Northern California

When it comes to the top three crops, Glenn and Butte counties are pretty similar, as you’d expect neighbors to be. But after that, they become distant strangers. The Glenn County crop report for 2017 was released last week by Agricultural Commissioner Marcie Skelton, and the top three crops were almonds, walnuts and rice. That’s the same three as Butte County, although the order was different.

Humboldt County and most of northwest California will be either “completely dry or all wet” for the next two weeks as the National Weather Service provided an “uncertain” forecast for the coming days through the end of October.

A request from the state Department of Water Resources to temporarily make more than 50 miles of trails in Oroville open to multiple user groups has been denied by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. DWR proposed this with backing from the Oroville Recreation Advisory Committee, or ORAC, as a compensation for trail closures as a result of the 2017 Oroville Dam spillway emergency.

Heavy equipment is digging a deep hole in the parking lot at Montgomery and Huntoon streets in downtown Oroville, trying to undo a bit of dangerous history. The location was the site of a manufactured gas plant that operated from 1876 to 1926, according to PG&E.

Larkfield fire survivors have launched a new nonprofit to help them recover and improve their community one year after the Tubbs fire destroyed hundreds of homes in the unincorporated area just north of Santa Rosa. … [Brad] Sherwood, a spokesman for the [Sonoma] county Water Agency, said residents wanted to “bring some good vibes into our neighborhood on an otherwise somber night.”

Three local fire districts will benefit from a $15,000 grant from the Yuba Water Agency intended to help the recently formed regional Swift Water Rescue Response Team purchase equipment and conduct certification training. The agency announced the grant following last week’s meeting.

Marin County had a dry water year in 2017-18, with some areas recording rainfall levels comparable to recent and historic drought years, according to meteorological data. … The low rainfall didn’t concern local water districts in terms of water supply, at least for now. Local reservoirs and water supply are well-above those that would trigger mandatory conservation measures.