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Topic: Sacramento Valley

Overview April 24, 2014

Sacramento Valley

The Sacramento Valley, the northern part of the Central Valley, spreads through 10 counties north of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta (Delta). Sacramento is an important agricultural region, growing citrus, nuts and rice among many other crops.

Water flows from the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range to the region’s two major rivers — the Sacramento and American – and west into the Delta. Other rivers include the Cosumnes, which is the largest free-flowing river in the Central Valley, the lower Feather, Bear and Yuba.

The Sacramento Valley attracts more than 2 million ducks and geese each winter to its seasonal marshes along the Pacific Flyway. Species include northern pintails, snow geese, tundra swans, sandhill cranes, mallards, grebes, peregrine falcons, heron, egrets, and hawks.

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Aquafornia news November 13, 2019 Chico Enterprise-Record

Feather River Fish Hatchery meets salmon harvest goal; 12 million chinook eggs collected

This fall run, while late, is about average in terms of the number of fish coming up the river. And, in terms of their condition, Crawshaw said the fish are “very healthy” and “good sizes.”

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Aquafornia news November 12, 2019 The Sacramento Bee

Tuesday Top of the Scroll: Big California water district backs away from Shasta Dam expansion

The nation’s largest water agency signed an agreement that legally bars it from participating in a controversial plan to raise Shasta Dam, a move applauded by environmental groups that fiercely opposed the proposal out of fears enlarging the state’s biggest reservoir would swamp a stretch of a protected Northern California river and flood sites sacred to a Native American tribe.

Related articles:

  • News release: Attorney General Becerra secures settlement against Westlands Water District for unlawful participation in Shasta Dam project
  • Natural Resources Defense Council: Blog: Settlements constrain efforts to enlarge Shasta Dam
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Aquafornia news November 7, 2019 Woodland Daily Democrat

Woodland ramps up Cache Creek flood control

Woodland city officials are continuing to build the case for Cache Creek flood control, recently approving $900,000 for another study that could be yet another downpayment on a multi-million dollar project ultimately paid for by federal, state and local governments.

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Aquafornia news November 7, 2019 KQED

A year after the Camp Fire, locals are rebuilding Paradise

On a secluded corner of Marywood Drive in Paradise sit two vacant lots, side by side. The empty space used to hold single-family residences surrounded by Ponderosa pines. That was until the November 2018 Camp Fire — California’s deadliest and most destructive wildfire — leveled the Butte County town and destroyed more than 13,000 homes. Now, one year later, these lots are being rebuilt by two Paradise natives, Christine and Dave Williams, who bought the properties after the fire.

Related articles:

  • Associated Press: Safety questions still swirl in Paradise year after Camp fire
  • Associated Press: Chico didn’t burn but Camp fire brought a new way of life
  • Chico State Today: Water contamination goes under the microscope
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Aquafornia news November 4, 2019 Elk Grove Citizen

Local, rural water district to hold first election in 43 years

A little-known, local water district – the Omochumne-Hartnell Water District – will hold their first board member election in 43 years on Nov. 5. … The district was established in 1953, mainly to help supply surface water off the Cosumnes River to the landowners in this area.

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Aquafornia news November 1, 2019 California WaterBlog

Blog: Night of the living dead salmon

On a cool and misty morning somewhere south of Redding, California, jet boats roar across the tranquil Sacramento River. Armed with tridents, machetes and poleaxes, it seems akin to a scene from an action movie; except that “California Department of Fish and Wildlife” is painted on the boats.

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Aquafornia news October 24, 2019 Fairfield Daily Republic

Water, sewer permit issues stall Tiny Shelter project

Solano County has filed requests for water and sewer hookups at the Brown Street location of the proposed Tiny Shelter homeless pilot project – services that will cost the county thousands of dollars to reconnect the property to Vacaville’s main lines.

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Aquafornia news October 23, 2019 Vox.com

A year after the Camp Fire, Paradise wonders: Will it ever be the same?

Last year, the worst wildfire in California history nearly leveled a town called Paradise. Since then, residents have scattered and a lawsuit simmers. Can recovery efforts ever return a community to its old self? 

Related article:

  • Chico Enterprise-Record: Butte County supervisors delay water pipe decision 2 weeks
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Aquafornia news October 21, 2019 Chico Enterprise-Record

Editorial: Curious secrecy endangers pipeline project

The California Water Service Co. may have just shot itself in the foot, with tens of thousands of residents in Paradise, Chico and northwestern Butte County as collateral damage.

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Aquafornia news October 18, 2019 Chico News & Review

Environmental group concerned about domestic wells as farmers propose new groundwater district

Jim Brobeck, water policy analyst for AquAlliance, said the Agricultural Groundwater Users of Butte County may not have the public’s best interests in mind. The priority of farmers, Brobeck said, is to make sure they have water in their wells, not to protect the shallowest portion of an aquifer. Water purveyors, he said, like to “exercise” aquifers and may well do so to the point where the public suffers.

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Aquafornia news October 16, 2019 Associated Press

California to pay $12 million to Butte County for roads damaged in Oroville Dam crisis

The state Department of Water Resources and Butte County announced the settlement Tuesday, more than two years after spillways at the Oroville Dam crumbled and fell away during heavy rains. The repairs resulted in heavy truck traffic that damaged Butte County roads. Butte County sued in August 2018.

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Aquafornia news October 15, 2019 The Sacramento Bee

Deadly bacteria Legionella still in California prison water

A bacteria outbreak at a state prison in Stockton has cost California $8.5 million and doesn’t appear to be going away seven months after it infected two inmates, one of whom died.

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Aquafornia news October 14, 2019 KCRA TV

New Sac Metro training tool saves millions of gallons of water

Sacramento Metro Fire has a new tool to assist in their firefighter trainings, which also helps recycle millions of gallons of water at the same time. The Pump Pod is a mobile tank that assists in catching and recycling thousands of gallons of water during firefighter training exercises.

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Aquafornia news October 14, 2019 Sacramento Business Journal

California American Water seeks Air Force reimbursement for contamination cleanup

A provider of drinking water in Sacramento County is seeking reimbursement from the U.S. Air Force for a filtration system it installed to take contaminants out of groundwater near the former Mather Air Force Base.

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Aquafornia news October 14, 2019 Action News Now

Work begins on salmon habitat projects

A major fish restoration project is underway on private property near Cottonwood. River Partners shared a video of new side channels that are being built to help the recovery of struggling wild salmon populations in the Sacramento River.

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Western Water October 10, 2019 Gary Pitzer California Groundwater Map Gary Pitzer

Recharging Depleted Aquifers No Easy Task, But It’s Key To California’s Water Supply Future
WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: A UC Berkeley symposium explores approaches and challenges to managed aquifer recharge around the West

A water recharge basin in Southern California's Coachella Valley. To survive the next drought and meet the looming demands of the state’s groundwater sustainability law, California is going to have to put more water back in the ground. But as other Western states have found, recharging overpumped aquifers is no easy task.

Successfully recharging aquifers could bring multiple benefits for farms and wildlife and help restore the vital interconnection between groundwater and rivers or streams. As local areas around California draft their groundwater sustainability plans, though, landowners in the hardest hit regions of the state know they will have to reduce pumping to address the chronic overdraft in which millions of acre-feet more are withdrawn than are naturally recharged.

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Tour November 12, 2020 - 2:30pm - 5:30pm Nick Gray Jennifer Bowles Liz McAllister

Northern California Tour 2020
A Virtual Journey - November 12

This event guided attendees on a virtual exploration of the Sacramento River and its tributaries to learn about the issues associated with a key source for the state’s water supply.

All together, the river and its tributaries supply 35 percent of California’s water and feed into two major projects: the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project.

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Aquafornia news October 9, 2019 Northern California Water Association

Blog: Reimagining our water system: Sites Reservoir as 21st century infrastructure

Building on the Governor’s call to “position California to meet broad water needs through the 21st Century” there are unique opportunities in the Sacramento River Basin to more effectively integrate 21st Century infrastructure into our multi-benefit water management approaches to help achieve resiliency.

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Aquafornia news October 8, 2019 Los Angeles Times

Firefighting foam leaves toxic legacy in Californians’ drinking water

After morning services, Florin Ciuriuc joined the line of worshipers waiting to fill their jugs with gallons of free drinking water from a well on the property, a practice church leaders had encouraged. Church leaders boasted it was the cleanest water in Sacramento, according to Ciuriuc. In fact, test results showed the water contained toxic chemicals from firefighting foam used for decades on a now-shuttered Air Force base a mile away.

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Aquafornia news October 7, 2019 Mother Jones

This ancient fruit holds secrets for how to farm in climate change

Katie Fyhrie, a grower at Cloverleaf Farm in Davis, Calif., worries that the farm won’t be able to keep producing stone fruits—which depend on the timing and duration of winter chill—in the long-term. … With that in mind, Fyhrie and her team have started growing elderberries.

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Aquafornia news October 7, 2019 Red Bluff Daily News

Work to start Monday on salmon habitat project

A salmon habitat project will get underway Monday just outside the city of Red Bluff. One of several such projects in the North State, the Rio Vista Side Channel Habitat Project will offer protection for juvenile salmonids, including endangered winter-run Chinook…

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Aquafornia news October 4, 2019 FishBio

Blog: Warm it up: Balancing the needs of sturgeon, salmon, and humans

How does one achieve temperature and flow targets for listed species with such different requirements, while also meeting the needs of human water users? A recent study sought to achieve an equitable solution by using a multi-objective approach to identify trade-offs and model an optimal dam release scenario to meet the needs of salmon, sturgeon, and humans…

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Aquafornia news October 3, 2019 Sacramento News & Review

Blog: Facing the forever drought

California isn’t in an official drought and under mandatory water conservation, but climate change means that saving water is always crucial. That’s why a recent announcement should not go unnoticed: The Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District won state approval to deliver recycled water to agricultural and habitat conservation land in the southern part of the county.

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Aquafornia news October 1, 2019 Redding Record-Searchlight

Tuesday Top of the Scroll: Westlands Water District stops work on Shasta Dam study after court loss

Following losses in court, a Fresno-based irrigation district has backed off its plans to do an environmental study on raising the height of Shasta Dam. The Westlands Water District announced Monday that it has stopped working on the report because it could not meet the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s schedule for the project.

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Aquafornia news October 1, 2019 UC Davis Science & Climate

Blog: Becoming Arizona: Preparing for 2100 now and a Phoenix-like future in Sacramento

By century’s end, Sacramento is expected to feel much like Tucson or even Phoenix, Arizona, according to the state’s 2018 Climate Assessment for the Sacramento Valley. Daily temperatures are projected to rise 10 F in the valley by 2100, and the number of days topping 104 F are on track to increase from four days a year to 40.

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Aquafornia news September 30, 2019 Marysville Appeal-Democrat

Citizens advisory commission created in response to Oroville Dam crisis

The California Natural Resources Agency is hosting an inaugural public forum designed to address issues related to the Oroville Dam, according to a press release from the CNRA. 

Related article:

  • News release: Lake Oroville community update
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Aquafornia news September 30, 2019 Seattle Times

In California, orcas and salmon have become so scarce people have forgotten what once was. Will the Northwest be next?

If there is a hell for salmon, it probably looks like this. There were many more golf balls in the water than salmon this summer, whacked there by enthusiasts at Aqua Golf, a driving range on the bank of the Sacramento River. Below the surface, the gravel salmon need to make their nests had been mined decades ago to build Shasta Dam, 602 feet tall and with no fish passage. The dam cut off access to all of the cold mountain waters where these fish used to spawn.

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Aquafornia news September 27, 2019 Chico Enterprise-Record

Editorial: Salmon is a cultural, eco treasure

There are nut festivals. There are fruit and vegetable festivals. Hot sauce and spicy food are cheered in other places. There are wine and beer events. All are fun and bring entertainment to our lives. But for all of that, there is something extraordinary about Saturday’s Salmon Festival in Oroville.

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Aquafornia news September 26, 2019 Maven's Notebook

DWR Director Karla Nemeth on the department’s strategic plan, Delta conveyance

At the August meeting of the California Water Commission, Karla Nemeth, Director of the Department of Water Resources (DWR), spoke to the commissioners about the Department’s strategic plan and the work underway on the Delta conveyance project, which she noted nests into the strategic plan as a key feature of what needs to be done to modernize the State Water Project.

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Aquafornia news September 25, 2019 Davis Enterprise

Evolution of the modern lawn

Lawns cool the air, reduce urban heat-island effect, remove pollutants, and provide play spaces. … From a design standpoint, they make uncluttered views, provide background and contrast for flowers, and create our outdoor living spaces. Historically, lawns provided all those benefits at high cost, literally and environmentally.

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Aquafornia news September 24, 2019 California WaterBlog

Blog: The long and winding road of salmon trucking in California

Trucking juvenile hatchery salmon downstream is often used in the California Central Valley to reduce mortality during their perilous swim to the ocean. But is it all good? Researchers … published an article in Fisheries this month exploring the history and implications of salmon trucking in a changing climate.

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Aquafornia news September 23, 2019 East Bay Times

Restoration of Brentwood’s Marsh Creek gets boost from EPA

A project to restore a portion of Brentwood’s Marsh Creek got a big boost with a new $1.4 million U.S. Environmental Protection Agency grant. … The Three Creeks Parkway Restoration project aims to improve the creek’s floodplain, provide quality habitat for Chinook salmon and Swainson’s Hawk as well as expand recreational opportunities in the area.

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Aquafornia news September 23, 2019 Fox40

Scientists rebuilding habitat for salmon in American River

All of September, crews have been dumping rocks into the bed of the river to create an ideal habitat for salmon to spawn. Dams along the American River cut off access to the salmon’s natural breeding ground.

Related article:

  • Sacramento Bee: Gravel project aims to replenish critical nursing areas of the American River for fish
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Aquafornia news September 20, 2019 CBS Sacramento

Hundreds of California schools haven’t released results of water testing for lead

The law said schools had to test by July, but many schools still hadn’t submitted the results by the deadline. As of September 9, about a quarter of California schools now report detectable levels of lead in school drinking water but it appears many schools in our area still haven’t submitted the results.

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Aquafornia news September 20, 2019 Estuary News

Clout and cool science push land-river reconnection

Before all those thousands of miles of levees went in, the Central Valley had one of the West Coast’s largest salmon runs, with a million or more of these mighty fish returning each year. A big reason for the salmon’s suc-cess was that the valley was among the most extensive floodplains in the world.

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Aquafornia news September 20, 2019 Woodland Daily Democrat

Cache Creek flood solution top priority for Woodland council

It appears that Woodland is now in the “advancement” stage with the Army Corps of Engineers willing to work on a plan for longterm flood protection along the city’s northeast side. However, the effort could just as quickly be reversed, according to members of the City Council, if they don’t get farmers on board with their efforts.

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Aquafornia news September 20, 2019 The Sacramento Bee

Opinion: To avoid environmental genocide, Gov. Newsom must sign SB 1

I’m writing to express our tribe’s dismay at Gov. Gavin Newsom’s announcement that he plans to veto Senate Bill 1. … Vetoing this bill will green-light President Trump’s plan to divert even more water from our struggling rivers for industrial agriculture. Many well-respected fish biologists and environmentalists have concluded Trump’s attempt to ignore the best science and rewrite the rules will essentially be an “extinction plan” for Chinook salmon and other threatened fish.

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Aquafornia news September 18, 2019 Public Policy Institute of California

Blog: Managing a non-native Delta ecosystem

The Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta has more non-native species than native ones, and its estuary is considered the most invaded in the world. We talked to Jim Cloern—an emeritus scientist with the US Geological Survey and an adjunct fellow at the PPIC Water Policy Center—about this challenge.

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Aquafornia news September 17, 2019 The Sacramento Bee

East Sacramento residents file suit over McKinley Park sewage vault

Residents say the system is outdated because it combines 7.4 million gallons of sewage and storm water to be stored underground, and they want a more modern system that splits the two.

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Aquafornia news September 17, 2019 Bay Nature Magazine

Want to prevent California’s Katrina? Grow a marsh

Something is amiss on Sherman Island, a whale-shaped swath of farm and grazing land at the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers. If you don’t know what ails the place, it might be hard to pinpoint the problem.

  • Read more
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Aquafornia news September 17, 2019 The Sacramento Bee

Tuesday Top of the Scroll: A fight with Trump that Gavin Newsom doesn’t want: Why he’s vetoing environmental bill

Newsom saw SB 1 as a mortal threat to something he’s been supporting since shortly before he took office: a tentative truce in California’s longstanding water wars. The truce revolves around the flow of water in and out of the Delta from California’s most important river systems, the Sacramento and San Joaquin.

Related articles:

  • San Francisco Chronicle: Editorial: Newsom on wrong side of environmental bill
  • L.A. Daily News: Opinion: Veto SB1 to embrace progress rather than chaining state to a dysfunctional past
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Aquafornia news September 16, 2019 Maven's Notebook

Panel discussion: Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta legal framework: ‘All the acronyms you need to know’

At the Association of California Water Agencies‘ spring conference, a panel of lawyers covered the basics of the legal framework for the Delta. The panel was billed as ‘All the Acronyms You Need to Know”, but no 1.5 hour panel discussion could possibly cover all that. However, the panel did a good job of hitting the main ones and highlighting current issues.

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Aquafornia news September 16, 2019 Los Angeles Times

Feces are contaminating the American River. Sacramento wants to know the source

Tiscornia Beach, an area on the lower American River frequented by summer visitors, tested 7.5 times higher than the safety threshold on Tuesday, according to data from the county and the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board. Samples of river water taken two weeks earlier at nearby Discovery Park tested almost 5.5 times higher than the safety threshold.

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Aquafornia news September 16, 2019 Los Angeles Times

Monday Top of the Scroll: Newsom plans to veto bill that would have blocked Trump’s rollback of endangered species protections

Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to veto a bill passed by California lawmakers that would have allowed the state to keep strict Obama-era endangered species protections and water pumping restrictions for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Newsom’s intentions … comes less than 24 hours after state lawmakers passed the sweeping legislation.

Related articles:

  • Sacramento Bee: Gavin Newsom says he’ll veto Trump-defying California environmental bill
  • CALMatters: Newsom breaks with Democrats on environmental ‘Trump insurance’ bill
  • Natural Resources Defense Council: Blog: SB 1 Coalition Responds to Governor Newsom’s Announcement
  • Courthouse News Service: California pushes against Trump administration’s softer environmental rules
  • Read more
  • View Original Article
Aquafornia news September 16, 2019 CBS San Francisco

California steps up multimillion-dollar battle to eradicate nutria from state wetlands

There’s no certain answer as to how the nutria population re-emerged after being declared eradicated in California decades ago but the population is spreading and causing serious concern. The Department of Fish and Wildlife was recently awarded $10 million to wipe out the large, invasive rodents and that effort is now well underway.

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Aquafornia news September 16, 2019 Somach Simmons & Dunn

Blog: State Water Board authorizes major recycled water project

Efforts to increase recycled water use in California got a significant boost this week with the State Water Board’s issuance of an order authorizing the Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District’s program to deliver an average of 45 million gallons per day of recycled water from the Sacramento Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant …

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Aquafornia news September 13, 2019 The Sacramento Bee

Toxic algae spotted at Elk Grove’s Camden Lakes

A popular Elk Grove neighborhood destination has tested positive for the toxic blue-green algae that fatally sickened dogs across the country this summer.

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Aquafornia news September 12, 2019 The Sacramento Bee

American River in Sacramento polluted by homeless waste and feces

A Sacramento Bee investigation found high levels of E. coli bacteria — a sign of fecal contamination — along the lower stretch of the American, where homeless camps line the banks, residents walk their dogs, and where thousands of swimmers dip into the water to escape Sacramento’s summer heat.

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Aquafornia news September 12, 2019 Chico Enterprise-Record

Butte County’s western pond turtle: A reptile in trouble

The western pond turtle in Butte County is currently shaking in its shell, due to habitat alteration and introduced species that are killing off the local reptile. … The turtle is being evaluated for listing as threatened or endangered, according to California Department of Fish and Wildlife officials.

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Announcement September 11, 2019

Northern California Tour to Include Update on Camp Fire Impacts to Paradise Water System
Paradise Irrigation District general manager will discuss the challenges to recovery on Oct. 2-4 tour

The deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history had a severe impact on the water system in the town of Paradise. Participants on our Oct. 2-4 Northern California Tour will hear from Kevin Phillips, general manager of Paradise Irrigation District, on the scope of the damages, the obstacles to recovery and the future of the water district.

The Camp Fire destroyed 90 percent of the structures in Paradise, and 90 percent of the irrigation district’s ratepayer base. The fire did not destroy the irrigation district’s water storage or treatment facilities, but it did melt plastic pipes, releasing contaminants into parts of the system and prompting do-not-drink advisories to water customers.

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Aquafornia news September 11, 2019 U.S. Bureau of Reclamation

News release: Reclamation and DWR to restore floodplain habitat for endangered salmon in the Yolo Bypass

The Bureau of Reclamation, in coordination with the California Department of Water Resources, today announced its decision to move forward with a restoration project to improve fish passage and increase floodplain fisheries-rearing habitat in the Yolo Bypass.

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Aquafornia news September 11, 2019 Chico Enterprise-Record

Is a pipeline from Paradise to Chico even possible? Supervisors approve study to find out

A major groundwater sustainability study was approved by the Butte County Board of Supervisors which will look at different aspects into future water allocations and conservation in Butte County, including the possibility of building a pipeline from Paradise to Chico.

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Aquafornia news September 11, 2019 Davis Enterprise

Opinion: Residential graywater for outdoor irrigation

Residential graywater offers up a huge potential for our city to offset potable water use. When the next drought rolls around, and it will, we could be sitting pretty with healthy trees and landscapes using less water from the Sierra than we do now.

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Aquafornia news September 10, 2019 Oroville Mercury-Register

Editorial: Chico, Paradise problems may have single solution

Of all the chicken-or-the-egg dilemmas that will determine Paradise’s recovery from the Camp Fire, water may be the most critical. To rebuild, the town needs water from the Paradise Irrigation District. To survive, PID needs the town to rebuild. One can’t happen without the other, and it’s been tough to figure out how it’s going to work.

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Aquafornia news September 10, 2019 Davis Enterprise

Opinion: Residential graywater for outdoor irrigation

When the next drought rolls around, and it will, we could be sitting pretty with healthy trees and landscapes using less water from the Sierra than we do now. How could we accomplish this? The answer is graywater, defined in California as the discharge from laundry wash water, showers, and bathroom sinks.

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Aquafornia news September 9, 2019 Chico Enterprise-Record

Butte County’s yellow-legged frog under threat

If you see something hopping around in Big Chico Creek, chances are it could be the foothill yellow-legged frog. This frog is currently being evaluated by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to possibly be placed on the state’s endangered species list.

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Aquafornia news September 9, 2019 Pasadena Star-News

Opinion: Science shunned by Trump once more

When the salmon are healthy, the world is healthy. That means the waters are clean and fast-running and the bottom gravel is clean. It means the rivers … are pouring as they should into our oceans, bringing nutrients and sediments into the salt- and fresh-water interplay.

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Aquafornia news September 6, 2019 Maven's Notebook

Droughts, tunnels & clean water: A conversation on California water policy

Recently, the Sacramento Press Club hosted a panel discussion on the future of California water featuring Secretary Wade Crowfoot, Metropolitan General Manager Jeff Kightlinger, and State Water Contractors General Manager Jennifer Pierre.

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Aquafornia news September 6, 2019 SFGate.com

The story of a California Delta island selling for less than a San Francisco condo

A 10-acre island in Isleton, an hour south of Sacramento in the California Delta’s fresh-water Seven Mile Slough, is changing hands for $1.195 million. (SF’s median condo price is about $1.25 million.) The buyer is Thai Tran, who owns a mini-chain of Vietnamese pho restaurants in Sacramento, and listing agent Tony Wood of KW Commercial says Tran and his family plan to transform the property into a destination.

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Aquafornia news September 6, 2019 California Department of Water Resources

Blog: Coming home: Helping endangered fish return to suisun marsh

DWR is currently overseeing five habitat restoration projects in Suisun Marsh. In October 2019, one of these projects, the Tule Red Tidal Habitat Restoration Project – which converts approximately 600 acres of existing managed wetland into tidal habitat – is expected to finish construction.

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Aquafornia news September 6, 2019 Chico Enterprise-Record

First step taken toward pipe bringing water from Paradise to Chico

An idea to pipe water from Paradise to Chico took its first step Wednesday, when the Paradise Irrigation District board signed off on a feasibility study for the proposal. The plan might seem far-fetched at first glance, but it would solve a couple of problems.

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Aquafornia news September 5, 2019 Colusa County Sun-Herald

Groundwater authority to host public workshops in Colusa and Glenn counties

The Colusa and Glenn groundwater authorities will host a pair of public workshops about local groundwater conditions and areas of concern in portions of Glenn and Colusa counties…

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Aquafornia news September 5, 2019 AgAlert

Groups work to restore fish populations

In the Sacramento River near Redding this spring, water districts, government agencies and others collaborated to construct the Market Street Gravel Project to benefit fish. … Reclamation District 108 Deputy Manager William Vanderwaal said that to complete the $429,000 project, 12,000 tons of gravel were placed into the river and developed as new spawning habitat for chinook salmon and steelhead trout.

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Announcement September 4, 2019

Northern California Tour Explores Water Resources Across Sacramento Valley to Shasta Dam
Examine state and federal water projects key to California's urban and agricultural supplies on Oct. 2-4 tour

Get an up-close look at some of California’s key water reservoirs and learn about farming operations, salmon habitat restoration, flood management and wetlands on our Northern California Water Tour Oct. 2-4.

Each year, participants on the tour enjoy three days exploring the Sacramento Valley during the temperate fall. Join us as we travel through a scenic landscape along the Sacramento and Feather rivers to learn about issues associated with storing and delivering the state’s water supply.

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Aquafornia news September 3, 2019 The Sacramento Bee

Delta island near Isleton sold for nearly $1.2 million

The small channel island near Brannan Island can be found about one hour south of Sacramento in the Delta’s fresh-water Seven Mile Slough, in Sacramento County. The marina and resort have been in operation for more than 60 years.

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Aquafornia news September 3, 2019 San Joaquin Valley Sun

Controversial water legislation heads to California Assembly floor

Senate Bill 1 is seen as a pre-emptive strike by California lawmakers before the Trump administration ushers in new biological opinions to alter water deliveries through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.

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Aquafornia news September 3, 2019 The Sacramento Bee

Sacramento’s Capitol Mall fountain could be demolished as part of building project

A proposal by the California Department of General Services to remove the fountain at the head of Capitol Mall has distressed preservationists, who say it is a historic icon that should remain.

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Aquafornia news September 3, 2019 Woodland Daily Democrat

Woodland banking surplus winter water for use during summer

Woodland is sitting atop what is essentially an underground reservoir containing millions of gallons of freshwater. And for much of the past three years, the city has been banking excess water during the winter months to use during the summer when it isn’t allowed to make withdrawals from the Sacramento River.

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Aquafornia news August 30, 2019 Redding Record-Searchlight

Order to stop Shasta Dam raising report upheld by appeals court

A state court of appeal has upheld a Shasta County Superior Court decision to stop a Fresno-based water district from doing an analysis of the effects of raising the height of Shasta Dam. The Westlands Water District had asked the California Third District Court of Appeal to overturn the lower court’s preliminary injunction that ordered the district to stop work on an environmental impact report.

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Aquafornia news August 30, 2019 Brentwood Press

State of California proposes plan for Delta levees

Last week, the Delta Stewardship Council held a public hearing to review proposed changes to how spending decisions on the maintenance of Delta levees are made, and the plan — known as the Delta Levee Investment Strategy — has drawn criticism from several sources.

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Aquafornia news August 28, 2019 California Department of Water Resources

Blog: August Delta conveyance update

The Department of Water Resources is continuing to work on the environmental planning and permitting to modernize State Water Project infrastructure in the Delta. This effort is consistent with Governor Newsom’s direction and support for a single-tunnel project to ensure a climate resilient water system.

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Aquafornia news August 27, 2019 Jefferson Public Radio

Audio: Managing Shasta Dam for cold- and warm-water fish

Managing a river is no easy feat. Consider the needs for water released at Shasta Dam into the Sacramento River: salmon need cold water, sturgeon need warm water, and irrigators just need water. Recent research shows that all three needs can be met in all but the most drought-stricken years. How?

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Aquafornia news August 22, 2019 Associated Press

Thursday Top of the Scroll: Off the hook: California king salmon rebounds after drought

Commercial salmon catches have surpassed official preseason forecasts by about 50%, said Kandice Morgenstern, a marine scientist with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Harvests have been particularly strong in Morro Bay, Monterey and San Francisco, but weaker along California’s northern coast.

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Aquafornia news August 22, 2019 Maven's Notebook

Reactivating our floodplains: A new way forward

A panel of experts discuss how reactivating the floodplains can provide habitat and food for native fish and for migrating birds, and highlights the many projects and opportunities in the Sacramento Valley.

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Aquafornia news August 22, 2019 The Sacramento Bee

Dead fish and starving whales: What Trump’s hidden report on water means to California

Federal scientists pulled no punches in their report: The Trump administration’s plan to send more water to San Joaquin Valley farmers would force critically endangered California salmon even closer to extinction, and starve a struggling population of West Coast killer whales.

Related article:

  • The Business Journal: Some call foul on ‘delay’ of Trump water-pumping promise
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Aquafornia news August 21, 2019 Bitterroot Magazine

Woe is the smelt: How farms, cities, and Trump threaten a California ecosystem

Outside the walls of the lab lies an environment increasingly unfit for fish like delta smelt. The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, some 40 miles inland from the San Francisco Bay, is a 1,100-square-mile tidal marsh that for millennia teemed with salmon, shellfish, tule elk, deer, and waterfowl — all of which supported a Native American population of about 300,000 people.

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Aquafornia news August 21, 2019 AgAlert

Flows proposals: Sacramento River water agencies aim for certainty

The plan affecting Sacramento River tributaries has not been released, but water-resource managers in the region said they have been collaborating with government agencies and environmental groups to develop voluntary agreements that would accomplish the goals of the state board’s flows-only methodology.

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Aquafornia news August 20, 2019 Courthouse News Service

Dam management can help salmon and sturgeon

In a paper published Tuesday in the Journal of Applied Ecology, scientists at the University of California, Santa Cruz and the National Marine Fisheries Service used statistical modeling to determine an optimal water management plan that would protect both species and ensure other water users would benefit as well.

Related article:

  • Science Daily: Shasta dam releases can be managed to benefit both salmon and sturgeon
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Aquafornia news August 20, 2019 Redding Record-Searchlight

Fresno water district appeals ruling to stop work on Shasta Dam study

Westlands Water District says a preliminary injunction ordering it to stop work on an environmental impact report may prevent it from helping to pay for raising the height of the dam, according to the appeal filed last week.

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Aquafornia news August 14, 2019 Chico Enterprise-Record

County considering project to send treated water from Paradise to Chico

Butte County, California Water Service and Paradise Irrigation District are kicking off the lengthy process on a project to pipe water from Paradise to Chico. The project would seek to restore some viability to PID, which lost most of its customers after the Camp Fire. It would also reduce demands on the groundwater basin currently used for water in Chico to boost long-term sustainability.

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Aquafornia news August 12, 2019 FishBio

Blog: A diverse Delta: Integrating social and natural sciences

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta has been extensively studied in terms of its biology, chemistry, and physics, but this wealth of data leaves out a crucial piece of the puzzle: people.

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Aquafornia news August 12, 2019 KRCR TV

Popular Oroville Dam spillway boat ramp reopens after 30 months

Steven and Cindy Bolt couldn’t have been happier. For the first time since February of 2017 and the Oroville Dam spillway crisis they could launch their houseboat from the spillway’s boat ramp. “It’s been our favorite place to come,” said Cindy. “And it’s been a long time.”

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Aquafornia news August 12, 2019 Mother Jones

Opinion: It’s long past time to end the Delta smelt demagoguery

The Delta smelt is practically extinct in the wild already. So could the Delta be repopulated by taking up the farmers’ offer to “hatch and repopulate the fish,” as Jack Fowler says in National Review? That certainly sounds like common sense! Except that the Delta smelt war has never really been about the Delta smelt at all.

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Aquafornia news August 8, 2019 The Sacramento Bee

Sacramento County warns of phone scam posing as water agency

The Sacramento County Water Agency says customers have alerted the agency to the scheme, in which the caller claims county officials will shut off their water within 30 minutes if they don’t make a payment, the county Department of Water Resources said Tuesday in a news release.

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Aquafornia news August 8, 2019 Marysville Appeal-Democrat

Program offering no cost irrigation evaluations to Northern California

Local land owners have an opportunity to get their irrigation systems inspected free of charge as part of a program offered across Northern California. Jay Thomas, engineering technician for the Irrigation Training Facility at California State University, Chico, said this program is part of a mobile irrigation laboratory that services the growers of Northern California.

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Aquafornia news August 6, 2019 Chico Enterprise-Record

Chico State, Stanford University helping county analyze water basin management

A Butte County project will expand its partnership with Chico State and Stanford University to analyze available groundwater systems. … It’s a groundbreaking project for water management in the county, according to Paul Gosselin, director of the county’s water and resource management department.

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Aquafornia news August 5, 2019 Stockton Record

San Joaquin County sues state water agency over drilling for tunnel project

San Joaquin County has filed a lawsuit in Superior Court asking the state Department of Water Resources to abide by local drilling permit requirements to protect wildlife and water quality in accordance with California law.

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Aquafornia news August 5, 2019 Oroville Mercury-Register

Chico State, Stanford University helping county analyze water basin management

A Butte County project will expand its partnership with Chico State and Stanford University to analyze available groundwater systems. The project involves analysis of well logs, and hopes to expand the analysis using magnetics and a grid to fill in holes in the data.

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Aquafornia news August 2, 2019 San Francisco Chronicle

Opinion: Sites Reservoir needed for reliable water future

A flexible, reliable water supply is essential to California’s economy and to the job creation and job security goals of California’s working families. … Of all the projects vying for California’s attention, the proposed Sites Reservoir in Northern California offers the most tangible benefits.

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Aquafornia news August 2, 2019 The Press

New Delta tunnel project begins taking shape

Opponents of the twin tunnels breathed a collective sigh of relief in April when Gov. Gavin Newsom put a formal end to the California WaterFix project, but that action also called for the assessment of a single-tunnel project in the Delta. The first major step in that direction took place last week when the Department of Water Resources (DWR) initiated a series of negotiations with public water agencies that participate in the State Water Project (SWP)…

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Aquafornia news August 1, 2019 California Department of Water Resources

Blog: Reducing flood risk on Elder Creek

The five-year project will clear sedimentation and vegetation to restore flow capacity of a four-mile stretch of the state-maintained Elder Creek in Tehama County. With a goal of clearing approximately one mile per year, the project reduces flood risk for the nearby town of Gerber and surrounding farmland, which includes fruit and nut orchards.

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Aquafornia news August 1, 2019 Redding Record-Searchlight

Judge orders Westlands of Fresno to stop work on Shasta Dam raise

The Westlands Water District, which provides irrigation water to farmers on the west side of the San Joaquin Valley, was working on a report assessing the environmental impacts of raising the height of the dam. But a judge ruled Wednesday that Westlands’ work violated a state law that prohibited local and state agencies from participating in any projects that would have an adverse impact on the McCloud River.

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Aquafornia news July 31, 2019 CBS Sacramento

Sutter County ordered to reduce arsenic levels in drinking water

Sutter County has been ordered to reduce arsenic levels in its drinking water or face some steep penalties from the Environmental Protection Agency. … If the county doesn’t comply, it could be fined more than $32,000 for each violation.

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Aquafornia news July 31, 2019 Public Policy Institute of California

The Yolo Bypass: It’s a floodplain! It’s farmland! It’s an ecosystem!

California’s biggest river—the Sacramento—needs a lot of room to spread in big water years. A floodplain project called the Yolo Bypass allows it to flood naturally, while also providing habitat for waterbirds, fish, and other aquatic species. We talked to Ted Sommer, lead scientist for the Department of Water Resources (DWR), about this versatile landscape.

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Aquafornia news July 31, 2019 Bloomberg Environment

Homeless digging into levees put California’s capital at risk

Sacramento remains one of the two most flood-prone cities in the nation along with New Orleans, according to experts. Now the River City faces a new water threat: homeless people setting up camp on—and digging into—the 1,100 miles of earthen levees that Sacramento and surrounding areas count on to protect them from devastation.

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Aquafornia news July 29, 2019 Inside Climate News

Global warming is pushing Pacific salmon to the brink, federal scientists warn

Pacific salmon that spawn in Western streams and rivers have been struggling for decades to survive water diversions, dams and logging. Now, global warming is pushing four important populations in California, Oregon and Idaho toward extinction, federal scientists warn in a new study.

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Aquafornia news July 29, 2019 The Sacramento Bee

Water slides, cabanas, pools: $45 million aquatic center coming to this Sacramento community

The center, being built at North Natomas Regional Park, will feature the city’s first 50-meter competition pool with 13 diving boards and lanes. It will also feature a 25-meter pool, four water slides, a shallow kids’ pool, and a kids’ rope course and play area…

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Aquafornia news July 26, 2019 U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Blog: Hamilton City project combines flood management with ecosystem restoration

The community wanted to create flood relief for the people of Hamilton City; The Nature Conservancy wanted to find a way to restore native habitat. Area farmers wanted to reduce damages from flows that scoured their property along the edge of the river. The Hamilton City Flood Damage Reduction and Ecosystem Restoration project was able to address these problems with one solution.

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Aquafornia news July 26, 2019 FishBio

Blog: Discovering Delta data online

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is arguably the most extensively studied and monitored ecosystem in the world. This has generated mountains of data on everything from the locations of the smallest fish to the water quality conditions of the largest reservoir. Knowing where to access the most up-to-date information can be a real challenge, but fortunately several online dashboards can help

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Aquafornia news July 26, 2019 ABC10.com

Roseville preparing for drought with unique system to capture water for future use

Water is the lifeblood of the Sacramento Valley. Yet, the best methods for storing and using the precious resource are often elusive. A new water system in operation in Roseville treats underground aquifers like a bank, making deposits in times of surplus for withdrawal in times of drought.

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Aquafornia news July 25, 2019 Red Bluff Daily News

Coleman Hatchery expresses optimism for future fish returns

The Coleman National Fish Hatchery is expecting good returns of their fish in the foreseeable future after a few lean years of comebacks. … Mother Nature worked with the hatchery this year providing high water levels and spring storms, said Galyean. When nature was not working in the hatchery’s favor was during the recent drought.

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Aquafornia news July 24, 2019 AgAlert

Opinion: California’s struggle for water certainty continues

For many years, federal “biological opinions” for delta smelt and winter run chinook salmon have dictated restrictions on operations of the pumps, reservoirs and canals of the federal Central Valley Project and State Water Project… Informed by a decade of science and on-the-ground experience with what we know has not worked, long-awaited new federal biological opinions are finally nearing completion.

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Aquafornia news July 23, 2019 Redding Record-Searchlight

Shasta County judge rejects effort to move Shasta Dam lawsuit to Fresno

A judge has rejected a San Joaquin Valley irrigation district’s request to move a lawsuit against raising the height of Shasta Dam to Fresno County. Westlands Water District, based in Fresno, wanted to move the lawsuit against it to its home county, but a judge has ruled the case will remain in Shasta County.

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Aquafornia news July 23, 2019 Chico Enterprise-Record

Tuesday Top of the Scroll: State appeals FEMA spillways reimbursement

In the appeal, DWR included updated reimbursement requests totaling an estimated $1.11 billion to cover costs of the Oroville spillways emergency response and emergency recovery efforts. Final costs won’t be known until all project work is complete, according to DWR officials.

Related article:

  • News release: CalOES submits Oroville spillways reimbursement appeal
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Aquafornia news July 22, 2019 California Department of Water Resources

News release: Yolo Bypass fish passage project approved

The Department of Water Resources has secured final state and federal approval for a project that will expand a migration corridor for fish to the Yolo Bypass, the Sacramento Valley’s main floodplain. The project is part of the largest floodplain restoration action on the West Coast…

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Aquafornia news July 22, 2019 Fairfield Daily Republic

Solano commission recommends supervisors protect Cache Slough ag

The Solano County Planning Commission on Thursday was told that a proposal to more stringently protect agricultural uses in the Cache Slough area could negatively affect the goals of the Delta Plan.

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Aquafornia news July 22, 2019 The Press

State of California reconsiders changes in Franks Tract

The initial objectives of the restoration project were to: improve habitat for the Delta smelt, reduce saltwater intrusion, reduce submerged aquatic weeds and reduce invasive non-native fish species that feed on native fish. Carl Wilcox, a CDFW policy advisor explained the objectives are now more broad and include accommodations for recreational and economic activities that are key to the region’s residents.

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Aquafornia news July 22, 2019 Red Bluff Daily News

Salmon restoration: Input gathered for 2020 East Sand Slough side channel project

The project is a part of the restoration of salmon habitat stemming from the Central Valley Improvement Act and will take place on the left bank of the Sacramento River at the East Sand Slough… It reconnects the East Sand Slough to the Sacramento River during minimal flows by excavating the main channel and entrances.

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Aquafornia news July 19, 2019 Chico Enterprise-Record

Bald eagles booming in Oroville

It’s not unusual to spot the national bird flying around Lake Oroville every summer. What’s unusual this year is the amount currently calling Lake Oroville home. Environmental scientists from the Department of Water Resources Oroville Field Division are keeping an eye on seven nesting pairs of bald eagles, four of which are successfully raising a total of eight young eaglets.

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Aquafornia news July 16, 2019 KCRA TV

California bill would make levee encampments illegal

Assembly member Jim Cooper, D-Elk Grove, authored AB 137, which would prohibit people from altering the stability of levees or bypasses, as well as prohibit people from living and camping on the structures. The legislation would make it a misdemeanor charge.

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Aquafornia news July 15, 2019 East Bay Times

State looks for alternate plans for Franks Tract restoration

Faced with mounting opposition to its $315 million plan to restore the tidal marshland on Franks Tract in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the state has begun seeking input from residents, boaters, fishermen and others on possible alternatives.

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Aquafornia news July 12, 2019 KCRA TV

Construction is underway at Sacramento’s McKinley Park

Crews are digging and removing 66,000 yards of dirt to make room for an underground vault. It will be used to catch rainwater during a storm in order to alleviate flooding around the park.  Behind the fence, crews are hauling away dirt. Workers will eventually put the 6 million-gallon water vault 22 feet underground.

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Aquafornia news July 11, 2019 Action News Now

Glenn Groundwater Authority approves operation fee increase for water service

On Monday the Glenn Groundwater Authority passed an operation fee increase for water service, despite meeting some opposition. Anyone within the Glenn County portion of the Colusa subbasin except for Willows and Orland will have to pay the fee. The board set the operation fee at $1.61 per acre, per year for the fiscal 2019-2020 year.

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Aquafornia news July 10, 2019 The Press

Legislation for removal of abandoned commercial vessels sailing forward

New legislation authored by Assemblymember Jim Frazier, D-Discovery Bay, and signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom, calls for the development of a plan to deal with abandoned and derelict commercial vessels in the Delta. A draft of that plan is now available for review and public comment.

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Aquafornia news July 8, 2019 Sacramento News & Review

Slap and go: Battle over state’s eminent domain plan for the Delta was reignited

The standoff between Sacramento County and the California Department of Water Resources over the Delta’s future took a twist in June, moving from quiet canals and pear orchards along the river to a courtroom in the central city. That’s where county officials were granted a temporary restraining order against DWR to halt what they call risky and illegal drilling.

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Aquafornia news July 8, 2019 The Revelator

Blog: Let rivers flood: Communities adopt new strategies for resilience

In 2016 California’s rainy season kicked off right on schedule, at the beginning of October. … By February there was so much water filling Northern California’s rivers that Oroville Dam, the tallest in the country, threatened to break after its spillway and emergency spillways both failed. It was a wake-up call. In just a few months California had gone from five-year-drought to deluge, ending up with the second wettest year on record for the state.

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Aquafornia news July 8, 2019 Chico Enterprise-Record

Editorial: Dam opening sparks moment to reflect

On the last Saturday in June, a road in Butte County was opened. That in itself isn’t anything unusual. Roads are opened and closed regularly around here. But it was the significance of this road that makes it a remarkable occurrence. It was the road over Oroville Dam.

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Aquafornia news July 8, 2019 CALmatters

Opinion: California needs to build Sites Reservoir. Here’s why

We need a broad portfolio of solutions that includes storage above and below ground, conservation, and other options such as traditional recycled and potable reuse to help ensure we can better manage this vital resource when the next inevitable drought comes along. … One part of that solution is the proposed Sites Reservoir.

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Aquafornia news July 3, 2019 The Sacramento Bee

Toxic algae threaten 10 waterways in greater Sacramento area

The lake visitors call the “gem of Chico,” the local go-to location for a quiet and relaxing day trip on the waterfront, is infested with toxic algae, officials say. The Butte County Public Health Department warned people on Monday to stay away from Horseshoe Lake after colonies of microscopic cyanobacteria grew out of control…

Related article:

  • Chico Enterprise-Record: Horseshoe Lake water sampling shows toxins
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Aquafornia news July 2, 2019 Soundings Magazine

First generation farmers

The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta historically has been an agricultural paradise. But sometimes there is a disconnect between the agricultural community and the urban culture. A fourth generation farmer has made it her mission to reconnect the two in hopes of inspiring the next generation to consider farming as a career.

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Aquafornia news July 2, 2019 CBS Sacramento

Oroville Dam reopens to public after spillways rebuilt

Oroville Dam is officially back open to the public two years after it was forced to close due to the failure of the dam’s main and emergency spillways. People can now walk and bike the more than one-mile-long road across the dam crest. Public vehicles will still not be allowed.

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Aquafornia news July 2, 2019 CBS Sacramento

Report: One in five California schools found detectable levels of lead in drinking water

Nearly one in five California schools found detectable levels of lead in the drinking water, according to recent data from the State Water Board. … Monday was the deadline, under a 2017 law, for local water districts to test school drinking water for lead. CBS13 found there is still no testing data for at least 100 schools in our area, but many local schools tested well above the limit.

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Aquafornia news July 2, 2019 Northern California Water Association

Blog: Governor and Legislature advance voluntary agreements in the state budget

The Newsom Administration and the State Legislature approved a commitment of $70 million in the 2019-2020 State Budget for a comprehensive series of innovative fish and wildlife habitat enhancement actions identified in the collaborative Bay-Delta Voluntary Agreement proposals. This is a significant, early investment in the success of the Voluntary Agreements.

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Aquafornia news July 2, 2019 KQED Science

Tuesday Top of the Scroll: Trump’s pending rules on California water marked by missing documents and hurried reviews, say scientists

In their analyses, they write that the plan poses risks to threatened fish; that the process is rushed; that they didn’t receive enough information to provide a complete scientific review; and that the Trump administration may be skewing the science to make the environmental impact look less serious.

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Aquafornia news May 31, 2019 Water Education Foundation

Save the date! Water Education Foundation’s 36th annual Water Summit set for Oct. 30

The 2019 Water Summit will take place in a new location on the Sacramento riverfront on Oct. 30, 2019. At this event, attendees will have the opportunity to hear the latest information on key issues affecting water in California and the West from leading experts and top policymakers.

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Aquafornia news May 30, 2019 California Ag Today

Opinion: Delta smelt are poor swimmers

Delta smelt are poor swimmers. When they have to swim against voluminous outflows, they struggle. They also lack endurance for distance and swimming against currents. This was the result of the taxpayer-funded swim performance test conducted more than 20 years ago. Why is this important?

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Aquafornia news May 30, 2019 Woodland Daily Democrat

Clarksburg flood risk reduction study presented to supervisors

Although flooding hasn’t occurred in Clarksburg since the construction of the levee system in the early 1900s, the community is considered a moderate to high hazard flood area, according to a county report. For that reason, a flood risk reduction feasibility study has been prepared for the town similar to those conducted for Yolo and Knights Landing with funds from the California Department of Water Resources.

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Aquafornia news May 28, 2019 The Hill

Environmental groups file lawsuit to force Trump to add eight species to endangered list

The Center for Biological Diversity and San Francisco Baykeeper sued the Trump administration to force the addition of the longfin smelt, the Sierra Nevada red fox and six other species to the Endangered Species List… According to the lawsuit, the agency had previously found the species worthy of endangered species protections under the Obama administration but  the Trump administration had slow-walked the process…

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Aquafornia news May 24, 2019 Oroville Mercury-Register

Butte County concerned over lake levels

There are more concerns over lake levels in Oroville as Butte County leaders take initiative to explore alternative options for safety measures. The Department of Water Resources (DWR), a leg of the State Water Project, manages the Oroville Dam. On Wednesday, DWR officials remained adamant in saying they have no plans to release water from the Oroville Dam spillway.

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Aquafornia news May 23, 2019 Chico News & Review

Eye of the storm

Barbara Vlamis is smiling. Often, the executive director of the Chico-based advocacy group AquAlliance wears a steely expression, as her work involves David-versus-Goliath battles against powerful interests—namely, government agencies and water brokers. Now, she’s satisfied, even a bit celebratory.

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Aquafornia news May 21, 2019 The Mountain Democrat

EID approves Folsom Lake intake improvements

The planned improvements include replacing six of the lake pumps and three booster pumps with four new, higher-powered pumps capable of pumping water directly to the treatment plant without the use of booster pumps.

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Aquafornia news May 21, 2019 Redding Record-Searchlight

After 25 years, winter-run salmon return to Battle Creek

For years fisheries experts have watched the number of winter-run Chinook salmon dwindle as they suffered through drought and adverse conditions in the Sacramento River. But this year a small crop of the endangered salmon have made their way back from the ocean to return Battle Creek in southern Shasta County, something that hasn’t happened in some 25 years. And officials hope the fish are the beginning of a new run of salmon in the creek.

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Aquafornia news May 20, 2019 Oroville Mercury-Register

Editorial: Oroville Dam is fine, despite what the internet says

Well, apparently we’re all about to die again. The internet says so. And while the internet often says we’re all about to die, and we don’t, for some reason people still unquestionably believe the next scare to come down the information highway. So it is with the latest local scare, involving the Oroville Dam spillway.

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Aquafornia news May 15, 2019 Redding Record-Searchlight

Wednesday Top of the Scroll: California, environmental groups sue to stop Shasta Dam raise

The lawsuit against the Fresno-based Westlands Water District was filed in Shasta County Superior Court on Monday. State officials have for years maintained that raising the height of the dam would violate the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act because a higher dam would further inundate the McCloud River, in violation of state law.

Related article:

  • Courthouse News Service: California Sues to Sink Planned Expansion of Shasta Dam
  • News release: Attorney General Becerra sues Westlands Water District to block unlawful Shasta Dam project
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Aquafornia news May 15, 2019 The Atlantic

Our Towns: National policies have local effects

Five years ago, Deb Fallows and I made the first of what became many visits to the farming town of Winters, California. … When we first visited five years ago, the main question for the area’s nut-tree farmers, and for California’s agricultural economy as a whole, was whether the state’s drought-ravaged water supplies could support such commercially valuable but water-intensive crops.

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Aquafornia news May 14, 2019 SFGate.com

Northern California’s famed clothing-optional Wilbur Hot Springs listed for $10 million

The 1,700-acre off-the-grid health retreat, where clothing is optional in the pools, went up for sale quietly last year for $10 million. Now, the property near Williams (Colusa County) is officially listed with Sotheby’s International Real Estate.

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Aquafornia news May 13, 2019 Calaveras Enterprise

Great flood impacted Northern California region in 1862

When people think of natural disasters in California, they usually think of earthquakes, drought or wildfire. But the worst disaster to ever hit the Golden State was the Great Flood of 1862. When people of European descent first arrived in California, the native people told them tales of great deluges in which the rivers overran their banks and large areas of land were inundated. The newcomers paid little heed to these stories, and often settled in low-lying areas with easy access to water sources.

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Aquafornia news May 13, 2019 CBS Sacramento

Sacramento finally responds to public safety concern along the levees

In response to a story that aired Thursday night on CBS13, the City of Sacramento is now responding and creating a task force to combat a growing public safety concern. Homeless campers are carving into levees that protect Sacramento from flooding, a break in the levee could be devastating.

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Aquafornia news May 10, 2019 CBS Sacramento

Homeless digging into crucial flood levees, putting thousands of homes in danger

Sometimes erosion can be caused by fallen trees or rodents, but now they’re finding faults intentionally caused by homeless people carving out campsites. … Tim Kerr, general manager for the American River Flood Control District, said his engineers find about two new trenches a month. The danger comes during flood season when fast-moving water nears the top of a 22-foot tall levee.

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Aquafornia news May 10, 2019 The Reporter

Garamendi applauds cancellation of twin tunnels, suggests alternative plan to Newsom

Following Gov. Gavin Newsom’s decision to withdraw permits for the proposed Twin Tunnels project in favor of a smaller single tunnel, Rep. John Garamendi, D-Solano, issued a letter to the governor expressing support for the decision while also outlining alternative water plans.

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Aquafornia news May 8, 2019 The Wildlife Society

Blog: Unique partnership preserves unique California ecosystems

Before California’s Central Valley became known as an agricultural powerhouse, it contained one of the largest expanses of streamside forest and wetland habitat in North America. … Much of that landscape has been transformed into farmland and urban areas, but at the Cosumnes River Preserve, a unique partnership of nonprofits and state, federal and local governments has conserved over 50,000 acres that provide resources for a variety of wildlife.

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Aquafornia news May 7, 2019 Chico Enterprise-Record

New Sacramento River paddle event races from Redding to Chico

Paddlers of every skill and age from the U.S. and abroad will be making their way down the Sacramento River on May 26 in the California River Quest. … The course flows through riparian forests and oak woodlands “teaming with wildlife and plants” as well as a section that runs through a lava canyon, said Matthews.

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Aquafornia news May 7, 2019 Somach Simmons & Dunn

Blog: DWR withdraws approvals and permit applications for WaterFix

DWR has not yet disclosed whether it intends to withdraw the WaterFix bond resolutions, which are subject to numerous challenges in litigation DWR filed to validate the bonds. It remains unclear what will happen with the validation action now that the project and cost estimates these items are based on no longer exist.

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Aquafornia news May 6, 2019 San Francisco Chronicle

Editorial: The Delta twin tunnels project is dead

Gov. Gavin Newsom killed the divisive twin tunnels project Thursday, calming fears that have roiled the delta communities and dominated California water politics for more than a decade. It is a signature decision for the young administration.

Related article:

  • San Jose Mercury News: Editorial: Governor sets welcome new course on Delta water issues
  • Orange County Register: Opinion: California needs WaterFix more than ever
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Aquafornia news May 3, 2019 San Jose Mercury News

Friday Top of the Scroll: Newsom officially kills Jerry Brown’s Delta twin tunnels

The Newsom administration announced it is withdrawing permit applications that the Brown administration had submitted to the State Water Resources Control Board, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and several federal agencies. Instead, the administration said it will begin environmental studies on a one-tunnel project.

Related articles:

  • Associated Press: California governor makes big change to giant water project
  • KQED Science: Now It’s Official: Newsom Administration Spikes Twin Delta Tunnels
  • Sacramento Bee: Gavin Newsom officially kills twin Delta tunnels, eyes downsized CA water project
  • Maven’s Notebook: Water agencies, environmental organizations, and Delta stakeholders react to single-tunnel Delta conveyance project
  • News Release: State withdraws WaterFix approvals, initiates planning and permitting for a smaller single tunnel
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Aquafornia news May 2, 2019 Woodland Daily Democrat

Fish reported to be using Fremont Weir again

Yes, some fish died — including endangered Chinook salmon — but overall rebuilding the Fremont Weir has done its job and saved hundred of others. That was the response of Allen Young, public information officer for the California Department of Water Resources, after reports surfaced last week that at least 13 Chinook salmon and other fish couldn’t make it through the weir designed to get them safely into the Sacramento River and died.

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Aquafornia news April 30, 2019 California WaterBlog

Blog: Fish are born free, but are everywhere in cages this spring

Part of sustaining salmon populations is improving the survival and fitness of young salmon as they grow for weeks to months before out-migrating to the Ocean. … This year, UC Davis Center for Watershed Sciences and California Trout have four different studies over approximately 100 miles using floating cages with baby salmon inside. 

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Aquafornia news April 29, 2019 The Sacramento Bee

Monday Top of the Scroll: Dead salmon wash up near $6.3 million passageway designed to protect them. Why didn’t it work?

An automated gate was supposed to open once water levels got high enough to overflow into the bypass, allowing fish to swim back into the Sacramento River. But in February … too much water was pouring through the passage, eroding the structure. Officials had to close the gate almost entirely, meaning fewer fish could escape. The Department of Water Resources is now facing an expensive upgrade to an already multimillion structure to make it ready for the next rainy season.

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Aquafornia news April 26, 2019 Wired

How the Blockchain Could Protect California’s Aquifer

In Solano County, near Sacramento, [Alex] Johnson is working on what he says could be a model for parched ag regions around the state. … Last month, working with IBM and a company called SweetSense, Johnson’s team began deploying simple, solar-powered sensors, originally developed to monitor creaky groundwater pumps in East Africa. The sensors will be used to detect how much water is flowing in real-time. … Farmers will use that data to trade their water on (what else?) a blockchain platform.

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Aquafornia news April 25, 2019 The Modesto Bee

Josh Harder unveils water plan for Central Valley

Rep. Josh Harder, D-Turlock, thinks there is a better way to find water solutions for California’s Central Valley and to stop squandering water in wet years that’s needed in dry years. His bipartisan water legislation unveiled Wednesday promises federal support for storage and innovation projects to address shortages that too often plague Valley agriculture and communities.

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Aquafornia news April 24, 2019 Futurity

Wednesday’s Top of the Scroll: Can sensor data save California’s aquifers?

In California, the amount of water exiting aquifers under the state’s most productive farming region far surpasses the amount of water trickling back in. That rampant overdraft … has ignited interest in replenishing aquifers in California’s Central Valley through managed flooding of the ground above them. But until now there has been no reliable way to know where this type of remedy will be most effective.

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Aquafornia news April 22, 2019 Los Angeles Times

Monday Top of the Scroll: As California’s Delta smelt spirals toward extinction, a future in captivity awaits

Despite a decades-long rescue effort, the tiny delta smelt appears closer than ever to vanishing from its only natural home, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Now, some worry it won’t be long before the only place the once-abundant species exists is within the confines of an artificial tank.

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Aquafornia news April 22, 2019 California Department of Water Resources

Blog: Restoring California’s great estuary

For centuries, the Delta was a dynamic and rich ecosystem of tidal wetlands, riparian forests, and vast seasonal floodplains. But about 98 percent of the native habitat disappeared after the Gold Rush and a population boom across the Golden State.

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Aquafornia news April 18, 2019 Chico Enterprise-Record

North Chico residents irate over flooding issues

Frustration was evident, whether it was from a flooded homeowner or a government agency trying to explain its processes during Wednesday’s “listening session” regarding flooding in north Chico. … Despite the anger, there seemed to be some progress, whether it was the cleaning of Rock Creek west of Highway 99 by the Rock Creek Reclamation District, or more property owners funding efforts themselves. Lucero suggested that property owners could pay more into the existing county service areas set up for drainage maintenance.

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Aquafornia news April 16, 2019 Action News Now

Salmon survival experiment takes place at Scotty’s Landing

A total of 300,000 salmon were released into the Sacramento River on Saturday. Half were dropped at their usual location at Coleman Fish Hatchery near Anderson in Shasta County, and the other half were released 75 miles downstream, at Scottys Landing on River Road near Chico. Surgeons fit the fish with tiny radio transmitters so they can more easily study their survival chances and homing instincts.

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Aquafornia news April 12, 2019 Chico Enterprise-Record

North Chico flooding focus of listening session

Residents in north Chico say they have never seen flooding like the deluge that came their way this year, and they want to know how to stop it. Storm water from Rock Creek and Keefer Slough surged into their backyards, front yards, and in some cases into their homes. It crept into orchards and overtook Highway 99, north of Chico and continued westward.

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Aquafornia news April 12, 2019 The Mountain Democrat

EID’s Folsom Lake intake project draws local ire

Eldorado Irrigation District staff said the proposed improvements and replacements are needed because the existing equipment does not allow selective temperature withdrawal at multiple elevations for the benefit of downstream fisheries. In addition the existing pumps and boosters have reached the end of their useful life, having undergone multiple repairs over the years.

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Western Water April 11, 2019 Gary Pitzer Gary Pitzer

Bruce Babbitt Urges Creation of Bay-Delta Compact as Way to End ‘Culture of Conflict’ in California’s Key Water Hub
WESTERN WATER NOTEBOOK: Former Interior secretary says Colorado River Compact is a model for achieving peace and addressing environmental and water needs in the Delta

Former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt gives the Anne J. Schneider Lecture April 3 at Sacramento's Crocker Art Museum.  Bruce Babbitt, the former Arizona governor and secretary of the Interior, has been a thoughtful, provocative and sometimes forceful voice in some of the most high-profile water conflicts over the last 40 years, including groundwater management in Arizona and the reduction of California’s take of the Colorado River. In 2016, former California Gov. Jerry Brown named Babbitt as a special adviser to work on matters relating to the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and the Delta tunnels plan.

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Aquafornia news April 11, 2019 Redding Record-Searchlight

Coleman hatchery will free 180,000 tiny salmon in survival experiment

Will hatchery-raised salmon have a better chance of surviving their journey to the Pacific Ocean and back if they get a 75-mile head start? That’s the question a three-year study hopes to answer for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and four partner organizations. The plan Saturday is to release 180,000 salmon fry into the Sacramento River 75 miles downriver from the Coleman National Fish Hatchery.

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Aquafornia news April 11, 2019 Fairfield Daily Republic

Frazier cannot move bill, lashes out at SoCal lobbying groups

Assemblyman Jim Frazier spoke out in frustration Wednesday when his bill to increase local representation on the Delta Stewardship Council died Tuesday in a committee hearing. Unable to get his bill past the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee, Frazier blamed Southern California water special interests

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Aquafornia news April 10, 2019 KRCR

California Conservation Corps clean storm debris from miles of irrigation canal

The Anderson Cottonwood Irrigation District, or ACID, Canal was covered in tree debris after the snow and rain storms. The workload was enough that Congressman Doug Lamalfa called in the California Conservation Corps.

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Aquafornia news April 8, 2019 The Press

Delta designated a National Heritage Area

Administered by the National Park Service (NPS), NHAs are defined by NPS as a grassroots, community-driven approach to heritage conservation and economic development. They differ from national parks in several significant ways. Primarily, NPS does not take ownership of the land encompassed within an NHA and no land-use restrictions are placed upon landowners.

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Aquafornia news April 8, 2019 Chico Enterprise-Record

Monday Top of the Scroll: Oroville residents submit petition to ‘hold DWR accountable’ to federal agency

Specifically, the Feather River Recovery Alliance is asking FERC to not reissue a license to the state Department of Water Resources to operate the Oroville Dam until terms of the agreement are renegotiated, including a new recreation plan. The group says it received 6,469 local signatures on the petition.

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Aquafornia news April 8, 2019 Red Bluff Daily News

Regional sustainable groundwater management forum hosted in Corning

Tehama and Butte counties teamed up Friday to host a Northern Sacramento Valley forum on sustainable groundwater held at Rolling Hills Casino. … The forum was a chance to look at neighboring agencies and see similarities and differences as well as how they are progressing in the planning, Fulton said. It was a place to connect with the agency in their area so they would know where to go if they had questions.

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Aquafornia news April 8, 2019 KCRA TV

Sacramento County gets FEMA money to raise homes in flood zones

Sacramento County homeowners living in flood-prone areas may be eligible for a grant to elevate their houses above identified flood levels. The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced it will fund a $2.6 million flood mitigation grant, which could help dozens of homeowners in the county. 

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Aquafornia news April 8, 2019 KRCR TV

Watching the water: Shasta County residents in flood-prone areas share their stories

People living in flood-prone areas throughout Shasta County seemed to be breathing easier Friday after a long winter dealing with high water threats. For months, many have been watching the rivers and creeks around their homes, in case the waters started to rise. However, despite wet weather and increased water releases from Keswick Dam this week, the residents we spoke with Friday say their waterways are staying at manageable levels.

Related articles:

  • Calaveras Enterprise: Reservoirs release more water in anticipation of snowpack
  • Action News Now: Oroville spillway is being tested with increased water releases
  • Santa Ynez Valley News: Santa Barbara County reservoir levels still rising, but rate slows as storms dry up
  • Record Searchlight: More rain means more water being released from Lake Shasta — and some flooding
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Aquafornia news April 5, 2019 Huffington Post

California town declares climate emergency four months after state’s deadliest wildfire

Four months after the Camp fire destroyed the northern California towns of Paradise and Magalia, city council members in the neighboring town of Chico voted this week to declare a climate emergency that threatens their lives and well-being.

Related article:

  • Chico Enterprise-Record: Chico City Council declares climate emergency
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Aquafornia news April 4, 2019 Chico News & Review

Learning from the land: Butte County farmer engages, educates via YouTube channel

One video follows Matthew Sligar on a “typical 14-hour workday” during the planting season. Another offers a step-by-step explanation of how rice is planted in Butte County. In others, he takes viewers on virtual tractor rides and demonstrates important tools, like his autonomous agriculture drone. Sligar doesn’t shy away from controversial topics, either, such as weed and pest control management and water usage.

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Aquafornia news April 3, 2019 The Sacramento Bee

Wednesday Top of the Scroll: Oroville Dam spillway used for first time since evacuation crisis

It worked. Oroville Dam’s main flood-control spillway reopened for business Tuesday morning, releasing a gentle sheet of water into the Feather River for the first time since the 2017 crisis that sent 188,000 people fleeing for their lives. … It was a far cry from the scene two years ago, when the massive sinkhole in the spillway turned water releases into an angry, boiling mess…

Related articles:

  • Chico Enterprise-Record: Video: Reconstructed Oroville Dam spillway used for first time since February 2017 crisis
  • Associated Press: Water Flows Down Oroville Dam’s Rebuilt Spillway for First Time Since 2017 Crisis
  • CBS Sacramento: Oroville Dam Spillway Back In Use For 1st Time Since 2017 Crisis
  • News release: DWR uses Oroville main spillway
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Aquafornia news April 2, 2019 Redding Record-Searchlight

Snafu results in death of 390,000 hatchery-raised salmon

An oversight at the Coleman National Fish Hatchery resulted in the death of some 390,000 fall Chinook salmon this week. Water was shut off to one of the hatchery’s raceways and wasn’t turned back on during fish-tagging operations Thursday night..

Related articles:

  • KRCR TV: 390,000 salmon lost after fish hatchery accident
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Aquafornia news April 2, 2019 Los Angeles Times

Tuesday Top of the Scroll: After near-disaster, Oroville Dam spillway about to face its first big test

Officials predict they might need to open the gates to move water that accumulated during the wet winter season from the reservoir down into the Feather River. … Amy Rechenmacher, an associate professor of engineering practice at USC, said the spillway’s use is going to be a big test for the agency and engineers who worked on the project.

Related articles:

  • The Sacramento Bee: Oroville Dam spillway to be used Tuesday. The state says it’s ready
  • KQED: As reservoir rises, rebuilt Oroville Dam spillway to be used for first time
  • San Francisco Chronicle: Newly rebuilt Oroville Dam spillway is back. And it may get its first test this week
  • News release: DWR plans to use Oroville main spillway April 2
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Aquafornia news March 27, 2019 Daily Democrat

Deficiencies and fixes for Knights Landing Levee Basin presented to Yolo supervisors

The town of roughly 1,000 people is located in the north-east part of the county and surrounded by active waterways. It has flooded multiple times in the past. Goals of the study included reducing the risk of flooding while enhancing habitat restoration and providing safe access to the river, according to Sabatini’s presentation.

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Aquafornia news March 27, 2019 The Sacramento Bee

Wednesday Top of the Scroll: Rebuilt Oroville Dam spillway could be used next week after storm hits. Is it ready?

Water may cascade down Oroville Dam’s rebuilt spillway next week for the first time since a massive crater formed in its nearly half-mile long surface two years ago — a major milestone in the saga that triggered the evacuation of 188,000 people and a $1.1 billion repair job to the country’s tallest dam. A storm forecast to hit this week is expected to fill Lake Oroville to the point that state dam operators might need to open the spillway gates…

Related articles:

  • Chico Enterprise-Record: Spillway could be used next week DWR says
  • Mercury News: Oroville Dam: New spillway expected to be used next week for first time
  • KQED Science: Oroville Dam’s Rebuilt Spillway Is Nearing Its First Use Since 2017 Disaster
  • CBS Sacramento: Oroville Dam’s Rebuilt Main Spillway Could Be Used As Early As 1st Week Of April
  • News release: DWR prepares for potential use of Oroville’s main spillway
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Aquafornia news March 27, 2019 Marysville Appeal-Democrat

How does SGMA affect Glenn County?

A California law that passed in 2014 gave local control to agencies to manage their groundwater. The Glenn Groundwater Authority – created in 2017 – is an agency that was formed under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act to regulate groundwater at a local level. … The GGA was created by forming a joint exercise of powers agreement which was signed by nine local agencies. The purpose is to be the groundwater sustainability agency for the Glenn County portion of the Colusa Subbasin. 

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Aquafornia news March 27, 2019 Water Education Foundation

Bay-Delta Tour is a once-a-year, don’t-miss opportunity to explore California’s vital water hub June 5-7

On our Bay-Delta Tour June 5-7, participants will hear from a diverse group of experts including water managers, environmentalists, farmers, engineers and scientists who will offer various perspectives on a proposed tunnel project that would carry water beneath the Delta, efforts to revitalize the Delta and risks that threaten its delicate ecological balance.

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Aquafornia news March 26, 2019 KCRA

Reservoir releases shift from flood control to storage

Water managers are shifting from flood control to water storage at reservoirs across California. Folsom Lake is at roughly 70 percent capacity, with about twice the amount of inflow as outflow. “Some of the challenges we have — there are water demands that are always increasing at Folsom, we have snowpack that’s large, we have weather storms that come in,” said Todd Plain with Bureau of Reclamation.

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Aquafornia news March 26, 2019 Paradise Post

New flood plain near Hamilton City gets first test when river rises

As the Sacramento River rose in late February and early March due to a series of storms, it spilled over and flooded several hundred acres of recently planted fields south of Hamilton City. Just the way it was planned. The river poured through a gap that had been opened in the old J Levee and flooded a habitat restoration project between the riverbank and a new levee that had been built, set back from the river a mile or so.

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Aquafornia news March 25, 2019 Estuary News

Putah Creek Pipeline for Salmon

Chinook spawned here historically, but in 1957 Putah Creek was dammed near Winters to divert water for Solano County. After that, hardly any salmon made their way up the creek. Then a lawsuit in the 1990s — and resulting restoration project — finally gave the fish what they needed to return after all these years.

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Aquafornia news March 21, 2019 KQED

FEMA details why it rejected state’s request for Oroville spillway funds

FEMA said that a wide range of pre-existing problems contributed to the deterioration of both the upper and lower sections of the massive concrete spillway. The agency argues that federal law, regulations and policy restrict payments only to work needed to fix damage stemming from a declared disaster.

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Aquafornia news March 21, 2019 KCRA

How rising sea levels could impact Delta, Sac Valley

As the sea level rises, it could impact more than the California coastline. The rising water could impact the Sacramento region. Some researchers said the rise could threaten levees in the area and increase the risk of flooding throughout the Delta and the Sacramento Valley.

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Aquafornia news March 15, 2019 Comstock's Magazine

Sacramento seeks public feedback on riverfront ideas

Pretty soon, the next phase of life for the Sacramento River waterfront could become evident — with help from the public needed to make it happen. … The Waterfront Idea Makers contest that the City of Sacramento commissioned to breathe new life into its riverfront enters a critical stretch this month. On March 13, the city will host an open house at the Hall, Luhrs & Co. building in Old Sacramento to showcase the design teams’ work and submissions from the public and kids.

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Aquafornia news March 15, 2019 The Sacramento Bee

Judge says claims of corruption at Oroville Dam can go forward

Blockbuster claims in a lawsuit that a racist, sexist, corrupt culture contributed to the near-catastrophic failure of Oroville Dam two years ago can go forward, a Sacramento judge ruled Thursday. The decision … sets the stage for what plaintiffs’ attorneys vow will be a deep dive into claims of a poisonous work culture that nearly disastrously compromised the nation’s tallest dam.

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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 13, 2019 Western Farm Press

DWR set to appeal Oroville funding denials

California’s state water agency is set to appeal a federal determination that some of the Oroville Dam’s reconstruction costs are ineligible for reimbursement. The Federal Emergency Management Agency last week approved an additional $205 million for the project, on top of the $128.4 million it sent last year, according to the state Department of Water Resources. But FEMA officials told the state they likely won’t fund some portions of the 2-year, estimated $1.1 billion rebuilding effort that followed the Oroville Dam’s near-failure in February 2017.

Related article:

  • CALMatters: Opinion: Trump Administration’s right to cut off FEMA funding for Oroville Dam
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Aquafornia news March 12, 2019 Chico Enterprise-Record

Editorial: Groundwater law is critical, but will be baffling

A process is underway that’s extremely important, and likely to be way over most of our heads. The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act was passed in 2014, which set deadlines for local agencies to come up with plans to manage the water beneath them “… without causing undesirable results.”

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Aquafornia news March 11, 2019 Marysville Appeal-Democrat

$35 million contract issued to strengthen levees

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has issued a $35 million contract to continue the Sutter Basin Project – strengthening a stretch of Sutter County levees. The project will allow repairs to continue on approximately five more miles of the Feather River west levee between Tudor Road and Cypress Avenue in south Sutter County, according to a press release from the corps.

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Aquafornia news March 8, 2019 Chico Enterprise-Record

Feds give California $205 million more for Oroville Dam spillway restoration

The Federal Emergency Management Agency approved $205 million to reimburse California for the Oroville Dam spillway reconstruction costs, the state Department of Water Resources announced Thursday. … However, FEMA has notified DWR that it doesn’t think some of the reconstruction costs are eligible for reimbursement,

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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 7, 2019 Record Searchlight

Thursday Top of the Scroll: Water seeping down reconstructed Oroville Dam spillway

Water is starting to seep down the rebuilt Oroville Dam spillway. California Department of Water Resources officials said Wednesday this is common and will not affect the operation of the dam’s gates, which are not watertight. … Both spillways at the 770-foot earthen dam, the nation’s tallest, collapsed in February 2017, forcing nearly 200,000 people downstream to evacuate.

Related articles:

  • Chico Enterprise-Record: DWR increasing Hyatt Powerplant releases, water reaches Oroville Dam spillway gates
  • Action News Now: Water seeps down Oroville Dam spillway
  • CBS Sacramento: With Rain Adding Up, Rebuilt Oroville Dam Spillway Appears To Be Nearing 1st Test
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Aquafornia news March 7, 2019 Chico Enterprise-Record

Groundwater planning update offered Thursday

People interested in state-mandated plans to manage local groundwater can get an update Thursday evening in Chico. … The meeting 6-8 p.m Thursday at the Masonic Family Center, 1110 W. East Ave., is focused on a newly approved planning area that includes Chico and Durham, and stretches north and west to the Tehama County line and the Sacramento River, and south and east to Butte Valley and the northern border of the Western Canal District.

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  • Appeal-Democrat: A series of town hall meetings on groundwater
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Aquafornia news March 6, 2019 Chico Enterprise-Record

Lake Oroville continues to rise as Hyatt Powerplant releases stay steady

The state Department of Water Resources announced that releases from the powerplant were being increased from 1,750 cubic feet per second to 5,000 cfs. Ten-day projections show the lake reaching 835 feet on March 14, according to DWR. The department has said it does not anticipate that it will utilize the rebuilt Oroville Dam spillway anytime soon; however, crews have been making preparations in case its use becomes necessary. The spillway becomes usable once water reaches its gates at 813 feet, which should happen Tuesday morning.

Related articles:

  • CBS Bay Area: Rebuilt Oroville Dam Spillway Appears To Be Nearing 1st Test
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Aquafornia news March 6, 2019 UC Berkeley News

Blog: Federal effort to raise Shasta Dam by 18.5 feet is getting some serious pushback

The extra water from Shasta Lake would raise the lake by an estimated 20 feet, inundating the McCloud River, which is protected by the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. That piece of legislation was designed to protect the trout that heavily populate those waters. And it’s not just state law that speaks out. One of the provisions of the 1992 Central Valley Project Improvement Act is to protect fisheries up and down the state’s major rivers. Raising Shasta Dam now would only be possible by overturning those two laws.

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