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Local Agencies File Management Plans for Aquifers

/in , /by /Ag Alert (Sacramento) by Christine Souza

The deadline passed at the end of January for local agencies representing 19 of the state’s most stressed groundwater basins to submit plans for how the basins will reach sustainability during the next 20 years. It’s a milestone in implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.

Speaking during the annual California Irrigation Institute conference in Sacramento last week, Tim Godwin of the California Department of Water Resources said the department is now reviewing the submitted plans. DWR will ultimately grade the plans as adequate; incomplete, which gives agencies 180 days to submit clarifying information; or inadequate, which requires DWR to consult with the State Water Resources Control Board on next steps.

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Cal Am Facing Permit Dilemma

/in , /by /KSBW 8 (Salinas, Calif.)by Kristina Lucarelli

California American Water’s Plan for a desalination plant hit a major hurdle last month when the California Coastal Commission told the company it is not ready to make a decision on its permit.

The news came in a letter dated January 28, 2020 and it recommend Cal Am pull its current application and resubmit at a later date. The Coastal Commission cited its likely inability to make a decision in time to meet its own internal deadline per the Permit Streamlining Act.

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Newsom Administration Trying Again for a River Flow Deal

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Bettina Boxall

The Newsom administration Tuesday floated a proposal to avert a protracted legal battle over new state standards that would make some of California’s biggest water users cut their river diversions to help struggling fish populations.

State officials see a settlement as the linchpin of administration water policies that have been bogged down in the perennial conflicts over the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, a source of water for much of California and home to some of its most threatened native fish.

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Some Droughts are ‘Perfect.’ Here’s Why

/in , , /by /KJZZ by Bret Jaspers

A “perfect drought” happens when major sources of water all experience drought at the same time. It was behind California’s dry spell early last decade, and a new study shows they go back centuries.

Connie Woodhouse and David Meko, professors at the University of Arizona’s Laboratory of Tree Ring Research, found the most recent span of 100 years, when five perfect droughts hit California, was not unusual compared to past centuries.

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Congressmen Working to Find Ways to Repair Aging California Canals

/in , , /by /KFSN (Fresno, Calif.) by Dale Yurong

(KFSN Fresno, Calif.) – Canals that move water through the state are showing signs of aging.

The Delta-Mendota Canal was built in 1951, while the California Aqueduct was built in 1963.

You can find cracks in the canal system due to subsidence. The land is sinking in some areas due to years of groundwater over-pumping.

“I think we’ve fallen woefully behind when it comes to maintaining infrastructure as we’ve seen in growing populations,” says Cannon Michael.

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California Canals Damaged by Sinking Soil, Groundwater Pumping. New Bills aim to Help

/in , /by /The Sacramento Bee by Carmen George

Democratic congressmen from Fresno introduced two pieces of legislation that aim to repair aging canals and water infrastructure in California that’s been damaged by sinking ground levels – called subsidence, caused by groundwater pumping.

“The canals on the eastside and the westside are experiencing dramatic subsidence and therefore their capacity to move water has greatly diminished,” said Rep. Jim Costa during a news conference Monday before the backdrop of the central San Joaquin Valley’s Friant Dam, just outside Fresno.

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Opinion: Is California Trying to kill the Community-Scale Generation Market?

/in , /by /PV Magazine by Tam Hunt

The community-scale market segment has been plagued by ongoing policy neglect, and otherwise poor policy choices. Will policymakers heed the track record of demonstrated failure and finally create new programs that address previous problems?

California, long a progressive leader on renewable energy and climate change mitigation, has neglected a key market segment for renewable energy: the community-scale or wholesale distributed generation market.

The wholesale distributed generation segment consists of projects below 20 megawatts that connect to the distribution grid and export power to the grid for sale.

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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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