Photo: Liz Hafalia, The Chronicle

Human extraction of water from the San Joaquin River system is driving the San Francisco Bay toward ecosystem collapse and threatening many species of fish, birds, and marine mammals that depend on the estuary's complex food web. State regulators could use the study to support their proposal to restore 40 percent of the naturally flowing water in the San Joaquin, Tuolumne, Merced, and Stanislaus rivers. This could result in drastic water use reductions for Bay Area cities and San Joaquin farmers. Last year, only 10 percent of the San Joaquin River reached the delta, while the Tuolumne, San Francisco's main water supply, is one of the state's most over-tapped rivers, with 80 percent of its normal flow directed to human uses. Of California's 120 native freshwater fish species, over 80 percent are faced with extinction by the end of the century if current trends continue, while 22 species of birds in the estuary are endangered, threatened, or species of concern. ( SF Gate)

The SGC awarded $289.4 million under the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program to fund 25 affordable housing projects, which will help reduce driving and GHG emissions, create more compact development, and protect agricultural land from sprawl. Each project must include transit, bike, and pedestrian improvements. In total, the projects will provide 2,500 affordable homes and reduce emissions by 350,000 metric tons. Projects in disadvantaged communities will receive 73% of the funding, and 12% will benefit disadvantaged communities by proximity, or provide jobs or training to disadvantaged community residents. Neighborhood Partners was awarded $11.9 million for the 90-unit Creekside Affordable Housing project in downtown Davis for disabled, homeless, and other residents. ( Streetsblog, SGC)

Twenty organizations, including Fortune 500 companies, investors, and NGOs, announced their support for four projects protecting water resources as part of the California Water Action Collaborative (CWAC), which aims to build social capital for improved local water management, return water to natural surface water and groundwater systems, and drive corporate water stewardship aligned with Governor Brown's California Water Action Plan. CWAC is funding a research project by the Nature Conservancy, the University of California, and the Forest Service on how forest thinning can reduce wildfires, improve forest health, and potentially increase water supply in the American River by up to 3 percent. The project is taking place at the American River Headwaters, sources of drinking water and hydropower for the Sacramento region, as well as a fishery for rainbow trout. ( GreenBiz)

Last month Governor Jerry Brown signed a landmark law, Assembly Bill 2480, declaring that "source watersheds are recognized and defined as integral components of California's water infrastructure." This makes it possible to funnel billions of dollars in infrastructure finance towards the restoration of forests and the maintenance of meadows, streams and rivers, accelerating a decades-old trend towards the use of natural infrastructure to manage water supplies. State legislators will determine how much water infrastructure funding will flow toward projects in five critical California watersheds, which supply 25 million people with drinking water and irrigate 8 million acres of farmland. ( Link)

More than 140 elected officials and staff from 50 Californian cities joined the Institute for Local Government, a CRC member, and the State Energy Efficiency Collaborative in celebrating local sustainability achievements at the annual Beacon Spotlight Award ceremony at the League of Cities Annual Conference. The day began with a breakfast meeting featuring Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon and the mayors and city managers from the winning cities, including Davis. Davis won a Silver Beacon Award recognizing its holistic approach to addressing climate change, as well as Spotlight Awards recognizing its Community and Agency Greenhouse Gas Reductions. ( ILG)

EPA's Adaptation Resource Center (ARC-X) is a self-guided, interactive web portal to help local governments effectively deliver services to their communities even as the climate changes. Decision makers can create an integrated package of information tailored specifically to their needs. Once users select areas of interest, they will find information about the risks posed by climate change; relevant adaptation strategies; case studies illustrating how other communities have successfully adapted to those risks and tools to replicate their successes; and EPA funding opportunities. ( EPA)

Photo: AP/Drew Perine

With an American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) grade of a D, the U.S.'s nearly 2 million dams are one of the most pressing infrastructure challenges for safety, the environment, and the economy. Most dams were built before the 1980s, and as technologies have improved, the need for many of these structures no longer exists. As a result, there are now many dams that no longer serve their original purpose and are costly, aging, and unsafe. Functional or not, many dams pose a safety problem, such as the Lake Lewisville dam in Dallas that could cover the city of Dallas in 50 ft. of water in case of a collapse. The ASCE classifies nearly 4,000 dams as "deficient." This report from the Center for American Progress makes recommendations for the next phase of U.S. dam policy. ( CAP)

In accordance with Senate Bill 379 (Jackson), OPR developed draft language to incorporate climate change adaptation and resilience in the Safety Element of the General Plan Guidelines, which is now available for public review. The release of the final General Plan Guidelines document, including changes to the Safety Element to respond to SB 379, will occur in late 2016. Please submit comments by November 4, 2016, at info@opr.ca.gov, and include "SB379 Safety Element Comments" in the subject line. CRC is also working with ARCCA to submit comments on this document. ( OPR)

EPA invites rural communities to apply for planning assistance to develop strategies that help grow the economy and revitalize downtown neighborhoods. There are three technical assistance programs for communities. The Local Foods, Local Places program leverages local food enterprise to diversify local economies. Cool & Connected uses broadband service to create walkable, connected economically successful neighborhoods. The Healthy Places for Healthy People program promotes active living through centrally located health care facilities to catalyze downtown revitalization. Selected communities will work with an EPA-supported team of experts to develop strategies and action plans that enable them to realize their local revitalization goals. Deadline November 6. ( EPA)

This USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative Challenge Area focuses on the priority to mitigate and adapt to climate variability and change. It supports activities that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, increase carbon sequestration in agricultural and forest production systems, and prepare the nation's agriculture and forests to adapt to variable climates. Deadline November 17, 2016. ( USDA)

Marin County Community Development Agency is recruiting a Planner to join a dynamic team responsible for developing, updating and implementing planning programs including but not limited to the Countywide Plan, Development Code and the Local Coastal Program. Marin County is widely recognized as an award-winning leader in addressing the unprecedented challenges of sea level rise, achieved through creativity, innovation and an extra-ordinary collaboration with science, educational, engineering and advocacy organizations. This person will contribute to our culture as they analyze land use, environmental, economic and social data, legislation, policies and regulations, and the concerns and aspirations of the County's citizens to prepare and recommend policies, regulations, and programs that will shape the County's future. Deadline: November 14, 4pm. Find out more here or call 415-473-6104.

In accordance with the requirements of Senate Bill 379 (Jackson), OPR developed Draft language to incorporate Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience in the Safety Element of the General Plan Guidelines. Two webinars will provide an opportunity to explain the changes to the Safety Element. Please register for the webinar on Nov. 2 or Nov. 3. 

The California Natural Resources Agency, California Department of Food and Agriculture, California Department of Public Health, and California Air Resources Board (ARB) are jointly hosting a public workshop to discuss policy scenarios and associated reductions; the Natural and Working Lands (NWL) Sector, including carbon sequestration scenario modeling and ARB's NWL inventory; and public health implications of climate change and mitigation polices. This work is being done to inform development of the update to the State's AB 32 Scoping Plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to meet the 2030 target codified in Senate Bill 32. ( Link)

Using innovative techniques to downscale global climate model projections to very high spatial resolution, Professor Alex Hall (UCLA) has produced first-of-their-kind future projections that capture the intricate physical processes affecting climate change in the Sierra. Dr. Hall will present key findings and their implications for Sierra residents, resource managers, and anyone interested in the fate of California's iconic mountain range and its unique ecosystems. ( Register)

Black carbon, the sooty material emitted from combustion processes such as wildfires and fossil fuels, negatively impacts health and contributes to climate change. This webinar will highlight new research on black carbon behavior, how fuel type and cookstove use changes emissions in developing areas, and how black carbon deposition on snow affects climate. ( Register)

Hosted by the Governor's Office of Planning & Research, this session will bring together planning and public health experts to highlight the opportunities within land use planning to simultaneously plan for healthy food systems. This is particularly important with SB 1000, new legislation that requires local jurisdictions to address food access for disadvantaged communities. Hear from experts from UC Davis Extension, California Department of Public Health, and the City of Fresno. ( Register)

A Complete Streets approach can help improve health, daily commutes, local economies, and communities. How can advocates encourage Complete Streets and work with engineers and practitioners to get projects built? This conference will be a chance for transportation planners and engineers; community, equity, and health advocates; local officials, and Complete Streets practitioners to share ideas, brainstorm solutions, and celebrate the success of the Complete Streets movement together. Join us for interactive panels and breakout discussions about cutting-edge Complete Streets research, ideas, and practices. ( Register)

This learning session will provide a walk-through of three major climate adaptation tools for local governments - Cal-Adapt, the Adaptation Clearinghouse, and Atlas. We encourage all participants to preview these tools and to register as users for the Adaptation Clearinghouse and the Atlas to participate fully in the discussion. ( Register)

Sacramento County is hosting public workshops for its Climate Action Plan - Communitywide Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation (Communitywide CAP) project. The Communitywide CAP will include strategies that will both reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and help the community prepare for and adapt to the effects of climate change.  Please come and share your ideas about these critical topics. ( Link)

Sacramento County is completing the 2016 update of its Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, which will now consider climate change as a hazard for the first time. Please attend one of the public meetings if you would like to participate and provide feedback on the plan. ( Link) 

Capital Ideas is the premier national conference on state transportation policy, and offers an interactive curriculum of best practices, campaign tactics, innovative policies, and peer-to-peer collaboration to help transportation initiatives succeed. It will also address policies to empower smart cities and prepare for autonomous vehicles, how cities can go it alone with local revenue for transportation, and new partnerships and policies to better manage traffic. ( Register)

The CRC is a program of the Local Government Commission.