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OPINION: Broad Opposition To Trump Tariffs — From Almond Growers To Toilet Makers — Is No Surprise

/in , , /by /The San Diego Union Tribune

President Donald Trump’s depiction of U.S. tariffs as a painless way to help U.S. exports get fair treatment has never jibed with reality. Now California’s almond farmers, who provide 80% of the world’s supply, are taking another hit as a result. India — the world’s leading importer of almonds — has imposed a retaliatory tariff of 70% on U.S. almonds and other U.S. imports. China — another major importer of almonds — imposed a 50% tariff on U.S. almonds last July.

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Sweetwater Authority Approves $46 Million Budget For Next Fiscal Year

/in , /by /San Diego Union-Tribuneby David Hernandez

The Sweetwater Authority anticipates that it will buy less imported water and supply customers with more from its own water supply in the upcoming fiscal year than in 2018-19, thanks primarily to above-average rainfall. The South Bay water agency estimates that the amount it will spend to purchase water will drop from $15.2 million in 2018-19 to $10 million in the fiscal year that begins in July. The projected decrease is reflected in the $46 million operating budget adopted by the governing board last week. Among notable increases in expenses in the 2019-20 spending plan, the Sweetwater Authority expects an 11 percent increase in employer pension contributions and an 8 percent increase in health insurance costs.

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Becerra On Trump Administration’s New Rule For Coal-Fired Power Plants: They’re ‘Backsliding’

/in , /by /KQED News (Sacramento)

The Trump administration has rolled back a landmark Obama-era rule that sought to wean the nation’s electrical grid off coal-fired power plants and their climate-damaging pollution. Its replacement gives individual states wide discretion to decide whether to require limited efficiency upgrades at individual coal-fired power plants. Environmental Protection Agency chief Andrew Wheeler calls it a sign that “fossil fuels will continue to be an important part of the mix” in the U.S. energy supply.

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Insects Plague Rancho Santa Fe’s Eucalyptus Trees

/in , /by /Rancho Sante Fe Reviewby Karen Billing

With the spring and onset of summer comes the return of the lerp psyllid insect to Rancho Santa Fe’s trees, an insect that eats up red gum eucalyptus foliage and leaves behind a big mess. The weather being cold and rainy for the last two winters has helped—the lerp psyllid population dies down in the cold months and that, in combination with the abundant rain, has reduced the overall stress on the trees, they are able to sustain themselves a bit better, said Caitlin Kreutz, RSF Association Parks and Recreation assistant manager. But with the return of warmer weather, the lerps are back.

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Newsom Catches Heat For Using Climate Funds On Drinking Water Plan

/in , , /by /KQED News (Sacramento)by Kevin Stark

California lawmakers are poised to fund the cleanup of dirty drinking water in the state’s poorest communities — a problem most everyone agrees needs to be addressed. Not everyone, however, agrees on where the money should come from to pay for it.The issue? The Legislature wants to use revenue from California’s  cap-and-trade climate change program, which was created to reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere by making companies pay for the right to emit them.

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Groundwater Pumping Has Significantly Reduced US Stream Flows

/in , , /by /Phys.Orgby University of Arizona

Groundwater pumping in the last century has contributed as much as 50 percent to stream flow declines in some U.S. rivers, according to new research led by a University of Arizona hydrologist. The new study has important implications for managing U.S. water resources. Laws regulating the use of groundwater and surface waters differ from state to state. Some Western states, Arizona among them, manage groundwater and surface water separately.

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OPINION: California Wildfires Threaten Water Supply. Here’s How

/in , , /by /CALmatters (Sacramento)by Marc Marcantonio

The fire was started by a car on the side of the freeway–a fluke which gave the fire its name, the Freeway Complex Fire.Ten years later, while firefighters and communities are gearing up for another wildfire season, California’s lawmakers are grappling with tough questions over how to assign financial responsibility for wildfire damages. The Freeway Complex Fire holds important lessons for all. Among the many victims of the fire was a public drinking water supplier that serves about 80,000 residents in Orange County, the Yorba Linda Water District, where I work as general manager. Of the hundreds of structures damaged by the Freeway Complex Fire, one was the water district’s facilities needed to pump water through portions of the system.

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Inching Towards Abundant Water: New Progress In Desalination Tech

/in , /by /Singularity Hubby Vanessa Bates Ramirez

In early 2018, Cape Town, South Africa came dangerously close to being the world’s first major city to run out of water. People lined up for blocks to collect spring water. Stores sold out of receptacles like buckets and bowls. Bottled water was rationed in tourist-heavy parts of the city. April 12 was designated “Day Zero”—the day the water was expected to dry up. City officials prepared for riots, keeping army and police ready to be deployed to water collection sources.

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Harmful Algae Found In Lake Oroville, Advisory Warns

/in , /by /Chico Enterprise-Record

The California Water Board released a Caution Advisory for harmful algae blooms Monday in Lake Oroville. The blooms of algae were discovered in the Middle Fork of the lake, according to an advisory released on the board’s Twitter Monday. In another message on Twitter, the board said that water samples collected were found negative for microcystin. However, lab samples are currently pending for potential toxin testing. Signs have been posted near the Middle Fork of Lake Oroville to advise those near or in the lake to take caution. Swimming is still permitted. On June 4, a caution advisory for harmful algal blooms was also issued for the Thermalito Afterbay.

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Utah Joins Water officials From 7 States To Urge California To Preserve Colorado River

/in , /by /KUTV (Salt Lake City)

Utah is now working with representatives from seven states to urge California to sign off on a plan to preserve the Colorado River. According to the Associated Press, most of the seven states that get water from the Colorado River have signed off on plans to keep the waterway from crashing since it serves 40 million people. However, California missed the deadline from the federal government to get on board with the other states. California has two powerful water agencies fighting over how to get the drought contingency plan approved before U.S. officials possibly impose their own rules for water going to California, Arizona and Nevada, the AP reported.

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