More California Water News

In California water news today, Capitol Hill talks on drought bill dry up, to resume next year; A glimmer of hope for winter rain and snow; UC Davis notes the obvious: Water can’t be stored if it’s not there in the first place; State Senate hearing focuses on streamlining groundwater rights disputes, and more …  

In the news today …

• Capitol Hill talks on drought bill dry up, to resume next year: “Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California on Thursday pulled the plug on secret, high-stakes negotiations over a water bill for her drought-plagued state, saying she and fellow lawmakers will try again next year.  Feinstein’s unexpected move ends, for now, what had become an increasingly contentious fight over ambitious drought-fighting legislation whose details few people have seen. ... ”  Read more from the McClatchy News here: Capitol Hill talks on drought bill dry up, to resume next year  See also: Feinstein: Differences over drought relief bill for California too great; will try next year
• California Drought: A Glimmer of Hope For Winter Rain And Snow: “Federal forecasters today proffered a 73 percent chance that, overall, California will see at least average precipitation this winter. However, the auspices favor the Southland more than Northern California, where most of the state’s largest reservoirs are located.  The outlook issued today includes the months of December, January and February, when wetter storms, if they come, typically hit the state.  It’s the first time since 2011 that the federal Climate Prediction Center‘s three-month outlook favored average or above-average precipitation for any portion of California. … ” Read more from KQED:  California Drought: A Glimmer of Hope For Winter Rain And Snow
• Study urges thorough review of water storage projects:  “Voters just approved $7.5 billion dollars for new water storage projects, but a new study says it’s likely not all projects will be worth the money.  The study says there is a limited amount of water that could be stored by future dam or reservoir projects in California because there is a limited amount of rain and snow runoff that can be captured.   … ”  Read more from Capital Public Radio here: Study Urges Thorough Review Of Water Storage Projects  See also: UC Davis notes the obvious: Water can’t be stored if it’s not there in the first place, from the Central Valley Business Times
• State Senate Hearing Focuses on Streamlining Groundwater Rights Disputes: “The Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water today held an informational hearing that focused on developing ways to resolve groundwater rights disputes more quickly.  Formally titled – “Resolving Disputes Regarding Groundwater: Why Does it Take So Long and What Might be Done to Accelerate the Process?” – the hearing offered an overview of how groundwater disputes are currently resolved in California and looked in depth at the lengthy Antelope Valley adjudication. … ” Read more from ACWA Water News: State Senate Hearing Focuses on Streamlining Groundwater Rights Disputes
• Fort Bragg institutes Stage 1 water emergency: “Despite Fort Bragg residents’ valiant effort to cut down on their water usage, the supply is dwindling at an alarming rate and city staff says to expect taste and odor issues.  “The city’s water treatment operators have found it necessary to use source water that is ordinarily avoided at this time of year due to dissolved solids and brackish taste,” said Public Works Director Tom Varga in a press release on the matter. ... ”  Read more from the Ukiah Daily Journal here: City institutes stage 1 water emergency
• East Bay water agencies Narrow Their Focus to Boosting Supply: “The Valley’s four water retailers and wholesaler Zone 7 Water Agency have put more use of recycled water and the diversification of water sources at the top of their list for interagency cooperation.  Meeting at Zone 7 headquarters on Nov. 17 as the Water Policy Roundtable, representatives from Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin San Ramon Services District, Cal Water and Zone 7 looked over a list of nine water-related topics, which they identified at their first meeting in late September. … ” Read more from the Livermore Independent here: Water Agencies Narrow Their Focus to Boosting Supply
• More restrictions on tap for Long Beach:  “Due to worsening drought conditions statewide, the Long Beach Water Commission today declared a Stage 1 Water Supply Shortage, with new prohibitions for city residents.  Those extra prohibitions mean that Long Beach water customers now will not be allowed to irrigate landscaping with potable water any day other than Monday or Thursday, effective next Tuesday, Nov. 25, through March 2015. Additionally, swimming pools and spas may not be filled during that same time period.… ”  Read more from the Long Beach Gazette here:  More restrictions on tap for Long Beach

In commentary today …

• Cope with the drought by thinning forests, says the Desert Sun: They write: “A U.S. Forest Serviceanalysis of the 2013 Mountain Fire showed that controlled burns and other efforts to thin the forest were effective in some areas. However, the efforts have been paltry. Richard Minnich, a fire ecologist and UCR professor, calls prescribed burns that have been carried out in the past decade “postage stamps.” Much more needs to be done. … ” Read more from the Desert Sun here: Our Voice: Cope with the drought by thinning forests
• Column: California drought: Dry enough for you? It’ll only get worse: Jon Carroll writes: “Hello, it’s me, the drought nag again. I know we haven’t talked about it for a while, but it’s still going on. As it continues to fail to rain in significant quantities, it’s getting worse.  If you live in an area that hasn’t really felt the effects yet, lucky for you. You get to waste water that other parts of California desperately need. The government has apparently decided that half measures (or quarter measures, more accurately) are enough. No real rationing here, just gentle reminders to, you know, not let your runoff spill into the gutters.  That’s a pretty darned low bar. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle: California drought: Dry enough for you? It’ll only get worse

Precipitation watch …

• “Rain begins across the north late this afternoon and spreading southeast overnight. Snow levels will start around 6500 feet and increase to 7500-8000 feet overnight and early Saturday morning. Light snow accumulations expected over higher peaks.”

Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

• News Worth Noting: EPA, federal and state agencies, rice growers, industry act to protect endangered salmon and steelhead trout in California, Wildlife Conservation Board Funds Environmental Improvement and Acquisition Projects, River Islands draft EIS & Public Meeting
• A restoration hub for the Delta: Better tools and processes for science-based restoration
• Senator Feinstein issues statement on drought negotiations: “Although we have made progress, it has become clear that we will be unable to present an agreed-upon proposal before Congress adjourns this year.”
• Northern California representatives statement on Feinstein pulling ‘deeply-flawed’ water bill
• Friday Flashback: How groundwater banking is done: A look at three groundwater banking operations

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—————————————- About the Daily Digest: The Daily Digest is a collection of selected news articles, commentaries and editorials appearing in the mainstream press. Items are generally selected to follow the focus of the Notebook blog. The Daily Digest is published every weekday with a weekend edition posting on Sundays.

Maven’s Notebook The diary of a confessed obsessive-compulsive California water news junkie