is pushing the Bay’s endangered fish to extinction
“A coalition of eight organizations today alerted the California Water Resources Control Board that the federal Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation)—an agency under the Department of the Interior—has repeatedly exceeded water diversion limits set by recent federal and state endangered species act permits. Some of these provisions are intended to implement voluntary water use agreements that Governor Newsom has negotiated with water districts that serve cities, as well as massive industrial agricultural operations in the Central Valley (Voluntary Agreements). These Voluntary Agreements are roundly opposed by environmental, Tribal, fishing, and human rights advocates. “There’s no scientific basis to suggest that Governor Newsom’s Voluntary Agreements would work in the first place,” said Baykeeper managing attorney Eric Buescher. “The Water Board is currently faced with a flawed water management plan that’s made worse by an unreliable partner federal agency that serially refuses to obey the legal requirements it previously agreed were necessary to avoid harming endangered species.” … ” Continue reading this press release from SF Baykeeper.
State funders criticize pace and progress on $2.7 billion plan to build new reservoir in Santa Clara County
“In an ominous sign for an already struggling project, state officials on Wednesday said they are unhappy with the lack of progress over plans by the Santa Clara Valley Water District to build a huge new dam near Pacheco Pass and Henry W. Coe State Park in Santa Clara County. Members of the California Water Commission, an 8-member agency appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom that tentatively committed $504 million in state bond funding seven years ago to the $2.7 billion project — and still could revoke it — expressed frustration at the district’s shifting timelines and lack of specifics and accomplishments. “As we move forward in time, the uncertainties should be decreasing,” said commissioner Sandra Matsumoto. “But I feel like the more we hear from the public, the more additional issues are coming up that make it sound less likely.” … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News (gift article).
Appellate court readies for next step on injunction that paused state groundwater sanctions in Kings County
“All of the legal motions that can be filed, have been filed in the state’s appeal of a preliminary injunction that has kept it from implementing sanctions against growers in Kings County. The next step could be oral arguments, or not. It all depends on how the justices at the 5th District Court of Appeal decide to go forward. “At this time, we are waiting on a ruling from the appeals court,” Farm Bureau Executive Director Dusty Ference wrote in a text message. “We don’t know yet if there will be oral arguments but I am told they are not likely to happen for the appeal.” The Farm Bureau sued the state Water Resources Control Board after it placed the region, known as the Tulare Lake subbasin, on probation in April 2024. Under probation, farmers would have had to meter and register their wells, paying an annual $350 fee to the Water Board, report extractions and pay the state $20 per acre foot pumped. So far, those sanctions have been held at bay after a Kings County Superior Court judge issued a preliminary injunction, finding the Water Board had overstepped its authority. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Record pace of snowmelt in US West threatens another drought
“Widespread heat across the US West is causing the snowpack to melt at a record-breaking pace, risking water shortages and an early start to wildfire season. Parts of the region spanning the West Coast to the lower Mountain West have less than half of the normal amount of snow typical at this time of year, the US National Integrated Drought Information System said in a statement. Some have nothing. Only parts of southern Oregon and a few places in Northern California are holding onto above-average snow pack. The snowpack is vital to the region, which for more than 20 years has struggled with drought, leaving states struggling to maintain water supplies and contributing to wildfires. The lack of spring runoff also depletes hydroelectric capacity, a key power source for the West. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
Legal alert: Point A to Point B: Fresno County Superior Court vacates State Water Board order re: Blue Triton/Arrowhead
“On May 5, 2025, the Fresno County Superior Court ruled that the California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) exceeded its statutory authority in issuing a cease-and-desist order that attempted to regulate the taking of groundwater by a commercial water bottling company. (BlueTriton Brands, Inc. v. State Water Resources Control Board, Fresno County Superior Court Case No. 23CECG04292.) If the Court’s decision stands, it will limit the State Water Board’s jurisdiction over subterranean water that may eventually flow to the surface but is not part of a subterranean stream flowing through known and definite channels. The State Water Board issued the cease-and-desist order on September 19, 2023, and soon thereafter the affected water bottling company sued, challenging the State Water Board’s authority to issue such an order in the first place. The Court reasoned that the primary issue was whether the water at issue is groundwater or a “subterranean stream[] flowing through known and definite channels.” … ” Read more from Somach Simmons & Dunn.
Here are California’s dirtiest beaches. Take a look before you take a dip
“As temperatures rise across the Southland, droves of people will hit the beach in search of a reprieve — but you might want to think twice before taking a dip near one of the region’s most famous landmarks. For the second year in a row, the area around the Santa Monica Pier was named one of California’s dirtiest beaches by environmental nonprofit Heal the Bay. The pier-adjacent beach came in at No. 2 this year due to persistent water quality issues, according to the organization’s annual Beach Report Card. Heal the Bay monitors beaches along the California coast — testing water samples for fecal bacteria, including coliform, E. coli and enterococcus. High concentrations of these bacteria indicate the presence of pathogens that could be harmful to beachgoers. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
To save native species, the state must take some risks
Jennifer Harder, PPIC adjunct fellow and professor of law at McGeorge School of Law, writes, “California’s rivers are special. I learned that firsthand in high school, as part of a years-long project to restore a denuded waterway called Adobe Creek. The creek had largely dried up, it was filled with trash, and the trees that had once shaded its banks were gone—but a tiny population of endangered steelhead was still hanging on. In the early ‘80s, concerned students from my high school began cleaning up the creek and replanting native vegetation. Then we took an innovative step—we built a fish hatchery on our high school campus and raised salmon and steelhead to repopulate the creek. The Adobe Creek project inspired my career as a water lawyer and educator. Adobe Creek faced the same challenges that also plague California’s largest watersheds. Years of water and land use changes caused freshwater fish and wildlife populations to plummet, and now climate change is threatening to strike the final blow. Although the state and stakeholder communities are doing some great things, these measures are not happening at sufficient pace and scale. In just one heartbreaking example, we’re facing a third consecutive year of a closed salmon fishery. … ” Read more from the PPIC.
Stormwater sampling effort in Eureka reveals high concentrations of salmon-killing toxins are being flushed directly from “big box” store parking lots into local waterways
“A recent stormwater sampling effort in Eureka revealed a troubling trend in area parking lots: Even in periods of relatively light rain, high concentrations of salmon-killing toxic compounds are being flushed directly into local creeks and Humboldt Bay. The results come from a pilot project recently conducted by Humboldt Waterkeeper. The organization collected water samples from two Cal Poly Humboldt parking lots in Arcata and from the Eureka Target and Costco parking lots. The water samples were testing for a compound that has recently been discovered to be particularly toxic to coho salmon, which are listed under the federal Endangered Species Act. The pollutant in question, known as 6PPD, is used in tires to help maintain their integrity. As tires break down from normal wear and tear, 6PPD is released and reacts to ozone in the air and transforms into a compound known as 6PPD-q. The samples collected at the Cal Poly Humboldt lots after a relatively heavy rain showed concentrations of 130 ng/L, which is higher than the 95ng/L threshold above which coho mortality increases significantly. The Eureka Costco parking lot sample showed much higher concentrations – 340 ng/L – while runoff from the Eureka Target parking lot was even higher, 430 ng/L, or more than four times the lethal concentration for coho salmon. … ” Continue reading this press release.
SEE ALSO: New Study Shows Coho-Killing Toxin Pools in Humboldt County Parking Lots Before Draining Into the Bay, from the Lost Coast Outpost
San Francisco Bay fish are contaminated with levels of ‘forever chemicals’ that could harm anglers
“Contaminants known as “forever chemicals” have been discovered in San Francisco Bay fish at levels that could pose a health threat to people who eat fish caught there, according to new research published today. Linked to an array of health conditions such as cancers, heart disease and pregnancy disorders, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances resist breaking down in the environment. Used by industries to make waterproof coatings, firefighting foams, food packaging and more, these chemicals have contaminated people and animals everywhere around the globe, including newborns. Researchers from the San Francisco Estuary Institute found the chemicals in striped bass, largemouth bass, leopard shark, white croaker, white sturgeon and other fish collected between 2009 and 2019 throughout San Francisco Bay. Recreational and subsistence anglers catch striped bass and the other fish from boats, shores or piers, but they are not sold commercially. Many Asian immigrants, other people of color and low-income people fish in the bay to feed their families. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
SEE ALSO: Forever chemicals found in fish throughout San Francisco Bay, press release from the San Francisco Estuary Institute
Landsat at work: Conserving water and growing high quality grapes
“Using Landsat’s thermal imagery, researchers at Gallo Winery have been able to better understand vineyard water needs, optimize irrigation and support long-term sustainability across thousands of acres. This work also helped shape broader tools now supporting water management across the western United States. Leading that effort is Nick Dokoozlian, who has spent his career studying grapevines—from working on his family’s vineyard to teaching at the University of California, Davis, and now leading a research group at Gallo, the largest winery in the world. His extensive knowledge of growing grapes, paired with a commitment to preserving Central Valley water, led him to explore new tools for managing irrigation. That openness to experimentation brought him to remote sensing, and to Landsat, helping the company reduce water use while continuing to grow high-quality grapes for generations to come. After years of innovation and collaboration, the company has made it halfway to its long-term goal of reducing water usage by 50% while maintaining or improving yield and fruit quality. “Now we’re going after the next 25%. That goal will outlive me, probably, but we will continue to refine our irrigation practices to improve water use efficiency,” Dokoozlian said. … ” Continue reading from the USGS.
REPORT SUMMARY: Cover Crops in the SGMA Era: Guidance for GSAs and growers
“Cover crops can play a vital role in protecting and enhancing soil during the off-season or between rows of trees and vines. They can offer numerous benefits, including improving infiltration and water storage, particularly critical for the San Joaquin Valley, where SGMA implementation pushes landowners to optimize every drop of water. However, the management actions of groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) could unintentionally hinder the adoption of cover crops. The report, Cover Cropping in the SGMA Era, assembled by Sustainable Conservation, includes an analysis of the impacts of SGMA and GSA management on cover crop implementation and recommendations for water planners and managers to ensure the viability of cover cropping as a multi-benefit management tool. The report is the product of a group of 100 multidisciplinary experts convened to generate practical insights for water planners, managers, and users around the water-related impacts of cover cropping and the implications of current water management within SGMA. … ” Continue reading this report summary.
Trump cuts leave California weather forecasters scrambling as fire season looms
“The National Weather Service ceased 24/7 operations at two offices that forecast weather for the entire Central Valley and much of the Sierra Nevada, facing steep staff shortages after cuts from the Trump administration. The Central Valley offices in Sacramento and Hanford started “going dark overnight” last week because they each have about half the workers they should have, said Tom Fahy, legislative director of the National Weather Service Employees Organization. “The Trump staffing cuts have been so egregious,” he said, pointing out that six other offices nationwide have or will soon end around-the-clock hours, as reported last week by The Washington Post. Fahy said that between 2010 to 2025, about 600 employees left the National Weather Service, many of them retiring. Under President Donald Trump, he said, almost 600 people left in three months. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
In commentary this week …
On water, Newsom is out of time and making his riskiest move as governor
Opinion columnist Tom Philp writes, “One of Gavin Newsom’s first acts as governor was to start rebuilding California’s water system differently than his predecessor. Yet California’s regulatory system of analysis, permitting and litigation for big projects is leaving him nowhere close to an actual decision point, much less a podcast-worthy ribbon cutting, before his years in Sacramento are over. Running out of options, Newsom is now turning to the state Legislature to ram through a set of water reforms in the name of “fast tracking” a key California water initiative, the controversial “tunnel” project in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. This word choice, suggesting California does anything with speed, misses the broader point. There is nothing fast, efficient or effective at how California has built anything for some time. We have substituted process for actual progress. And no Democratic leader in the Legislature stays in power long enough in Sacramento to really care. This is what Newsom is up against. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
Legislature should reject governor’s plan to fast-track Delta tunnel project
“The farmland in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta area contains some of the richest soil in the nation. In fact, more than 80% of Delta farmland is classified as “prime” by the U.S. Department of Agriculture — considered the most fertile in California. But a substantial portion of that prime Delta farmland and the historic and cultural resources surrounding it are now facing a serious threat, because Gov. Gavin Newsom is plowing ahead with his plan to construct a costly and destructive water tunnel directly through the heart of the Delta. On May 14, the governor proposed to fast-track the tunnel project via the 2025-26 state budget. The governor is proposing to greatly streamline environmental and judicial reviews of the tunnel project and allow the Department of Water Resources to issue whatever massive amount of bond debt is required to pay for the tunnel, which is currently estimated to cost at least $20 billion. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
Commentary: It’s time to settle Merced River – fairly, sustainably
Stephanie Dietz, a director on the Merced Irrigation District Board, writes, “For far too long, the people of California – especially those of us in the agriculturally vital San Joaquin Valley – have been presented with a false choice: fish or farms. That narrative is not only tired; it’s untrue. In reality, California’s water must serve multiple needs: clean drinking water, productive agriculture, recreational use, and healthy ecosystems. Our state’s water policy and legal framework reflect this multi-benefit approach. Nowhere is this more urgently needed — and more possible — than on the Merced River. For over a decade, a narrow faction within the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) has pursued a misguided attempt to take as much as half of Lake McClure’s water and send it to the Pacific Ocean. This effort, buried in the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan, is based on the hope of improving salmon populations by a few hundred fish — with no credible guarantee of success, and at a staggering cost – up to $672 million in lost local economic activity and $167 million in local labor income. … ” Read more from the Merced Times.
We need integrated funding to scale up multibenefit projects
Marie Grimm, Anna Serra-Llobet, Molly Bruce, and Michael Kiparsky write, “Climate and ecological challenges are fundamentally linked, demanding solutions that address both environmental and social issues. Multibenefit projects–like levee realignments that reconnect floodplains–can combine climate adaptation, water management and ecosystem restoration efforts. However, most funding programs focus on single-purpose projects, making it difficult to support multibenefit solutions. Our new article studies the Pajaro River flood risk management project in California, exploring how funding can support and hinder multibenefit solutions. We find that local champions were able to integrate multiple benefits into a single-purpose project. However, relying on local innovation is not a general solution to a structural problem. We therefore recommend that agencies and policymakers adapt funding programs to support multibenefit solutions. … ” Read more from Legal Planet.
Sacramento green gods: Delta expendable in their windmill tilting greenhouse gas battle
Dennis Wyatt, editor of the Manteca Bulletin, writes, “Sacramento is preparing to press the delete button when it comes to the viability of the Delta. The proof is in the “fast facts” sheet devised by the Department of Water Resources to “educate” the public on the need for the Delta Conveyance Project. The sheet brags how the low-balled $20 billion project is “designed to withstand (a) 200-year flood event on top of (a) 10.2 feet of sea level rise.” The problem is the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta as it now exists won’t withstand either of those two events. Events, by the way, Sacramento has been pounding into our collective heads that are the direct result of climate change caused by greenhouse gas generated by mankind. … ” Read more from the Manteca Bulletin.
Why California is completely nuts in terms of agribusiness
Kurt Snibbe writes, “There are many reasons people may think we’re nuts to live in California, not least of which is having not just one state nut but four. Since Saturday, May 17 is National Walnut Day, we’re shelling out the details on California’s walnut, almond, pistachio and pecan production. California’s nut farms are a large part of its agricultural economy. Those farms grow 80% of the world’s almonds and 75% of the world’s walnuts. In addition, 98% of pistachios in the U.S. are grown here. Although pecans are a small portion of California’s nut industry, it is the only major commercial nut here that is native to the U.S., which is why lobbyists fought to add it to the list in 2017. Despite official recognition as state nuts, the four are not technically nuts. … ” Read more from the OC Register.
California must lead on banning the non-essential use of PFAS
Adam Link, Executive Director of the California Association of Sanitation Agencies, writes, “The time to act is now. California stands at a crossroads: either continue allowing companies to produce and sell dangerous “forever chemicals” like PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) that pollute our environment and jeopardize public health, or take bold, science-based action to eliminate their non-essential uses. Senate Bill 682 (Allen) leads the way by seeking to ban intentionally added PFAS in consumer products. Opponents argue the bill threatens economic stability, but what it truly threatens is their bottom line. SB 682 follows the essential-use model, a policy approach backed by leading scientists and public health experts. This framework distinguishes between truly necessary applications of PFAS, like in certain medical devices, and the unnecessary uses that flood our daily lives with ongoing toxic exposure. … ” Continue reading at Capitol Weekly.
No one voted for more pollution — so why is the EPA trying to cut half its budget?
Manish Bapna, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, writes, “Lee Zeldin, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, is slated to go before a Senate panel today to try and defend the indefensible: taking the nation’s environmental guardian off the beat. That’s what the Trump administration has in mind with its proposal to slash EPA funding nearly 55 percent for the 2026 budget year, the subject of Wednesday’s hearing before the Senate Committee on the Environment and Public Works. Nobody voted for that. In fact, nearly nine in 10 — 88 percent — want Congress to increase EPA funding, or at least hold it steady. Few arms of the federal government reach our daily lives quite like the EPA. Its mission is to safeguard the air we breathe and the water we drink, manage hazardous waste, clean up contaminated industrial sites and protect us from toxic chemicals. It defends the health of every person in this country. … ” Read more from The Hill.
Redefining ‘harm’ in the Endangered Species Act
Dan Keppen with the Family Farm Alliance writes, “The U.S. Fish and Wildlife and NOAA Fisheries services are seeking to modernize agency implementation of the federal Endangered Species Act of 1973. The redefinition of “harm’ proposed by the agencies would confine the notion of hurting wildlife to actions against the species in question. The ESA was an important and historic piece of legislation intended to preserve and recover species. There are instances where we have seen this promise fulfilled. And, while all of us have a strong affinity for our national environmental heritage, the regulatory implementation of this 52-year-old law has created challenges. There are a variety of real concerns with the existing definition of “harm.” By focusing the definition of “harm,” tenuous and speculative regulatory oversight and related litigation would be reduced or eliminated. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press.
In regional water news this week …
Mendocino officials brace for PG&E’s abadonment of the Potter Valley Project
“At its May 8 meeting, the Mendocino County Inland Water and Power Commission (IWPC) focused once again on PG&E’s planned withdrawal from the Potter Valley Project and the region’s efforts to secure long-term water supplies. Central to the discussion was the New Eel Russian Facility (NERF), a proposed infrastructure project that would maintain Eel River water diversions into the Russian River after PG&E’s exit. The IWPC, a joint powers authority composed of five local agencies—the County of Mendocino, the Redwood Valley County Water District, the City of Ukiah, the Potter Valley Irrigation District, and the Russian River Flood Control and Water Conservation Improvement District—continues to work in partnership with Sonoma County and Sonoma Water through the Eel Russian Project Authority (ERPA). ERPA is leading negotiations with PG&E and planning for the construction of NERF. … ” Read more from MendoFever.
USGS: Nature-based “Horizontal Levees” reduce flood risk in San Francisco Bay
“As sea levels rise and storms intensify, the threat of coastal flooding in low-lying areas like San Francisco Bay is becoming increasingly urgent. Traditionally engineered levees that hold back water are a first line of defense, but a new study points to a promising hybrid approach: nature-based “horizontal levees”. Researchers from the University of California, Santa Cruz and USGS have found that these hybrid structures—wetland buffers that slope gently out in front of traditional levees—can reduce the risk of floodwater overtopping by up to 30%, while also supporting valuable marsh habitat. Unlike conventional levees, which often rely solely on height and bulk to hold back water, horizontal levees incorporate a gradual, vegetated slope on the water-facing side. This natural buffer helps absorb wave energy, reducing the pressure on the levee itself. The result: a more resilient system that blends engineering with ecosystem restoration. … ” Read more from the USGS.
In an effort to bring Salinas Valley groundwater into sustainability, annual well fees are coming.
“For decades, drilling a well in the Salinas Valley and its outlying rural communities has required only one bureaucratic step – applying to the county’s Environmental Health Bureau for a ministerial permit and paying a one-time fee. But with the advent of the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (SVBGSA) in 2017, that paradigm was no longer sustainable. In the years since forming following California’s 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, SVBGSA has been collecting data and creating reports to send to the state Department of Water Resources to show proof the region is on track to meet SGMA’s requirements to achieve groundwater sustainability by 2040. If the Department of Water Resources doesn’t think a GSA is effectively doing that, it is empowered to step in and take over the process, which is the worst-case scenario for stakeholders who want to retain local control over managing their groundwater. … ” Read more from Monterey Now.
Months after the fires, how safe is it to swim at L.A.’s beaches?
“It seems like a straightforward question: Do the tons of toxic material the Los Angeles County fires sent spewing into the ocean pose an ongoing threat to human health? For nearly five months, public agencies, advocacy groups and scientists have analyzed samples of seawater and sand in an attempt to determine whether January’s catastrophe has made it less safe to swim, surf or sunbathe at the region’s famous beaches. Their collective results point to two broad truths. The first is that neither government agencies nor privately funded groups have found levels of fire-related contamination in sand or ocean water likely to pose health risks to beachgoers. While visible fire debris still occasionally washes up on shore and should be avoided, public health officials and advocates say, there is little evidence of fire-related toxins high enough to sicken visitors through casual recreational exposure. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
California reaches major restoration milestone at the Salton Sea
“Governor Gavin Newsom today announced a major restoration milestone at the Salton Sea – filling the East Pond Expansion with water to restore habitats lost over time due to increased salination and water loss. This comes as part of the larger Species Conservation Habitat Project, which is part of the state’s 10-year plan for implementing projects around the Salton Sea to develop an environment sustainable for local wildlife and improve air quality by reducing dust expelled from the dried seabed. The Salton Sea, California’s largest inland water body, has shrunk in recent years due to reduced inflows, resulting in an exposed lakebed that could potentially release small dust particles that further impact the already-poor air quality in the Imperial Valley. The reduced water levels and increased salinity also negatively impact habitat for wildlife, including birds traveling the Pacific flyway. … ” Read more from the Office of the Governor.
Announcements, notices, and funding opportunities …
NOTICE of additional 15-day written comment period to the proposed water measurement and reporting revisions
