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Trump Promised California Farmers More Water. Can He Deliver?

/in /by /The Sacramento Beeby Ryan Sabalow and Dale Kasler

More than a year ago, Fresno County farmer Wayne Western Jr. penned a letter to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, pleading for help. Western said the federal government was mismanaging California’s water supply with unjustified environmental restrictions, and that San Joaquin Valley farms such as his might dry up and go out of business without assistance from Washington. Trump replied with a handwritten note of his own, a pledge: “Got it – crazy. If I win, it will be corrected quickly.”

 

 

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Trump Promised California Farmers More Water. Can He Deliver?

/in /by /The Sacramento Beeby Ryan Sabalow and Dale Kasler

More than a year ago, Fresno County farmer Wayne Western Jr. penned a letter to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, pleading for help. Western said the federal government was mismanaging California’s water supply with unjustified environmental restrictions, and that San Joaquin Valley farms such as his might dry up and go out of business without assistance from Washington. Trump replied with a handwritten note of his own, a pledge: “Got it – crazy. If I win, it will be corrected quickly.”

 

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Trump’s Pledge To ‘Open Up The Water’ For Valley Farms: Easier Said Than Done

/in /by /KQED (San Francisco)by Craig Miller

President-elect Donald Trump might have trouble living up to one of his more sweeping campaign promises in California.On the stump in Fresno last May, he made headlines for declaring, “There is no drought” here.It’s a bit unclear from his remarks whether he was voicing an opinion or simply reporting what some farmers told him at a pre-rally gathering. Either way, he was badly mistaken.

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Could California Drought Deal Actually Get Done?

/in /by /Politico (Arlington, Va.)by Anthony Adragna

California (Drought) Dreamin’: Lawmakers on both sides of the Capitol are hopeful that this could be the year Congress finally reaches a deal on California water. Time is running out, but the success or failure of drought talks could have big implications for the rest of Congress’ unfinished business, including a major water infrastructure package, an energy bill and a spending measure to keep the government open past Dec. 9.

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102 Million Dead California Trees ‘Unprecedented In Our Modern History,’ Officials Say

/in /by /Los Angeles Timesby Matt Stevens

The number of dead trees in California’s drought-stricken forests has risen dramatically to more than 102 million in what officials described as an unparalleled ecological disaster that heightens the danger of massive wildfires and damaging erosion. Officials said they were alarmed by the increase in dead trees, which they estimated to have risen by 36 million since the government’s last survey in May. The U.S. Forest Service, which performs such surveys of forest land, said Friday that 62 million trees have died this year alone.

 

 

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Salton Sea Wins $14 Million Grant To Aid Migratory Birds

/in /by /The Press-Enterprise (Riverside)by Suzanne Hurt

The California Wildlife Conservation Board has awarded $14 million for Salton Sea wetland habitat restoration to sustain migrating birds and the fish they eat there, state officials announced Thursday, Nov. 17. The grant of voter-approved bond funds will be used by the California Department of Water Resources to build about 640 acres of wetlands near the spot where the New River flows into the super-saline lake northwest of Westmorland, California Secretary for Natural Resources John Laird said in a news release.

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BLOG: For Stockton, Tunnels About Quality And Quantity

/in /by /ESanJoaquin.comby Alex Breitler

One detail was omitted from last week’s write-up on the city of Stockton’s concerns about how the Delta tunnels might impact the city’s new water treatment plant. This is a bit wonky. Stick with me. The story is all about the city’s fear that water quality will deteriorate at the intake for its $220 million drinking water plant, forcing expensive treatment upgrades that could jack up rates, theoretically, by up to 200 percent. But it’s not just water quality that is of concern. It’s quantity, too. That may sound strange.

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Poway water rate increases proposed

/in /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Steve Dreyer

The city next week will be mailing out notices regarding a public hearing on Jan. 10 on proposed increases in water rates. Residential rates are proposed to increase by 7.75 percent for water used, plus an 8.75 percent hike in the fixed meter charge. The City Council, meeting in a workshop session Tuesday night regarding water rates, was told most of the “water commodity” rate increase reflects a pass-through increase from the San Diego County Water Authority, from where the city buys raw water for treatment in its municipal plant.

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From the Delta to the Desert: Trump’s Interior Pick Bad News for California Water

/in /by /KCET (Burbank)by Chris Clarke

We’ve known for some weeks that Donald Trump’s transition team includes attorney David Longly Bernhardt, who has been tasked with managing the post-electoral turnover at the U.S. Department of the Interior. Bernhardt will be overseeing the hiring process for Trump’s new Interior Secretary, along with a number of important subordinate positions within the Department, including heads of agencies like the National Park Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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Water Insecurity Creates Climate Problems, Not Just Business Risks

/in /by /News Deeplyby Tara Lohan

Each year, businesses around the world are feeling growing financial impacts from water insecurity, said a new report released this week. “Thirsty Business: Why Water Is Vital to Climate Action,” is produced by the nonprofit CDP, which creates an annual report tracking how companies manage water resources and plan for the future. Ample supplies of freshwater resources are crucial for many businesses, but it’s also vital to efforts to decrease greenhouse gas emissions. Scientific studies have found that climate change will lead to higher risk of both droughts and floods.

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