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State Water Board Postpones Decision on San Joaquin River Flows
“Let’s go.” “We can’t.” “Why not?” “We’re waiting for Godot.” ― Samuel Beckett, Waiting for Godot In response to a joint written request[1] from Governor Brown and incoming Governor Gavin Newsom, the State Water Resources Control Board on November 7, 2018 postponed a decision on adoption of increased flow requirements for the lower San Joaquin…
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Federal Dam Safety Regulators Describe Need for Big Changes at Oroville Dam
The Division of Dam Safety and Inspections in the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued a letter to the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) on October 25, 2018 that requires DWR to reclassify the emergency spillway at Oroville Dam as an “auxiliary spillway.” The letter also describes the need for DWR to plan for a…
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San Francisco Board of Supervisors Unanimously Supports Update of Bay-Delta Plan
In an 11-0 vote on October 30, 2018, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors passed a resolution supporting the State Water Resources Control Board’s immediate update of the San Joaquin Flow portion of the Bay-Delta Plan. Introduced by Supervisor Aaron Peskin following meetings with several environmental and fishing organizations including CSPA, the resolution recognizes the…
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Irrigation Districts and Trump Administration Bludgeon Federal Fish Agency into Submission
On October 1, 2018, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service wrote a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) retracting its January 29, 2018 flow recommendations for the lower Tuolumne River (see pp. 65-74). In its October 1 do-over letter, US Fish & Wildlife completely agrees to the required flows in the lower…
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Conservation Groups Submit Complete Flow Recommendation for Tuolumne River
CSPA and nine other Conservation Groups filed extensive comments and recommendations January 29, 2018 for flow requirements and non-flow measures for the lower Tuolumne River. The filing is an important milestone in the multi-year licensing process of the Don Pedro and La Grange dams owned by Turlock Irrigation District and Modesto Irrigation District. The comments…
