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Near The Salton Sea, Many Young Children Suffer From Asthma, Study Finds

eachers and administrators at schools near the Salton Sea have grown accustomed to helping students with asthma, often keeping inhalers on hand in case dusty air triggers an attack. A new survey of the families of first- and second-graders at four schools in the Imperial Valley confirms that the children are suffering from alarmingly high rates of asthma and other respiratory problems.  The survey was carried out by researchers from the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine, who are focusing on the health of children near the shrinking lake.

U.S. Climate Report Forecasts Shrinking Snowpacks

Snowpacks in Oregon, Idaho, Washington and California and are expected be much smaller by mid-century if greenhouse gas emissions continue to rise, according to federal projections released Friday. The Fourth National Climate Assessment, completed once every four years, asserts that the mild winter of 2014-15 may have foreshadowed the future. “As a harbinger, the unusually low Western U.S. snowpack of 2015 may become the norm,” according to the report.

Oroville Dam: Reps. Garamendi And LaMalfa Want Additional Safety Review

Reps. John Garamendi, D-Walnut Grove, and Doug LaMalfa, R-Richvale, Monday introduced to a bill that would require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to conduct an additional environmental review of the Oroville Dam. The congressmen would like to see a review done before the commission approves the relicensing of the dam under state Department of Water Resources’ management. Garamendi is advocating for another environmental review since the Oroville Dam has undergone major structural changes in the aftermath of February’s crisis, sending over 180,000 downstream residents fleeing from their homes, he stated in a press release.

Oroville Dam Coalition, Local Politicians Head to Washington for Federal Assistance

State Sen. Jim Nielsen, Assemblyman James Gallagher and Oroville Dam Coalition members are heading to Washington, D.C., this week to address what they say are outstanding issues following the spillway crisis. The group will attend meetings with commissioners and staff of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and attend briefings with the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Additionally, the group will meet with the Federal Highway Administration regarding improvements to Highway 70.

If Jerry Brown Can’t Sell California on Two Delta Tunnels, Would Just One Fly?

It sounds like a nice, elegant compromise for a California water project swamped in uncertainty: If there isn’t enough money to build two Delta tunnels, why not build just one? Drastically downsizing Gov. Jerry Brown’s tunnels wouldn’t merely save money. It would also reduce the project’s footprint and make it more palatable to some of its critics. A coalition of environmental groups has endorsed a lone-tunnel approach.

Lake Wohlford Dam Replacement Could Start Next Year

Escondido officials are hopeful that the long-delayed Lake Wohlford Dam replacement project will begin next year, though nearly $45 million to $50 million job is woefully shy of being fully funded. “The last I checked,” City Manager Jeff Epp said, “(utilities director Chris McKinney) was collecting aluminum cans and bottles from Lake Wohlford Road in an attempt to raise the necessary funding for the project. He still has $27,999,996.80 left to raise.”

Weekend Weather: Rains Dampen Northern California, Reduce Fire Danger, Bring Snow to Sierra

The rains that swept into Northern California this weekend from the Gulf of Alaska didn’t turn out to be as extensive as forecasters had expected. But along with slick roads and soggy children’s soccer games, they brought some good news. There were no reports of mudslides or other major problems in Napa and Sonoma counties, where tens of thousands of acres of bare ground from last month’s fires raised concerns about significant erosion.

San Diego County Water Authority Urges Home Owners to Adjust Irrigation as Daylight Saving Time Ends

Between Saturday and Sunday nights most Californians will remember to adjust their clocks (it’s time to “fall back” one hour) as daylight saving time ends. For those who forget to make this annual adjust they will show up to work, school, church or other commitments an hour early on either Sunday or Monday morning.

OPINION: Four Dams In The West Are Coming Down — A Victory Wrapped In A Defeat For Smart Water Policy

When a top Interior Department official acknowledged recently that the Trump administration wouldn’t try to block removal of four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River, he signaled a monumental victory for local Native American tribes, salmon fishermen and the national dam removal movement. Yet this development is less momentous than it would have been in 2015, when dam removal was just one component of a broad plan for the Klamath Basin, which straddles the California-Oregon border.

Snowstorm Expected To Hit Sierra This Weekend; Winter Watering Rules Take Effect In Sacramento

The first fall storm of 2017 is expected to dump up to 2 1/2 feet of snow across the Sierra region over the weekend. The National Weather Service in Sacramento is predicting 24 to 30 inches of snow in Lassen Park and 12 to 18 inches in Donner, Carson, Ebbets, Tioga and Sonora passes. Several inches are also expected in the Shasta National Forest.