TOP STORIES
KCRA, 5/18/22 -Summer heat is fast-approaching and with it comes the increased risk for wildfires and more days under a hazy, smoggy sky.
Pollution from wildfire smoke and from ozone are both dangerous for our health, especially in the short term. But with impacts from climate change pointing to more intense wildfire seasons, climate scientists and health experts are starting to consider the long-term cumulative damage that could be done by repeated exposure to days with unhealthy air quality.
WATER INFRASTRUCTURE
The Press Democrat, 5/18/22 -Petaluma, one of the driest corners of Sonoma County during the past two years of drought, is making a multimillion-dollar advance into recycled water.
Operator of a wastewater treatment plant that serves about 65,000 people and treats about 5 million gallons of effluent a day, Petaluma is seeking grants for four projects with a total cost of $42 million.
WATER SUPPLY & QUALITY
23ABC News, 5/18/22 -Whether you’re a resident, in the agriculture industry, or the industrial sector, water supply in California and in Kern County is going to impact your day to day life.
“We’re really in uncharted territory with multiple years of drought," said Tom McCarthy, General Manager for the Kern County Water Agency. McCarthy said during this year's Annual Kern County Water Summit, drought conditions and conservation efforts will be a top priority.
Valencia County News Bulletin, 5/19/22 - Steve Bray lives in Monrovia and is already doing what he can to save water. He has installed Wi-Fi-connected sprinklers.
"It can be controlled by an app, but we can only water once a week so I totally turned off my sprinklers," he said.
Tahoe Daily Tribune, 5/19/22 -South Tahoe Public Utility District adopted new water and sewer capacity charges that go into effect June 7. These are one-time charges for new development and remodels connecting to the district’s water and sewer system.
CLIMATE & WEATHER
The Conservation, 5/19/22 -Much of the western U.S. has been in the grip of an unrelenting drought since early 2020. The dryness has coincided with record-breaking wildfires, intense and long-lasting heat waves, low stream flows and dwindling water supplies in reservoirs that millions of people across the region rely on.
Heading into summer, the outlook is pretty grim. The National Weather Service’s latest seasonal outlook, issued May 19, 2022, described drought persisting across most of the West and parts of the Great Plains.
CALIFORNIA WATERSHEDS
Los Angeles Times, 5/17/22 - In a stopgap measure to help struggling spring- and winter-run Chinook salmon spawn in the face of rising water temperatures and lower water levels due to climate change, state and federal wildlife officials in Northern California have begun trucking adult fish to cooler waters.
CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES
San Francisco Chronicle, 5/18/22 - Large swaths of Northern California were bracing for “critical” weather conditions to develop beginning on Thursday that could make it easy for wildfires to spark, according to meteorologists.
Valencia County News Bulletin, 5/19/22 -There could be far fewer fireworks popping off in neighborhoods across Valencia County this Independence Day as three local jurisdictions are considering bans on certain types of fireworks and one tightens its open burning regulations.
At a special meeting Monday evening, the Rio Communities City Council unanimously approved a resolution prohibiting any type of outdoor burning, including — but not limited to — the use of fire pits, open flame stoves, chainsaws without spark arrestors, landscape burning, campfires and other open flame sources.
AGENCIES, PROGRAMS, PEOPLE
SCVNews, 5/18/22 - SCV Water’s 2022 Annual Consumer Confidence Report is now available.
This year’s report, in partnership with Los Angeles County Water Works District #36, shows that water provided by the Agency to customers continues to meet or surpass rigorous state and federal drinking water compliance standards during 2021.
The Business Journal, 5/18/22 - State Sen. Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger) has joined forces with a colleague to call on the feds to investigate potential drought profiteering by corporate investors in the Western U.S.
Hurtado and Sen. Dave Cortese (D-San Jose) have sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland with concerns about “the increasing amount of water rights being purchased by hedge funds, their potential anti-competitive practices and the devastating impact that could have on our water security,” according to a news release.
EVENTS
Senate Bill No. 19 (SB 19) (Statutes of 2019, Chapter 361, Dodd) enacted Water Code section 144, which directs the Department of Water Resources (DWR) and the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) to develop a plan to address gaging information gaps through the deployment of a network of prioritized stream gages in consultation with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), Department of Conservation (DOC), the Central Valley Flood Protection Board (Flood Board), and interested stakeholders.
Start: Thu 19 May 2022, 1:00 PM
End: Thu 19 May 2022, 3:00 PM
The final public hearing for California’s framework on how to reduce flood risk in the Central Valley – the 2022 Central Valley Flood Protection Plan (CVFPP) Update -- takes place virtually on Thursday, May 19 from 6-8 p.m.
Start: Thu 19 May 2022, 6:00 PM
End: Thu 19 May 2022, 8:00 PM
California Water Plan Update 2023 Tribal Advisory Committee Meeting
Start: Mon 23 May 2022, 1:00 PM
End: Mon 23 May 2022, 3:00 PM
The California Financing Coordination Committee (CFCC) conducts free funding fairs statewide each year to educate the public and offer potential customers the opportunity to meet with financial representatives from each agency to learn more about their available funding.
Start: Wed 25 May 2022, 9:00 AM
End: Wed 25 May 2022, 2:00 PM
This is the first of three webinars to inform and solicit input from stakeholders on the development of a guidebook to support the preparation of County Drought Plans which focus on state small water systems and domestic wells as required under SB 552. During this first webinar, DWR and State Water Board will review the SB 552 requirements for counties and the plan to develop a guidebook as technical assistance, and solicit input on needed tools and considerations that could help counties meet the requirements.
Start: Thu 2 Jun 2022, 10:30 AM
End: Thu 2 Jun 2022, 12:30 PM
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