Morning news alert: PPIC Report: Improving the Federal Response to Western Drought: Five Areas for Reform

The federal government should leverage its “carrot-and-stick” powers to help resolve long-standing conflicts in the American West that are increasing regional and local vulnerability to drought. This is among the key recommendations to improve federal drought management made by the PPIC Water Policy Center in a report released today (2/2/16). From the Public Policy Institute of California: Read More    Read More

Hydropower Legislation Would Roll Back Decades of Progress – See more at: http://www.americanrivers.org/blog/hydropower-legislation-would-roll-back-decades-of-progress/#sthash.JjUQpCgR.dpuf

Hydropower dams may not belch greenhouse gases like coal-fired power plants, but dams are hardly green. Dams disrupt the flow of rivers and streams, wreaking havoc on water quality by altering the natural balance of sediment, nutrients and oxygen, and dramatically changing water temperatures behind and below dams. This can lead to toxic algal blooms, fouled water and fish kills. Dams can dry up rivers, decimating fish populations and rendering rivers... Read More

Eager for rain – and floods – on California’s floodplain playground: the lower Cosumnes River

Many forget that the Central Valley was once a vast flood basin, with myriad river channels, wetlands, lakes and forests forming a complex and dynamic floodplain ecosystem dependent on seasonal flooding . California Water Blog  Read More

West Calaveras county groundwater basin critically overdrafted

A portion of Calaveras County is included in the Eastern San Joaquin basin, on the list of the state’s critically overdrafted ground water basins. Calaveras Enterprise, January 26  Read More

Calaveras would benefit from a resource conservation district

Amador Resource Conservation District director Steve Cannon advocates for a similar district in Calaveras. Calaveras Enterprise, January 25  Read More

Forests and Watersheds

A controversial 2015 report that suggested logging California’s forests could increase the state’s water supply got it wrong, according to a new study released late last week. KCET, January 20 Study: Logging forests won’t increase water supply   Helicopters to start spreading wood shreds in Butte Fire area BLM contractor to begin erosion control work from the air on BLM lands. Calaveras Enterprise, January 26      Read More

Divided board elects Edson to second term as chairman

Breaking with tradition, Calaveras County Board of Supervisors re-elects Cliff Edson to a second term as chairman. Calaveras Enterprise, January 5  Read More

Biomass power could help California’s dying forests

A look at the state of forest biomass energy plants in the state. Capital Public Radio, December 30  Read More

Fighting fire with fire benefits forests, watersheds

Study of Illilouette Basin in Yosemite National Forest is leading to push for more fire as long-term management strategy in Sierra. San Francisco Chronicle, December 26  Read More

Salmon run in bountiful numbers on the Mokelumne River

More than 12,000 fish pass through fish ladders in Woodbridge Dam. Calaveras Enterprise, December 28  Read More