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$3 Million Earmarked For Three California Coastal Habitats By U.S. Department of the Interior

/in , /by /California Water News Daily

Three California coastal wetlands habitats will each be receiving $1 million for restoration projects according to an announcement by the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI). U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt announced last week that 11 coastal states will be sharing in a total of $20 million for 22 projects in 11 coastal states to protect, restore or enhance more than 7,000 acres of coastal wetlands and adjacent upland habitats under the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program.

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Opinion: Key Conflicts Roil California’s Ever Evolving Waterscape

/in , /by /CALmatters (Sacramento)by Dan Walters

As 2018 was winding down, one of California’s leading newspapers suggested, via a front-page, banner-headlined article, that the drought that had plagued the state for much of this decade may be returning. Just weeks later, that same newspaper was reporting that record-level midwinter storms were choking mountain passes with snow, rapidly filling reservoirs and causing serious local flooding. Neither was incorrect at the time, but their juxtaposition underscores the unpredictable nature of California’s water supply.

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Shasta Dam Expansion: California, Conservation Groups Sue Water District Over Plan

/in , /by /KQED News (Sacramento)by Craig Miller

The battle over Shasta Dam is escalating. This week, California’s attorney general and several fishing and conservation groups filed separate lawsuits to stop a controversial project to elevate the dam and expand the state’s largest reservoir, near Redding. “This project is unlawful,” wrote Attorney General Xavier Becerra in a statement announcing the state’s lawsuit. “

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One Less Tax. California Lawmakers Move To Reject Gavin Newsom’s Water Fee

/in , /by /The Sacramento Beeby Hannah Wiley

A Senate budget subcommittee rejected Gov. Gavin Newsom’s water tax plan on Wednesday, instead recommending finding $150 million elsewhere to finance a safe and affordable drinking water fund. Newsom proposed the tax in his January budget to help communities clean contaminated water systems. His May budget revise also included a fee to address the statewide problem that affects one million Californians.

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California Is Already Drenched. Now Three ‘Atmospheric Rivers’ May Unload Two Months’ Worth Of Rain.

/in , /by /The Washington Post by Mike Branom

Californians proudly regard themselves as early adopters and trendsetters. So, of course, they’ll be the first to experience an aberrant weather pattern that is expected in the continental United States over the coming days. A jet stream sagging into the mid latitudes is forecast to drive into the Golden State some unseasonably late precipitation and a lot of it starting Wednesday and continuing into the weekend.

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Maximizing Use Of Water Stored In Soil Could Result in Savings For Farmers

/in , /by /UCDavis by Amy Quinton

As California faces more frequent and severe droughts, agriculture, which relies on irrigation from surface water and groundwater, could become expensive and unsustainable. Researchers at the University of California, Davis, looked at using a “free” resource rain water stored in the soil and found that optimizing its use could go a long way to help meet demand for five California perennial crops. Their findings appear in the journal Environmental Research Letters.

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Atmospheric Rivers Are Back. That’s Not A Bad Thing.

/in , /by /The New York Timesby Jill Cowan

Remember atmospheric rivers? Earlier this year, they hit California’s collective consciousness in a big way, as the state reeled from the catastrophic flooding, mudslides and pounding rain they brought with them. This week, much to the dismay of anyone eyeing a weekend outdoors, atmospheric rivers are back and forecast to pour cold water (and snow) on the Bay Area and other parts of California. As Daniel Swain, a climate researcher and the author of the Weather West blog, put it: “Enjoy the upcoming 10 days of ‘Mayuary.’”

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Drawing Lines On Privacy, Wildfire, Water And Schools

/in , /by /CALmatters (Sacramento)by Dan Morain

The nation’s first big-city ban on the use of facial-recognition technology by municipal agencies and local law enforcement passed Tuesday in San Francisco, signaling the next front in the debate over data privacy. Voting 8-1, supervisors in the tech hub made an exception for federally regulated facilities, like the airport. Oakland is considering a similar measure, and San Francisco Assemblyman Phil Ting has authored a more limited statewide version. SF police actually don’t use facial recognition. But privacy advocates say other law enforcement agencies do (San Jose, San Diego, California Department of Justice), that the technology can violate privacy, and that it can be inaccurate, especially with subjects who are not white men.

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Rare ‘Atmospheric River’ Storms To Soak California This Week

/in , /by /East Bay Times (Walnut Creek, Calif.)by Paul Rogers

Dig out that umbrella, and even the tire chains. It’s mid-May, but a series of rare, winter-like storms will soak the Bay Area and much of California through next week and bring up to 2 feet of new snow to the Sierra Nevada. Two atmospheric rivers are moving in from the Pacific, forecasters say. And although they are weak — expected to be a 1 on a scale of 1 to 5 — they will generate steady rainfall starting Wednesday and continuing through next Tuesday.

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Spillway Concerns? DWR, Sheriff Kory Honea Say No

/in , /by /Chico Enterprise-Recordby Brody Fernandez

The California Department of Water Resources released a Lake Oroville community update on Monday afternoon amid rumors of ongoing safety concerns regarding the Oroville Dam’s main spillway. These rumors have been circulated mostly on Facebook, according to DWR Public Information Officer Elizabeth Whitmore. “At this time, the community update should answer all questions regarding any safety issues with the main spillway, as well as concerns growing over the upcoming rain storm,” Whitmore said.

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