“Cottonwoods now grow in the once-barren gulch leading from the
Penn Mine, and fish no longer die by the thousands when rain
runoff washes from the mine into nearby Camanche
Reservoir. But there’s still plenty of evidence of the
mine’s toxic past, including crusty mineral formations along
creeks …
“That landfill is the heart of a $16.5 million cleanup
completed in the late 1990s by state water pollution regulators
and the East Bay Municipal Utility District.”
“Our congressman is concerned about (adamantly opposed to) Gov.
Jerry Brown’s $24 billion plan to move water from the north to
the south of California. …
“The plan wouldn’t theoretically have a direct impact on
Yuba-Sutter, but should we be concerned? Here’s what Curt
Aikens, general manager of Yuba County Water Agency, had to say
in an email exchange.”
“We’re not only concerned with improving our local system of
levees to protect our cities and farmlands from flooding; we’re
also worried about the cost of flood insurance, mandatory for
many parts of our two counties. An act approved by Congress
last year will phase out subsidies that have made flood
insurance affordable for communities like ours. …
“During a ceremony last week to kick off construction work on
the west Feather River levee, our reporter asked U.S. Rep.
State and federal wildlife officials are scrambling to figure out
how hundreds of endangered salmon recently became stranded in
irrigation ditches in the Colusa basin, west of the Sacramento
River.”
“Lights on Redding’s Sundial Bridge have been turned down low
at night and are likely to remain so as officials seek the
lighting level needed to keep endangered salmon in the water
below from being killed.
“State Department of Fish and Wildlife and city of Redding
officials have been meeting this summer to experiment with
different lighting levels under the bridge.”
What began as a Butte County request that state water
regulators take part in fighting pollution generated by
marijuana growers has resulted in the creation of a task force
to formulate a statewide policy on the issue.
“Wednesday, Butte County officials, representatives of Gov.
“The Water Resources Association of Yolo County is continuing
its long stewardship of local water resources through its
involvement with an extensive, regionally focused plan.
“The project, referred to as the Westside Integrated Regional
Water Management Plan, intends to help manage water resources
in the region over the next 20 years, including, among other
things, conservation efforts, wetlands enhancements and
invasive species abatement in the Putah Creek and Cache Creek
watersheds.
From a Sacramento Bee commentary by Assemblyman Dan Logue:
“Regardless of how you may feel about marijuana, we should all be
able to agree that the state’s environmental laws should be
applied equally to both pot and non-pot farmers.
… Unfortunately, public confidence in the state agency in
charge of protecting much of the Sacramento Valley’s water, due
to concerns for safety, is hampered by not applying these rules
equally.
From the Northern California Water Association (NCWA) Blog:
“Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson recently provided a fresh and
compelling viewpoint in The Sacramento Bee that the ‘State needs
more water, not just improved sharing.’ The Northern California
Water Association (NCWA) and our partners in the North State
Water Alliance are committed to statewide water solutions that
advance the economy, environment, and quality of life in Northern
California. We have been a strong proponent that California needs
a more comprehensive water plan than just a narrow Delta
solution.
“A meeting today [August 6 in Oroville] on how water quality
regulations could be used to fight problem pot gardens ended
with the participants saying the discussion was ‘frank and
useful’ but revealing few details about what was said.
“At its core, the discussion was about what the Central Valley
Regional Water Quality Control Board staff could do in the
fight against water pollution that is a result of both legal
and illegal marijuana gardens in Butte County.
From the Northern California Water Association (NCWA) Blog:
“It is rare when a Grand Jury report makes positive statements.
Yet, the Butte County Grand Jury report for 2012-13 highlighted
the importance of water to Butte County and complimented the
water districts and county in the way that water is managed for
the benefit of Butte County, as well as presenting the major
challenges facing the region. …
“In its conclusion, ‘the Grand Jury was interested in learning
about the management and stewardship of Butte County water.
“A transfer from a lesser-known small reservoir in Butte County
to one of the largest agricultural water districts in the state
is moving ahead this year. …
“Locally, the Butte Environmental Council and a coalition
joined by Chico’s AquAlliance have written letters to the State
Water Resources Control Board hoping to halt the new deal.”
“An executive with the Central Valley Regional Water Quality
Control Board in Redding says the problem with marijuana growers
polluting the water is not a topic his agency is unaware of or
ignoring.”
“Under the proposal before the state Public Utilities Commission,
Marysville residents are looking at an average 18.4 percent hike
in Cal Water rates next year under the three-year application.
Increases would be 20.1 percent and 9.4 percent in subsequent
years, for a total increase of 47.9 percent.”
“A 100-mile stretch of Northern California back country may be
one of the state’s least noticed and appreciated slices of
nature. … It’s a rugged region dotted with ranches,
rural homes and hamlets. But it also contains 350,000 acres of
land run by federal agencies that don’t often coordinate
policies on this wild area.
“A bill in Congress sponsored by Rep. Mike Thompson, D-St.
