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Indigenous Tribes are at the Forefront of Climate Change Planning in the U.S.

/in , /by /Grist by Naveena Sadasivam

Temperatures in Idaho’s Columbia, Snake, and Salmon rivers were so warm in 2015 that they cooked millions of salmon and steelhead to death. As climate change leads to consistently warmer temperatures and lower river flows, researchers expect that fish kills like this will become much more common. Tribal members living on the Nez Perce reservation are preparing for this new normal.

“The biggest and most poignant impact for Nez Perce tribal members has been the loss of fishing and fish,” said Stephanie Krantz, the climate change coordinator for the tribe. “For tribal peoples, they are absolutely essential for survival.”

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Arcata Considers Putting Fluoridation on November Ballot

/in , /by /Times Standard by Sonia Waraich

Arcata is returning to a question it asked 14 years ago: Should the city fluoridate its water?

The Arcata City Council will be voting Wednesday on whether there should be a measure on the November 2020 ballot asking residents whether or not the city should stop fluoridating its water. The item was brought forward at the request of Arcata City Councilman Paul Pitino. A measure previously appeared before voters in 2006 when almost two-thirds of Arcata citizens voted it down, but Pitino said now, “we know a little bit more.”

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Hydropower Dams in Tropics Found to Harm Fish

/in , /by /Courthouse News Service by Carson McCullough

Researchers warn that future freshwater damming efforts could present significant dangers to aquatic life if allowed to proceed as planned, potentially threatening the habitats of up to 10,000 fish species.

A study, published Monday in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, details how a large team of environmental researchers have charted out the potential consequences of both present and future damming efforts of freshwater sources.

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MWD to Update Plan for Meeting Southern California’s Future Water Needs

/in , /by /California Water News Daily by California Water News Daily

The board of directors of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) formed a special committee to provide input on how the region’s water supplies will be developed and managed over the next two decades.

After hearing from staff and experts, the committee will be making recommendations to the full board on how to update MWD’s Integrated Water Resources Plan. The plan was originally adopted in 1996 and is updated every five years.

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Poway Might Reimburse Residents, Businesses for Week of Water Restrictions

/in , , /by /KPBSby Matt Hoffman

The Poway City Council will vote Tuesday on whether to issue rebates on water bills to compensate residents and business for losses stemming from the contamination crisis late last year.

In late November, stormwater contaminated the city’s water supply and people were told not to drink water for nearly a week. Now the city is looking to reimburse residents and businesses for the interruption.

The city council will consider giving customers a one time credit that on average would be $28, depending on water usage.

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Maybe the old Lake Wohlford Dam Isn’t so bad, After All?

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribune by J. Harry Jones

Plans to replace the Lake Wohlford dam are now on hold as Escondido investigates other, less expensive options because the projected cost of the project has escalated to more than $50 million.

It was nearly 13 years ago when state inspectors determined that the top quarter of the dam might liquefy in the event of a major earthquake and potentially flood eastern Escondido.

Right away, Escondido utility workers lowered the water level of the lake so that only the bottom three-quarters of the dam would be needed to hold back water. The amount of water stored in the lake was reduced by about half.

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Imperial Valley Conservation Efforts Benefit San Diego, Southwest

/in , , /by /WaterNewsNetwork Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The San Diego County Water Authority’s Board of Directors visited the Imperial Valley January 30 for a day-long tour that highlighted areas critical to the agency’s Regional Conveyance System Study. Board members approved a study in July 2019, to evaluate a new regional water conveyance system that would deliver water from the Colorado River to San Diego County and provide multiple benefits across the Southwest. The Board will hear results from the first phase of the study this spring before deciding whether to move ahead with Phase B. The tour started in southwestern Imperial County, where the All-American Canal meets the Westside Main Canal, an historic location where, starting in 1919, water from a canal system in Mexico first flowed into the western half of the Imperial Valley. 

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San Diego Leaders Say $300M in New Federal Cash Will Help Build U.S. Facility to Capture TJ River Pollution

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union-Tribuneby Joshua Emerson Smith

The San Diego region has secured $300 million in federal funding for a new U.S. facility to capture Tijuana sewage spills before they foul South Bay shorelines, elected leaders said Friday. “This has been an issue in our region for decades, and concrete federal action to address cross-border pollution has been long overdue,” said Rep. Mike Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano, at a news conference in Chula Vista. Congressional leaders announced the funding in December, but it wasn’t clear whether that money would be doled out across the entire southwest border or dedicated specifically to address pollution in the Tijuana River Valley.

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City of San Diego’s Hodges Reservoir Reopens Feb. 5 for Recreation

/in , , /by /Times of San Diegoby Debbie L. Sklar

The city of San Diego’s Hodges Reservoir will officially reopen to the public three days a week beginning on Wednesday, Feb. 5, allowing access for a variety of activities, including boating, fishing, hiking and picnicking. Hodges is normally closed November through January.

Hodges will be open Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from sunrise to sunset. It will also be open on Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day holidays.

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Opinion: 4 Things Arizona Should Learn From California’s Groundwater Regulation Fight

/in , , /by /azcentral.by Joanna Allhands

Arizona is debating the next steps it should take to protect limited groundwater, 40 years after the state’s landmark Groundwater Management Act became law. As the arguments take shape, it’s instructive to look west to California, which did not have groundwater legislation in place until 2014. The first round of management plans – which cover the basins with the most critical groundwater issues, mostly in the agriculture-heavy Central Valley – were due Jan. 31. The process has been laden with drama. And it’s anyone’s guess, after years of debate, whether California regulators will sign off on some basins’ plans.

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