Santa Cruz County Local Water News Articles and Digest

Public Safety Water Resilience

L.A.’s Flood-Control System Survived Epic Storm. But It’s Losing the Battle With Climate Change

02/05/2024
Los Angeles County flood control network withstands punishing rains—for now.

Water Resilience Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency

Pajaro River Levee Close to Beginning Construction

01/31/2024
Mark Strudley, executive director of the Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency, estimates that work will begin in late summer or early fall, starting at the Corralitos Creek Bridge.

From San Lorenzo Valley Post...

Water

Big Basin Water Secures $850,000 Grant

01/30/2024
Image for display with article titled Big Basin Water Secures $850,000 Grant

Serviam by Wright LLP, the court-appointed receiver to Big Basin Water Company, has secured an $850,000 state grant from the California Department of Water Resources’ Small Community Drought Relief Program.

From CalMatters...

Water Animals Sustainability State of California

Saving Salmon: Newsom Unveils Blueprint for Ending Decades-Long Decline

01/30/2024
Chinook and other salmon runs are collapsing. Conservation groups call it too little, too late. Plan includes dam removals and restoring river flows.

From SF Gate...

Environment Water

Scientists Debunk California Biblical-Storm Hysteria Swirling on Internet

01/29/2024
What is an ARkStorm and why is everyone talking about it on social media right now?

From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

Water Sustainability

California Earns an A in Surfrider’s Annual State of the Beach Report

01/29/2024
When it comes to managing its coast, California is far ahead of other states in preparing for climate change, at least one environmental advocacy group says.

From CapPublicRadio...

Environment Water Sustainability

‘Hot Droughts’ Are Becoming More Common in the Arid West, New Study Finds

01/28/2024
Take a period of limited rainfall. Add heat. And you have what scientists call a “hot drought”—dry conditions made more intense by the evaporative power of hotter temperatures.

From Los Angeles Times...

Water Agriculture, Food & Gardening

Groundwater Levels Are Falling in Parts of California and Food-Growing Regions Worldwide

01/24/2024
Groundwater depletion is worsening in many of the world’s farming regions. But a global study also found that some efforts are helping to boost aquifers.

From CalMatters...

Water Agriculture, Food & Gardening

California Ranks High Worldwide for Rapidly Depleted Groundwater

01/24/2024
In a sign of the ongoing threats to its precious groundwater stores, half a dozen regions in California rank among the world’s most rapidly declining aquifers.

From CapPublicRadio...

Water Government State of California

California Court Ruling Could Threaten Key Source of Funding for Disputed Delta Water Tunnel Project

01/19/2024
A California judge says a nearly 65-year-old law does not give the state permission to borrow the billions of dollars it would need to build a large water project.

From Santa Cruz Sentinel...

Environment Water Sustainability Community Service & Support

Students Make Waves to Protect Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

01/19/2024
Students throughout the nation have been engaging in environmental stewardship projects, as part of NOAA’s Ocean Guardian School program.

From Santa Cruz Local...

Water Resilience County of Santa Cruz

Recent Storms Top $2.8 Million in Damage on Santa Cruz County Coast

01/12/2024
Image for display with article titled Recent Storm Damage Tops $2.8 Million on Santa Cruz County Coast

Storms pummeled Santa Cruz County in late December, prompting a county supervisor’s suggestion to consider “managed retreat” at oft-battered locations.

From Press Banner...

Art, Culture & Media Environment Water

Underwater Photographer Launches New Exhibit at the Felton Library

01/12/2024
Image for display with article titled Underwater Photographer Launches Exhibit at Felton Library

As a scuba diver, Marc Shargel has seen ecological shifts since the 1970s, and recently used his camera to document stunning changes to California’s kelp forests.

From San Lorenzo Valley Post...

Business, Economy & Jobs Water San Lorenzo Valley Water District

San Lorenzo Valley Water District Rate Increase: How the Public Process Works

01/11/2024
Image for display with article titled San Lorenzo Valley Water District Rate Increase: How the Public Process Works

Public meetings are scheduled for Jan. 20 and Feb. 15

From YubaNet...

Water Animals Sustainability

New Year Brings Protections for Deep-Sea Corals and Ocean Fishing Opportunities

01/08/2024
New rules took effect Jan. 1 permanently protecting the most fragile deep sea corals off Southern California. Simultaneously, more than 4,500 square miles of ocean waters are now reopened to fishing after more than 20 years of closures.

From Monterey Herald...

Land Use & Development Water Sustainability

Homeowners Who Sued to Build a Seawall Could Reshape California’s Coast

01/07/2024
Raging storms brought major damage to California’s coastline last winter. But in Half Moon Bay, a different kind of coastal upheaval is gaining momentum—one that could decide the fate of billions of dollars of property and affect hundreds of public beaches.

California Local Pin Marker From California Local...

Business, Economy & Jobs Environment Water Agriculture, Food & Gardening Government

California’s New Water-Saving Regs Lack 'Compelling Justifications'

01/05/2024
Image for display with article titled California’s New Water-Saving Regs Lack 'Compelling Justifications' in Many Cases, Say Legislative Analysts

Benefits of the state's new, strict water conservation rules may not outweigh the costs, analysts say.

From Los Angeles Times...

Public Safety Environment Water

WWII-Era Dump Site Found Off LA Coast

01/05/2024
Munition boxes, depth charges and smoke floats have been found 3,000 feet underwater off the coast of Los Angeles. More than 100 square miles of ocean might be contaminated.

From KQED...

Environment Water

Climate Change Might Lessen Bay Area Fog

01/05/2024
The Bay Area’s fog is iconic. But the latest episode of KQED podcast “Bay Curious” looks at how climate change could reduce the number of foggy days in the area.

From LAist...

Environment Water Agriculture, Food & Gardening

Bright Blue Waves Return to Southern California

01/03/2024
Bright blue waves have been spotted in Long Beach, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach and Seal Beach. The bioluminescence is caused by organisms known as dinoflagellates and can impact fish populations.

Santa Cruz County Local News: Water