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LA Ratepayers Will Pay For Jerry Brown’s Delta Tunnels (But Big Agriculture Gets All Water)

One of the most enduring myths of California water politics is that the Delta Tunnels promoted by the Jerry Brown and Donald Trump administrations are designed to divert Northern California water to “fill swimming pools” of “wealthy water wasters” in Southern California. In reality, 80 percent of northern California water exported south of the Delta goes to irrigate agribusiness operations in the Central Valley, while the rest goes to urban and industrial users, including those in Southern California who have made many successful efforts to reduce water use and recycle water.

Kamala Harris Works To Forge Relationship With Central Valley

The drought may be over in the minds of urban Californians, quite literally washed away by huge accumulations of rain last year that filled reservoirs and left the state’s mountains covered with snow even now. But the farmers and others in the Central Valley, veterans of multiple drought-and-flood cycles, know the reprieve is only temporary. On Wednesday they pressed new U.S. Sen. Kamala Harris to work to ensure a more reliable source of water for the nation’s most bountiful farming region.

 

California Bill Takes Aim At Mojave Desert Groundwater Project With Ties To Trump Nominee

A new bill in the state Legislature would require California to review the environmental impacts of a company’s proposal to pump groundwater from beneath the Mojave Desert and sell it to Southern California cities — a controversial plan that was slowed down by President Obama, but which appears to have the backing of the Trump administration. Cadiz Inc. hopes to pump 16.3 billion gallons of groundwater annually in the heart of the desert, about 75 miles northeast of Palm Springs, on land surrounded by Mojave Trails National Monument and near Mojave National Preserve.

Chance of Thunderstorms Expected Wednesday for San Diego

Slightly above-average temperatures were expected to prevail throughout the county, but a chance of thunderstorms is expected to develop Wednesday and linger through next weekend, a National Weather Service forecaster said. “We’re not looking for a big soaker,” NWS meteorologist Jimmy Taeger said. “But starting Wednesday afternoon there will be a slight chance of thunderstorms developing in the mountains, increasing over the weekend. The best chances for rain will be this Saturday and Sunday.”

Snow on the Fourth of July: Skiers Bring Out the Shorts to the Slopes

Thousands of excited snowboarders and skiers took advantage of the snow in Squaw Valley over the holiday weekend, as slopes remained open thanks to the huge snowfall this year. The warm weather, paired with “corn snow” —  the snow consistency that is the more desirable pellet-type favored for beginners — made for a great atmosphere as people took to the slopes. “The snow is very soft and forgiving, so it’s great for beginners and intermediates,” said Sam Kieckhefer, spokesman for Squaw Valley Alpine Meadows. “You’re coming out in a t-shirt and shorts, and it’s warm — you don’t have to worry about getting cold.”

Toilet to Tap? Some in Drought-Prone California Say it’s Time

As drought and water shortages become California’s new normal, more and more of the water that washes down drains and flushes down toilets is being cleaned and recycled for outdoor irrigation. But some public officials, taking cues from countries where water scarcity is a fact of life, want to take it further and make treated wastewater available for much more — even drinking. “This is a potential new source of water for California,” said former Assemblyman Rich Gordon. “We need to find water where we can.”

The Otherworldly Landscape of the Salton Sea in Photos

The Salton Sea is about 150 miles southeast of Los Angeles, but its landscape could be from another world. Once-bustling marinas in California’s largest lake, located along the San Andreas earthquake fault, are now bone-dry. The area has likely flooded and dried out several times through the ages, but a look at its history since the early 1900s also reveals many changes packed into the last 100-plus years. In the early 1900s, irrigation canals diverted Colorado River water into a dry lakebed in southeastern California.

More Details As Twin Tunnels Decision Nears

A giant Southern California water district that could decide whether to invest in the Delta tunnels as soon as September has released the first of three “white papers” which are expected to address some unresolved issues. Among other things, this latest document from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California describes the new joint powers authority that might be formed to oversee construction of the 40-foot-wide tunnels. The tunnels are a state project, but the Department of Water Resources is busy with the reconstruction of the Oroville Dam spillway after this year’s flooding, the white paper notes.

Environmentalists File Lawsuit Over California’s Delta Tunnels Project

Environmentalist have filed a lawsuit after the federal government said last week that Northern California’s delta tunnels project would not harm endangered fish in the delta and bay. That decision gave the project a big boost. The state wants to build two huge tunnels that would take water from the Sacramento River, ship the water under the delta and send that river water to existing aqueducts that already send delta water south. Californians have been fighting over water for generations. Remember all the talk of a peripheral canal? The state eventually pulled the plug on that after lots of opposition.

They’ve Demolished Most Of Oroville Dam’s Troubled Spillway. What’s Next?

The preliminaries are just about over. Permanent structural repairs are about to begin at Oroville Dam. Five months after an unprecedented emergency forced a mass evacuation, state officials said Wednesday they’re ready to start replacing the now-demolished lower portions of Oroville’s main flood-control spillway. Construction contractor Kiewit Corp. plans to install the first slabs of concrete Thursday in the lower 350 feet of the spillway chute. The so-called “leveling concrete” will create a smooth foundation for structural concrete that will be poured on top, said Jeff Petersen, Kiewit’s Oroville project director.