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California Drought Increases Bear Encounters With Humans

A cellphone video that has been seen more than 5 million times after KCRA 3 shared it on Facebook Tuesday. It shows a mother bear and her two cubs swimming at Pope Beach in Lake Tahoe, near Camp Richardson. It’s not every day you see a family of bears playing in a public lake — unless you’re a biologist. “At Lake Tahoe, we get bears down at the lake frequently,” said Jason Holley, a supervising wildlife biologist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.

 

BLOG: New Program Pays Central Valley Farmers to Grow Wildlife Habitat

California’s drought is taking its toll on wildlife. Years of sub-par precipitation have cut the amount of water available for wildlife refuges that supply critical habitat and food for waterfowl and other migratory birds. Reduced river flows are pushing endangered fish species to the brink. Riparian forests have also been impacted by the drought, as well as by groundwater over-pumping. As well as the drought, increased development, population growth, pollution and other pressures have almost eliminated most of the vital riparian and wetland habitat that a number of endangered species need to survive.

Scientists Seek Old Photos After Annual State of Lake Tahoe Report Admits Uncertainty About Algae Before 1980

Last week, University of California Davis Professor Geoff Schladow broke the news gently before a crowd of residents and scientists that Lake Tahoe is still getting warmer, regional winters are still getting shorter, and overall snowfall is still on the decline. “Hopefully you’re not like me where you’ve been investing in skis each year,” said Schladow. The news — highlighted by the fact that 2015 was the warmest year yet for Lake Tahoe — came with the release last week of the UC Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center’s 10th annual “Tahoe: State of the Lake Report.”

Study Reveals Hidden Pollution Exchange Between Oceans and Groundwater

Researchers have uncovered previously hidden sources of ocean pollution along more than 20 percent of America’s coastlines. The study, published online Aug. 4 in the journal Science, offers the first-ever map of underground drainage systems that connect fresh groundwater and seawater, and also pinpoints sites where drinking water is most vulnerable to saltwater intrusion now and in the future. Audrey Sawyer, assistant professor of earth sciences at The Ohio State University and leader of the study, said that while scientists have long known that freshwater and seawater mix unseen below ground, until now they hadn’t been able to pinpoint exactly where it was happening, or how much.

 

Video: Improving California’s Water Accounting

Understanding California’s balance sheet for water—how much there is, who has claims to it, and what is actually being “spent”—is key to effective and sustainable water management, especially during droughts. But the state’s system of accounting is outdated and ineffective for managing some of our biggest water challenges, according to new research from the PPIC Water Policy Center. A group of water management experts gathered to discuss the topic at a PPIC event last week. These weaknesses make it harder to manage groundwater, water for the environment, surface water allocations, and water trading, he said.

Food Manufacturers Focus on Saving Water

California’s drought is in its fifth year. While that has prompted many businesses to change their operations, looking for ways to use water more efficiently has long been a priority in the Valley’s food manufacturing sector. “It has always made good economic sense for manufacturers to carefully manage their water use,” said California Manufacturers & Technology Association President Dorothy Rothrock. “For decades they’ve been investing in water-saving technologies and best practices to significantly reduce water use.” She added that California companies are more competitive because they’ve reduced their water bills and lowered energy costs used in water treatment or disposal.

BLOG: MWD Rolls the Dice with Our Water Supplies During Drought

One would think an agency caught in the grips of one of the worst droughts California has ever seen would handle and account for its water supply with extreme prudence.  And yet, in attempting to avoid mandatory conservation measures, the Metropolitan Water District has grossly overestimated its projected water supplies when performing a state-required “stress test” to model water conditions in 2017, 2018, and 2019.

Farm Leaders: Federal Water Rules are Game Changers

Scott VanderWal came across the South Dakota border to southwest Minnesota’s Farmfest to scare farmers. The American Farm Bureau vice president wasted no time doing that as keynote speaker Wednesday before a panel launched into a water issues discussion. “Right this minute, a California farmer is in the legal battle of his life over Waters of the U.S.,” the Volga, S.D., farmer said about rules federal authorities have released, but courts have put on hold until court cases can be decided.

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U.S. Commerce Secretary Pritzker visits Fresno, Hears Water Concerns

Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker made a brief visit to Fresno on Wednesday, where she talked with farmers and agriculture officials about trade, economic opportunities and, primarily, water. “She was well briefed,” said Rep. Jim Costa, the Fresno Democrat who invited Pritzker to visit. “She knew the challenges created for water users here in the Valley.” Costa said Pritzker talked for 30 to 40 minutes about efforts by the U.S. Department of Commerce to improve economic activity for businesses, as well as business opportunities and the impact of trade for California.

Suit: California Failed to Study Oil Well Impact on Water

Environmentalists sued state agencies Wednesday to halt oil well injections into a federally protected aquifer near California’s Central Coast. California oil and gas regulators failed to assess environmental consequences before forwarding a so-called aquifer exemption to federal officials for final approval, the Center for Biological Diversity said in the lawsuit filed in San Luis Obispo Superior Court.