The following is the Aug. 26 edition of the Abridged by PBS KVIE Yolo County email newsletter, by reporter Daniel Hennessy and the team at Yolo Local. Want it sent directly to your inbox? Sign up here.
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Hey, it’s Daniel! Let’s dive in.
In my early 20s, I spent some time in a small town on the eastern edge of the Ozarks. It was a beautiful place, situated along a productive trout river that sliced its way through wooded hillsides, but there wasn’t a whole lot to do.
So, I picked up fly fishing.
I spent weeks waving my newly bought fly rod at the river, usually coming home at the end of the day fishless and defeated. Then, to my surprise, a small rainbow trout took pity on me and ate my poorly presented fly.
Since then, I’ve gone the way of countless anglers before, becoming equally as fascinated with the behavior and environment of the fish as I am with the pursuit itself.
I’ve learned that there are existential challenges facing many beloved species, particularly the salmon that populate rivers right here in our home region.
This week, we hear from experts at UC Davis and NOAA, who recently published a study about a crucial 15-day window where endangered Sacramento River salmon eggs need cold water to survive.
Then we head into Yolo County’s pistachio orchards, which have become increasingly important in supplying the world with the popular nuts.
And Yolo County supervisors decided to extend the temporary ban on digging new agricultural wells, citing the need for more detailed water management plans.
We’ve teamed up with Yolo Local, a civic media initiative of Davis Media Access, to bring you this weekly newsletter. Here’s what you need to know today:
STORY OF THE WEEK
Survival of endangered Sacramento River salmon hinges on 15-day window of cold water
Dams stand between winter-run Chinook salmon and their historical spawning grounds.
BY DANIEL HENNESSY | dhennessy@kvie.org
In short: UC Davis and federal weather researchers found a critical 15-day window when endangered Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon eggs need cold water to survive. The evidence suggests that survival rates decrease dramatically even if the water temperature rises by less than 2 degrees.
A bit more: These Chinook salmon evolved to spawn in cool mountain streams but are blocked from returning by Shasta and Keswick dams.
NEWS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
Pistachios are having a moment. Yolo County keeps growing and processing more of the nut
Yolo County extends temporary ban on digging new wells as water worries persist
Davis café and music venue Delta of Venus closes after 33 years
DISPATCHES FROM THE FARM
Agriculture is a central part of life in Yolo County, so I’ll be checking in each week with a farmer, rancher or other industry player for the latest ag updates. What are the people who help produce our food thinking about?
This week, the folks at the Community Alliance with Family Farmers sent over a primer for understanding the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, known as SGMA, in Yolo County.
Some key takeaways are:
Yolo County agricultural operations use 84% of the groundwater pumped in the county on average.
The responsibility for implementing SGMA related management of groundwater falls to the Yolo Subbasin Groundwater Agency. The agency has 26 members, including irrigation districts, local governments, environmental representatives and others.
The YSGA can impose fees, regulate pumping and space wells to sustainably manage the aquifer.
According to the YSGA, sustainable draw on groundwater in Yolo County is 346,000 acre-feet per year. One acre foot is roughly the amount of water it would take to cover a football field a foot deep.
In wet years, Yolo County has historically been able to meet its goal, but dry years often put more pressure on groundwater. That’s due in part to rising demand for groundwater in dry years when surface water is less available.
The county has seen an increase in planting of perennial crops, like tree crops, which means there is more overall water demand.
HEARING FROM YOU
This week, Stephen Hiromoto, president of Holland Doshikai and board member of the 1883 Schoolhouse project in Clarksburg highlighted an episode of KVIE’s locally produced “Viewfinder” called “Return to the Soil.”
The episode focuses on Japanese American families who were forced to leave their homes and farms when they were incarcerated at the beginning of World War II. Some, including a number of Clarksburg families, returned to farming and are still around today.
Thank you for sharing, Steve!
UPCOMING MEETINGS & EVENTS
It can be hard to keep up with local government and community events, so we’ll continuously feature a few below. Have something you think we should highlight? Email me.
- Make It Happen for Yolo County is taking donations to sponsor UC Davis Guardian Scholars, or students who have been in foster care. Donations go toward furniture, household goods, cleaning supplies and transportation costs for students who are moving into student housing this fall. More information can be found here.
- The city of Davis is offering an after-school program called the PM Zone, which will run Monday through Friday at the Community Park Pool Building. Arts, crafts, games, activities, homework time and a snack will be provided. More information can be found here.
- The Cache Creek Watershed Stewardship Group is offering the Cache Creek Water Course, which includes field days, guided readings and group discussions. The course is free and is adapted from the California Water Course developed by the UC Davis Water Management Research Group. More information can be found here.
- Davis is holding a police accountability workshop from 6-7:30 p.m. Sept. 10 at Veterans Memorial Center. The event provides an opportunity to hear about the work of the Police Accountability Commission. More information can be found here.
Want to discover more events across the Sacramento region, in Yolo County and beyond? Check out Abridged by PBS KVIE’s new searchable events calendar with things to do across the four-county area.
BEFORE I GO,
Thanks for coming back (and signing up) for this newsletter. Remember: I’m accountable to you. If you read a story and think there’s an angle I’m missing, I want to hear about it! Please reach out with your feedback and know that I take it seriously.
See you around,
