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Topic: Growth

Overview April 24, 2014

Growth

Despite droughts, the recession and natural disasters, California’s urban population continues to grow.

This population growth means increasing demand for water by urban areas—home to most of California’s population [see also Agricultural Conservation].  As of 2012, seven of the most populated urbanized areas in the United States are in California.

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Aquafornia news March 25, 2019 San Mateo Daily Journal

Speier, Feinstein demand EPA explanation on Cargill reversal

U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier, D-San Mateo, and U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-CA, called on EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler to explain how the agency determined that the Redwood City salt plant site was not subject to federal permitting under the Clean Water Act despite an earlier draft that stated otherwise.

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Aquafornia news March 25, 2019 The Grunion

Water conservation continues to be an emphasis in Long Beach

According to a map released March 14 by the U.S. Drought Monitor, the state is exhibiting no areas suffering from prolonged drought… If that doesn’t wet your whistle, the snowpack is about 140 percent of average for this time of year, says the state Department of Water Resources. So, how do you convince people  they still need to conserve and not water their lawns every day?

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Aquafornia news March 25, 2019 Pacific Standard

Traveling the Green River to understand the future of water in the West

Because the Green is the biggest tributary of the Colorado River system, the amount of water available for the divvying is decided by the Colorado River Compact, a 1922 agreement that delineated how much water was in the Colorado River Basin and how it should be split up. … It’s a rigid framework for a system that’s inherently variable…

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Aquafornia news March 25, 2019 The Hill

Opinion: Approve the Colorado River Plan as a model for climate resilience

In the coming days, Congress will begin committee hearings on unusually concise, 139-word legislation that would allow the secretary of the interior to implement the Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan, or DCP. … This agreement marks a watershed moment in building our country’s resilience to climate change.

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Aquafornia news March 25, 2019 Bloomberg

California works to head off another season of deadly fires

It’s inevitable. Every year, big swaths of California will burn. The question now that spring is here is how bad it will be. If recent history is any guide, this year’s wildfire season could be grim, despite a new push by state officials to keep flames at bay. For all of its lush redwood forests and snow-capped peaks, most of the Golden State is semi-arid… And a shifting climate has been delivering ever hotter summer weather.

Related article:

  • The Press Democrat: Opinion: Close to home: Building a defense against wildfires
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Aquafornia news March 24, 2019 Tehachapi News

City of Tehachapi explores new ways to reuse treated effluent water

City officials in Tehachapi are investigating ways to move treated effluent water coming from Tehachapi’s Waste Water Treatment Plant. More potable water could be available if a groundwater reuse project becomes reality, opening more land at Tehachapi Municipal Airport for potential growth.

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Aquafornia news March 22, 2019 Somach Simmons & Dunn

Blog: Litigation over California WaterFix slows following governor’s State of the State address

In the month since Governor Newsom announced that he does not support a dual-tunnel Delta water supply conveyance, activity in the more than 20 state and federal lawsuits challenging California WaterFix and other administrative approval processes related to the “twin tunnels” has slowed or been briefly stayed. The stays reflect the uncertainty surrounding the project in light of the Governor’s comments…

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Aquafornia news March 22, 2019 Business Insider

These machines pull clean drinking water out of thin air

Since 2009, the Israeli company Watergen has been developing and implementing a technology that extracts clean water from thin air. It all comes down to perfecting a basic science. … When a devastating string of wildfires swept California in November, the company used its generator to provide fresh water to local police and firefighters on the ground.

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Aquafornia news March 22, 2019 Voice of San Diego

San Diego Explained: the Colorado is a river, but also a bank

On this week’s San Diego Explained, VOSD’s Ry Rivard and NBC 7’s Catherine Garcia break down how the drying up of the Colorado River could impact West Coast residents.

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Aquafornia news March 22, 2019 SouthTahoeNow.com

STPUD to consider rate increase for adequate fire protection and pipe replacement

Customers of the South Tahoe Public Utility District (STPUD) may be looking at an annual increase on their water and sewer bills of 5.0 to 8.5 percent to cover costs of replacing aging infrastructure and enhancing local fire protection.

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Aquafornia news March 22, 2019 Bakersfield.com

A fix is proposed to address sinking land beneath the Friant-Kern Canal

Probably the least expensive option, estimated to cost $150 million to $250 million, would expand the canal’s upper portion — the part visible from the surface — from about 60 feet to as much as double that width, but only along the 25-mile problem section. … An alternative approach, estimated to cost about $400 million, would be to build a nearly identical canal adjacent to the existing one in the areas that have experienced the most subsidence.

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Aquafornia news March 22, 2019 Los Angeles Times

Editorial: The drought’s over? Sure. But our hydrological bank account is still drained

The current wet winter, on the other hand, is like getting a new position with a great salary but little job security. The money’s nice, but after seven years of unemployment, there’s a backlog of debts to pay. And the cash could stop coming at any time.

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Aquafornia news March 22, 2019 Coronado Times

City council approves golf course moderization project

The idea of a recycled water plant project has been around for more than 10 years, with the original idea coming from the community. Through the years, staff has looked at various locations, including a combined project with Naval Base Coronado, and determined the golf course location to be the best choice.

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Aquafornia news March 22, 2019 SFGate.com

Details of Newsom’s plan for drinking water tax revealed

He announced Wednesday his plans to charge water customers an extra amount ranging from 95 cents to $10 a month — money that, combined with fees on animal farmers, dairies and fertilizer sellers, he projects would raise $140 million a year that could be put toward testing wells, aiding public water systems and treating contaminated water. The amount paid would depend on the size of one’s water meter.

Related articles:

  • Chico Enterprise-Record: Gavin Newsom pushes for fee to clean up tainted water
  • ABC30: California water tax: Mixed reactions in Valley over proposal
  • Associated Press: Newsom pushes fee for water cleanup
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Aquafornia news March 21, 2019 KVPR

Why President Trump’s fast-tracked water allocations are raising alarm

The Trump administration has fast-tracked a process to deliver more water to farms. But an investigation by KQED reveals those changes are raising alarm among federal employees. In this interview, we speak with KQED science reporter Lauren Sommer about why, and what’s at stake.

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Aquafornia news March 21, 2019 Napa Valley Register

Report says Napa County’s 2018 groundwater levels stable

Napa Valley’s annual groundwater checkup concluded that water levels in a majority of monitoring wells were stable in spring 2018, despite a drop in overall groundwater storage following a subpar rainy season.

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Aquafornia news March 21, 2019 Monterey Herald

Cal Am declines to pursue Pure Water Monterey expansion, for now

California American Water has notified the state Public Utilities Commission it does not plan to pursue a Pure Water Monterey expansion proposal, at least for now, arguing that its proposed Monterey Peninsula desalination project is still on schedule and noting an absence of detailed information on the proposal, as well as an apparent increase in the cost of the recycled water project.

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Aquafornia news March 21, 2019 The Desert Sun

Opinion: Colorado River drought moves threaten life, health at the Salton Sea

There can be no more excuses for federal inaction. Yet shockingly I have learned from recent investigative reporting that the Trump administration is now pushing federal legislation that would eliminate public health and environmental protections for the Salton Sea and beyond as part of a federal drought plan for the Colorado River.

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Aquafornia news March 21, 2019 Stanford Water in the West

Blog: Lessons learned from a career in California water policy

Timothy Quinn, a California water policy expert, joined Stanford’s Program on Water in the West as a Landreth Visiting Fellow this past winter. Quinn, who has been deeply involved in California water policy for the last thirty years … took time out for a Q&A with Water in the West on his current and past work.

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Aquafornia news March 21, 2019 Modesto Bee

Opinion: Government meddling in groundwater creates more problems

Move over global warming or cooling, California has a new environmental disaster called groundwater. And where there’s an emergency, we have ambulance-chasing regulators and lawmakers with bureaucratic fixes. Why are we having groundwater problems? It’s plain and simple: Groundwater is replacing surface water.

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Aquafornia news March 21, 2019 The San Diego Union-Tribune

Third time a charm? New site eyed for water plant in Escondido

Three times now, Escondido has proposed building a large recycled water treatment plant on lots along Washington Avenue, first near its eastern terminus, the second time in the middle of the city, and now near the western end of the street. … The water plant is needed to divert used water from being dumped into the ocean and to bring less expensive, higher-quality recycled water to avocado farmers in the eastern and northern parts of the city.

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Aquafornia news March 21, 2019 Associated Press

California governor pushes for fee to clean up tainted water

Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to charge California water customers up to $10 per month to help clean up contaminated water in low-income and rural areas, but he will face resistance from some legislative Democrats hesitant to impose new taxes. … Newsom wants to combine it with fees on animal farmers, dairies and fertilizer sellers to raise about $140 million per year.

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Aquafornia news March 20, 2019 Property and Environmental Research Center

Blog: Markets for clean water

Last month, the Environmental Protection Agency published a memo encouraging states, tribes, and local governments to look to markets for help in solving stream quality issues. … Water quality trading can lower  costs and, thereby, unleash new opportunities to improve water quality.

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Aquafornia news March 20, 2019 Ag Alert

Resource issues dominate annual California Farm Bureau conference

Addressing concerns that include floods, droughts, wildfires and state regulations on river flow, two state officials advised farmers and ranchers to remain engaged in those and other natural-resources issues. At the California Farm Bureau Federation Leaders Conference in Sacramento last week, California Natural Resources Agency Secretary Wade Crowfoot said his top priorities include water and wildfire protection.

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Aquafornia news March 20, 2019 Courthouse News Service

Water managers decry blind eye for shrinking Salton Sea

Residents and officials who packed a yacht club on the north shore of the Salton Sea on Tuesday vented their anger about what they perceive as unnecessary delays and obfuscations about the environmental and public health disaster unfolding here. The California Water Resources Control Board held the workshop at the North Shore Yacht and Beach Club to both inform the public and garner opinions of residents living in proximity to the sea, which is rapidly vanishing into the desert.

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Aquafornia news March 20, 2019 Public Policy Institute of California

Blog: Widening the conversation about safe drinking water in the San Joaquin Valley

Here in California, the San Joaquin Valley is a hot spot for unsafe drinking water. The region has more than half of all public water systems that are out of water-quality compliance in California, but just 10% of the state’s population. … We talked to Veronica Garibay—co-founder and co-director of the Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability—about ways to ensure community involvement in water management decision-making.

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Aquafornia news March 20, 2019 Arizona Republic

Wednesday Top of the Scroll: Western states finish Colorado River deal, ask Congress to sign off

Representatives of seven states finished a landmark agreement to shore up the dwindling Colorado River and signed a letter to Congress on Tuesday calling for legislation to enact the deal. The set of agreements would prop up water-starved reservoirs that supply cities and farms across the Southwest and would lay the groundwork for larger negotiations to address the river’s chronic overallocation…

Related articles:

  • KQED Science: Colorado River water districts approve deal, and Imperial is angry
  • Arizona Daily Star: Colorado River drought plan work “done” but Salton Sea fix not included
  • Associated Press: US official declares drought plan done for Colorado River
  • New York Times: Amid 19-Year drought, states sign deal to conserve Colorado River water
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Aquafornia news March 20, 2019 Phys.org

Western droughts caused permanent loss to major California groundwater source

According to new research, the San Joaquin Valley aquifer in the Central Valley shrank permanently by up to 3 percent due to excess pumping during the sustained dry spell. Combined with the loss from the 2007 to 2009 drought, the aquifer may have lost up to 5 percent of its storage capacity during the first two decades of the 21st Century, according to … a new study published in AGU’s Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth.

Related article:

  • KCLU: Oceanographer says not so fast with declaring drought over; groundwater recovery could take years
  • News release: ASU scientists using latest space technology to assess the health of a large aquifer system in California’s San Joaquin Valley
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Aquafornia news March 20, 2019 Legal Planet

Blog: Water rights administration and oversight during past California droughts

Past droughts have stress-tested California’s water management institutions, and some of the vulnerabilities they revealed still linger today. Given that climate change is expected to increase the frequency and intensity of future droughts, recognizing and addressing institutional vulnerabilities is critical.

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Aquafornia news March 19, 2019 Stockton Record

Coding teams step up to solve dam problem

Dozens of computer coding teams from around San Joaquin County were tasked to create an app in roughly seven hours. The issue: following the destruction caused by the malfunction of the Oroville Dam in February 2017 and the evacuation of more than 180,000 people, could there be an app that can track dam leakage, seismic activity and other structural impacts and communicate with the appropriate individuals to help deter another disaster?

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Aquafornia news March 19, 2019 Marin Independent Journal

Las Gallinas gears up for multimillion-dollar treatment plant renovation

After years of planning, the Las Gallinas Valley Sanitary District is gearing up to break ground on a three-year, multimillion-dollar renovation of its sewage treatment plant. Workers were rained out the past couple of months but are now preparing the work site at the district headquarters at 300 Smith Ranch Road in San Rafael to replace the wastewater treatment facilities and expand its recycled water capacity.

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Aquafornia news March 19, 2019 Visalia Times Delta

Life before the dam: ‘Houses floating’ down the streets of Visalia

The statewide snowpack has reached 160 percent of its annual year-to-date average and the snow-covered peaks of the Sierra Nevada can be seen from Highway 198. … But, if you think that’s a lot of rain, think again. Sunday marks the 113th anniversary of the 1906 flood, which filled Visalia’s downtown streets with about a foot of water. The water didn’t dissipate for 10 days.

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Aquafornia news March 19, 2019 Clean Water Action

Blog: Community participation in groundwater sustainability: Ventura County

Candice Meneghin serves on the board of the Fillmore and Piru Basins (FPB) Groundwater Sustainability Agency as an environmental representative for the Santa Clara River Environmental Groundwater Committee. … She spoke to Clean Water Action’s communications manager about her work representing environmental interests in the Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) process.

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Aquafornia news March 19, 2019 KQED Science

Once again in Redwood City, a battle brews over Cargill’s land

A move by the Environmental Protection Agency could revive the contentious plan to develop 1,400 acres of Redwood City shoreline owned by Cargill Salt, which operates an industrial plant there. The EPA removed one barrier to development earlier this month by ruling that the area is not subject to restrictions in the federal Clean Water Act. That puts the EPA at loggerheads with environmentalists, who want to convert the land back to tidal wetlands.

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Aquafornia news March 19, 2019 Napa Valley Register

City of Napa to look into joint water study of reservoir areas with county

To better understand how vineyard and housing development could affect its Upvalley water sources, the city of Napa may join forces with the county on a study of runoff and inflow into Lake Hennessey and Milliken Reservoir.

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Aquafornia news March 19, 2019 Monterey Herald

Opinion: Frame water discussion on actual needs and requirements

It is interesting to go to water district meetings and see diametrically opposite sides using the same arguments they have used for years. No one is changing what they say even though an election changed the political landscape quite a bit. … But there are things we can do to intelligently frame the discussion of what is feasible — based on our actual needs.

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Aquafornia news March 19, 2019 Lompoc Record

Editorial: Neck-deep in water, for now

While high drama plays out in nations across the planet, California has also been having a bit of drama — torrential rains turning communities into isolated islands up north, mudslides and flooding down south. So, it seems to make sense that state officials have officially declared the latest drought to be over, finished, soaked.

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Aquafornia news March 19, 2019 CALmatters

Opinion: Finally, a new path toward managing water, rivers and the Delta

Our rules, cobbled over time from various state water right decisions or federal biological opinions, are too rigid. … Things are done by an aging book. We are not adapting our management based on testing new hypotheses collaboratively advanced by stakeholders who are willing to celebrate the results regardless of outcome.

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Aquafornia news March 19, 2019 Trend Magazine

Groundwater: The resource we can’t see, but increasingly rely upon

Beginning in the 19th century, technological developments were opening our access to groundwater as advancements in drilling for extracting petroleum were spun off and developed for the water well industry. Still, even into the 1940s, most pumping reached only shallow depths of less than 30 feet, removing water at modest rates. That changed radically after World War II … Today, a little more than a half-century later, the world gets about 35 percent of its fresh water this way, making it a sizable—and quite new—development in world history.

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Aquafornia news March 18, 2019 Santa Maria Times

Santa Barbara County supervisors poised to declare end of drought-caused emergency

Full and rising reservoirs from this winter’s storms have the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors poised to terminate the drought-caused emergency declaration, although South Coast purveyors are worried a water shortage will persist for an extended time, according to a county staff report.

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Aquafornia news March 18, 2019 Las Vegas Review-Journal

Monday Top of the Scroll: Wet winter likely to keep Colorado River out of shortage next year

For the moment, Mother Nature is smiling on the Colorado River. Enough snow has piled up in the mountains that feed the river to stave off a dreaded shortage declaration for one more year, according to federal projections released Friday afternoon.

Related article:

  • Blog: John Fleck: For now, a Lake Mead “shortage” is off the table
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Aquafornia news March 18, 2019 Ventura County Star

What are the environmental impacts of two big Ventura water projects? Reports shed light

Ventura has released reports detailing the environmental impacts of two sizable projects expected to increase the city’s water supply and reliability… One involves tapping into the city’s long-held investment into state water. The other project would capture effluent from Ventura’s wastewater treatment plant, treat it and turn it into drinking water.

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Aquafornia news March 18, 2019 East Bay Times

New Contra Costa Canal owner could result in safety upgrades

A pending transfer in ownership of the Contra Costa Canal will allow for upgrades in its water quality and safety, but it could also make for changes for hikers and cyclists along some of its trails. A bipartisan package of public lands bills President Donald Trump signed Tuesday moves the Contra Costa Water District a step closer to gaining ownership of the aging Contra Costa Canal system.

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Aquafornia news March 18, 2019 The Press Democrat

State environmental group wants old Scott Dam on Eel River removed to help salmon and steelhead

A state environmental group is calling for the removal of an old dam on the Eel River, contending it threatens the future of protected salmon and steelhead while acknowledging it is a key part of the North Bay’s water supply. Scott Dam, a 138-foot concrete dam erected in 1922, is one of five aging dams California Trout asserts are “ripe for removal” to benefit their natural surroundings and communities.

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Aquafornia news March 15, 2019 The Salt Lake Tribune

Utah coal country’s push for a West Coast deep-water port resurfaces

One way or another, $53 million of Utahns’ money soon may get sunk into a deep-water export terminal on the West Coast in an effort to shore up the state’s fading coal industry. On Monday, a Senate panel advanced a bill that would transfer a special fund to the Utah Office of Energy Development… That fund was set up to legitimize a $53 million CIB loan that four coal-producing counties hoped to invest in a controversial export terminal under development in Oakland, Calif.

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Aquafornia news March 15, 2019 Monterey Herald

Desalination project permit denial by Marina to be appealed

A week after the Marina Planning Commission unanimously rejected a key desalination project permit, California American Water has filed an appeal of the decision to the Marina City Council. On Wednesday, Cal Am filed the appeal to the council, arguing the planning commission erred in its denial of a coastal development permit for parts of the proposed desal project.

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Aquafornia news March 15, 2019 E&E News

Colorado River: Reclamation drought plan would nix environmental reviews

As the Trump administration moves toward a drought contingency plan for the Colorado River, the Bureau of Reclamation is pushing legislation that would exempt its work from environmental reviews. That includes potential impacts on what has emerged as a major sticking point in the drought negotiations: Southern California’s Salton Sea, a public health and ecological disaster.

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Aquafornia news March 15, 2019 Reuters

As wildfires devour communities, toxic threats emerge

As an uncontrollable wildfire turned the California town of Paradise to ash, air pollution researcher Keith Bein knew he had to act fast: Little is known about toxic chemicals released when a whole town burns and the wind would soon blow away evidence. He drove the roughly 100 miles to Paradise … only to be refused entrance under rules that allow first responders and journalists – but not public health researchers – to cross police lines.

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Aquafornia news March 15, 2019 Inkstain.net

Blog: Cutting IID out of Lower basin DCP would just continue a long tradition in the Colorado River Basin

If, as being widely reported, the Colorado River basin states … ultimately decide to proceed with a Lower Colorado River Basin Drought Contingency Plan that cuts out the Imperial Irrigation District (IID), no one should be surprised. It’s simply continuing a long, and perhaps successful, tradition of basin governance by running over the “miscreant(s)”.

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Aquafornia news March 15, 2019 Half Moon Bay Review

San Mateo County eyes agency for sea level rise

A countywide effort to manage sea level rise is beginning to coalesce. In recent months, San Mateo County officials have taken steps to form a new government agency to address coastal erosion, flooding, storm water infrastructure and sea level rise.

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Aquafornia news March 15, 2019 Albuquerque Journal

New Mexico water planning package stalls in Senate

The chances for passage this year of legislation to jump-start serious water planning in New Mexico, including by pumping millions of dollars into the effort, evaporated last week when a Senate committee tabled a key bill.

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Aquafornia news March 15, 2019 San Francisco Chronicle

Trump’s EPA opens the door for massive San Francisco Bay development

A sprawling stretch of salt ponds on the western edge of San Francisco Bay, once eyed for the creation of a virtual mini-city, is back at the center of debate over regional development after the Trump administration this month exempted the site from the Clean Water Act.

Related article:

  • San Mateo Daily Journal: Speier blasts Trump over Cargill decision
  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news March 15, 2019 Western Water

‘Mission-oriented’ Colorado River veteran takes helm as U.S. commissioner of IBWC

For the bulk of her career, Jayne Harkins has devoted her energy to issues associated with management of the Colorado River, both with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the Colorado River Commission of Nevada. Now her career is taking a different direction. Harkins was appointed last August to take the helm of the United States section of the International Boundary and Water Commission, the U.S.-Mexico agency that oversees myriad water matters between the two countries…

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Aquafornia news March 15, 2019 Fontana Herald News

Opinion: Fontana flood control project is underway

Last month, we broke ground on a long overdue revamp of the West Fontana Channel. … It was created in the 1970s after the County of San Bernardino got serious about flood control following the devastating flooding that occurred in 1969. But unlike Day Creek, San Sevaine and other flood control facilities, the West Fontana Channel was never fortified with concrete to ensure it could handle all of the fast-moving runoff it gets inundated with after heavy storms.

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Aquafornia news March 14, 2019 The Delano Record

Hundreds wade into complex, challenging world of California water

Hundreds of Bakersfield agriculture, oil and political leaders came together March 7 to examine the challenges and opportunities associated with providing California residents and businesses with a secure, reliable supply of clean water. Lest the wet winter create a sense of complacency around one of the state’s most vital needs, specialists from various fields urged collective attention to the costly and increasingly complex problems that surround sourcing, storing and conveying water.

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Aquafornia news March 14, 2019 The Sacramento Bee

New climate change research: California residents at higher risk

Climate change through the rest of the 21st century could be much more threatening to coastal California than previously anticipated, based on newly published research led by the U.S. Geological Survey. The new numbers are dramatic: Dynamic flooding in California could total more than $150 billion in property damage … When factoring in population trends, extreme scenarios could increase the total number of affected Californians to more than 3 million.

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Aquafornia news March 14, 2019 Capital Public Radio

Sacramento approves construction of controversial new sewage vault underneath McKinley Park

The city of Sacramento has approved a $2.9 million contract that will allow construction of a new sewage vault underneath McKinley Park. The goal of the project is to provide a place to store sewage during wet weather, when stormwater runoff — and wastewater — can end up in the same place, and overflow can send it all into East Sacramento’s streets.

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Aquafornia news March 14, 2019 Water Education Foundation

Go deep into the nation’s breadbasket to explore water issues on the Central Valley tour April 3-5

Recent rains have left the San Joaquin Valley’s reservoirs in better shape, but groundwater depletion and the resulting ground subsidence continue to beset farmers and water managers. What will this year hold? … Your best opportunity to understand the challenges and opportunities of this vital resource in the nation’s breadbasket is to join us on our Central Valley Tour April 3-5.

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Aquafornia news March 14, 2019 Paradise Post

Paradise Irrigation District sends water plan to state; Will bring in up to 1,500 water tanks

The water within the Paradise Irrigation District is clean. The trouble is, the infrastructure within the district may not be, according to Paradise Irrigation District’s Kevin Phillips. “The water is clean but some of the pipes are contaminated, that’s why (contamination) is so random,” he said. “One service line can be contaminated, but the one next door isn’t. If the water were contaminated, then it would be everywhere.”

Related article:

  • Chico Enterprise-Record: Debris removal, groundwater important topics at supervisors meeting
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Aquafornia news March 14, 2019 Tahoe Daily Tribune

Nevada Assembly panel urged to approve Lake Tahoe bonds

Bonds to continue the next phase of an improvement program are critical to the Tahoe Basin. That was the message delivered to the Nevada Assembly Government Affairs Committee on Tuesday. Assemblyman Mike Sprinkle, D-Sparks, said the $8 million in this biennium’s bonding package will cover Nevada’s share of the Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program for two years.

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Aquafornia news March 14, 2019 The Sun-Gazette

Valley farmers need Sacramento to sustain water levels

Sacramento law makers have shown little interest in helping the Valley solve its water problems yet the only path forward is to get them to take interest in the area that grows most of the state, and the nation’s food. A panel discussion last Wednesday at the Citrus Showcase, an industry conference for growers hosted by Exeter-based California Citrus Mutual (CCM), discussed the looming deadline for local governments to comply with the Groundwater Sustainability Management Act (SGMA).

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Aquafornia news March 14, 2019 KEYT

Controversy over plans to triple Santa Barbara County’s oil production in Cat Canyon continues

A project offering to triple Santa Barbara County’s oil production continues stirring debate. Environmentalists believe a proposal to add dozens of oil wells in Cat Canyon could trigger the next oil spill and contaminate the Santa Maria Groundwater Basin, while supporters insist it would boost the local economy by adding jobs and tax revenue.

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Aquafornia news March 14, 2019 Capitol Media Services

The $20M for Pinal County farmers, killed in House, is revived in Senate

Rebuffed by an Arizona House panel, a Globe lawmaker convinced a Senate committee Tuesday that Pinal County farmers should get $20 million more to help drill new wells to replace Colorado River water they will give up. The 6-3 vote by the Senate Appropriations Committee came after Republican Rep. David Cook argued the farmers were promised the cash as part of the drought contingency plan enacted by in January.

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Aquafornia news March 14, 2019 Los Angeles Times

Destruction from sea level rise in California could exceed worst wildfires and earthquakes, new research shows

In the most extensive study to date on sea level rise in California, researchers say damage by the end of the century could be far more devastating than the worst earthquakes and wildfires in state history. A team of U.S. Geological Survey scientists concluded that even a modest amount of sea level rise — often dismissed as a creeping, slow-moving disaster — could overwhelm communities when a storm hits at the same time.

Related article:

  • The Sacramento Bee: New climate change research: Californians at higher risk
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Aquafornia news March 14, 2019 Redwood Times

Opinion: New Klamath water plan threatens salmon, communities

On March 6, the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) issued a public Environmental Assessment on the Operations Plan for the Klamath Irrigation Project. … It will definitely decide how many Chinook salmon people have for harvest for Tribal members and commercial fishermen. It could also return us to the days where 84-92 percent of the juvenile salmon died in the Klamath River and reignite the Klamath River water wars…

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Aquafornia news March 14, 2019 Daily Democrat

Delta tunnels oversight bill advances in Legislature

A bill from Sen. Bill Dodd that would increase legislative oversight of the controversial Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta WaterFix project and allow for more public scrutiny has cleared its first committee hurdle. The action comes less than a month after Gov. Gavin Newsom said he wants to scale back the project proposed by former Gov. Jerry Brown to a single tunnel.

Related article:

  • California Magazine: The twin tunnels are out—Berkeley experts say that’s a good thing
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Aquafornia news March 14, 2019 Public Policy Institute of California

Blog: The challenges of changing land use in the San Joaquin Valley

Implementing the state’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act—which requires overdrafted groundwater basins to achieve balance between supply and demand by the 2040s—could require taking at least 500,000 acres of irrigated cropland out of production in the San Joaquin Valley. … We talked to Soapy Mulholland, president and CEO of Sequoia Riverlands Trust, about this impending challenge.

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Aquafornia news March 14, 2019 The Delano Record

Momentum builds for public investment in California water-storage projects

It won’t arrive in time for this wet winter, but hopes are rising that Central Valley politicians will soon deliver on one of their top political goals in recent years: investment in California water storage. Bills introduced last week by Bakersfield Republicans in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., would redirect money from the state’s high-speed rail project toward a series of reservoir projects, as well as repairs to a canal serving Kern County farmers.

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Aquafornia news March 13, 2019 Santa Monica Daily Press

Drought, flood and smog: Climate Plan contemplates environmental challenges

Santa Monica will experience more frequent droughts and coastal flooding, hotter temperatures and poorer air quality as the world’s climate changes throughout the next century. However, officials said the city’s geography and the City of Santa Monica’s Climate Action & Adaptation Plan (CAAP) will shield residents from some of the impacts of climate change. The plan, released last month, describes how the city will ensure residents have affordable water during droughts, contain sea level rise and deal with high heat days.

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Aquafornia news March 13, 2019 Lompoc Record

Planning Commission to consider proposal for 187 new oil wells, pipeline in West Cat Canyon

A proposal to add 187 new steam-injected oil wells and a new natural gas pipeline in West Cat Canyon will be considered by the Santa Barbara County Planning Commission when it meets Wednesday in Santa Maria. Project opponents have said they intend to stage a demonstration outside and speak against the project that would have significant impacts on biological, surface water and groundwater resources and would increase noise, according to the environmental impact report.

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Aquafornia news March 13, 2019 Los Angeles Times

Wednesday Top of the Scroll: MWD vote moves Colorado River drought plan forward

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California on Tuesday sealed California’s participation in a landmark Colorado River drought management plan, agreeing to shoulder more of the state’s future delivery cuts to prevent Lake Mead from falling to dangerously low levels. With California signed on, the plan can move to Congress, which must approve the multi-state agreement before it takes effect. The MWD board took the step over the objections of the Imperial Irrigation District, which holds senior rights to the biggest allocation of river water on the entire length of the Colorado.

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Aquafornia news March 13, 2019 Modesto Bee

Oakdale company wants to make hemp a major California crop

California’s Central Valley is already the bread basket for the nation. But now a new Oakdale company — in partnership with the University of California, Davis — wants to help make it the hemp capital of the country. The California Hemp Corporation was formed by Oakdale residents Jeff McPhee and Kent Kushar last year… “We want to grow hemp up and down the San Joaquin Valley, just like every other one of our crops,” McPhee said. “This crop will change California.”

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Aquafornia news March 13, 2019 Santa Clarita Valley Signal

SCV water officials hear about rising temps, dwindling snowpacks

Rising temperatures, rising sea levels and a disappearing snowpack were part of a scary story told to SCV Water Agency officials recently as they learned the effects of climate change over the next 100 years. … The latest climate assessment was intended to advance “actionable science” that would serve the growing needs of state and local-level decision-makers from a variety of sectors.

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Aquafornia news March 13, 2019 Lake County News

Hearing planned to examine the future of development in California’s most fire prone regions

California has faced an unprecedented series of mega-wildland fires over the past decade – some of the most destructive and deadly in American history. On Wednesday, a joint hearing of the Senate Governance and Finance Committee and the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee will review residential development in some of the Golden State’s most fire prone regions and how state and local governments can keep residents safe in communities that are within the Wildland Urban Interface.

Related article:

  • YubaNet.com: Sierra Nevada Conservancy Governing Board awards over $26 million for forest health projects

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Aquafornia news March 12, 2019 The Valley Citizen

Blog: Subsidence? Socialize it!

Subsidence and socialism are two “S” words that wouldn’t seem to have much in common, especially here in the San Joaquin Valley. Nevertheless, for insiders in the Valley’s intricate water game, the words are inextricably linked.

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Aquafornia news March 12, 2019 KSBY

Cal Poly researchers ready to tackle California’s catastrophic fires with new institute

It’s a growing problem many say cannot be solved by firefighters alone. Enter the Cal Poly W.U.I. F.I.R.E Institute. It stands for the Wildland Urban Interface Fire Information Research and Education Institute. Turner is working with Cal Poly staff like forest management professor Chris Dicus to create a collaborative space for research, training, and outreach.

Related article:

  • Phys.org: Low elevation forests finding it more difficult to regrow after fires due to climate change
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Aquafornia news March 12, 2019 KQED Science

It took a while, but California is now almost completely out of drought

This particular California winter has unfolded in good news/bad news fashion. Courtesy of a string of recurring atmospheric rivers, potent storms have caused flooding, power outages and canceled flights. But they have also lifted all but a thin slice of the state near the Oregon border completely out of drought.

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  • Voice of San Diego: Environment Report: The Wet Weather Is in San Diego’s DNA
  • Mercury News: Bay Area’s highest peak, Mt. Hamilton, sets monthly snowfall record
  • Weather Channel: California’s Drought Largely Wiped Out After Winter of Soaking Rain, Heavy Sierra Snowpack
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Aquafornia news March 11, 2019 ScienceAlert.com

US is only decades away from widespread water shortages, scientists warn

Much of the United States could be gripped by significant water shortages in just five decades’ time, according to predictions made in a new study. … In the researchers’ projections, water supply is likely to be under threat in watersheds in the central and southern Great Plains, the Southwest and central Rocky Mountain States, California, and areas in the South (especially Florida) and the Midwest.

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Aquafornia news March 11, 2019 Visalia Times Delta

‘Major problem’ floods Tulare County homes, crews work to pump water

A “major problem” in southeast Tulare County forced hundreds of people out of their homes and endangered thousands of animals. … Tulare County Sheriff’s Department was sent scrambling to notify residents in the area of Strathmore that Frazier Creek Canal spilled over and water levels were rising. Frazier Creek is directly linked to the Friant-Kern Canal. … Friant-Kern Water Authority officials later determined the flooding wasn’t caused by “overtopping” of the Friant-Kern Canal’s banks. The issue was drainage from Frazier Creek.

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Aquafornia news March 11, 2019 Las Vegas Review-Journal

Plotting how many people Southern Nevada’s water can sustain

It seems like a simple question: How many people can Southern Nevada support with the water it has now? But the answer is far from easy. The number can swing wildly depending on a host of variables, including the community’s rates of growth and conservation and the severity of drought on the Colorado River. (Last in the paper’s Water Question series.)

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Aquafornia news March 11, 2019 The Daily Journal

EPA sets stage for Cargill plans in Redwood City

A long battle over development of the Cargill salt ponds in Redwood City may soon return after the EPA declared the site exempt from the federal Clean Water Act — causing concern by environmentalists and the city’s mayor. The Environmental Protection Agency announced its decision earlier this month, effectively removing one of several barriers to development of the 1,400-acre Bayside property.

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Aquafornia news March 11, 2019 New Times San Luis Obispo

SLO County eyes new rules on well drilling

San Luis Obispo County supervisors are exploring what it’d take to bolster the county’s authority in issuing groundwater well permits. Following a report about groundwater conditions in the Adelaida region of the North County on Feb. 26, the Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to have its staff look at how it could increase the level of review and discretion the county has over approving or denying well applications.

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Aquafornia news March 11, 2019 Napa Valley Register

Napa Planning Commission comes up with watershed protection recommendations

The Napa County Planning Commission is sending the controversial, draft Water Quality and Tree Protection Ordinance back to the Board of Supervisors with a few recommended changes, but no sea change in direction. Commissioners heard from about 50 speakers on Wednesday. Some warned that too many additional environmental restrictions will hurt farming. Some said that bold action is needed to protect drinking water and combat climate change.

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Aquafornia news March 11, 2019 Visalia Times Delta

With the drought over, will cities loosen their strings on watering?

Months of record rain and snowfall has officially lifted the Central Valley — and much of the state — out of official drought conditions. Just 1 percent of California is experiencing moderate drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. That’s a far cry from 2014 when 54 percent of the state was in severe drought. With the drought declared dead in California, will Tulare County cities begin to ease restrictions on residential watering?

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Aquafornia news March 11, 2019 The Wall Street Journal

Tiny plastics in your clothes are becoming a big problem

Makers of sportswear and fleece jackets are trying to address concerns about tiny plastic particles from synthetic clothing finding their way into seafood and drinking water.

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Aquafornia news March 11, 2019 Phys.org

Sick marine mammals turning up on California beaches in droves

Rescues of unhealthy seals and sea lions have nearly tripled for this time of year in Orange County, according to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center, which this week took in its 41st pinniped since the year began. … While the exact reason for the increase in the number of strandings this year is unknown, Higuchi said it could be tied to warmer ocean waters caused by an El Nino weather pattern or excess stormwater runoff from all of this winter’s rains.

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Aquafornia news March 11, 2019 Bloomberg Environment

Energy Department, California spar over nuclear site cleanup

California is battling federal authorities over how to clean up a contaminated former nuclear research site near Simi Valley that was also caught up in the flames of November’s Woolsey Fire. The fire complicated cleanup efforts after burning large portions of the site, scorching nearly 100,000 acres of land, and destroying 1,643 buildings. The Santa Susana Field Laboratory operated as a nuclear research and rocket test facility on 2,850 acres from 1948 to 2006.

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Aquafornia news March 11, 2019 Public Policy Institute of California

Blog: A winning approach for managing groundwater in the San Joaquin Valley

The San Joaquin Valley is in a time of great change. Decades of groundwater overuse have caused drinking water and irrigation wells to go dry, increased the amount of energy required to pump water, harmed ecosystems, and reduced the reserves available to cope with future droughts. Groundwater overdraft has also caused land to sink, damaging major regional infrastructure, including canals that deliver water across the state.

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Aquafornia news March 11, 2019 Bakersfield.com

Momentum builds for public investment in California water-storage projects

Bills introduced last week by Bakersfield Republicans in Sacramento and Washington, D.C., would redirect money from the state’s high-speed rail project toward reservoir projects, as well as repairs to Friant-Kern Canal. … The proposals by U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy and state Assemblyman Vince Fong seize upon a common frustration among many valley Republicans that billions of state and federal dollars dedicated to high-speed rail would be better spent on capturing water from wet years…

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  • Valley Voice: Mathis, Hurtado introduce water legislation
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Aquafornia news March 11, 2019 KCBS

What’s ahead for California following waterlogged winter?

In this edition of In Depth we take on two water topics. First, there’s growing concern that a lot of the rainwater we’ve been getting is just going down the drain and out to sea. We plumb the depths of California’s water system to find out where it’s coming up short and what can be done to fix it. Then, new research suggests that the historical link between wet winters and less severe fire seasons has broken down. We discuss why even in the rainiest of years, we still can’t count out damaging wildfires.

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Aquafornia news March 11, 2019 Soundings Magazine

Collecting stories of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta

For a region so crucial to the growth of California as we know it today, you might think there would be libraries full of books about the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. And yet, as UC Merced scholar Gregg Camfield wrote several years ago, the most obvious thing about the literature of the Delta “is how little there is.” Advocates of the largest estuary on the west coast of the Americas are trying to collect those scattered bits and pieces in a new anthology of the Delta.

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Aquafornia news March 11, 2019 The Hill

Opinion: Trump would take clean water enforcement back to the bad old days

When congress passed the CWA in 1972, they made it clear in documents accompanying the legislation that they supported “the broadest possible constitutional interpretation” of protected waters of the United States.

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Aquafornia news March 11, 2019 Bakersfield.com

Engineers design repairs to sunken Friant-Kern Canal while politicians look for funding

When it opened in 1951, the Friant-Kern Canal carried at least 4,000 cubic feet of water per second along its route from Millerton Lake, north of Fresno, to Bakersfield. Then something unfortunate happened. A 25-mile stretch of land between Terra Bella and Pixley began to sink, and kept sinking, to the point that the canal’s gravity-powered water flow has slowed to about 1,700 cubic feet per second. … Federal and state officials would like to restore the canal to its original capacity, as would the seven municipalities and 18,000 family farms using the canal. But how? And where would money for repairs come from?

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Aquafornia news March 8, 2019 Maven's Notebook

Innovative technologies to expand California’s water supply

As droughts intensify and the snowpacks diminish, California will need creative solutions to provide enhanced water supplies for urban use and agriculture. Scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratories are working on addressing these problems, focusing on groundwater recharge, low-cost desalination, and energy efficient purification.

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Aquafornia news March 8, 2019 CALmatters

Meet California’s new environment czar, who walked the state to ‘reset’

What better way to decompress from a stressful federal government job than by trekking 2,600 miles on foot from Mexico to Canada? That’s what Jared Blumenfeld, the new head of the California Environmental Protection Agency, did three years ago, setting out on the arduous and beloved Pacific Crest Trail that traces California’s searing deserts, rugged mountains and sparkling coastline.

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Aquafornia news March 8, 2019 The Daily Californian

Federal efforts to raise Shasta Dam spark conversation about impacts

Recent plans to enlarge California’s Shasta Dam by 18.5 feet have raised concerns over possible cultural and ecological implications on wildlife among the Winnemem Wintu people and environmental groups alike. … The change in flood patterns would likely affect vital sacred sites for the Winnemen Wintu Puberty Ceremony for young women, according to the Winnemem Wintu website. The project would also relocate roads, railroads, bridges and marinas, according to a fact sheet from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.

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Aquafornia news March 8, 2019 Capitol Weekly

Opinion: California water: The only real mistake is forgetting the past

Henry Ford said, “Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.” Rules enacted a decade ago that were intended to protect California’s iconic salmon and Delta smelt populations aren’t working and federal agencies are now in the process of modernizing them, this time using much better science.

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Aquafornia news March 8, 2019 Pasadena Journal

Can Newsom’s tap water tax plan stay afloat?

More than 300 communities across the state and one out of every four schools in the Central Valley lack access to safe drinking water, according to the state Water Board. … Responding to the crisis, Gov. Gavin Newsom is calling for a new water tax. If the proposal passes, the levy will generate $110 million in annual revenue. But some Californians – many working directly with the state’s water authorities – oppose the plan. They say there are better ways to raise the money needed than taxing tap water.

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Aquafornia news March 8, 2019 The Harvard Crimson

After local outcry, a Harvard-owned vineyard project faces environmental review

California farmer Brenton Kelly still remembers how the Cuyama Valley used to be. The valley, located in California’s Central Coast region, has long been home to an abundance of wildlife. Historically, the land has been used for cattle pastures, and featured “beautiful rolling grassy hill” and an “amazing wildflower show,” according to Kelly. These days, however, the land has been taken over by large commercial farms and vineyards, Kelly said. … Among some of the corporations that have expanded into the region in recent years is an unlikely investor — the Harvard Management Company. HMC, the University’s investment arm, oversees Harvard’s nearly $40 billion endowment.

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Aquafornia news March 8, 2019 Las Vegas Review-Journal

‘Water Question’ series looks at how long Colorado River can sustain us

The question comes up with every dire media report or bleak new forecast about the Colorado River: How much longer can Nevada’s largest community continue to rely on a single source of water to power its prosperity? It’s an important question, maybe the most important. No Southwestern state gets less water from the river than Nevada. No major city depends on that water more than Las Vegas. But the Colorado is in trouble. (Part 1 of 8 in a series.)

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Aquafornia news March 8, 2019 Healdsburg Tribune

Opinion: A river runs through us

We love our Russian River for its eternal beauty, its nurturing forces, its quenching properties, its recreation and play and its renewing spirits. We love our river — except when we don’t. And right now we are distraught over the destruction its breached muddy torrents visited upon us yet again.

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Aquafornia news March 8, 2019 KBAK

Rep. McCarthy wants high-speed rail funding to go to water projects

Congressman Kevin McCarthy introduced legislation  Thursday to repurpose federal funding for the high-speed rail project. The Repurposing Assets to Increase Long-term Water Availability and Yield (RAILWAY) Act would take funding from the high-speed rail project and use it for water infrastructure projects in California and the West… McCarthy’s proposed legislation is cosponsored by every Republican member of the California Congressional Delegation.

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Aquafornia news March 8, 2019 Bakersfield.com

Hundreds wade into complex, challenging world of California water

Hundreds of Bakersfield agriculture, oil and political leaders came together Thursday to examine the challenges and opportunities associated with providing California residents and businesses with a secure, reliable supply of clean water. Lest the wet winter create a sense of complacency around one of the state’s most vital needs, specialists from various fields urged collective attention to the costly and increasingly complex problems that surround sourcing, storing and conveying water across the Golden State.

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Aquafornia news March 7, 2019 The Press Democrat

Editorial: Flood program is raising homes and cutting losses

Behind the initial damage toll of $155 million from last week’s Russian River flood is some positive news: only 35 homes and businesses have been red-tagged as uninhabitable. After the last major Russian River flood, in 2006, 66 homes and businesses were red-tagged. … The steadily declining numbers reflect three decades of progress in fortifying river communities to withstand floods, most notably an ongoing program to elevate homes.

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Aquafornia news March 7, 2019 KQED Science

Trump pressure on California water plan excludes public, rushes science, emails show

The Trump Administration has ordered federal biologists to speed up critical decisions about whether to send more water from Northern California to farmers in the Central Valley, a move that critics say threatens the integrity of the science and cuts the public out of the process. The decisions will control irrigation for millions of acres of farmland in the country’s biggest agricultural economy, drinking water for two-thirds of Californians from Silicon Valley to San Diego, and the fate of endangered salmon and other fish.

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Aquafornia news March 7, 2019 Associated Press

Lawmakers: High costs slowing action on contaminant in water

Cleaning up and protecting U.S. drinking water from a class of toxic chemicals used in many household items could cost in the tens of billions of dollars nationally, witnesses testified Wednesday before a House panel urging the federal government to move more quickly on the cleanup. … The compounds, called perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS, have been used for decades. Water sampling shows the contaminant … has seeped into many public water systems in the United States and globally, including around military bases and industries.

Related articles:

  • New Mexico Political Report: ‘Intolerant’ of groundwater contamination, NM sues Air Force over PFAS pollution
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Aquafornia news March 7, 2019 Ag Alert

Wet winter aids groundwater replenishment

Heavy rains this winter will help replenish groundwater aquifers and benefit projects that use excess surface water to recharge groundwater basins. At the California Department of Water Resources, planners focus on a voluntary strategy known as Flood-MAR, which stands for “managed aquifer recharge.” The strategy combines floodwater operations and groundwater management in an effort to benefit working landscapes, and could also aid local groundwater agencies as they implement the state Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.

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Aquafornia news March 7, 2019 The Guardian

Dried out: Big ag threatens clean water in rural California

Residents of Allensworth, a historic town established by a former slave, have struggled with clean water access for decades. … The community’s water system comes from two blended wells, serving 521 residents with 156 connections. A chlorination process removes most harmful bacteria, but the water still tests high for arsenic, a known carcinogen that damages the kidneys.

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Aquafornia news March 7, 2019 The Sacramento Bee

Opinion: David Bernhardt’s Interior nomination threatens salmon

For California’s salmon fishermen, the downstream effects of political decisions in Washington are too obvious to ignore. It’s not merely a question of profit for us. We are the stewards of the public fisheries resources who rely on their long-term health for our existence. The viability of our future can be challenged by who is in power in Washington, no matter who they are.

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Aquafornia news March 7, 2019 Coindesk.com

Colorado lawmakers eye blockchain tech for water rights management

Lawmakers in Colorado want the U.S. state to study the potential of blockchain technology in water rights management. Republican senator Jack Tate, along with representatives Jeni James Arndt (Democratic) and Marc Catlin (Republican), filed senate bill 184 on Tuesday, proposing that the Colorado Water Institute should be granted authority to study how blockchain technology can help improve its operations.

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Aquafornia news March 6, 2019 KPBS

Change at the Salton Sea is affecting bird populations

California’s largest lake has long attracted visitors. Many go there year-round to see thousands of birds congregating around the lake and its nearby habitats, but the lake is changing and that’s changing bird populations.

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Aquafornia news March 6, 2019 Water Education Foundation

A bounty of San Joaquin Valley crops on display during Central Valley Tour

During our three-day Central Valley Tour April 3-5, you will meet farmers who will explain how they prepare the fields, irrigate their crops and harvest the produce that helps feed the nation and beyond. We also will drive through hundreds of miles of farmland and visit the rivers, dams, reservoirs and groundwater wells that provide the water.

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Aquafornia news March 6, 2019 The Press

Wednesday Top of the Scroll: Department of Water Resources hits pause on WaterFix

The real-world implications of Gov. Newsom’s rejection of the twin tunnels project became more apparent last week as the Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation requested and were granted a 60-day stay of hearings with the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB).

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Aquafornia news March 6, 2019 Clean Water Action

Blog: Community participation in groundwater sustainability: A tale of two rivers

In some California basins, sustainable groundwater management can mean the difference between whether a species goes extinct or a community’s drinking water becomes contaminated. The stakes are high. Felice Pace, an activist who works for the North Coast Stream Flow Coalition, talks to Clean Water Action about salmon, surface flows, and the importance of community involvement in the Smith and Scott River Groundwater Sustainability Plans.

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Aquafornia news March 6, 2019 Stanford Water in the West

Blog: Measuring success in groundwater management

One of the key challenges facing newly formed local government agencies responsible for groundwater management is to establish and implement quantitative metrics for sustainability. To help local agencies do this, a new report from Water in the West examines how four special  districts in California have used quantitative thresholds to adaptively manage groundwater. These case studies provide valuable insights on the development and implementation of performance metrics and will be important in guiding local agencies.

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Aquafornia news March 6, 2019 Stanford Bill Lane Center for the American West

Blog: As relicensing looms, aging dams face a reckoning

Dam by dam, owners of smaller hydroelectric projects around the West look at them with a cold eye as relicensing looms. Created with optimism a century ago, dams are now seen as fish-killers and river-distorters. New energy sources are getting cheaper. After decades of operation, owners approach relicensing knowing that, if they are to continue generating a single watt of electricity, they must fix the problems.

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Aquafornia news March 6, 2019 Popular Science

Why California’s droughts and floods will only get worse

The dramatic shift from dry to wet this winter hints at what’s to come. Scientists predict that California’s total precipitation will remain close to constant in the future, but it will fall in a shorter window of time, with more of it as rain. The state will also experience greater variability—more very wet and more very dry years. These findings highlight the need to capture rainfall and improve aging infrastructure. Here’s what to expect from California’s wet seasons, now and in the future.

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Aquafornia news March 5, 2019 ABC 30

Fresno Irrigation District takes advantage of excess water, starts deliveries to farmers

A spectacular snowpack and a series of storms in the San Joaquin Valley are bringing smiles to valley farmers’ faces. On Friday, the Fresno Irrigation District started moving water to farms in the cities of Fresno, Clovis, and their surrounding ag land. While this isn’t an early start compared to typical years, the water is especially welcome after several drought years.

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Aquafornia news March 5, 2019 The Desert Sun

Feds say Salton Sea won’t be adversely impacted by multi-state drought plan; IID can join when it chooses

Days after Imperial Irrigation District officials said there had been a breakthrough in  negotiations with federal officials to commit to the restoration of the Salton Sea in a mammoth Colorado River drought plan, a top federal official offered a different assessment. … The Reclamation statement said it’s up to IID to decide when they want to join the drought plan, indicating a possible avenue for them to join later that would not stymie the entire agreement.

Related articles

  • Washington Post: Plan to protect Colorado River still isn’t done. Now what?
  • KJZZ: Why The Drought Contingency Plan ‘Deadlines’ Don’t Tell The Full Story
  • Nevada Independent: Southwest governors asked to submit Colorado River comments as another ‘deadline’ passes
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Aquafornia news March 5, 2019 Voice of San Diego

State bill would bolster Sycuan tribe’s water supply — and possibly a new hotel

About half the Sycuan Indian tribe relies heavily on a single groundwater well for water. The whole tribe now wants access to the same water most San Diegans enjoy – Colorado River water, Northern California water and desalinated Pacific Ocean water. Most of San Diego’s state legislative delegation is pushing a bill that could make it happen.

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Aquafornia news March 5, 2019 The San Diego Union-Tribune

February storms wash away drought conditions. Will San Diegans continue to conserve?

San Diego County remains one of the few parts of the state to still be labeled as abnormally dry, according to the drought monitor. While rainfall this winter has already exceeded average, the region is still recovering from a severe deficit in precipitation, and researchers say impacts to vegetation and reservoirs linger. Still, the San Diego region, which imports nearly 80 percent of its water, has more than adequate supplies to meet urban and agricultural demands.

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Aquafornia news March 5, 2019 The Sacramento Bee

Study: California winter rains no longer predict less severe fire

Scientists found that wet winter weather, historically a predictor of more modest California fire seasons, is no longer linked to less damaging fires. The link between more rain and less fire fell apart thanks to modern fire management and accelerating climate change, the study said. “It’s going to be a problem for people, for firefighters, for society,” said study co-author Alan Taylor, a Pennsylvania State University geography professor.

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Aquafornia news March 5, 2019 Santa Cruz Sentinel

Focus for Pure Water Soquel plant plan may narrow

Working under a less-than-four-year deadline, Soquel Creek Water District is fine-tuning the ‘where’ of its planned water recycling plant construction. On Tuesday, district officials will recommend the board split the Pure Water Soquel project between two sites, with tertiary treatment at the city of Santa Cruz’s Wastewater Treatment Facility and advanced purification at the controversial new site in Live Oak.

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Aquafornia news March 5, 2019 Los Angeles Times

Opinion: Los Angeles needs to reclaim what we used to consider ‘wastewater’

The announcement by Mayor Eric Garcetti last month that Los Angeles will recycle all the wastewater produced at the Hyperion plant by 2035 signals an end to the era of addressing water shortages by importing water from far-flung places and initiates a long-anticipated era of reusing locally available supplies. The shift will require L.A. residents to understand both the necessity of the plan and the technology that will produce safe water.

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Aquafornia news March 5, 2019 Digital Trends

California uses blockchain and IoT to manage groundwater use

If California is going to prevent further depletion of aquifers and survive droughts like the one that afflicted it from 2011 to 2017, the state will need to manage its groundwater usage. In the central valley, a group of organizations is working on a project that could stem the tide by combining two technologies: the internet of things (IoT) and Blockchain.

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Aquafornia news March 5, 2019 KUNC

Colorado Western Slope town cuts water supplies due to leaks, drought

The problem started on Feb. 17, when Paonia’s water operators noted a loss of water in a 2 million gallon storage tank. A team went out looking for a leak, but could not locate it. As the leak continued, the town’s water system lost enough pressure that the state of Colorado imposed a boil order. In response, town officials declared a state of emergency.

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Aquafornia news March 5, 2019 Cannabis Now

California’s water wars & cannabis: Will small growers be the losers?

The current dilemmas boil down to this: As the state punishes cannabis growers in the Emerald Triangle for environmental degradation, it is simultaneously pursuing an aqueduct project in the Central Valley that environmental groups claim will cause ecological harm of massive proportions. This project stands to benefit the “big ag” industry, which California’s newly legal cannabis companies are increasingly participating in.

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Aquafornia news March 4, 2019 Palo Alto Weekly

Peninsula cities seek more oversight on water projects

It’s a treasure that is all too easy for Palo Alto to take for granted — an abundant supply of pristine water that flows from the Sierra Nevada snowpacks and passes through the Hetch Hetchy system before splashing out of local showers and faucets. Palo Alto is one of 25 cities that belong to the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency (BAWSCA), which manages the member cities’ supply agreement with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. … Even so, the cities don’t always know which projects they’re helping to fund.

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Aquafornia news March 4, 2019 The San Diego Union-Tribune

Oceanside takes step toward water independence with $2.6 million grant

Oceanside announced it will receive a $2.6 million federal grant to build two more of the wells that the city has used for more than 20 years to supply a portion of its drinking water. The wells pump brackish water from what’s called the Mission Basin, an area near the airport, the old swap meet property and the San Luis Rey River. The city filters the water using the same reverse osmosis process used on a much larger scale in Carlsbad to desalinate seawater.

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Aquafornia news March 4, 2019 PBS NewsHour Weekend

Artists fill the void left by California’s dying Salton Sea

California’s Salton Sea, the state’s largest inland body of water, formed when a dam broke. It stayed alive fed by agricultural water runoff. Today, it’s water supply is slowing, and the sea is drying up and losing its place as a fishing and recreation hotspot. But … the Salton Sea is finding new life as haven for artists.

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Aquafornia news March 4, 2019 Victorville Daily Press

Trial date set in Apple Valley water lawsuit

A trial date has been set for Apple Valley’s eminent domain lawsuit against Liberty Utilities, a case that will determine whether the town will win the right to take the company’s water system. … Liberty filed its CEQA suit a month after the Town Council voted to take the company’s water system by eminent domain. In court documents, the company alleged an “incomplete and misleading” environmental impact report prepared for acquisition.

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Aquafornia news March 4, 2019 Los Angeles Times

Opinion: California should stop thinking about more dams. The state is brimming with them

Think California should build a lot more dams to catch these deluges? Forget it. … There’s one dam being planned north of Sacramento in Colusa County that makes sense: Sites. There are also some dam expansion projects that could work. But California is already dammed to the brim. Every river worth damming has been. And some that weren’t worth it were dammed anyway.

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Aquafornia news March 4, 2019 Phys.org

Population increases and climate change point to future US water shortages

Climate change plus population growth are setting the stage for water shortages in parts of the U.S. long before the end of the century, according to a new study in the AGU journal Earth’s Future. Even efforts to use water more efficiently in municipal and industrial sectors won’t be enough to stave off shortages, say the authors of the new study. The results suggest  reductions in agricultural water use will probably play the biggest role in limiting future water shortages.

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Aquafornia news March 1, 2019 McClatchy Washington Bureau

Trump interior secretary draws complaints over Westlands

Complaints are mounting against Acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt over allegations he used his position to help the interests of his former lobbying client, California’s powerful Westlands Water District. The nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center filed a complaint accusing Bernhardt of ethics violations by partaking in decisions directly related to his past lobbying work, resulting in rules that would free up more river water to Fresno-based Westlands and weakening protections for certain endangered fish populations.

Related articles:

  • Washington Post: Ethics watchdog, Democratic senators call for probe of Interior chief Bernhardt’s work on water policy
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Aquafornia news March 1, 2019 Ventura County Star

Ventura Water Commission appeals to council, calls key projects lagging

Ventura’s water commission appealed to the City Council this week for help, citing a list of concerns ranging from stalled projects to a lack of financial information. In a four-page letter, the commission described a lack of progress on key Ventura Water priorities over the past year and a half, saying residents were left to pay the price for delays.

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Aquafornia news March 1, 2019 Yuba County Water Agency

News release: Yuba Water Agency finalizes proposal to state water board

Yuba Water Agency is presenting a collaborative framework to the State Water Resources Control Board today, a detailed plan to improve fish and wildlife habitat conditions in the San Francisco/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary watershed (Bay-Delta), including fisheries enhancement measures on the lower Yuba River.

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Aquafornia news March 1, 2019 Reno Gazette Journal

Plans to rewrite Nevada water law get rough reception in Legislature

Plans to give Nevada’s top water official more flexibility to wade into water rights disputes got a rough reception in the state Legislature. Farmers, conservationists and American Indians from Nevada and Utah turned out in opposition to the proposals in two bills. No one spoke in support of measures critics say would direct more water toward urban and suburban development at the expense of farming, ranching and the environment in rural valleys.

Related articles:

  • Nevada Independent: Opponents, legislators raise questions that bills could enable Las Vegas pipeline, depart from Western water law
  • Nevada Current: Proposed legislation messes with senior water rights
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Aquafornia news March 1, 2019 Desert Sun

Editorial: Metropolitan Water District’s Colorado River offer hurts Salton Sea hopes

We hope the move by MWD — which in 2016 had played hardball of its own by linking its support of the Colorado River drought plan to federal and state support of a Delta water project — doesn’t again sidetrack true federal involvement at the Salton Sea.

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Aquafornia news March 1, 2019 Chico News & Review

Camp Fire: Paradise water contamination widespread, could affect home plumbing

The results of testing 173 water samples were released at last week’s board meeting of the Paradise Irrigation District and revealed widespread contamination. Benzene, a known carcinogen, was found in 32 percent of those samples, with an average level of 27 parts per billion (the California drinking water standard is 1 ppb). In the 35 samples that tested for additional contaminants, over a dozen additional “volatile organic chemicals” were found.

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Aquafornia news March 1, 2019 California Ag Today

Optimism still alive for Temperance Flat dam

Funding awarded for the new Temperance Flat Dam may have fallen short, but hopes for construction are still very much alive. Jason Phillips, Director of Friant Water Authority and alumni of the San Joaquin Valley Water Infrastructure Authority, has insight as to why those involved with the project are still optimistic.

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Aquafornia news March 1, 2019 Phoenix New Times

In Arizona, private companies hope to wring profits from drought

Betting on water is a risky endeavor. Experts on water in Arizona say that while it’s easy to start speculating on water, cashing out is not. Would-be profiteers have to buy water or land with rights to it. They have to work within the thicket of laws and regulations governing water in Arizona and contend with the fraught politics of Western water. The ability to store water underground has also given rise to a market-like system in Arizona in which people talk about diverse portfolios and asset acquisitions.

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Aquafornia news March 1, 2019 Arizona Republic

Drought contingency plan: Pinal County water shortage may impact planned homes

Arizona state water regulators have confirmed that here may not be enough water underground for dozens of planned developments in Pinal County, new subdivisions that, if built, would bring more than 139,000 homes. That finding is based on data the Arizona Department of Water Resources has compiled that shows a long-term groundwater shortage in the area is possible. The data … raises red flags about growthand the water supply in one of the fastest growing parts of the state.

Related articles:

  • Community impact: Gilbert officials say drought contingency plan assures town water supply
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Aquafornia news February 28, 2019 Crescent City Triplicate

Opinion: Greenough right to pump brakes on Klamath dam removal

It has occurred to me that the rush to remove the dams on the Klamath River is lacking in a whole host of ways, and I commend city Councilman Jason Greenough for being at least open to the notion that the dam removal might not be in the best interests of the community.

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Aquafornia news February 28, 2019 Western Farm Press

Agencies plan for water rationing under SGMA

Local groundwater regulatory agencies set up under 2014 legislation in California are discussing future rationing schemes with irrigators as they scramble to submit long-term aquifer sustainability plans to the state by a deadline of early next year. Local regulators are discussing a combination of new supplies and land-use conversions, says David Orth, a principal at the Fresno-based New Current Water and Land, LLC, a strategic planning firm.

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Aquafornia news February 28, 2019 Porterville Recorder

Self-Help Enterprises to host free Water Managers Leadership Institute

To help build leadership capacity and acquire water management tools for valley communities, Self-Help Enterprises invites water board members and staff, water leaders, and residents from rural communities to participate in the 2019 Rural Communities Water Managers Leadership Institute. The six-month program is scheduled for March through August, with sessions held one Saturday per month at Self-Help Enterprises in Visalia.

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Aquafornia news February 27, 2019 Bloomberg Environment

California touts desalination, but take it with a grain of salt

The new administration has signaled a shift in water policy by specifically talking about turning salty water potable after Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said he would support only a single tunnel as part of the project known as WaterFix. … But talking up desalination is much easier than making it a reality. In the four years since California updated its desalination regulations, none of the eight applications for new or expanded facilities has been approved. Meanwhile, the costs for the projects keep rising and the state has few details about its plans.

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Aquafornia news February 27, 2019 Sierra Wave Media

DWP’s request to dismiss Mono lawsuit overruled

Mono County hasn’t won the war, but it did win the first battle in its lawsuit against the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power’s decision to withdraw water allotments to its Long Valley area grazing leases. Last Friday, the Alameda County civil court indicated LADWP’s request to dismiss the suit was overruled.

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Aquafornia news February 27, 2019 Associated Press

Bid to secure cash for Salton Sea stalls Colorado River drought plan

The Imperial Irrigation District wants $200 million for the Salton Sea, a massive, briny lake in the desert southeast of Los Angeles created when the Colorado River breached a dike in 1905 and flooded a dry lake bed. The district says if the federal government doesn’t commit to giving California the money, it won’t sign off on a multistate plan to preserve the river’s two largest reservoirs amid a prolonged drought.

Related articles:

  • Arizona Capitol Times: Committee kills bill to fund groundwater for Pinal County farmers
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Aquafornia news February 27, 2019 Water Education Foundation

Follow our Lower Colorado River tour — and all our tours and events — on social media

Follow along on our water tour of the Lower Colorado River – and keep up with any of our tours and events – through our social media channels. We’ll post updates on our Twitter account @WaterEdFdn about people, issues and places as we travel along the Lower Colorado River from Hoover Dam to the Coachella Valley Feb. 27 through March 1.

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Aquafornia news February 27, 2019 U.S. News & World Report

Pot challenges California’s ability to meet organic waste goals

The state is having problems processing organic waste generated by the marijuana industry, and that may hinder efforts to meet ambitious environmental targets. … There are no official numbers on how much waste cannabis businesses generate … but a typical, mid-sized manufacturer will produce 250 to 500 pounds of waste a day.

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Aquafornia news February 26, 2019 Appeal-Democrat

Foothills community gets second water tower

A second water tower in a Yuba County foothills subdivision has residents gushing. Gold Village, which was plagued for years with water and sewer problems, has been largely remedied for the more than 80 homes off Hammonton-Smartsvile Road northeast of Beale Air Force Base. “The county took care of it and everything is fine now,” said resident Daryl Davis.

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Aquafornia news February 26, 2019 Times-Standard

California studying cannabis impacts in Mattole River watershed

The state Department of Fish and Wildlife is researching how cannabis cultivators who divert water from Mattole River streams might be impacting the river’s fish and insect populations… By fall 2019, the researchers will publish findings on the full environmental effects of cannabis grows. While the research is intended to “support efforts to establish” sustainable cultivation levels, the study’s main focus is analysis, said department representative Janice Mackey.

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Aquafornia news February 26, 2019 Daily Bulletin

Despite rains, Chino, Chino Hills, Montclair, Ontario and Upland residents asked to cut back water use

California’s cities have almost all met or exceeded their average rainfall for the year, meaning the state is unlikely to slip back into drought conditions this year. But starting Sunday, residents of five Inland Empire cities will be asked to cut back on water usage anyway. The Water Facilities Authority will be shutting down the Agua de Lejos Treatment Plant for repairs on Sunday.

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Aquafornia news February 26, 2019 Manteca Bulletin

Manteca is green leader for treating wastewater

The most eco-friendly wastewater treatment plant in the Northern San Joaquin Valley will be Manteca’s by the time 2020 rolls around. Not only is the treated water returned to the San Joaquin River meeting the latest standards established by the state for water quality, but within six months or so methane gas — a major byproduct of the treatment process that typically has to be burned — will no longer contribute to valley air quality issues.

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Aquafornia news February 25, 2019 Arizona Republic

Gila River Indian Community moves ahead with Colorado River deal

Arizona’s efforts to finish a Colorado River drought plan are moving forward after leaders of the Gila River Indian Community announced that they will proceed with their piece of the deal. … The Gila River Indian Community’s involvement is key because the community is entitled to about a fourth of the water that passes through the Central Arizona Project Canal, and it has offered to kick in some water to make the drought agreement work.

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Aquafornia news February 25, 2019 KPBS

San Diego County’s long-time water chief retires

The San Diego County Water Authority’s General Manager notified the region’s water board on Wednesday that she is retiring. Maureen Stapleton has held the top job at the agency for more than two decades. She led the Water Authority through the complicated settlement negotiations surrounding the Colorado River. Stapleton also encouraged projects like the Carlsbad Desalination plant as a way to diversify the region’s water supply.

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Aquafornia news February 25, 2019 Los Angeles Times

Opinion: How can California capture more water? Competing interests will have to compromise

If you stand on a fragile levee of the Sacramento River these days and watch the chocolate brown water rushing toward the delta only a few feet under your boots, one can’t help but wonder why the state and federal governments aren’t capturing more of this precious resource. Why is all but a tiny fraction heading out to sea?

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Aquafornia news February 25, 2019 Ridgecrest Daily Independent

Navy: Groundwater ‘No. 1 encroachment issue’

Dated Feb. 20, 2019, and addressed to the Indian Wells Valley Ground Water Authority Board of Directors, the letter states that it is intended as a formal communication that “Commander Navy Region Southwest (CNRSW), in consultation with U.S. Navy commands located within the Indian Wells Valley, deems groundwater resources as the number one encroachment concern/issue which has the potential to impact missions enabled on and around Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake.”

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Aquafornia news February 25, 2019 Courthouse News Service

Monday Top of the Scroll: California’s Central Valley: Ground zero in water war

Now stripped of its once vast wetlands and nearly sucked dry from the overpumping of groundwater during the West’s increasingly common droughts, the fertile valley is in need of a reboot: Its aquifers have shrunk and the remaining water is often contaminated with nitrate and salts. Citing a new water law that will have major effects on water suppliers and farmers, experts are calling for an “all hands on deck” approach to fixing the valley’s water woes.

Related articles:

  • Valley Public Radio: Climate science: Adapting to change in the San Joaquin Valley
  • GVWire.com: Can the Valley Balance People, Water, Ag, and Environment?
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Aquafornia news February 25, 2019 KRCR News

Shasta Co. property owners fined for water violations at cannabis grows

Three property owners in Shasta County face thousands of dollars in fines due to violations involving cannabis grows. The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board issued the fines over water quality violations at two properties one in Ono, the other near Cottonwood Creek.

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Aquafornia news February 25, 2019 Los Angeles Times

Editorial: What’s Gavin Newsom’s plan for sustainable water in California? We still have little idea

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s references to water in his first State of the State address were brief and a bit patchy, but they were enough to make fiercely competing factions each believe the new governor had their backs. But water policy in California is never that easy.

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Aquafornia news February 25, 2019 Orange County Register

Opinion: There is nothing ‘fresh’ about a new water tax

Not surprisingly, the Governor’s “fresh approach” was nothing close to fresh but the same old Sacramento dance: creating a new tax.

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Aquafornia news February 25, 2019 San Francisco Chronicle

California considers wildfire insurance fund to avoid repeat of PG&E’s woes

Hoping to prevent another California utility from being driven into bankruptcy by wildfires, state officials may create a new kind of insurance fund to help cover costs from the increasingly devastating disasters. … How it would work and who would fund it remain unclear, but the bill envisions electric utilities paying into the fund, while a leading consumer group has suggested shifting the financial burden to the property insurance market.

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Aquafornia news February 22, 2019 Fresno Bee

Opinion: Central Valley farmland must be retired to get new water

Although ending groundwater overdraft will bring long-term benefits, it entails near-term costs. We find that only about a quarter of the Valley’s groundwater deficit can be filled with new supplies at prices farmers can afford. The rest must come from managing demand. We estimate that ending the overdraft will require taking at least 500,000 acres of irrigated cropland out of production.

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Aquafornia news February 22, 2019 Christian Science Monitor

Has the EPA lost its teeth? House to investigate dwindling enforcement

Earlier this month the Environmental Protection Agency released its enforcement data for fiscal year 2018, and in many key areas data continued to show a downward trend in the civil and criminal punitive measures meted out to large polluters. And on Tuesday the House Committee on Energy and Commerce announced it will hold a hearing next week to investigate the Trump EPA’s “troubling enforcement record.”

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Aquafornia news February 22, 2019 Fox40 News

Roseville testing groundwater storage plan

The city currently has six groundwater pumping stations that were used during the drought. But the stations have the ability to pump water back into the aquifer as well. The Folsom Dam currently has three gates open to release enough water so it has room to capture flood water. Roseville Utility officials say it’s just the right time to do a larger scale test of its water injection strategy.

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Aquafornia news February 21, 2019 Oregon Public Broadcasting

Climate change means western Oregon’s climate will be a lot like California’s Central Valley today

At our current rate of climate change, many cities in western Oregon could come to feel a lot like the Central Valley of California over the next 60 years. A new analysis looking at climate projections for urban areas across the United States and Canada predict substantial changes in local temperatures and precipitation rates for Northwest cities.

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Aquafornia news February 21, 2019 Public Policy Institute of California

Opinion: Newsom offers Delta compromise to end California water wars

A single tunnel would perform almost as well as two tunnels, particularly when operated in tandem with the existing pumps in the south Delta. It would cost substantially less. And it would give assurances to environmental groups and Delta residents that the project would not create the large impacts many fear. Environmental groups should take this opportunity to sign on to a new approach for managing the Delta.

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Aquafornia news February 19, 2019 San Jose Mercury News

For those living on the coast, ocean waves may be getting stronger

According to a new study from the UC Santa Cruz Institute of Marine Sciences, waves are crashing onto the coastline with more force than ever before — and this increase in wave strength is directly correlated to ocean warming.

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Aquafornia news February 19, 2019 Boulder Daily Camera

How much water can Colorado save? State is spending $20M to find out

Colorado will launch a far-reaching $20 million conservation planning effort this spring designed to ensure the state can reduce water use enough to stave off a crisis in the drought-choked Colorado River Basin.

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Aquafornia news February 19, 2019 Arizona Republic

Phoenix family farms disappearing. Why?

When growth skyrocketed in Phoenix and the East Valley during the 1990s and 2000s, housing developments started replacing decades-old farms. Now, it’s the west side’s turn. In 2000, Maricopa County had 510 square miles of agricultural land and 180 square miles of residential land west of Interstate 17. By 2017, farmland had dropped to 350 square miles while agricultural residential land grew to cover 280 square miles, according to the Maricopa Association of Governments.

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Aquafornia news February 19, 2019 Los Angeles Times

Opinion: Gov. Gavin Newsom faces a key test on his embrace of a new California water tax

Newsom has embraced an idea that has previously failed to gain traction in Sacramento: new taxes totaling as much as $140 million a year for a clean drinking water initiative. Much of it would be spent on short- and long-term solutions for low-income communities without the means to finance operations and maintenance for their water systems. … But the money to change that — what’s being called a “water tax” in state Capitol circles — is where the politics get complicated.

Related articles:

  • Los Angeles Times: Opinion: Gov. Gavin Newsom faces a key test on his embrace of a new California water tax
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Aquafornia news February 19, 2019 Ventura County Star

Tuesday Top of the Scroll: Metropolitan Water District ready to support scaled-down tunnel plan

Metropolitan General Manager Jeffrey Kightlinger said … the agency intends to work constructively with the Newsom administration on developing a WaterFix project “that addresses the needs of cities, farms and the environment.” But Kightlinger expressed frustration that the project will be delayed even more.

Related articles:

  • Santa Clarita Valley Signal: Water GM holds hope that tunnel still on track
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Aquafornia news February 19, 2019 Los Angeles Times

Opinion: Brown was obsessed with twin-tunnel vision. Newsom has a more realistic view

A potential grand compromise to settle a decades-long water fight has been obvious for years but blown off. Now Gov. Gavin Newsom is forcing all combatants to consider it seriously.

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Aquafornia news February 19, 2019 CALMatters

Opinion: How to lead California on water

Too often, entrenched conflicts that pit water user against water user block efforts to secure a sustainable, equitable, and democratic water future in California. Striking a balance involves art and science, compassion and flexibility, and adherence to science and the law. Felicia Marcus is a public servant unknown to many Californians. But as she concludes her tenure as chair of the State Water Resources Control Board, we owe her a debt of gratitude for consistently reaching for that balance.

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Aquafornia news February 15, 2019 Yale Environment 360

Restoring the Colorado: Bringing new life to a stressed river

The Colorado River has been dammed, diverted, and slowed by reservoirs, strangling the life out of a once-thriving ecosystem. But in the U.S. and Mexico, efforts are underway to revive sections of the river and restore vital riparian habitat for native plants, fish, and wildlife. Last in a series.

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Aquafornia news February 15, 2019 Arizona Republic

Colorado River drought: Dispute puts Arizona piece of deal in jeopardy

Gov. Stephen Roe Lewis of the Gila River Indian Community said in a statement Thursday that a decision by House Speaker Rusty Bowers to move forward with a contentious water bill threatens the community’s plan to support the drought agreement. The Gila River Indian Community’s involvement is key because it’s entitled to about a fourth of the Colorado River water that passes through the Central Arizona Project’s canal.

Related articles:

  • Phoenix New Times: Citing controversial bill, Gila River Tribe backs away from Arizona drought plan
  • Arizona Daily Star: Tribe holds off its planned approval of  drought plan over legislative concern
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Aquafornia news February 15, 2019 Public Policy Institute of California

Blog: Connecting the drops in watershed management

The interrelated nature of water issues has given rise to a management approach that integrates flood control, environmental water, and water supply. The Yuba Water Agency manages its watershed in this kind of coordinated manner. We talked to Curt Aikens, the agency’s general manager, about the lessons they’ve learned from this “integrated management” approach.

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Aquafornia news February 15, 2019 Redlands Daily Facts

Redlands wastewater treatment plant ‘a mess,’ requires $40 million in upgrades

Redlands’ wastewater treatment facility needs $40 million in upgrades soon thanks to years of deferred maintenance, officials say. But it could be worse – building a new facility would cost $100 million. The original plant was built in the 1960s, and the last major changes were made in 2004.

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Aquafornia news February 15, 2019 Monterey Herald

New Salinas Valley water fee would fund groundwater management agency

Salinas Valley farmers would cover the bulk of administrative costs for a state-mandated groundwater sustainability agency charged with balancing use and recharge in the agriculture-rich region under a proposal to be considered Thursday. Farmers would pay about 90 percent of the Salinas Valley Basin groundwater sustainability agency’s proposed $1.2 million annual budget for the 2019-20 fiscal year or about $1.08 million through a $4.79 per acre annual “regulatory” fee under the proposal, while public water system customers would contribute about $120,000 per year through a $2.26 annual fee.

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Aquafornia news February 14, 2019 Santa Barbara Independent

Limón proposes bill to help farmers adapt to climate change

The hottest and driest summers in state history have occurred within the last 20 years … Her bill, if passed, would allocate $2 million in funding from the Office of Planning and Research for a competitive grant program designed to develop “specified planning tools for adapting to climate change in the agricultural sector.” 

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Aquafornia news February 14, 2019 Ag Alert

Groundwater: Local agencies work toward sustainability

Farmers, water managers and government agencies agree: Groundwater sustainability is critical for California. But achieving it could bring significant changes to the state’s agricultural landscape, according to speakers at a Sacramento gathering of water professionals.

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Aquafornia news February 13, 2019 Business Wire

Three new directors join Metropolitan board

Three new directors representing the cities of Fullerton and Santa Ana, and the Inland Empire Utilities Agency were seated today on the board of directors of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

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Aquafornia news February 13, 2019 Napa Valley Register

American Canyon keeps Sites reservoir in its sights

American Canyon will continue looking to the proposed, massive Sites reservoir in Colusa County to someday help slake its thirst. The city of about 20,000 residents is the only Napa County city without a local reservoir. It depends on the state’s North Bay Aqueduct that pumps water out of Barker Slough, a dead-end slough in the Solano County portion of Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

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Aquafornia news February 13, 2019 Desert Sun

Imperial Irrigation District now holds key to seven state drought deal

It’s all up to the Imperial Irrigation District. The fate of a seven-state plan to address dwindling Colorado River water supply now appears to rest squarely with the sprawling southeastern California water district. Its neighbor to the north, the Coachella Valley Water District, voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve interstate agreements that would conserve water for use by 40 million people and vast swaths of agricultural lands.

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Aquafornia news February 13, 2019 San Jose Mercury News

Wednesday Top of the Scroll: Newsom kills controversial Delta twin tunnels plan

In a major shift in one of the largest proposed public works projects in state history, California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday announced he does not support former Gov. Jerry Brown’s $19 billion plan to build two massive tunnels under the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to make it easier to move water from the north to the south. “Let me be direct about where I stand,” Newsom said. “I do not support the twin tunnels. But we can build on the important work that’s already been done. That’s why I do support a single tunnel.”

Related articles:

  • Voice of San Diego: Newsom Backs One Water Tunnel, Curbing Brown Family Legacy
  • Reuters: Governor Newsom swipes at Trump, cuts water, rail projects
  • Sacramento Bee: ‘It can’t be either/or:’ What Gavin Newsom said at his 2019 state of the state speech
  • City News Service: Newsom scales back water delivery tunnel project
  • Maven’s Notebook: Reactions from agencies, legislators, and organizations to Governor Newsom’s announcement on Cal Water Fix
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Aquafornia news February 12, 2019 CALMatters

What happens when the next big wildfire hits California?

Don’t be fooled by the precipitation, the snowpack, the wildflowers. When winter ends, it’s unlikely that California’s iconic landscape will sustain the moisture to withstand the 100-degree summer and fall. … State fire officials are already amassing new aircraft that drop thousands of gallons of bright red flame retardant. Emergency responders are pre-positioning fire crews in high-threat areas even before a fire starts.

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Aquafornia news February 11, 2019 The New York Times

‘Pit of infection’: A border town’s crisis has nothing to do with migrants

For generations, residents of the Southern California border town of Calexico watched with trepidation as their river turned into a cesspool, contaminated by the booming human and industrial development on the other side of the border in Mexico. As Washington debates spending billions to shore up barriers along the 2,000-mile southwest border, many residents in California’s Imperial Valley feel at least some of that money could be spent to address the region’s public health threats.

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Aquafornia news February 8, 2019 Orange County Register

South Orange County’s beaches are rapidly disappearing

In the past, cyclical erosion would naturally occur — wintertime storms washed sand out to sea, while summer swells deposited it back on the beach. Besides climate change melting ice at the poles and causing sea levels to rise, strong storms such as those seen over the last few days can also pull sand out to sea. But there are also the hard structures that are having an impact, such as construction inland that stops the natural flow of sand down creeks and riverbeds to the beach.

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Aquafornia news February 8, 2019 Orange County Register

Water districts make pitches to acquire San Juan Capistrano’s water and sewer system

San Juan Capistrano is looking to unload its water utility, as maintaining the system is expected to become costly for the community. The city is one of very few in south Orange County that manages its own water operations. After a 10-month review of the options, the City Council discussed on Tuesday, Feb. 5, which agency – Moulton Niguel Water District, Santa Margarita Water District and South Coast Water District – the city should enter into an exclusive negotiation agreement to acquire its water system.

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Aquafornia news February 8, 2019 Yale Environment 360

In era of drought, Phoenix prepares for a future without Colorado River water

Once criticized for being a profligate user of water, fast-growing Phoenix has taken some major steps — including banking water in underground reservoirs, slashing per-capita use, and recycling wastewater — in anticipation of the day when the flow from the Colorado River ends.

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Aquafornia news February 6, 2019 San Jose Mercury News

New scale to rank atmospheric river storms like hurricanes

They are giant conveyor belts of water in the sky, moisture-rich storms that roll in from the Pacific Ocean a few times a year to fill California’s reservoirs… But distinguishing a good atmospheric river storm — a modest one that can help end a drought — from a catastrophic one that can kill people has been elusive. On Tuesday, that changed, as scientists published the first-ever scale to rank the strength and impact of incoming atmospheric rivers, similar to the way hurricanes are classified.

Related articles:

  • San Francisco Chronicle: California storms to get a rating from 1 to 5, like hurricanes
  • Scientific American: Warning scale unveiled for dangerous rivers in the sky
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