DAILY DIGEST, holiday weekend edition: Water Board implements new efficiency regulations; The science behind CA’s worsening heat waves, explained; Court battle over Sinking Friant-Kern Canal grinds on; and more …

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In California water news this weekend …

State Water Board implements new efficiency regulations

“Water agencies across California must implement efficiency changes after the state water board on Wednesday approved the Making Conservation a California Way of Life regulations.  The new regulations, stemming from two bills passed in 2018, will affect some 400 water agencies in the state that together deliver water to 95% of Californians. Smaller water agencies and households aren’t affected by the regulations, though their effects are expected to trickle down.  The intention of the regulations is fourfold: using water wisely, ending water waste, improving local drought defenses and improving efficiency and drought planning for agricultural water use.  The rulemaking process began about a year ago. The new regulations become effective Jan. 1, 2025. … ”  Read more from the Courthouse News Service.

California now has mandatory water conservation in urban areas: How will the new rules affect your supplier?

“Despite California’s perpetual struggles with water shortages, state regulators today adopted mandatory conservation measures that are substantially weaker and save less water than they originally planned.  The rules, years in the making, were mandated by a package of laws that tasked state agencies with making “water conservation a California way of life.” They force 405 cities and other urban water suppliers serving about 95% of Californians to meet individualized water budgets that decline over time.  The regulations, adopted unanimously by the State Water Resources Control Board today, usher in a new phase of mandatory conservation for California. They set long-term targets for water use that aim to account for myriad regional differences, from climate to ownership of llamas and other livestock. … ”  Read more from Cal Matters.

Trees are casting shade on California’s climate-proofing

“Trees are stumping California’s efforts to prepare for drought.  The State Water Resources Control Board has been trying to cut cities’ water use ever since the last drought 7 years ago — and trees have been tripping them up for almost as long. The root of the issue is that trees, which provide essential shade in urban settings, also need a lot of water.  No place better illustrates the stakes than Sacramento, where trees are an established political constituency. The so-called City of Trees prides itself on its century-old oaks and sycamores, some 20 percent of which suffered damage or death during the last drought thanks to mandatory watering restrictions.  That was a wake-up call for the region’s water agencies and arborists, said Amy Talbot, the water efficiency program manager for the Sacramento Regional Water Authority. … The water board’s vote today on long-term conservation rules for urban water agencies shows how the state is trying to thread the needle. … ”  Read the full story at Politico.

SEE ALSO:

• • State takes action to make urban water conservation a way of life, from the State Water Resources Control Board
  • New law pressures water agencies to meet 2040 goals, from SF Gate
  • California Imposes Permanent Water Restrictions on Residents, from Newsweek
  • California to mandate statewide water restrictions up to nearly 40% in some cities, from the Desert Sun
  • California to impose first-ever permanent water restrictions on cities and towns, from the San Francisco Chronicle
  • California adopts sweeping statewide water conservation framework, from the LA Times

The science behind California’s worsening heat waves, explained

“In the U.S., heat kills more people in an average year than other weather extremes — more than torrential floods, tornadoes and cold snaps.  Though heat waves pose huge health risks, they have become routine in recent years. In June and July of 2022, temperatures soared across Western Europe, killing more than 2,000 people in Spain and Portugal. Highs in the United Kingdom exceeded 40 degrees Celsius, or about 104 degrees Fahrenheit, for the first time in recorded history.  And heat waves are only getting worse.  “Climate change is making heat waves more intense, more frequent, more persistent and spatially larger — just about any characteristic you could use to describe them,” said Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at UCLA and the Nature Conservancy. … ”  Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle (gift article).

A ‘potentially historic’ heat wave is intensifying along the West Coast with no relief expected for days

“An extremely dangerous, unusually long heat wave is intensifying and spreading up the West Coast – and there will be no relief for days.  Officials from California to Oregon and Washington, to Nevada and Arizona are bracing for potential wildfires, opening cooling centers and warning residents to stay indoors and keep hydrated as the unrelenting heat wave delivers sweltering temperatures well up into the 100s and 110s, with highs in the 120s possible in the Desert Southwest.  And it’s only getting hotter.  Death Valley, California, could top 125 degrees by Sunday or Monday, setting a new daily record for those dates. Las Vegas, Nevada, could also exceed its all-time high temperature of 117 degrees Sunday or Monday. … ”  Read more from CNN.

Court battle over Sinking Friant-Kern Canal grinds on

“A judge’s tentative ruling issued Tuesday, July 2, makes it clear landowners in the Eastern Tule Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) are not legally obligated to pay the Friant Water Authority (FWA) a minimum of $200 million in fines for damage to the Friant-Kern Canal.  FWA contends it’s owed the money to correct widespread damage to the Middle Reach of the Friant-Kern Canal caused by land sinking because of ongoing overpumping within the GSA. While the GSA must still pay for the damage its users are doing to the canal – as per a previous settlement – the judge declared that the 2020 agreement between the two agencies did not set a minimum payment. Eastern Tule declared the decision a win for water users along a corridor of east Tulare County stretching from Porterville south to Richgrove.  “We don’t owe $200 million,” said Eastern Tule manager Rogelio Caudillo. “We owe up to $200 million based on overpumping.”  The lawsuit, however, goes on. … ”  Continue reading from Valley Voice.

SEE ALSO:

• Court confirms ETGSA’s view of settlement agreement, press release from the Eastern Tule GSA.
• FWA / AEWSD Statement on court ruling on lawsuit against ETGSA over Friant-Kern Canal subsidence, press release from the Friant Water Authority.

$10-billion climate bond will go before voters in November

“California voters will get to decide in November if they want the state to borrow $10 billion to pay for climate and environmental projects — including some that were axed from the budget because of an unprecedented deficit.  The 28-page bill to put the Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024on the ballot was approved by both the Senate and Assembly late Wednesday.  This was the last day lawmakers had to approve the climate bond proposal to get the measure on the Nov. 5 ballot.  Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire (D-Healdsburg) was acting as governor Wednesday because Gov. Gavin Newsom was in Washington. McGuire is a supporter of the proposed climate bond and was expected to sign the legislation Wednesday night. … ”  Read more from the LA Times.

Worsening floods and deterioration pose threats to US dam safety

“Early last week, floodwater in rural Minnesota pushed debris against a more than century-old dam and then carved a path around it, eroding so much of the riverbank that most of a house fell into the river. Several days later, intense rain damaged a dam that holds drinking water for Houston, forcing officials to issue a potential failure warning.  “Something like this could happen, and it has happened, all over the country,” said Del Shannon, former president of the U.S. Society on Dams.  There are roughly 90,000 significant dams in the U.S. At least 4,000 are in poor or unsatisfactory condition and could kill people or only harm the environment if they failed, according to data from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. They need inspections, upgrades and even emergency repairs. … ”  Read more from the Associated Press.

How a Northern California home survived the Thompson Fire with a system to water the roof

“The Thompson Fire in Butte County has burned thousands of acres, prompted evacuations and destroyed multiple structures since it started on Tuesday.  KCRA 3’s Melanie Wingo was on Canyon Drive in Oroville Wednesday morning to assess the damage.  While several homes in the area have been lost due to the fire, Wingo found one home that has its own system to keep water on the roof.  Fire crews helped keep the home from burning, but the homemade fire defense mechanism helped keep the property safe. … ”  Read more from KCRA.

Will beavers help fight drought and wildfires in California? This project hopes it will

“A project reintroducing beavers into the Southern Sierra Nevada’s ecosystem in Tulare County hopes to improve water quality and wildfire resistance in the drought-stricken region.  Beavers play a critical role in the ecology and stewardship of the land, according to California Fish and Wildlife Department officials. The animals build dams that retain water on the landscape, extending seasonal flows, improving drought and wildfire resilience, and better conserving the Tule River Tribe’s drinking water supply, of which about 80% comes from the Tule River watershed.  The State of California Fish and Wildlife Department and the Tule River Tribe in Tulare County recently placed a family of seven beavers in the Tule River. … ”  Read more from the Desert Sun.

2024 California ballot measures: What you need to know

“Much is expected of the California voter.  In any given election year, we may be asked to dust off our labor lawyer hats, brush up on oil and gas regulations, reacquaint ourselves with decades of tax policy, or analyze infrastructure funding. We may have to weigh the moral pros and cons of capital punishment, marriage equality or pig protection and — over and over again — oversee all things dialysis clinic.  This November, voters will decide the fate of 10 thorny policy proposals, including crime, health care, rent control and taxes. This year, there were far more last-minute changes than usual.   Five measures were withdrawn, and another was kicked off the ballot by the state’s highest court. And Gov. Gavin Newsom scrapped a crime measure at the last minute. … ”  Read more from the Cal Matters.

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In commentary this weekend …

California can help meet its climate goals by removing SERP’s sunset date

Molly Bruce, Dave Smith, Michael Kiparsky, Derek Hitchcock, Peter Van De Burgt, Sydney Chamberlin, and Megan Cleveland write, “Many regulatory clearances like permits aim to guard against projects that pose harm to the environment. However, permitting can also undercut environmental restoration efforts. While restoration is designed to remedy environmental harms and improve resilience to climate change, permitting can substantially increase project costs and slow or altogether impede environmentally beneficial projects. Striking an effective balance between an appropriate level of regulatory oversight and advancing environmental restoration will be essential to California’s climate efforts. For the past five years, the state’s pilot Statutory Exemption for Restoration Projects (SERP) has helped strike this balance to great effect. By removing SERP’s sunset date, California can support continued progress toward its conservation and restoration goals without introducing environmental risks that California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) helps guard against. … ”  Read more from Legal Planet.

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In regional water news this weekend …

MOUNTAIN COUNTIES

Tending Ancestral Lands: Modern methods merge with traditional ways in Washoe Tribe’s stewardship of Meeks Bay

“For thousands of years, the Washoe Tribe has inhabited the Great Basin. Winter months were spent hunkered down in the valleys where less snow fell, while spring, summer and fall were enjoyed in the mountains around Lake Tahoe, a sacred place where the tribe fished, foraged and gathered together.  “When the tribe would return to the land surrounding the lake, that’s when the Washoe would get a chance to truly interact with each other,” explains Serrell Smokey, Chairman of the Washoe Tribe of Nevada and California. “New friendships and marriages were formed. Springtime, summertime and through the fall was really that time of true togetherness for the tribe as a whole.”  In fact, Tahoe is a mispronunciation of Da ow, the Washoe word for “lake.” But just as the lake’s name was overtaken, so too was the Washoe’s cherished land as settlers pushed westward in search of gold and silver. … ”  Read more from the Sierra Sun.

El Dorado Water Agency spring plenary focuses on strengthening partnerships, investment in Upper American River Watershed

“At its recent Countywide Plenary for Water, El Dorado Water Agency (EDWA) brought together water and utility managers, business and community leaders, nonprofit organizations and staff from local, state and federal agencies to collaborate on sustainably managing our watershed.  Rebecca Guo, general manager of EDWA, kicked off the Plenary by highlighting the Programmatic Watershed Plan, which identified resource management strategies to address watershed threats as well as a new report on the valuation of ecosystem goods and services in the upper American River watershed. The valuation report found the working landscapes (including working and natural lands) within the watershed are an incredibly valuable asset worth more than $1.6 trillion over a 100-year period. … ”  Read more from Gold Country Media.

SACRAMENTO VALLEY

CROP strategy set to pave the way for a stronger, more resilient food system

“The Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) is proud to announce the launch of the Coordinated Rural Opportunities Plan (CROP), a regional strategy aimed at strengthening rural economies and preserving the natural assets (such as water) vital to the six-county Sacramento region. CROP represents a continuation of SACOG’s Rural-Urban Connections Strategy (RUCS), including prior work featured by NCWA on groundwater recharge opportunities for specialty crop agriculture.  Funded through the California Strategic Growth Council’s Sustainable Agricultural Lands Conservation Program (SALC) in collaboration with the Department of Conservation, CROP is a collaborative effort between SACOG and non-profit civic leadership organization Valley Vision, with the aim of addressing infrastructure challenges and fostering collective solutions across the region’s shared agriculture food system. SALC is part of  California Climate Investments, a statewide initiative that puts billions of Cap-and-Trade dollars to work reducing greenhouse gas emissions, strengthening the economy, and improving public health and the environment – particularly in disadvantaged communities. … ”  Read more from the Northern California Water Association.

NAPA/SONOMA

Russian River: Inflating a rubber dam is critical to providing water to North Bay

“Sonoma County Water Agency crews will begin inflating its rubber dam along the Russian River on Monday, which they say is a “critical component” of the water supply system that provides drinking water to more than 600,000 residents in Sonoma and Marin counties.  The rubber dam, located in Forestville, is typically inflated in spring or early summer when demand for potable water increases, the agency said.  The dam can take four to 14 days to fully inflate, depending on river flows, the agency said, which then creates a pool of water that the agency draws water for use in four off-stream infiltration ponds. … ”  Read more from KTVU.

Sonoma Ecology Center begins creek restoration at Morton’s Warm Springs

“In a public statement, the Sonoma Ecology Center announced the first major project advancing Sonoma Ecology Center’s long-term plan to improve the health of Upper Sonoma Creek has broken ground at Morton’s Warm Springs in Kenwood. Restoration will run through late summer and will result in improved wildlife habitat, increased biodiversity, and better appreciation of the creek by Morton’s visitors.  Historically, Upper Sonoma Creek, flowing from its headwaters at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park, through Kenwood to Glen Ellen, was a vibrant river corridor bordered by many seasonal and perennial wetlands and tributaries that supported significant runs of steelhead and Chinook salmon. In recent years, there have been only small runs of steelhead and occasional runs of Chinook salmon in these creeks. … ”  Read more from the Sonoma Valley Sun.

BAY AREA

District Recycled water facilities re-open for the summer for Oakley and Bethel Island residents

“Residential and business customers can claim up to 300 gallons of water at no cost as Ironhouse Sanitary District reopened its Residential Recycled Water Fill Station on July 1. Customers can take advantage of free recycled water available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Oct. 31, 2024.  Since its closure in May 2023, the station has undergone several upgrades and improvements including pressurizing and increasing the pipe size to 8 inches in diameter for better water flows, as well as adding signs and making the station more user-friendly. These upgrades allow Ironhouse to continue offering high-quality recycledwater for outdoor watering needs while preserving drinking water and saving itscustomers money, the district said in a press release. … ”  Read more from the Brentwood Press.

CENTRAL COAST

Fish ladders for steelhead at Cachuma Lake?

“The on-again, off-again fish passage study for Cachuma’s Bradbury Dam and steelhead trout is currently “on” again in the latest state water board ruling against the federal Bureau of Reclamation. Not only do Cachuma’s waters nourish Santa Barbara County and its cities, a portion also goes to protect the spawning and migration of steelhead trout, as well as replenish the Santa Ynez River groundwater basin downstream. The new order clarifies that Reclamation must study the ways to get steelhead upstream of the dam — whether by fish ladder, trucks and nets, locks, or elevator — and back downstream again.  The State Water Resources Control Board first ordered Reclamation, which operates the dam, to study a fish passage in 2019. The bureau balked, however, arguing it couldn’t conduct a “feasibility study” without specific authorization from Congress and because it was contrary to California law. In the water board’s order issued on June 18, it refined the nomenclature sufficiently to pass muster with the Bureau of Reclamation. … ”  Read more from the Santa Barbara Independent.

SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY

USACE awards mitigation contract ahead of Lower San Joaquin River levee work

“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District awarded a $2.6 million contract May 31 to C.T.L. Forest Management, Inc. for the creation of approximately 59 acres of habitat to offset environmental impacts of future levee improvements.  The contract tasks the Cameron Park, California-based company to conduct earthwork, plantings, and habitat establishment plus four years of maintenance for the benefit of fish and wildlife species impacted by upcoming levee work at river mile 30 of Tenmile Slough. Mitigation efforts will create a combination of riparian forest and wetlands a little over two miles west of the levee construction, which is planned to begin in Spring 2025. … ”  Read more from the Army Corps of Engineers.

Appeal of order to keep water in the Kern River moves forward

“Agricultural water districts with rights to the Kern River filed an opening brief recently on their appeal of a local judge’s order last fall to keep enough water in the river for fish.  The water districts insist that when Kern County Superior Court Judge Gregory Pulskamp issued a preliminary injunction to keep water in the river, he erred for, among other things, not considering how it would impact all users, according to the brief filed with the 5th District Court of Appeal in Fresno.  A preliminary injunction that changes the status quo should be granted only in ‘extreme cases where the right thereto is clearly established,’” the water districts’ brief states. “It is an extraordinary remedy, to be granted with ‘great caution.’”  They are asking justices to reverse the injunction, which the 5th District had stayed on May 3. … ”  Read more from SJV Water.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Chiquita Canyon cited for lacking wells plan, leachate management plans

“Chiquita Canyon Landfill has received yet another notice over continued violations from the agencies regulating it, the latest coming Friday from the L.A. Regional Water Quality Control Board over the landfill’s failure to comply with orders issued in March.  The landfill has plagued residents for over a year with its smells, caused by a subsurface reaction in an older section of the landfill happening at about 250 degrees. The reaction is producing nauseating landfill gases, known as dimethyl sulfide, and creating a leachate problem that could threaten the area’s water table, according to local officials. … ”  Read more from The Signal.

Los Angeles City Council vote moves toward restricting artificial turf, reducing PFAS in water supply

“The Los Angeles City Council passed a motion Friday, June 28, to compile information and recommendations that could lead to a ban on new artificial turf installations.  All artificial turf products are incredibly harmful in part because they contain hazardous substances like PFAS – perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances – otherwise known as “forever chemicals” because they last for thousands of years and are toxic at very low levels.  “This vote by the LA City Council is a big step in the right direction to protect our region’s public health and waterways,” said Kelly Shannon McNeill, associate director of LA Waterkeeper, an organization that fights for the health of the region’s waterways. … ”  Read more from the San Fernando Valley Sun.

Toxic algae is plaguing Southern California’s largest natural freshwater lake

“Lake Elsinore is normally a bustling summer scene this time of year, with plenty of people boating, fishing and swimming at the lake in California’s fast-growing Inland Empire.   But for much of June, the water at Southern California’s largest natural freshwater lake has been unsafe for swimming due to toxic algae blooms that frequently plague the popular recreation spot.   All five of the lake’s water quality testing sites showed levels of algae high enough to warrant a danger advisory, according to the city of Lake Elsinore, which monitors lake conditions. A city contractor regularly collects water samples from the sites and ships them to a lab in Florida, where the samples are tested for levels of micocrystin, “the most prevalent form of harmful algae cyantoxin” in Lake Elsinore. A measurement above 20 parts per billion prompts a danger advisory. … ”  Read more from SF Gate.

IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS

Ooh that smell. Salton Sea stink is back. What causes it?

“You’re not imagining it.  The funky odor that signifies summer at the Salton Sea is wafting in tiny but detectable amounts over portions of the Coachella Valley on Wednesday, air monitors confirm. Politely referred to as a “rotten egg” smell, the odor at full strength is more like manure combined with sewage. It’s actually from hydrogen sulfide that forms in large quantities in the drying water body.  When temperatures soar and combine with early morning humidity or other sticky weather, the putrid compound rises off the water and blows where the breeze takes it. The levels are low: As of 8 a.m. Wednesday, 11.2 parts per billion were measured in Mecca, and 8.3 parts per billion were measured at Indio’s Amisted High School, per the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s automatic monitors. … ”  Read more from The Desert Sun.

Imperial Irrigation District approves potential hefty payments for farmers to not grow hay in hot months

“Farmers could be paid not to make hay while the sun shines, per a new Imperial Irrigation District payment schedule and other actions authorized Tuesday aimed at shoring up the Colorado River’s dwindling reservoirs and coping with low forage prices.  If all goes as planned, growers and owners of farm fields could be paid $300 per acre-foot for not irrigating alfalfa and other perennial feed crops for between 45 and 60 days. The plants would be stressed but would survive, and substantial water supply would instead be left in drought-depleted Lake Mead, which provides water for millions of people and millions of acres of farmland in California, Arizona and Nevada. … ”  Read more from The Desert Sun.

Ag report shows vitality of farming to the Valley

“Imperial County agriculture pumped $5.095 billion into the local economy in 2022 and supported more than 19,000 jobs, Agricultural Commissioner Jolene Dessert announced Tuesday, July 2,  as she released the latest economic analysis, a key county industry report.  “This study supplements our annual agricultural report,” said Dessert in the press release. “Instead of stopping at farm production values, it also quantifies local food processing, employment, and economic ripple effects.”  To put the contribution in perspective, Imperial County agriculture pumped nearly fourteen million dollars into the county economy per day, or more than $580,000 per hour, per the report. … ”  Read more from the Desert Review.

SAN DIEGO

18 local water systems fail safe drinking water standards; 16 more are at risk

“The State of California has released its 2023 Drinking Water Needs Assessment, including a dashboard listing water systems that failed state or federal standards for safe drinking water. In San Diego County, 18 water systems failed repeated tests due to contaminants that include arsenic, uranium, nitrate, nitrite, manganese, E-coli, heavy metals, and more, including numerous water providers in East County. Sixteen other local water systems are at risk or potentially at risk. Failing means the water system failed to meet one or more state or federal standards. However, it does not necessarily mean the water is unsafe. A system can be put on the list if there are serious financial issues that prevent it from cleaning up the water, for instance. Some systems may have multiple wells, and be able to continue providing clean, safe water through other wells.  Some may have only a temporary problem, while others may require costly long-term solutions. … ”  Read more from the East County Magazine.

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Along the Colorado River …

Feds will jolt invasive bass with cold water in a bid to help native Grand Canyon fish

“Glen Canyon Dam managers will flush cold water from deep in Lake Powell into the Colorado River to help prevent invasive smallmouth bass from colonizing the Grand Canyon, federal officials announced Wednesday.  The hope is that cooling the river below ideal bass-spawning temperatures could thwart a feared explosion in the predator’s numbers, buying time for bass-removal efforts to save federally protected humpback chubs throughout the canyon.  When biologists call for cold water, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation releases it through the dam’s bypass tunnels, mixing it with the hydropower plant’s warmer surface water to create a “cool mix” in the river below. … ”  Read more from The Desert Sun.

SEE ALSO:  Reclamation to fight invasive bass threatening humpback chub, other protected fish in Grand Canyon, from Arizona Public Media

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In national water news this weekend …

How do you make salty water drinkable? The hunt for fresh solutions to a briny problem

“People have been separating salt from water for millennia, harvesting both salt and fresh drinking water from salty seawater. But there are limits to what can be done — sometimes with drastic consequences. When people in ancient Mesopotamia couldn’t work out how to desalinate their irrigation water and prevent salts from accumulating in their soils, their society collapsed. “It’s kind of the world’s oldest, most boring, but serious problem,” says Sujay Kaushal, a hydrologist at the University of Maryland in College Park.  This problem is now growing more pressing, as salinity levels creep up in fresh waters for a slew of reasons. Rising sea levels are pushing salt into coastal groundwaters, while excessive groundwater extraction in other places is drawing deeper, saltier waters up into aquifers. … ”  Continue reading from Nature.

EPA lost big at the Supreme Court this term. There’s more to come.

“The Supreme Court is taking aim at EPA’s ability to stop pollution and curb climate change — even in cases that don’t directly involve the agency.  In one of the biggest cases this term, the justices struck down the Chevron doctrine, a powerful legal tool that for 40 years had helped federal regulators defend their rules in court. The high court also reached out through its emergency docket to halt EPA controls on smog-forming pollution that wafts across state lines.  The decisions built upon prior losses for EPA in major climate and water cases over the last two years, as well as other rulings this term that tamped down the authority of federal regulators to craft rules for the rest of the nation to follow. … ”  Read more from E&E News.

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Also on Maven’s Notebook this weekend …

SITES RESERVOIR: State Water Board AHO issues procedural ruling in the proceeding on the proposed Sites Reservoir Project

NOTICE: Scott River: Flows Approaching Minimum Flow Requirement

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