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Power Outages Could Cut Off Livestock Water, California Farm Bureau Federation Reports

/in , , /by /Sierra Sun Times (Mariposa, Calif.)by Ching Lee

As California’s wildfire season heats up, commercial ranchers and other livestock owners brace for possible power outages that could hinder their ability to provide water for their animals. Energy companies may need to cut power as a preventive measure during wildfire conditions, as required under directives from the California Public Utilities Commission. Although Pacific Gas & Electric Co. has stated its public safety power shutoffs could potentially affect any of its more than 5 million electric customers, the customers most at risk are those who live in locations defined as high fire-threat areas. The utility suggests preparing for outages that could last longer than 48 hours.

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Water = Prosperity

/in , /by /Manteca Bulletin (Manteca, Calif.)by Dennis Wyatt

Nestled in the rustic Stanislaus River canyon below the western horizon from busy Highway 108-120 in the bottomland of Tuolumne County is arguably the most critical chunk of concrete ever poured when it comes to powering the Manteca economy. It is here some 35 miles to the northeast of Manteca you’ll find Goodwin Dam. The 400-foot high dam was completed in December of 1912 primary as a storage and diversion point for the South San Joaquin Irrigation District and its 110-year-old partner – the Oakdale Irrigation District. The SSJID share was $342,500 – $54,000 less than the median price of a resale home closing escrow in Manteca today.

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Groundwater Law – Physical – “The Water Budget Myth”

/in , /by /California WaterBlog (Davis, Calif.)by Jay Lund

This week’s short post is on groundwater law – from the viewpoint of physics. Water policy, management, and human law often misunderstand how groundwater and surface water work physically. Bredehoeft, et al. (1982) distill a longstanding lament of many groundwater experts, “Perhaps the most common misconception in groundwater hydrology is that a water budget of an area determines the magnitude of possible groundwater development. Several well-known hydrologists have addressed this misconception and attempted to dispel it. Somehow, though, it persists and continues to color decisions by the water-management community.”

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California Is Testing Its Water, So PFAS Defendants Could Face Prop 65 Lawsuits Soon

/in , /by /Legal Newsline (Chicago, Ill.)by Sarah Downey

California could be moving toward the regulation and litigation of perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (PFAS) since government agencies have been testing water in many locations, including airports and landfills, with results due as early as this fall. “The state water board is doing a bunch of sampling in drinking or ground water,” said Leila Bruderer, an attorney with the Downey Brand firm in Sacramento. “Under Proposition 65, there is potential for that litigation.” California’s Proposition 65 – the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act – was passed in 1986 to guard against chemicals that cause health problems.

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July Was The Hottest Month Ever Recorded

/in , , /by /KQED-FM (San Francisco, Calif.)by Kevin Stark

In the latest sign the Earth is undergoing unprecedented warming, European scientists said Monday that July was the hottest month ever recorded. “While July is usually the warmest month of the year for the globe, according to our data it also was the warmest month recorded globally, by a very small margin,” Jean-Noël Thépaut, head of the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, said in a statement. Last week, citing the latest data, United Nations Secretary General António Guterres told reporters that the world is facing a “climate emergency.” He noted the July numbers were even more significant because the previous record-beating month, July 2016, occurred during one of the strongest El Nino’s on record.

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Data Saves Water

/in , , /by /Water and Waste Digest (Scottsdale, Ariz.)by Henrique Costa

The world is enduring a water crisis at the hands of rising demand, prevalent leaks, reduction in supply and an uptick in droughts, and businesses, municipalities and individuals are feeling the pressure to use water resources more responsibly. The New York Times reported the average water pipeline in the U.S. will be 45 years old by 2020, and some pipelines have been in the ground for up to 150 years. Beyond leaking, corrosion and lead contamination are just a few risks and challenges with which agencies and utilities must contend, or they will risk sacrificing significant time and money to rebuild, repair or renovate these aging infrastructure systems.

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Tribe, Fishing Groups Sue Over Klamath River Water Allocations

/in , /by /Jefferson Public Radio (Ashland, Ore.)by Jes Burns

Fishing groups and tribes have filed a lawsuit challenging new endangered species protection guidelines for the Klamath River. The suit targets the biological opinion, which is an assessment of how the Bureau of Reclamation manages river flow, irrigation water and levels in Upper Klamath Lake to ensure protection of coho salmon and two species of sucker fish. The newest opinion was finalized earlier this year. The lawsuit filed by the Yurok Tribe, the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations and the Institute for Fisheries Resource says the biological opinion is too permissive, allowing irrigation withdrawals at the expense of fish.

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OPINION: Klamath Dams Critical To Fighting Wildfires

/in , , /by /Herald and News (Klamath Falls, Ore.)by The Siskiyou County Natural Resources Department

Wildfire season is upon us once again in the Klamath Basin. When homes and lives are at stake in a wildfire, nothing is more important than having firebreaks and a readily available water source. That’s exactly what’s provided by the reservoirs created by dams on the Klamath River. The fact that the dams and those reservoirs are being targeted for removal by the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC) is a great source of worry for residents, firefighters, and the County of Siskiyou. Citizen safety is a primary responsibility of the county. The reservoirs of Copco and Iron Gate have proven critical to saving local communities from wildfire for many years.

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Facilitator To Aid Interior On Water Talks

/in , /by /Herald and News (Klamath Falls, Ore.)by Holly Dillemuth

A coalition aimed at bringing multiple parties together to discuss the future of water resources in the Klamath Basin is hiring an additional facilitator to help with the effort. Alan Mikkelsen, senior advisor to the Secretary of the Interior on water and western resource issues, said Friday he is continuing to take part in the so-called “Coalition of the Willing” meetings in addition to the facilitator. Mikkelsen met with the coalition at the building housing the Bureau of Land Management office in Medford on July 30 and 31. “This is supplementing what we’ve been doing,” Mikkelsen said, of the facilitator position.

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The Days Have Been Getting Shorter Since June. So Why Does The Weather Keep Getting Warmer?

/in , , /by /The Washington Postby Jeremy Deaton

It’s been a little over five weeks since the summer solstice, the longest day of the year. Since June 21, the days have grown progressively shorter. The sun has been in retreat, casting off a little less light every day, beaming down a little less heat. And yet, in many parts of the United States, the weather has only gotten warmer. Scientists have a name for this phenomenon: seasonal lag. In many places, the hottest day of the year comes weeks, or even months, after the longest day of the year. The reason for that has a lot to do with how water soaks up heat.

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