DAILY DIGEST, weekend edition: After the Kings River breaks its banks, now it’s the San Joaquin River that might flood; State water chief steps down; Flood plan boosts floodplain; EPA plans to buy out more than 1200 employees this summer; and more ….
In California water news this weekend, Mandatory evacuations ordered after two levee breaches along the Kings River; After the Kings River busts its banks, now it’s the San Joaquin River that might flood; State water chief, the face of the Oroville spillway crisis, steps down; Flood plan boosts floodplain; Wet winter ups the ante for hikers on popular US trail; EPA plans to buy out more than 1200 employees this summer; Hamilton City: Flood-prone town protects itself against waters while letting a river roam; 12 billion gallons of water pour into Lake Tahoe amid this week’s heat wave; Algae in Bay Area lakes: Is it safe to swim?
… ” Read more from the Fresno Bee here: Mandatory evacuations ordered after two levee breaches along the Kings River After the Kings River breaks its banks, now it’s the San Joaquin River that might flood: “Hot weather that’s melting a heavy winter snowfall and filling reservoirs has prompted the National Weather Service to issue a flood advisory for portions of the central San Joaquin Valley until Sunday.
… ” Read more from the Fresno Bee here: After the Kings River breaks its banks, now it’s the San Joaquin River that might flood State water chief, the face of the Oroville spillway crisis, steps down: “Bill Croyle, who took over as chief of the California Department of Water Resources on the eve of February’s near-catastrophe at Oroville Dam, is retiring from the agency after six months on the job.
While the primary goal of the plan is to improve flood risk management, it emphasizes the integration of ecosystem functions and native habitats into the flood management system, as well as promoting multi-benefit projects.
… ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: Flood-prone town protects itself against waters while letting a river roam Without levee work now, Yuba City will be at the mercy of weather, says Supervisor Dan Flores: He writes, “Clearly, anyone willing to come out in the heat of summer to fight for resources to prevent flooding already understands what is at stake, so I’m going to address my remarks to the governor and those in Sacramento who control the budget process.
… ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: With recent heat wave, Lake Tahoe reaches maximum level Algae in Bay Area lakes: Is it safe to swim?
But with more water coming in from the High Sierra, dam engineers have a backup plan.
… ” Read more from Estuary News here: Los Angeles drainage goes native Orange County water agency asks Governor Brown to prioritize water pollution cleanup: “Officials with the Orange County Water District this week urged California Gov.
Maven’s Notebook where California water news never goes home for the weekend

NGT imposes ban on dumping of waste on Ravi flood plains in HP.
The National Green Tribunal has imposed a complete ban on dumping and burning of all kinds of waste including plastic on the flood plains of river Ravi in Himachal Pradesh.
A circuit bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar said the waste being dumped on the flood plains is a matter of serious concern as it pollutes the river.
"From the photographs placed on record, it is demonstrated that not only municipal solid waste is being dumped anywhere and everywhere, but even on the river bed… "Therefore, we direct that no person or government agency will dump any waste on the flood plain of river Ravi and would not burn any waste including plastic waste in open till the next date of hearing," the bench, also comprising Justice Dalip Singh, said.
The green panel noted that municipal solid waste was being burnt openly near the river bed which is causing air and water pollution.
It also issued notice to the Himachal Pradesh government and sought its reply within two weeks.
The matter is listed for next hearing on August 10.
The order came on a plea filed by Himachal Pradesh resident Dharampal Malhotra seeking action against indiscriminate dumping of waste near the Ravi river.
The plea had alleged that the state government and the civic agencies have turned a blind eye towards the reckless disposal of the municipal solid waste in the area.
(This article has not been edited by DNA’s editorial team and is auto-generated from an agency feed.)

Parish Flats is out of control because a project completed decades ago to control Parish Creek no longer works.
The issue: What happens at the mouth of Conklin Gully, where it empties into Parish Creek and plumes into hundreds of acres of unruly wetland.
A man-made channel put in decades ago did its job for years.
Schumacher and partners in his dairy operation, other farmers, local officials, a number of concerned citizens and project partners focused for two hours at a presentation and discussion last Wednesday to try and come up with a fix for the flats.
“We have been on this project for only two or three months — but many of you have been looking at this for two or three decades,” said Greer.
The town of Naples is partnering on the project with the Canandaigua Lake Watershed Council, The Nature Conservancy and state Department of Environmental Conservation.
Specifically, five groundwater wells were installed to look at floodplain retention times, flood elevations and infiltration.
Wetlands and floodplain restoration is a big deal, not just in Naples but throughout the Canandaigua Lake watershed and beyond, where water quality is at stake because wetlands have been disappearing over time.
Canandaigua Lake Watershed Program Manager Kevin Olvany, who was at the Naples workshop, said wetland restoration is especially critical at the south end of Canandaigua Lake and Parish Flats area where many of the nutrients are entering the lake.
LOCAL IMPACT A plan is underway to fix Parish Flats in Naples.

BUSIA, Kenya, April 19 (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Armed with a hoe and Wellington boots, George Wandera planted bamboo seedlings in neatly dug holes along the banks of a stream on his farm that feeds a nearby lake in western Kenya.
"I’ve never tried this on my farm before but it’s the first step in protecting the stream," he said.
"Wetlands such as lakes and floodplains act as natural safeguards against disasters, by absorbing excess rainfall during floods, with the stored water then available in times of drought," said Julie Mulonga, programme manager at Wetlands International Kenya, a conservation charity in Busia.
During the current drought, farmers and herders have been drawing water from the wetlands, and streams feeding them have run dry.
Local communities have also been draining them to grow crops, Mulonga said.
Wandera remembers when large parts of the Sio-Siteko wetland, near the border with Uganda, were drained to make way for farmland.
"We never thought our activities were harmful until we saw the consequences – that is, more floods during the rainy season and less water during the dry season, leading to a decline in vegetation and animal species," he said.
Charities like Wetlands International Kenya, with support from the government, are working with communities in Busia to protect their wetlands, while helping them develop alternatives to farming like beekeeping and eco-tourism.
Wandera said some farmers are building greenhouses to cultivate vegetables like yams.
"But they ensure the farmers can grow vegetables using less water and land, thus preventing their encroachment on wetlands," he added.