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OPINION: Californians Should Favor Dam Expansion Plan: Tom Campbell

/in , , /by /The Orange County Register by Tom Campbell

The Public Policy Institute of California, one of the most respected, neutral research institutes in our state, reports that more than a third of all the water that falls on California in the form of rain or snow flows to the Pacific Ocean.

This constitutes a greater percentage of our water than agriculture, industrial and urban uses combined. The next largest destination for California’s water is environmental, which also exceeds all that is consumed by agriculture, industrial and urban use combined. Together, water going to environmental uses and water flowing to the ocean make up two-thirds of all California’s water.

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Salton Sea Authority Honors Bruce Wilcox for Years of Service

/in , , /by /Water News Network Mentioned: San Diego County Water Authority

The Salton Sea Authority honored out-going Assistant Secretary of Salton Sea Policy Bruce Wilcox during the Authority’s October 24 board meeting. Wilcox was at the meeting when the Authority’s Board of Directors unanimously passed a resolution recognizing his efforts to improve the Salton Sea.

He was appointed to serve as assistant secretary within the California Natural Resources Agency in 2015 and assigned to work on Salton Sea restoration efforts. His appointment followed the formation of the Salton Sea Task Force.

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Vallejo Lifts ‘Water Emergency’ After PG&E Brings In Powerful Generator

/in , , /by /KTVU FOX 2by Lisa Fernandez

VALLEJO, Calif. – The city of Vallejo lifted a mandatory water conservation notice on Monday morning after PG&E brought in a powerful generator to power the city’s water pump.

In a video message, Joanna Altman, assistant to the city manager, said residents no longer had to reduce their showers or toilet flushing and they could resume watering their outside plants if they wanted to.

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Wall Street Spends Millions to Buy Up Washington State Water

/in , , /by /The Seattle Timesby Evan Bush

Follow the water and you’ll find the money.

That’s how it often works in the dusty rural corners of Washington, where a Wall Street-backed firm is staking an ambitious venture on the state’s water.

Crown Columbia Water Resources since 2017 has targeted the water rights of farms on tributaries of the mighty Columbia River.

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Winter Floods Are Coming: Here’s How to ‘Be Flood Ready’

/in , , /by /Chico Enterprise-Recordby Chico Enterprise-Record

SACRAMENTO — The California Department of Water Resources is encouraging Californians to prepare for a wide variety of potential flooding in the coming months, as the winter storm season quickly approaches.

More than seven million Californians in rural communities, urban areas and along the coast are at risk of flooding. Flooding can occur throughout the state and Californians need to be aware and understand the potential risks of flooding in their communities, the department said in a recent press release.

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Understanding Streamflow is Vital to Water Management in California, but Gaps in Data Exist

/in , , /by /Water Education Foundationby Gary Pitzer

California is chock full of rivers and creeks, yet the state’s network of stream gauges has significant gaps that limit real-time tracking of how much water is flowing downstream, information that is vital for flood protection, forecasting water supplies and knowing what the future might bring. That network of stream gauges got a big boost Sept. 30 with the signing of SB 19. Authored by Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa), the law requires the state to develop a stream gauge deployment plan, focusing on reactivating existing gauges that have been offline for lack of funding and other reasons.

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WOTUS Lawsuits Start Long, Muddy Legal Battle

/in , , /by /E&E Newsby Pamela King

Get ready for a surge of lawsuits over the Trump administration’s decision to walk back Obama-era protections for wetlands and streams. Opponents to the administration’s take on which water bodies are considered “waters of the United States” under the Clean Water Act already launched at least two challenges this week, kicking off the next round of courtroom action. The cases add a new dimension to what could soon be a complicated legal quagmire over the Obama administration’s WOTUS rule and the Trump administration’s efforts to both erase and replace the regulation.

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How Feds New Water Plan Could Affect Customers in SoCal

/in , , /by /89.3 KPCC

The Trump administration on Tuesday unveiled new rules to govern California’s scarce water, committing to send more to farmers in the Central Valley despite warnings from environmental groups that it would imperil endangered species in the fragile San Joaquin Delta. The rules govern management of the federal Central Valley Project and the State Water Project, two complex labyrinths of dams and canals that corral rain and snowmelt to provide water to more than 25 million Californians and millions of acres of farmland. An initial review by the National Marine Fisheries Services in July concluded the plan would threaten the existence of some endangered species, including winter-run chinook salmon, according to the Los Angeles Times.

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OPINION: A Win for Endangered Fish and California Farmers Who Need Water

/in , , /by /Los Angeles Times

To the editor: I would like to highlight the most important information in your recent article about new rules that will govern California water deliveries and environmental protections: “Under the new rules, [U.S Fish and Wildlife Service official Paul Souza] said [Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta] pumping restrictions would be based on real-time monitoring of where smelt and migrating salmon are swimming in the delta, rather than the seasonal prescriptions contained in the current regulations.” The new rules are based on the latest science and real-time monitoring rather than a particular calendar date to determine the needs of fish. This is good news for all Californians.

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Editorial: California Governor Newsom Must Defend Delta

/in , , /by /San Francisco Chronicle by Chronicle Editorial Board

Gov. Gavin Newsom hasn’t flinched in fighting President Trump when it comes to loosening pollution rules in a smoggy state or punishing immigrants seeking protection. But he’s oddly noncommittal when it comes to a federal water grab that rewards thirsty farmers and Southern California cities.

Last week, federal rule makers followed White House dictates and issued looser restrictions on diversions from the state’s prime water faucet, the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta.

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