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Hillside Erosion Worsening in California Due to Wildfires and Intense Rain

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Grace Toohey

Over the last three decades, California has seen increasing erosion after major wildfires — a phenomenon that not only endangers water resources and ecosystems, but is also likely to worsen with climate change, according to researchers.

A new study from the U.S. Geological Survey documented a tenfold increase in post-fire hillside erosion in Northern California from the late 1980s to the 2010s, with the majority of the largest sediment-producing fires occurring in the last decade.

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California’s Water Workforce is Aging. Promoting the Next Generation of Workers is Essential

/in , /by /Cal Mattersby Travis Hinkle

A career building and maintaining California’s water and wastewater treatment systems may be unglamorous, failing to spring to mind — at least it did for me — when young people contemplate their future careers.

However, the state faces a looming shortage of workers in these critical roles. It is imperative to support local, state and federal policies that help fill them.

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More Than a Dozen Proposed New CA Water Laws Race to Capitol Finish Line

/in , /by /GV Wire

The majority of bills churning through this legislative session have to pass the Assembly and Senate by midnight Saturday, Aug. 31, or they die. And there are a slew of water bills racing toward that deadline.

While some may make it to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk, no one can say with certainty whether he will sign them, veto them, or ignore them.

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Tap Water is Generally Safe to Drink. But Contamination can Occur.

/in , /by /USA Todayby Daryl Austin

The World Health Organization notes that only about 73% of the world’s population have access to drinking water that is both nearby and free from contamination, leaving billions of people who aren’t afforded such a basic luxury. Even worse, at least 1.7 billion people have to drink from a water source that’s contaminated by human waste.

And while there are notable exceptions such as the Flint water crisis, those of us living in the United States have few reasons to worry about such the safety of our drinking water. “In relationship to the risk of illness associated with other countries around the world, our drinking water ranks fairly highly as we use advanced testing measures to ensure that drinking water is safe and free from both chemical and microbial contaminants,” says Rachel Noble, a distinguished professor of marine sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

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Embattled Manager of California Water Agency Defends Record, Says Complaints are Unfounded

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Ian James

More than two months after he was placed on leave by the board of California’s largest urban water supplier, embattled General Manager Adel Hagekhalil defended his performance and insisted the accusations against him are unfounded.

The board of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California met in closed session Tuesday to discuss the status of investigations into multiple complaints and voted to extend Hagekhalil’s leave of absence until Oct. 23 as the investigation continues. The leave had been scheduled to end in September.

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Boiling Point: Tech Companies Clam Up About AI’s Climate Costs

/in , /by /Los Angeles Timesby Hayley Smith

Artificial intelligence technology is guzzling water and energy in California and around the globe, yet most tech companies have not been forthcoming about the actual environmental costs of their applications, my colleague Melody Petersen reports.

That’s a huge problem, as their energy and water consumption will undoubtedly strain supplies and drive up demand for climate-warming oil, gas and coal — all while leaving users in the dark about their true contributions.

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Life Heat Waves, Wildfires, Snow: California Endures a Summer of Extremes

/in , /by /Times of San Diego

An unusually cold weather system from the Gulf of Alaska interrupted summer along the West Coast over the weekend, bringing snow to mountains in California and the Pacific Northwest and prompting the closure of part of a highway that runs through a national park.

Parts of Highway 89 through Lassen Volcanic National Park in California were shut down after an estimated 3 inches of snow fell Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

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Fearing Trump, California is Preparing to go its Own Way on Water

/in , /by /Politicoby Camille Von Kaenel

Gov. Gavin Newsom is making moves to keep control of California’s water — and protect the state’s endangered species from a potential second Trump administration.

With federal and state officials in the midst of renegotiating how they manage a 400-mile system of reservoirs, pumps and canals that moves water out of the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta to deliver it to taps and farms across the state, California water officials are taking steps to adopt guidelines from the state’s own wildlife officials rather than federal ones.

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New Regulations to Cement Conservation as a “California Way of Life”

/in , /by /Daily Journalby Wendy Y. Wang and Samuel Johnson

For nine out of the last 13 years, California was in a state of drought. The five-year drought from 2012 and 2016 is one of the top five most severe droughts California experienced in the last 120 years. Many wells went dry during this period; farmers fallowed land; some rural communities had no running water; and trees died in mass in the Sierra.

Against this backdrop, Governor Jerry Brown issued a record number of executive orders and emergency proclamations regarding drought and water conservation during this period.

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US Government Report Says Fluoride at Twice the Recommended Limit is Linked to Lower IQ in Kids

/in , /by /AP Newsby Mike Stobbe

A U.S. government report expected to stir debate concluded that fluoride in drinking water at twice the recommended limit is linked with lower IQ in children.

The report, based on an analysis of previously published research, marks the first time a federal agency has determined — “with moderate confidence” — that there is a link between higher levels of fluoride exposure and lower IQ in kids. While the report was not designed to evaluate the health effects of fluoride in drinking water alone, it is a striking acknowledgment of a potential neurological risk from high levels of fluoride.

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