Newsom administration trying again for a river flow deal [Los Angeles Times]
The Newsom administration Tuesday floated a proposal to avert a protracted legal battle over new state standards that would make some of California’s biggest water users cut their river diversions to help struggling fish populations. State officials see a settlement as the linchpin of administration water policies that have been bogged down in the perennial conflicts over the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, a source of water for much of California and home to some of its most threatened native fish.
Commentary: Gov. Newsom: California must get past differences on water. Voluntary agreements are the path forward [CalMatters]
…These agreements will be grounded in what is required to achieve scientific and legal adequacy. They will significantly increase the required amount of water flowing through rivers and the Delta. They require a historic addition of 60,000 acres of critical habitat…Today, I am committing to achieving a doubling of California’s salmon population by 2050.
https://calmatters.org/commentary/gavin-newsom-sacramento-san-joaquin-bay-delta/
Farm Bureau members ratchet up ‘right-to-repair’ pressure [Minneapolis Star Tribune]
The Farm Bureau’s national convention has adopted a new policy on farmers’ right to repair their tractors and combines, ratcheting up the pressure on manufacturers to strike a deal with farmers and independent mechanics on the contentious issue….Farmers and ranchers who are members of the Farm Bureau voted on the policy Jan. 21, codifying their support for either comprehensive legislation or a “negotiated written agreement” that gives farmers and independent technicians access to the same diagnostic tools, “fairly priced,” that are available to dealerships.
http://www.startribune.com/farm-bureau-members-ratchet-up-right-to-repair-pressure/567459262/
Efforts to raise the height of Shasta Dam continue despite Westlands backing out [Redding Record Searchlight]
The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation last year lost a major partner willing to help pay for raising the height of Shasta Dam, but that hasn’t stopped the agency from going forward with the project. The federal agency continues to look for new partners after the Fresno-based Westlands Water District backed out, and the bureau continues to do “pre-construction” and design work on the dam.
https://www.redding.com/story/news/2020/02/05/california-shasta-dam-height-raise-effort/4651770002/
To study atmospheric rivers, scientists need to get close. So they fly to them [San Francisco Chronicle]
…“The idea is to work on improving forecasts of the most important storms, because they supply so much of the water that we depend on and cause most of the major flooding on the West Coast,” said Marty Ralph, a research meteorologist and director of the Scripps Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes. “Storm forecasts are important for transportation, water management, flood control, agriculture — many different things.”
Coronavirus crisis could delay U.S. boost from deal with China, Kudlow says [Wall Street Journal]
White House National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow said Tuesday he expected the fallout from the deadly coronavirus to delay—but not derail—the economic boost the U.S. anticipated from the first phase of the trade deal with China….But Mr. Kudlow said he expected the longer-term impact to be minimal.
