DAILY DIGEST, 2/7: Rain brings little relief to depleted groundwater; Response to Marshall Fire prevented drinking water crisis; Tribe, salmon win in fight over Upper Klamath Lake water; Fresno County officials ignored water warnings, taxpayers paying the price; and more …

On the calendar today …

  • MEETING: State Water Resources Control Board beginning at 9:30am.  Agenda items include a drought update and current hydrologic conditions, update on monthly water production and conservation data reported by urban retail water suppliers, and a public workshop to receive input on the Draft Guidelines for the Expedited Drinking Water Grant Funding Program.  Click here for the complete agenda.
  • MEETING: Department of Food and Agriculture from 10am to 2:30pm. Agenda items include a CDFA budget update, DWR Director Karla Nemeth with a water update, Discussion on temporary permits for groundwater recharge and storage, and sustainable pest management. Click here for the agenda and zoom link.
  • WEBINAR: How Did We Do It? Recycling 100% Reclaimable Wastewater Flows into High-Quality Drinking Water from 12pm to 1pm. Two public agencies, the Orange County Water District (OCWD) and the Orange County Sanitation District (OC San), had the vision and foresight to do what was once unthinkable – purify wastewater into high-quality drinking water. Join general managers Mike Markus, OCWD, and Jim Herberg, OC San, as we take a deep dive into this engineering marvel and discuss the unique, longstanding partnership between OCWD and OC San, new and expanded infrastructure built to sustain maximum capacity at the GWRS, and what’s to come. Click here to register.

In California water news today …

Ground zero: Rain brings little relief to California’s depleted groundwater

The powerful storms that clobbered California for weeks in December and January dropped trillions of gallons of water, flooding many communities and farms. But throughout the state, the rains have done little to nourish the underground supplies that are critical sources of California’s drinking water.  Thousands of people in the San Joaquin Valley have seen their wells go dry after years of prolonged drought and overpumping of aquifers. And a two-week deluge — or even a wet winter — will not bring them relief.  Even in January, as California’s rivers flooded thousands of acres, state officials received reports of more than 30 well outages, adding to more than 5,000 dry wells reported statewide in the past decade.  “Just one wet year is nowhere near large enough to refill the amount of groundwater storage that we’ve lost, say, over the last 10 years or more,” said Jeanine Jones, a drought manager with the state Department of Water Resources. … ”  Read more from Cal Matters here: Ground zero: Rain brings little relief to California’s depleted groundwater

Can nine atmospheric rivers recharge California’s groundwater?

In the wake of last month’s storms, many people are wondering if we’re socking away any of that bounty for a drought-y day. We asked UC Davis groundwater hydrologist Helen Dahlke, a member of PPIC Water Policy Center’s research network, to give us the skinny.  Q: How have the recent rains impacted groundwater recharge efforts in California?  A: I’m definitely glad for the nine atmospheric rivers that came through! I wish they could have been spaced out a little bit, but they filled up reservoirs and moistened soils that were dry from three years of drought. In Northern California, we’re still below our typical annual precipitation; we’re at just 40% of what we got in 2017, which was an exceptionally wet year. In Southern California, we’ve exceeded the typical yearly amount. … ”  Continue reading at the PPIC here: Can nine atmospheric rivers recharge California’s groundwater?

DWR’s innovative underground aquifer mapping project reaches major milestone: data now available for entire Central Valley

The Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) innovative Statewide Airborne Electromagnetic (AEM) Survey Project has now released AEM data for the entire Central Valley of California, marking a major milestone for the program.  Over 11,500 line-miles of AEM data were collected within the Central Valley between December 2021 and May 2022 using this helicopter-based technology that scans the earth’s subsurface. The AEM data is published on a continual basis, and the most recent release of data from the Northern Sacramento Valley completes the data release for the entire Central Valley. This remarkable dataset provides a never-before-seen continuous view of the structure below the earth’s surface in one of the most groundwater-dependent areas of the world. ... ”  Read more from DWR News here: DWR’s innovative underground aquifer mapping project reaches major milestone: data now available for entire Central Valley

“So much at stake”: Sustainable Conservation’s water team on opportunities, hopes for the future

It’s been a tumultuous (and wet!) start to 2023, with California weathering an extraordinary level of rain and snow over the past few weeks. Opportunities abound, but a storm-barraged populace’s frustrations and hazards are clear. Our hearts go out to those that have been impacted by these recent atmospheric events, and we appreciate the chance to center flood risk and community safety in the larger conversations about drought and water security.  We checked in with our Water for the Future team to get a window into our upcoming work, what’s on their minds when it comes to California weather extremes, and their hopes for the future. … ”  Read more from Sustainable Conservation here: “So much at stake”: Our Water Team on Opportunities, Hopes for the Future

New study confirms Marshall Fire contaminated drinking water, but the response prevented a crisis

A new study on the Marshall Fire reaffirms the need for better guidelines to safeguard water systems from contamination as wildfires burn through more residential areas.  Andrew Whelton, the study’s lead author, hopes lessons from the Marshall Fire can help other communities avoid the worst future fires have to offer.  “The Marshall Fire was the most effective disaster response to a damaged water system that I’ve ever been a part of,” he said.  Whelton, a professor of civil, environmental and ecological engineering at Purdue University, flew out to Boulder County days after the Dec. 30, 2021 disaster to study the damage to water systems and municipalities’ response. His study, published in American Water Works Association in January, helps answer, at least partially, the question of how much contamination occurred and what can be done to improve wildfire water safety. ... ”  Read more from KUNC here: New study confirms Marshall Fire contaminated drinking water, but the response prevented a crisis

Q&A: Paul Mason, Pacific Forest Trust

Aaron Gilbreath writes, “California’s increasingly catastrophic fire seasons have drawn the connection between healthy forests, healthy air, and climate change into sharp relief. Under Governor Newsom, California has made sweeping policy changes to petroleum production, green energy infrastructure, groundwater pumping, and the transition from fossil fuel vehicles to zero emission vehicles. As the role that wildfire plays in California’s climate change mitigation efforts has become impossible to ignore, the role that forest management plays in climate change has become an essential part of discussions around climate change policy.  I spoke with Paul Mason, Vice President, Policy and Incentives at Pacific Forest Trust, to hear what trends and changes he sees in land management, and for insight into how to think about the role and health of California’s forests in the age of climate change. … ”  Read more from Capitol Weekly here: Q&A: Paul Mason, Pacific Forest Trust

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In commentary today …

How California’s water rights system gouges you and me

Kate Poole, Senior Director of the Water Division at NRDC, writes, “I’ve written recently about the deep inequities built into California’s water rights system, embedding California’s racist past firmly into our present system of water distribution. The systematic exclusion of Native Americans, Asians, and other people of color from claiming and owning water rights during European settlement of California means that those communities continue to be deprived of critical water resources even today. But there is another lingering aspect of California’s antiquated water rights system that affects nearly everyone who lives in the state, and that is the price of water. Just as our racist and exclusionary past shapes access to water, it also shapes the cost of water, again privileging the few European immigrants who laid claim to water in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century to the detriment of nearly everyone else. ... ”  Read more from the NRDC here: How California’s water rights system gouges you and me

The biggest untold reason for the decline of salmon

Edward Ring, contributing editor and senior fellow with the California Policy Center, writes, “As Californians dig out from several major storms just since December, major reservoirs in the state are already filled to within 86 and 104 percent of their historical average for this date, and the Sierra snowpack sits at 205 percent of normal. With additional precipitation likely before the end of California’s attenuated rainy season, and massive projected snowmelt poised to cascade downstream later this spring, water managers are already deciding what to do with the all this water.  To the uninitiated, such a policy decision might seem obvious: Once summer is imminent, and no more storms ought to threaten to overwhelm the spillways and cause flooding down in the valley, let the reservoirs fill to capacity. Save another five million acre feet behind the dams. But when it comes to water policy in California, complexities are layered atop complexities, and nothing is obvious.  Water management in California revolves around several distinct priorities that are often in conflict. … ”  Read more from the California Globe here: The biggest untold reason for the decline of salmon

What is water use, anyway?

Jonathan Zaslof, UCLA School of Law, writes, “We all know the story, and the percentages:  of water used by human beings in California (i.e. not going to environmental uses), agriculture uses a whopping 80%. So it makes little sense to call on urban users to conserve, so the story goes, until ag goes first. Certainly nonprofits like Food and Water Watch think so:  “As drought and climate change continue to wreak havoc on California’s water supply, an environmental advocacy group is calling on the state to limit the cultivation of thirsty crops like almonds and alfalfa, saying the agriculture industry is guzzling most of the state’s supplies at the expense of residents.”  But just think about this a moment. It really overstates the issue. … ”  Read more from Legal Planet here: What is water use, anyway?

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Today’s featured article …

Recycled water irrigating fields in the Tulare Irrigation District.FEATURE: Model Partnership Brings Ag Reuse and Groundwater Sustainability to the San Joaquin Valley

Written by Jennifer West, Managing Director of WateReuse California

As the impacts of California’s ongoing drought collide with new groundwater requirements, growers and cities in the San Joaquin Valley are scrambling to find sustainable water supply solutions.  But before the current crisis, Tulare Irrigation District (TID) and the City of Visalia (City) developed a model exchange program that brings as much as 11,000 acre feet a year of highly treated recycled water to growers while providing the City with surface water used for groundwater replenishment.

The partnership has value beyond the water. We enjoy working with the City of Visalia.   We consider them our neighbors, our partners, our friends.  And we are lock step in developing sustainability for groundwater,” said Aaron Fukuda, General Manager of TID.

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In regional water news and commentary today …

NORTH COAST

Tribe, salmon win in fight over Upper Klamath Lake water

Chalk up a victory for the Endangered Species Act, the Yurok Tribe, and the salmon fisheries of the California coast. And, of course, the Coho and Chinook salmon upon which the tribe and the fisheries depend.  U.S. District Judge William Orrick III issued a summary ruling in favor of the United States and a collection of fishing advocates and the tribe on Monday in a complex suit involving several tribal, governmental and quasi-governmental agencies in a complicated network of cross-claims from both California and Oregon.  “It’s complicated,” said plaintiffs’ attorney Patti Goldman with the environmental law firm Earthjustice. “And in a way it’s not complicated.” … ”  Read more from the Courthouse News Service here: Tribe, salmon win in fight over Upper Klamath Lake water

SEE ALSO:

North Coast Water Board fines unlicensed cannabis cultivators for discharging sediment to Trinity River

The North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board approved a $506,813 penalty against two Trinity County cannabis cultivators Thursday for failing to clean up sediment discharges to Trinity River tributaries that threatened fish habitat and aquatic life.  The two accused growers, who had not responded to numerous contacts from board staff, also failed to appear at Thursday’s board meeting when the item was heard. For this case, the cultivators’ lack of response and cooperation in addressing water quality impacts from their operations resulted in a 50% increase in the amount of the penalty.  “The North Coast Water Board has prioritized enforcement actions against unlicensed cultivators who disregard how their operations affect our waterways,” said Claudia Villacorta, assistant executive officer for the board. “Often, they choose not respond to us. This approach will not delay or avoid penalties, but only make them more likely.  That said, we always prefer to work with cultivators to come into compliance rather than issue penalties.” … ”

Click here to continue reading this press release.

NAPA/SONOMA

Is Napa capturing enough big storm runoff for next drought?

California’s recent boom-or-bust rainy seasons raises the question of whether Napa County needs to capture more water during the booms.  Similar questions are being asked up-and-down the state. Atmospheric rivers that pounded California in January left swollen, ground-level rivers carrying water to the ocean. That happened in Napa County. Once local reservoirs serving local cities filled, all they could do was spill water that eventually reached the Napa River, bays and ocean, water that might be needed during the next drought. … ”  Read more from the Napa Register here: Is Napa capturing enough big storm runoff for next drought?

BAY AREA

Alameda County Water District to hold public hearing on proposed increase in water rates

The Alameda County Water District Board of Directors will hold a public hearing on Thursday, February 9, and consider a proposed two-year water rate increase of 4% to the bimonthly service and commodity charges and updates to drought surcharges and private fire service rates beginning March 1, 2023. For the average residential customer using 16 units of water in a two-month billing cycle, about 200 gallons per day, the proposal would increase their bimonthly bill by $5.30, or $2.65 per month. … ”  Read more from The Patch here: Alameda County Water District to hold public hearing on proposed increase in water rates

CENTRAL COAST

Central Coast cities remain under water restrictions despite rainy start to 2023

Much of California has been abiding by harsh water restrictions as the drought-stricken state struggles to retain enough water for its residents.  By one estimate, 24.5 trillion gallons of water fell across California in just over two weeks, but even that was not enough for a rollback of state and local water restrictions. … For Pismo Beach and Arroyo Grande, Lopez Lake is a main source of water. At the start of the year, it sat at its lowest point on record at 10,800-acre ft., but since the recent storms, it has risen from less than 20% capacity to 54%.   While there are no plans for an immediate end to the current protocol, there has been talk of easing some of the sanctions. … ”  Read more from KSBY here: Central Coast cities remain under water restrictions despite rainy start to 2023

City of Pismo Beach looking to replace aging well as drought concerns persist

California’s water supply has improved, but cities and state agencies are continuing to find ways to store much-needed water as the drought persists.  The City of Pismo Beach is looking to build a more reliable water supply while increasing incentives to cut down on water use.  “Any time we can increase our water supply, we should do it in this state,” said Pismo Beach Resident Eric Ford.  The Pismo Beach City Council will vote on replacing an aging groundwater well at Tuesday night’s meeting. … ”  Read more from KSBY here: City of Pismo Beach looking to replace aging well as drought concerns persist

Lake Nacimiento gained 89 billion gallons during winter storms. Here’s where it’s at now

Lake Nacimiento in the northern reaches of San Luis Obispo County has seen its banks nearly burst from the winter rainstorms. The lake gained more than 89 billion gallons since Dec. 1, according to data from the Monterey County Water Resources Agency. On Dec. 1, the lake held 60,285 acre-feet of water. By Jan. 11, Lake Nacimiento had risen to 275,060 acre-feet. The water has continued to stream into the reservoir, and by Jan. 17 it hit a recent high of 334,235 acre-feet, according to Monterey County. … ”  Read more from the Modesto Bee here: Lake Nacimiento gained 89 billion gallons during winter storms. Here’s where it’s at now | Read via Yahoo News

Council to hear review of Santa Barbara water supply

Santa Barbara’s available water supplies are sufficient to meet demands for at least the next three years, according to city officials.  That conclusion is part of an analysis included in an overview of the city’s water supplies to be presented by staff to the City Council today.  After the water supply update, council members will be asked to approve and adopt the city’s Water Supply Management Report for the 2022 Water Year, finding that Santa Barbara’s water supplies are in long-term balance with the city’s Enhanced Urban Water Management Plan. … ”  Read more from the Santa Barbara News-Press here: Council to hear review of Santa Barbara water supply

SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY

Debacle in the hills: How Fresno County officials ignored water warnings and why taxpayers are paying the price

A high-end housing development in the foothills above Fresno that was approved despite unreliable groundwater supplies is now getting a $4.2 million taxpayer bailout to bring in surface water that may, or may not, materialize.  The gated Mira Bella community, with its $800,000 Mediterranean-style homes near the shimmering waters of Millerton Lake, lives up to its name – it looks beautiful.  Its beauty faded quickly for homeowners, however, after they learned they were responsible for fixing failing wells and a dilapidated distribution system. The situation went from bad to worse as it became clear drilling deeper, or new wells, into the rocky formation beneath Mira Bella wasn’t an option.  Then drought hit and one of the community’s wells collapsed. ... ”  Read more from SJV Water here: Debacle in the hills: How Fresno County officials ignored water warnings and why taxpayers are paying the price

Collected storm water offered to growers to recharge their farm land, farmers rush to prepare

We’ve seen an impressive amount of rain during the last two months.  The Fresno Irrigation District has been collecting the water in recharge basins across the county and started offering it up to farmers early.  Farmers say the extra water is a blessing, but now some are rushing to make sure they’re ready to receive it.  “Ten years ago, we didn’t worry about how much water we were going to use and now everybody watches their water use,” Ron Eastom the farm manager for R4 Farming said. … ”  Read more from KFSN here:  Collected storm water offered to growers to recharge their farm land, farmers rush to prepare

Wine giant E. & J. Gallo fined after wastewater discharged into California river

A California water agency has ordered Modesto-based wine giant E. & J. Gallo Winery to pay $378,668 in fines for discharging irrigation and waste water into the Merced River. According to a news release from the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, the Aug. 9, 2021 discharge included more than 90,000 gallons of wastewater mixed with irrigation well water from a Livingston wine-making facility. A report from a concerned citizen led to the board initiating an investigation. Control board staff confirmed the discharge contained elevated levels of organic matter, potassium and salinity had occurred. … ”  Read more from the Merced Sun-Star here: Wine giant E. & J. Gallo fined after wastewater discharged into California river

SEE ALSO: Gallo Winery to pay penalty for discharge  threatening water quality in Merced River, press release from the Central Valley Water Board

Video:  River water from 150 miles away flows through parts of the Kern River

The lower Kern River has flowing through its dry bed after years of drought. But it’s not actually Kern River water.”  Watch the video at SJV Water here:  River water from 150 miles away flows through parts of the Kern River

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Santa Clarita Valley Water announces grant for well cleanup, potential rate increase

The Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency is planning a nearly $17 million groundwater treatment plant across the street from Bridgeport Park to help make the area’s water supply cleaner, safer and more stable, according to local water officials.  To pay for the project, other infrastructure needs and debt financing, the agency also is expected to discuss the issuance of a $75 million bond at its board meeting Tuesday, which could raise rates an average of 6% per year from 2024 to 2032. The projected increase could nearly double the average monthly bill for ratepayers from about $60 per month to about $100. … ”  Read more from The Signal here: Santa Clarita Valley Water announces grant for well cleanup, potential rate increase

UCLA-led research could help restore endangered fish species native to Southern California

California’s dwindling water resources and urban sprawl are leaving a group of residents you’ve probably never heard of on the verge of homelessness. The unarmored threespine stickleback fish, highly adapted to thrive in California’s often short-lived, unpredictable waterways, has been long considered by scientists a model species for studying evolution and a top concern for conservationists.  It has been on the endangered species list since 1970 and is still in peril.  Now, a UCLA-led effort to sequence the fish’s genome has identified genetically distinct populations in Southern California that could guide measures to save the subspecies, such as using fish chosen for their genetic background to repopulate waterways in the Los Angeles Basin, where they once lived. … ”  Read more from UCLA here: UCLA-led research could help restore endangered fish species native to Southern California

Ancient non-renewable water lies under Mojave Desert. Ethical to harvest it?

Deep below the Mojave Desert is liquid gold — trillions of gallons of water in an underground aquifer stretching hundreds of square miles on either side of Interstate 40. It’s been there for thousands of years, but only a tiny bit of it is actually tapped and harvested. So it could be a way to ease some of California’s water woes. Private companies are trying to do just that, but they’re running into obstacles from conservationists who question the ethics of it, and Native tribes who have a spiritual connection to water in this region.  Brett Simpson wrote about the fight over California’s ancient, underground water for The Atlantic.  She explains how the Fenner aquifer came to be ... ”  Read more/listen at KCRW here: Ancient non-renewable water lies under Mojave Desert. Ethical to harvest it?

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Along the Colorado River …

Multi-state battle over dwindling Colorado River water heats up

While recent rain has been good for Southern California, the Colorado River is still reeling from the effects of a 23-year mega drought, and a multi-state battle about what to do with the dwindling water supply is gearing up.  The federal government has told the seven states to come up with an agreement to cut the amount of water being used.  Six of the states did, but California refused to sign on, saying the cuts unfairly target the Golden State.  “The cuts are left disproportionately to California, which is, frankly, not fair in this situation,” Wade Crowfoot, California secretary of natural resources, said.  He says that California has presented its own plan for cuts, which he agrees are desperately needed.  “Our goal is to agree upon cuts and to take action as quickly as possible because the sooner we do, the more we can avoid what could be a worst-case scenario,” Crowfoot said. … ”  Read more from KTLA here: Multi-state battle over dwindling Colorado River water heats up

ACWA supports California water agencies’ Colorado River proposal

Association of California Water Agencies (ACWA) Executive Director Dave Eggerton released the following statement today in support of California water agencies’ proposed modeling framework to reduce Colorado River water usage in the Basin. The framework was submitted to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Jan. 31.  “ACWA stands united with California water agencies in their proposed approach to achieve water use reductions while supporting 40 million people and nearly 6 million acres of farmland that depend on the Colorado River. California has and will continue to lead the way in reducing reliance on Colorado River supplies, with agencies working together over the last 15 years to keep more than 1.5 million acre-feet of water in Lake Mead; investing billions of dollars in urban and agricultural water conservation, saving millions of acre-feet of Colorado River water in the last decade; and making historic investments in the development of local water supplies with some of the largest water reuse projects ever contemplated in the world. ... ”  Continue reading at ACWA here: ACWA supports California water agencies’ Colorado River proposal

Single water district in California to use 11 times more Colorado River water than Southern Nevada will use in 2023

Figuring out where the Colorado River’s water goes after Lake Mead and the Hoover Dam can be challenging to understand and is often incorrectly stated. So when the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) published forecasted use of Colorado River water it is essential to analyze the numbers.  According to the USBR, the forecasted use for 2023 in the lower Colorado River basin is divided four ways: Nevada, Arizona, California and Mexico.  The USBR forecasts California will use 52% of the available water, Arizona will use 27.5%, Mexico will use 16.6%, and Nevada will only use 2.6%. This is in line with recent years’ water use.  In California – which will use more than half of the available water this year – the largest user will be the Imperial Irrigation District. This district alone is forecast to use 11 and a half times more than what Southern Nevada will use in 2023. … ”  Read more from KLAS here: Single water district in California to use 11 times more Colorado River water than Southern Nevada will use in 2023

Why California is so far apart from other states in Colorado River water cuts plan

The ongoing dispute over Colorado River water comes down largely to math: How much water should each state and region lose as reservoir levels continue to decline?  California has one interpretation of how to divvy up the cuts, and six other states that depend on the river have a different formula.  A breakdown of the numbers in these two competing proposals shows the points of tension.  The proposal by six of the seven states in the Colorado River Basin would require California to shoulder a substantial part of the burden, despite its relatively higher-priority water rights. Southern California water agencies would be required to cut as much as 32% of their full water allocation if Lake Mead, the country’s largest reservoir, continues dropping toward dangerously low levels. … ”  Read more from the LA Times here: Why California is so far apart from other states in Colorado River water cuts plan

SEE ALSO:

Arizona water chief predicts feds will step in on Colorado River conflict

The federal government will likely end up putting its foot down in a state-to-state squabble over cuts in Colorado River consumption, Arizona’s water chief told The Hill.  “We will continue to try to get an agreement,” said Tom Buschatzke, director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources. “The path we’re on seems like the federal government’s going to step in.”  The states had agreed to a rough deadline of Jan. 31, aware that the Federal Bureau of Reclamation had threatened to impose cuts itself if an agreement failed to materialize.  What did materialize were two opposing proposals — a joint deal from six out of the seven states last Monday and a competing offer from the outlier, California, on Tuesday.  The details of the plans are so incompatible that the government will likely intervene, either with a unilateral solution or a combination of imposed and voluntary measures, according to Buschatzke, who has served as Arizona’s chief negotiator in the matter. … ”  Read more from The Hill here: Arizona water chief predicts feds will step in on Colorado River conflict

What to know about the water shortage if you’re considering a move to Arizona

Hundreds of thousands of visitors are flocking to Phoenix for Super Bowl LVII and the WM Phoenix Open as sports worlds collide. Golf in Scottsdale and football in Glendale opens Phoenix to groups of people who have never experienced the perks of the desert – beautiful weather, top notch dining and amazing entertainment. However, many national headlines in recent months have focused on the Arizona water shortage, falling water levels at Lake Mead and Lake Powell, and how states affected by the Colorado river shortage recently missed the deadline for a deal on water cuts.   At Halpern Residential, we’ve received quite a few questions with concerns over the Arizona water shortage and how Arizona’s planned water cuts may affect homeowners and the real estate market in general. Below we explore the current state of Arizona’s historic drought conditions, the changes being made at the government and industry level and what homeowners can do to curb water usage. … ”  Read more from Arizona Big Media here: What to know about the water shortage if you’re considering a move to Arizona

Will basin states’ plans save operations at Glen Canyon, Hoover dams?

Politics and threatened litigation are replacing what is left of the water in the Colorado River as the seven basin states that rely on the West’s largest river try to reach an agreement to cut flows so power generation can continue at Glen Canyon and Hoover dams. … The proposals do not change any of the states’ water allocations, for now, or affect any existing water rights. The plans will ultimately become part of a more comprehensive effort being worked on by the federal agency.  But with seven states, more than 30 tribes and Mexico all dependent on the river, the politics are as diverse as the players, leaving them to jockey for action that inflicts the least amount of individual damage while satisfying the bureau and delivering what are supposed to be workable solutions. … ”  Read more from KSL here: Will basin states’ plans save operations at Glen Canyon, Hoover dams?

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In national water news today …

Rainmaking experiments boom amid worsening drought

As rain clouds swelled over Fort Stockton, Texas, last summer, a little yellow plane zipped through the sky. It was on a mission.  Equipped with tanks of water and special nozzles on its wings, the craft soared beneath the gray-white billows. Then, at just the right moment, it released a spray of electrically charged water particles into the cloud.  The goal? To squeeze some extra rain from the West Texas sky.  “Water’s becoming very valuable and more and more scarce,” said Dan Martin, a research engineer with Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service who helped invent the technology.  It’s a new spin on a decades-old practice known as “cloud seeding,” or efforts to boost precipitation by spraying special particles into the air. It’s one of the world’s most popular forms of weather modification, and it’s practiced across much of the western U.S., as well as China, Russia, parts of the Middle East and other countries. … ”  Read more from E&E News here: Rainmaking experiments boom amid worsening drought

The world is creating more single-use plastic waste than ever, report finds

The world is producing a record amount of single-use plastic waste, mostly made from polymers created from fossil fuels, despite global efforts to reduce plastic pollution and carbon emissions, according to a new report released Monday.  The second Plastic Waste Makers Index, compiled by the philanthropic Minderoo Foundation, found the world generated 139 million metric tons of single-use plastic waste in 2021, which was 6 million metric tons more than in 2019, when the first index was released.  The report found the additional plastic waste created in those two years equates to nearly one 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) more for every person on the planet and was driven by demand for flexible packaging like films and sachets. … ”  Read more from CNN here: The world is creating more single-use plastic waste than ever, report finds

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Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

SCIENCE FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: State Water Contractors Issue Request for Proposals, $3 Million in Funding Available for Science Projects

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About the Daily Digest: The Daily Digest is a collection of selected news articles, commentaries and editorials appearing in the mainstream press. Items are generally selected to follow the focus of the Notebook blog. The Daily Digest is published every weekday with a weekend edition posting on Sundays.
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