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Amended Nutria Eradication and Control Act Signed Into Law

/in , , /by /AgNet Westby Brian German

President Donald Trump recently signed into law a bill to reauthorize the Nutria Eradication and Control Act of 2003. The bill will provide federal assistance for states dealing with nutria issues. California is among the states that will receive federal support under the bill. The legislation was authored by Representative Josh Harder who introduced the bill in June of 2019. Federal funding for addressing nutria has been established at up to $12 million per year under the bill.

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Feds Give Green Light to Friant-Kern Canal Repairs

/in , , /by /The San Joaquin Valley Sunby Daniel Gligich

The Friant-Kern Canal has received the approval from the federal government to fix a sag in the canal.

The Bureau of Reclamation gave its approval Tuesday – signing a Record of Decision giving environmental clearance for the project – following action from the Trump administration to invest about $5 million to study and begin pre-construction work on the canal.

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Coming Back Into Balance | Examining Agriculture’s Role in Combating Climate Change

/in , , /by /VC Reporterby Kimberly Rivers

Tension is growing between politicians claiming to be “climate leaders”; those who say that enacted policies are too little, too late; and industry sectors lobbying to maintain the status quo. Environmental activists are pushing hard against the fossil fuel industry and commercial agriculture — two sectors that helped build Ventura County but are now being put under the spotlight for activities that contribute to global warming.

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California Landfill Sued Over Alleged Stormwater Pollution

/in , , /by /Bloomberg Lawby Maya Earls

A 340-acre landfill facility in Richmond, Calif., is releasing contaminated stormwater contaminated into nearby waters in violation of its federal water pollution permit, a conservation group says in a lawsuit filed in federal court. The West Contra Costa Sanitary Landfill has consistently released stormwater and non-stormwater containing high levels of iron, aluminum, and a high pH, according to the suit.

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Accusations and Denials Arise Over Bond Sale Plans for Delta Tunnel

/in , , /by /The Independentby Ron McNicoll

A declaration suit filed in Superior Court in Sacramento by attorneys for some of the leading environmental groups in America accuses the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) of trying to prevent anyone in California from filing a court action challenging the bonds after the bond sales are underway. Referring to the DWR’s court filing in August, the environmental groups’ Oct. 29 suit says it amounts to the DWR writing a “blank check” to finance the project.

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Menlo Park’s First Recycled Water System Officially Launches in Sharon Heights

/in , , /by /The Almanacby Kate Bradshaw

Years in the works, Menlo Park’s first recycled water system is up and running, carrying wastewater from local households to the Sharon Heights Golf & Country Club, where a new treatment facility cleans the water for irrigation use, keeping the golf course a lush emerald green.

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First Weekend of November Could See Snow, Rain in Northern California

/in , , /by /ABC10by Rob Carlmark

 After a very warm and dry October for Northern California, some big changes are coming for the first weekend in November. Most of this week will be warm, sunny and dry with high temperatures well above the average of 70 degrees. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday will see highs close to 80 degrees and remain rain-free.

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California Department of Water Resources Water Flow Experiment Successfully Increases Habitat for Endangered Delta Smelt

/in , , /by /Sierra Sun Times

By experimenting with how salty ocean water mixes with fresh water within the Suisun Marsh, the Department of Water Resources has found a way to improve habitat conditions for endangered delta smelt within the upper San Francisco Estuary. DWR experimented in August 2018 with using existing water control structures, known as the Suisun Marsh Salinity Control Gates, to direct a pulse of fresh water from the Sacramento River into the salty Bay water of the marsh. Delta smelt move with the tides as they swim through the Delta and Suisun Marsh.

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California’s Wildfire Risk Stays High as Other Regions Cool Down

/in , , /by /Capitol Pressby Brad Carlson

The risk of large wildfires remains high in  California, the National Interagency Fire Center says. Fall is the windy season, and dry fuels remain in much of the state.

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Opinion: What California Can Learn from Cape Town About Water Policy

/in , , /by /San Francisco Chronicle by Robert Hertzberg

Two years ago, Cape Town, South Africa, a city of 4 million people, informed its shocked citizens that the city was just a few months away from running out of water due to drought. It was a wake-up call for all of us to become much better stewards of our own water. Luckily, for Cape Towners, innovative water conservation and efficiency measures, smarter data use, expanded water storage, and help from Mother Nature all combined to help them avoid a major water shutoff.

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