From the Eureka Times-Standard, in a commentary by Uri
Driscoll:
“About 50 people attended a meeting on Nov. 12 in Eureka to
discuss sea level rise and its potential effects on Humboldt Bay.
Slides with graphs and numbers and wall size photos of extra high
king tides at various locations around the bay were presented.
“The need for more water storage and the assurance that water
from North California isn’t sent south were the main concerns
voiced at a town hall about water issues Tuesday night in Yuba
City.
“Almost 200 farmers, residents and water managers attended the
meeting, which was organized by Assemblyman Dan Logue.
“Water issues facing the North State will be the focus of a Town
Hall in Yuba City tonight [Nov. 19] that will feature the state’s
top natural resources official. State Natural Resources
Secretary John Laird will be on hand for the event hosted by area
Assemblyman Dan Logue, R-Loma Rica.
“It doesn’t take much more than a drive through the valley to
note it’s been a very, very dry season. As the flat land begins
to roll into small hills, one wonders what those slow, grazing
cows are finding to eat. The Golden State has turned brown.
“Members of the county Drought Task Force got together around a
table Monday to talk over the bleak numbers.”
“The latest salmon run counts from the California Department of
Fish and Wildlife video weirs are available, and preliminary
numbers from the year’s creel count suggest a much better year
for fishermen than 2012.”
“State water quality officials announced Saturday their intent to
reduce the rate of sediment pollution in the Elk River by 97
percent over the next 20 years by limiting it in timberland areas
for both residents and logging companies.”
“In continuing the quest to secure federal funding dollars for
Woodland and Davis’ pending water upgrades, two stakeholders in
the project flew to Washington, D.C., for a two-night,
12-meeting session.
“Woodland-Davis Clean Water Agency Vice-Chairman Bill Marble,
also a Woodland City Councilman, and General Manager Dennis
Diemer made the trip to be sure the appropriated funds for the
Surface Water Project’s intake facility are ready to go.”
“The Scott River Water Trust has released its preliminary
summary of water leases for 2013, marking the seventh year of
keeping water in the river through the participation of
irrigators.
“The water trust, the first of its kind in California, leases
water flows from willing irrigators in order to keep flows in
the tributaries and the mainstem high enough to accommodate
adult spawning and juvenile survival of salmon and steelhead.”
“We’re not suggesting everyone kiss and make up, but we are
hoping that all sides can move on past whatever bad feelings
boiled up over California Water Service rate increase
proposals.
“The last machination of the advisory boards dramatically
slashed Cal Water’s initial rate increase proposal and it
appears the private utility company is fine with that and ready
to get on with life.”
“The rainfall totals for the year tell the story of an extended
dry period. The National Weather Service has recorded no
rainfall this month at the Redding Municipal Airport, and only
a 100th of an inch fell there during October.
“Since January, only 10.7 inches of rain has been recorded at
the weather service’s rain gauge at the airport.”
“Yolo County demanded Tuesday that the state Department of Fish
and Wildlife pay $1.4 million in overdue bills, one of dozens
of counties statewide that say they are being stiffed by the
agency, including several in rural Northern California.
“Yolo officials said the state owes 13 years’ worth of payments
for property the agency acquired to manage the Yolo Bypass
Wildlife Area …”
“The fields of the Sacramento River floodplain generate much of
the nation’s rice supply—but if managed just right, it seems
they could also help produce wild fish.
“A two-year experiment led in part by UC Davis scientists has
revealed that baby chinook salmon can thrive in submerged rice
paddies, where sun-warmed waters generate algae and
phytoplankton that provide essential food for young fish and
other creatures.”
“Potential water conservation requirements on agriculture would
be a ‘non-starter’ to implement the draft California Water
Action Plan, one Sutter County official said on Friday.
“Nothing about the plan is final yet, and no definitive
statement about the plan’s effect on agricultural water supply
can be made, said Richard Stapler, spokesman for the California
Natural Resource Agency, one of three state agencies that
authored the plan.”
“The McDaniel Slough Wetland Restoration and Enhancement Project
is located on public land owned by the City of Arcata and the
California Department of Fish and Wildlife. It helps establish
connected fisheries habitats that different species need to
complete their reproductive and life cycles in both the
freshwater of Janes Creek and the salt water of Humboldt Bay and
the ocean.”
“The United States Environmental Protection Agency has taken
over the Samoa pulp mill site and initiated an emergency
response to remove millions of gallons of caustic liquids, much
of which are currently stored in failing tanks.
“EPA has stabilized the situation, and is now working with the
Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District on a
plan to remove more than 4 million gallons of pulping liquors
from the site.
“All aspects of the Sacramento River, from political to playful,
are wrought beautifully and starkly in Geoff Fricker’s photo
exhibit, “Sacrament: Homage to a River,” on display now through
the end of the year at Turtle Bay Exploration Park, which just so
happens to be located on the banks of the Sacramento River.”
“Generations of families have been eating at Damburger in
downtown Redding. And not much has changed in the 75 years
it’s been in business.
“Original owner Bud Pennington, who opened in 1938 to feed
workers building Shasta Dam, would use an ice cream scoop to
portion out each burger before pounding them flat to order.”
“The Marysville City Council broke off talks on Tuesday night
with a local tax and financial planning company over management
of the city’s sewer bills. The city had negotiated for two
months with Nickell Tax & Financial Planning to take over sewer
billing from California Water Service.”
