West Coast Water Justice

Natalie Kilmer

A podcast about grassroots water justice in the Western United States. We interview experts about their local watersheds and how the health of our water impacts every facet of our lives and future generations.
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Episodes

Clean Water for California
Feb 28 2023
Clean Water for California
In this episode, we interview Laurel Firestone, a member of the State Water Resources Control Board. We learn about the organization and its work to ensure that every person in the state has a right to clean, safe, and affordable drinking water.  We discuss how far we still have to go to meet California's Human Right to Water.Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Laurel Firestone to the State Water Resources Control Board in February 2019. Prior to joining the Board, Laurel co-founded and co-directed, from 2006-2019, the Community Water Center, a statewide non-profit environmental justice organization based in California’s Central Valley and Central Coast. Her career has focused on building increased diversity, equity, and inclusivity into water decision-making.DisclaimerThe views and opinions expressed in this program do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Save California Salmon or any entities mentioned. Get involvedCalifornia State Water Resources Control Board Attend a Water Board MeetingSAFERReport air, water, toxic substances, pesticides, or solid waste at CalEPA reporting systemReport a suspected Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) at CalEPA HABs systemLearn more about Groundwater contaminants, including PFAs at GAMA GroundwaterLearn more about the location of oil and gas wells visit CalGEM at Geologic Energy Management DivisionLearn more about the CalEPA generally, gather data, or find information resources at CalEPA | California Environmental Protection AgencyFor a directory of California’s nine regional water quality control boards (and branch offices) visit the Regional Water Quality Board Directory | California State Water Resources Control BoardFor public documents related to the water board visit the Public Records Center | California State Water Resources Control BoardFor more information on the State Water Board Meetings, including the upcoming calendar and agenda items visit Board Calendar | California State Water Resources Control BoardState Water Resources Control Board Phone Contacts:Office of Public Affairs: (916) 341-5254Office of Legislative Affairs: (916) 341-5251Office of the Ombudsman: (916) 341-5925Drinking Water information: (916) 449-5577Water Quality information: (916) 341-5455Water Rights information: (916) 341-5300Financial Assistance information: (916) 341-5700Episode creditsProducer: Natalie KilmerProduction Support: Kasil Willie, Kendall Crakow, and Regina ChichizolaPodcast Music by Tony Bald, Adam Inguiez, and Danny SnyderSupport the show
Native Youth Rising
Nov 16 2022
Native Youth Rising
In this episode, we interview Danielle Frank, a Hoopa Valley Tribal Member, activist, and youth coordinator with Save California Salmon. Danielle shares her story of growing up in Hoopa Valley along the banks of the Trinity River near its confluence with the Klamath River. We hear how speaking up for her beliefs, community, and way of life helped her find her voice and become an empowered youth leader and public speaker. At nineteen years of age, some of her accomplishments include leading Native Youth programs, creating informed Native American curriculum for schools, assisting with California State legislation, being a featured Vogue climate activist, and a speaker at the United Nations Climate Change Summit COP 27.DisclaimerThe views and opinions expressed in this program do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Save California Salmon or any entities mentioned. All music is the property of the artist/s and may not be reproduced or shared without their consent.Get involvedSchool Curriculum: Advocacy and Water Protection in Native CaliforniaSave California Salmon DONATE- It is Native American Heritage Month and these funds go directly towards education events and travel funds for Northern California Native youth and Water Protectors, and Klamath Dam removal celebrations for our communities who have worked for 20 years to remove Klamath Dams.Protect ICWAStop the Delta Tunnel PetitionAdvocates for Indigenous California Language SurvivalVogue ArticleEpisode creditsProducer: Natalie KilmerProduction Support: Carrie Tully, Kasil Willie, Kendall Crakow, Regina ChichizolaPodcast Music by Tony Bald, Adam Inguiez, and Danny SnyderMusical break Clip: Maymi Preston-Donahue Photograph of Danielle Frank by Carlos Jaramillo; Styled by Marcus Correa. Reprinted from VogueSupport the show
Protecting California's Water Before It Runs Out
Oct 11 2022
Protecting California's Water Before It Runs Out
In this episode, we follow up with Clifford Lee, retired Deputy Attorney General with the California Department of Justice. We dive deeper into water policy and hear about critical changes needed to protect our most valuable resource: water! We are faced with a 27-year delay in the adoption of new scientific recommendations and species protections for the SF Bay Delta, the lifeblood of our state.  While at the same time critical aquifers across the state are being over-pumped and going dry.We learn that California needs to catch up with other Western states on the regulation of groundwater extraction and quantifying river diversions. Clifford, a public servant of 40 years is sounding the alarm and urging us to educate ourselves about our water resources before they are gone. This episode is packed with the information we need now, so we can reform water policy in California for a sustainable future.DisclaimerThe views and opinions expressed in this program do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Save California Salmon or any entities mentioned. Get involvedUpdating California Water Laws to Address Drought and ClimateChange, PCL Recommendations"Federalism and Water" by Clifford LeeSave California SalmonCalifornia Water JusticeCalifornia State Water Resources Control BoardTwitter  Instagram  Facebook Episode creditsProducer: Natalie KilmerProduction Support: Kasil Willie and Kendall CrakowMusic by Tony Bald, Adam Inguiez, and Danny SnyderSupport the show
From the Bay to the Winnemem Waywayket (McCloud River)
Feb 1 2022
From the Bay to the Winnemem Waywayket (McCloud River)
We follow up with hereditary Chief Caleen Sisk about the expansive watershed of the Sacramento River from the headwaters of the Winnemem Waywayket all the way to the Bay-Delta and the Pacific Ocean. We learn about the history of this once epic fishery and what it will take to bring the Salmon back home over the Shasta rim dam, and how New Zealand can help.The management of California's Bay Delta and its tributaries is complicated. The Sacramento and San Joaquin River watersheds and Delta have a complicated series of dams and diversions that feed the state and federal Central Valley Irrigation projects. The Shasta and Trinity dams are federal dams, while many of the other dams in the watersheds such as the Feather, Pit, and American Rivers are either primarily part of the state water project or private PGE dams. The state of California and the Federal Bureau of Reclamation manage flows, irrigation water deliveries, and operations from their dams and diversions, through water operations plans and a complicated water rights system. These operations are subject to Endangered Species Act Biological Opinions for endangered species such as winter and spring-run salmon and Delta smelt.  Recent Biological Opinions have not only estimated how much water can be diverted,  without species in rivers below the diversions going extinct, but they also have called for the return of winter-run salmon to their traditional habitats upstream of these dams, such as the McCloud River. This is because spring run and winter-run salmon traditionally used the upper reaches of the cold tributaries of the Delta watersheds. Almost all of their spawning habitat has been blocked by dams. Unfortunately, these Biological Opinions have been subject to political interference by several presidents and many of the runs of endangered salmon have been killed over the last ten years and fish passage efforts have not moved forward. Get InvolvedWinnemem Wintu Tribe Run 4 SalmonPetition to help the McCloud RiverRestore the Delta Save California SalmonMaven's NotebookCalifornia State Water Resources Control BoardPetition to Stop Salmon Fish Kills  Instagram  Facebook Support the show