First Groundwater Sustainability Plans Public Comment Period Ending Today
Public comments on the first set of Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs) are due today (May 15, 2020). The next comment period closes June 3, 2020. The Department of Water Resources (DWR) extended public comment periods for submitted GSPs by 30 days due to the COVID-19 pandemic. DWR encourages public review and comment on submitted plans which show how local water agencies plan to manage groundwater basins for long-term sustainability. Comments can be posted and viewed online on the DWR SGMA Portal. Information about how to comment on a plan can be found in fact sheets in English and Spanish. For questions, email sgmps@water.ca.gov.
RCRC Annual Meeting in Napa County Canceled
The RCRC Annual Meeting 2020 has been cancelled as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This meeting was scheduled to occur in Napa County this September. Several factors led to this difficult decision, most notably, current and future state and local government guidelines. Planning is underway to hold a future Annual Meeting in Napa – most likely in 2022 – in order to enjoy the beauty of the County as well as contribute to its economic recovery. More information on the return to Napa will be forthcoming after consideration and action by the RCRC Board of Directors.
Career Opportunity – Tehama County Director of Public Works
Tehama County is seeking applicants for the position of Public Works Director. Applications are due by 5pm today (May 15, 2020). See here for details.
County Drought Advisory Group Webinar
The Department of Water Resources (DWR) has organized two webinars for the sixth CDAG stakeholder meeting to discuss and gather input on the Draft Report and Risk Scoring Tool released on April 14, 2020. This will be a 2-day meeting:
- Part 1 for the sixth CDAG meeting will be held on May 27, 2020 from 9 a.m. to noon via webinar only. The purpose of this part is to review, clarify, discuss, and receive comments on the drought and water shortage risk scoring and tool. Webinar registration information and further details can be found on the event page here.
- Part 2 of the sixth CDAG meeting will be held on May 28, 2019 from 9 a.m. to noon via webinar only. The purpose of this part is to discuss and receive comments on the Draft Report recommendations addressing drought and water shortage contingency planning for small water systems and rural communities. Webinar registration information and further details can be found on the event page here.
Agendas for both webinars will be posted to their respective event pages prior to each meeting.
PG&E Announces Weekly Public Webinars on Wildfire Safety and PSPS Mitigation Efforts
PG&E announced a schedule of public webinars at which it will provide information on local Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) and wildfire safety efforts, including how it will make PSPS events smaller in size and shorter in duration, efforts to install new grid technology and harden electrical infrastructure, and enhanced vegetation management activities.
Webinars will take place on Wednesdays from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Webinars have taken place for Butte, Lassen, Napa, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sierra, Sonoma, and Yuba Counties. Upcoming webinars are scheduled as follows:
- May 20 – Colusa, Yolo, and Solano Counties (sign up here)
- May 27 – El Dorado, Amador, and Calaveras Counties
- June 17 – Mendocino and Lake Counties
- June 24 – Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Benito Counties
- July 1 – Humboldt, Trinity, and Siskiyou Counties
- July 8 – Glenn, Tehama, and Shasta Counties
- July 15 – Alpine, Tuolumne, and Mariposa Counties
- July 22 – Merced, San Joaquin, and Stanislaus Counties
- July 29 – San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Kern Counties
- August 5 – Tulare, Madera, and Fresno Counties
See a full schedule or view past presentations here. Check back to sign up for future webinars.