TOP STORIES
CNN, 8/28/22 - The pretty, cloudless blue skies over perfectly manicured lawns represent an ugly reality for California’s Las Virgenes Municipal Water District as it grapples with the historic megadrought ravaging the American West. Despite a lack of any measurable rain in months, the carpet of lush, green grass likely means homeowners are either not getting the message about the dire need for water conservation, or they are ignoring the warnings.
WATER SUPPLY & QUALITY
CBS News Los Angeles, 8/28/22 - In the desert farming community of Eastern Riverside County's Palo Verde Valley, on the Arizona border, daytime temperatures routinely exceed 100 degrees. "Cotton likes the heat," said farmer Jack Seiler, adding another crop that can thrive in extreme heat is alfalfa. On his farm, Seiler grows thousands of acres of it. Once matured, the crop is mowed and prepared for shipping. He pointed to a loaded trick headed for a dairy farm in Bakersfield. "It's a hot commodity," exclaimed Seiler. "They're coming for it." It is what dairy cows eat, and California is big in dairy production. Dairy products and milk are valuable commodities, pulling in close to $7.5 billion a year. During the drought, some are questioning the practice of growing crops like alfalfa in the area. U.C. Riverside Economist Chris Thornberg is one such critic.
WATER INFRASTRUCTURE
San Francisco Chronicle, 8/26/22 - Deep in California’s farm country, this dusty valley ringed by brown hills and sunny skies is seen by many as the state’s answer to drought. Here, about 70 miles north of Sacramento, a coalition of water agencies is setting out to build the first major reservoir in California in nearly half a century. The $4 billion plan calls for flooding miles of ranchlands with flows from the nearby Sacramento River and sending the water to cities and irrigation districts as far away as the Bay Area and Los Angeles.
CLIMATE & WEATHER
The Sacramento Bee, 8/29/22 - California is bracing for another heat wave in the coming days, with highs steadily rising and set to peak over the Labor Day weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
San Francisco Chronicle, 8/27/22 - Flooding events have wreaked havoc across the country this summer. Heavy rains in late July devastated eastern Kentucky, causing at least 39 deaths and millions of dollars in damage. Unprecedented rainfall caused flash flooding that stranded 1,000 people in Death Valley National Park earlier this month.
CALIFORNIA WATERSHEDS
NPR, 8/27/22 - As the Colorado River shrinks, the seven states in the western United States that rely on it for water and power need to cut their use dramatically to keep the biggest reservoirs from getting critically low, according to federal analysts. But a recent deadline for a plan to conserve an unprecedented amount of water came and went without many specifics from either the states or the federal government on how to achieve the cutbacks. In June, federal officials gave leaders in the states the draw from the river — Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming — a mid-August deadline to come up with a plan to conserve 2 to 4 million acre-feet of water across the Southwestern watershed.
CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES
Los Angeles Times, 8/29/22 - When lightning ignited the bone-dry foothills of the Sierra Nevada last year, forestry crews fanned out across Sequoia National Park to defend an ancient grove of California redwoods from wildfire.
NPR, 8/27/22 - Jason Fischer watches a firefighting chopper scoop a big bucket of water out of the Klamath River, as it douses hotspots on the McKinney Fire in remote Northern California. The flames threatening his sixth-generation cattle farm, Fischer looks across the narrow river canyon at a steep, charred mountainside. All the trees are blackened silhouettes.
AGENCIES, PROGRAMS, PEOPLE
Maven’s Notebook, 8/28/22 - DAILY DIGEST, weekend edition: Federal agency recommends removal of four lower Klamath River Dams; Why CA’s largest reservoir in nearly 50 years may be derailed by water shortages; Klamath refuge completely dry; Phase II of Schafer Dam project begins; and more …
EVENTS
This is the second of four 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. When: August 31, 2022 | 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
By California Natural Resources Agency- Community members and all interested parties to participate in a virtual Community Workshop on September 1. The team will provide updates on the Salton Sea Management Program Long-Range Plan and seeks comments to help develop the Long-Range Plan.
When: September 1, 2022 | 5:30 p.m.
The Salton Sea Management Program will meet to discuss updates and receive feedback on the development of the Long-Range Plan.
When: September 7, 2022 | 9:30 a.m.
Join us for our 30 Year Anniversary to celebrate how GRA was built to last, and "Built for Change". This year’s event will include Individual, Panel and Poster Presentations as well as Technical Workshops that cover the following subject areas: Water Resources Exploration and Development; Groundwater Management; Contaminant Assessment and Remediation; Unique Challenges and New Opportunities
When: Sep. 19 - 21, 2022 | 8 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Where: Sacramento Convention Center & Hyatt Regency & Virtual Option
By the Water Education Foundation - This 3-day, 2-night excursion across the Sacramento Valley travels north from Sacramento through Oroville to Redding and Shasta Lake. Experts will talk about the history of the Sacramento River as the tour winds through riparian woodland, rice fields, wildlife refuges and nut orchards across the region.
When: October 12 -14, 2022
ACWA conferences are the premier destination for water industry professionals to learn and connect. Program offerings include statewide issue forums, roundtable talks, and region discussions along with sessions covering a wide range of topics including water management, innovation, public communication, affordable drinking water, energy, finance, federal forum, and more.
When: Nov. 29 – Dec. 1, 2022
Where: Renaissance Esmeralda and Hyatt Regency in Indian Wells, CA
|
