In California water news today, New measurements show Sierra snow levels at long-term average. And that’s a big deal; Why we can’t stop talking about the Sierra snowpack; ‘The Erin Brockovich town’: Still toxic after all these years; Assemblymember Devon Mathis coauthors bills to help disadvantaged communities; Colorado River drought plan takes another step at Arizona Legislature; final vote today; The environmental issue Republicans can’t ignore; Trump administration sits on $16B for disasters; Striking photos reveal plastic and plankton side-by-side; and more …
On the calendar today …
- Webinar: Leading-Edge Stormwater Financing: Improving Return on Stormwater Investments with Crediting and Pay-For-Performance Approaches from 10:30am to 12:00pm. Hosted by the US EPA. Click here to register.
- Brown Bag Seminar/Webinar: The California Environmental DNA (CALeDNA) Program: Give a Tube, Get an Ecosystem from 12 to 12:30pm. Click here for more information.
In the news today …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
- NEWS WORTH NOTING: Central Valley ag water coalitions agree to provide safe drinking water to those dependent on contaminated wells; Feinstein: Implement Farm Bill’s drought provisions to protect Salton Sea
- SCIENCE NEWS: The signature of snow; Waterproof drone soars over obstacles in fish monitoring; Macroinvertebrates meet microplastics; The gnawing question of saltwater beavers; and more …
- BAY DELTA SCIENCE CONFERENCE: Restoration Planning for the Sacramento –San Joaquin Delta and Suisun Marsh: Considering the Implications of Climate Change
- WATER PLAN eNEWS: ~~ Forest Grants~ RFMAP Guidelines~ Groundwater Survey~ Landscape Study~ OPC Funding~ Conservation Strategy ~~
New measurements show Sierra snow levels at long-term average. And that’s a big deal: “New snow measurements to be taken Thursday are expected to confirm that snow levels in the Sierra Nevada are on par with the long-term average, thanks to a series of storms that thrashed California in January. Those results may sound pretty ho hum, but getting to average is a pretty big thing in today’s topsy turvy world of snow analysis, where the absence of pending disaster due to too little snow is something to celebrate. ... ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: New measurements show Sierra snow levels at long-term average. And that’s a big deal
Second snow survey to measure California water supply: “Officials will trek into the mountains on Thursday to measure California’s snowpack again, in the hopes that recent storms have added to the state’s water supply. The California Department of Water Resources will perform the second survey of the season in the Sierra Nevada. Winter snow provides drinking water for much of the state as it melts in the spring and summer and flows into reservoirs for storage. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: Second snow survey to measure California water supply
Why we can’t stop talking about the Sierra snowpack: “It’s not just skiers who have been whipsawed this season between fear of another dry winter and delight over the epic January snowfall in the Sierra Nevada. Also paying close attention: water wonks. Why? Because melting Sierra snow provides somewhere between one-third and one-half of California’s water supply. What determines just how much water is derived from that snow is called the “snowpack.” ... ” Read more from KQED here: Why we can’t stop talking about the Sierra snowpack
Assemblymember Devon Mathis coauthors bills to help disadvantaged communities: “Assemblyman Devon Mathis (R-Visalia) co-authored two pieces of legislation last week to address two of Tulare County’s most pressing issues: clean water and homelessness. On Jan. 24, Mathis introduced a bipartisan amendment to the California Constitution to dedicate 2 percent of the state’s general fund budget, or about $2.5 billion, to rebuilding and enhancing the state’s water infrastructure beginning with the 2021-22 fiscal year. The funding mechanism would be similar to the state’s set aside of money for public education in the annual budget. The proposal, which Mathis coauthored with Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia (D-Coachella) will provide a stable, ongoing source of funding for projects to improve California’s water quality, supply and delivery systems. ... ” Read more from the Foothills Sun Gazette here: Assemblymember Devon Mathis coauthors bills to help disadvantaged communities
‘The Erin Brockovich town’: Still toxic after all these years: “It was a sweltering, 117-degree July day in Hinkley, California. The surface of the 13-mile highway east to Barstow had become an asphalt skillet, and the town’s lone recreational feature, a children’s playscape, stood shining and unused like a monument to the lofty melting point of low-density polyethylene. Residents here appreciate the dry, desert landscape — that’s why many moved to Hinkley in the first place — but on days like this everyone takes refuge indoors, curtains drawn against the view of empty lots where neighbors’ houses once stood. Along the empty roads, thousands of pipe stubs — groundwater monitoring wells installed by Pacific Gas and Electric — began to look like air vents to some underground bunker where most everyone in town had retreated. … ” Read more from Grist here: Still toxic after all these years
The environmental issue Republicans can’t ignore: “When Florida Governor Ron DeSantis declared on his inauguration day that water is “part and parcel of Florida’s DNA,” and vowed to fight the pollution and toxic algae that choked the state’s beaches and fresh waters last summer, his critics rolled their eyes to the Tallahassee heavens above. DeSantis had a poor environmental voting record in Congress. He’d helped found the House Freedom Caucus, which urged President Donald Trump to eliminate the Clean Water Rule and dozens of other environmental safeguards. But two days later, the critics looked to those same heavens in wonder. Florida’s new governor began his tenure with one of the furthest-reaching environmental orders in state history, calling for a record $2.5 billion for Everglades restoration, a harmful-algae task force, a chief science officer, and an office of resilience and coastal protection to fund and coordinate Florida’s response to rising seas. … ” Read more from The Atlantic here: The environmental issue Republicans can’t ignore
Trump administration sits on $16B for disasters: “Republican Texas Rep. Randy Weber is no climate hawk. He has referred to the Paris climate accord as a “farce” and the possible effects of climate warming as “decidedly unknown” and “negligible.” That hasn’t stopped Weber from trying to loosen the Trump administration’s grip on billions of dollars in disaster aid to help his Gulf Coast district prepare for the next megastorm. Texas is one of nearly a dozen states and territories waiting for the Department of Housing and Urban Development to unlock $16 billion in disaster mitigation funds that were allocated nearly a year ago by Congress to help vulnerable communities get ready for the next Hurricanes Harvey, Irma or Maria. … ” Read more from E&E News here: Trump administration sits on $16B for disasters
Striking photos reveal plastic and plankton side-by-side: “Converging currents at the surface of the ocean create some of the best places to find life. It’s there that tiny plankton hang out—and where plankton float, hungry fish follow. It’s also there that researchers are finding a new, and now ubiquitous, ocean resident—plastic. “To me it’s a little shocking how much is in relatively small samples,” says photographer and National Geographic Explorer David Liittschwager. ... ” Read more from National Geographic here: Striking photos reveal plastic and plankton side-by-side
In regional news and commentary today …
Scaled-back Klamath groundwater regulation debated: “Oregon water regulators may scale back the number of wells subject to pumping shutdowns in the Upper Klamath Basin but some irrigators remain uneasy about the proposal. Under existing rules, groundwater irrigators within one mile of surface waters can be “regulated off” by senior water users who claim the wells are affecting their water rights. The Oregon Water Resources Department is now considering a change to the rules, which would limit regulation to wells within 500 feet of surface waters in the basin, effectively reducing the number of wells subject to shutdowns from 140 to seven. … ” Read more from the Capital Press here: Scaled-back Klamath groundwater regulation debated
An exclusive look inside the Hetch Hetchy Dam’s Mountain Tunnel: “For nearly 100 years, the Mountain Tunnel has transported the water supply from the Hetch Hetchy Dam to the Bay Area. 2.7 million customers rely on the pure water that travels through the tunnel. For the first time in history, TV cameras went inside while engineers made repairs. KPIX 5 got an exclusive first look inside, using carefully inspected and equipped Quad Vehicles to travel five miles within. ... ” Read more from KPIX here: An exclusive look inside the Hetch Hetchy Dam’s Mountain Tunnel
Bay Area reservoirs at normal levels despite recent droughts, flooding: “From years of exceptional drought to the wettest year on record, California has experienced a string of weather extremes in recent years. As the state closes in on the midpoint of this rain season, it faces a different scenario; normalcy. The Guadalupe Reservoir, just outside of San Jose, is just one piece of the Santa Clara Valley Water District storage system. As of Wednesday, it was 42.9 percent of capacity, just about where the district wants it. … ” Read more from CBS Bay Area here: Bay Area reservoirs at normal levels despite recent droughts, flooding
Residents say flood control project damaged homes in San Jose: “What was supposed to be a great flood control project that kept homes safe in the South Bay has turned into a nightmare for many homeowners. Repair crews continue to work on Ridgemont Drive in San Jose, where they are replacing brick pillars residents claim were damaged by the pounding to the flood control project along the Silver Creek. Homeowners are footing the bill for the repairs and say someone else should be paying. … ” Read more from NBC Bay Area here: Residents say flood control project damaged homes in San Jose
Sewage release leads to closure of Monterey coastline: “Officials closed the Monterey coastline from south of the Coast Guard Pier to Fisherman’s Wharf on Tuesday after a sewage spill into the bay. A blockage of a main sewer line caused a sewage overflow from a manhole, which went into a storm drain. The overflow was reported at 3 p.m. A crew from the city of Monterey responded to the site, cleared the blockage and cleaned up the sewage. The storm drain leads to the Breakwater Cove Marina in Monterey Bay. Marni Flagg, the supervisor in Consumer Health Protection Services for Monterey County, said she was unsure of what caused the blockage. Approximately 1,500 gallons of sewage was released. … ” Read more from the Monterey Herald here: Sewage release leads to closure of Monterey coastline
These eel-like fish look like horror movie monsters — and they’re back in SLO Creek: “Any day now, eel-like parasites with sucker mouths will wiggle up San Luis Obispo Creek and build underwater nests in the creek bed to spawn. Don’t worry, they won’t attack. They will, however, be food for other wildlife and improve the health and water quality of the creek, where the Regional Water Quality Board said elevated levels of fecal coliform is a problem. These ancient, jaw-less fish, which look like something out of a bad horror movie, are called Pacific lampreys. … ” Read more from the San Luis Obispo Tribune here: These eel-like fish look like horror movie monsters — and they’re back in SLO Creek
County Supervisors Set Hearing to Consider Assigning Santa Barbara County State Water Contract to CCWA: “The State Water Project contract and distribution system is a major source of water for Santa Barbara County, and next week the county Board of Supervisors will consider assigning the contract to the Central Coast Water Authority. The CCWA was created in 1991 to build, manage and operate State Water Project infrastructure for Santa Barbara County; it coordinates treating and distributing the deliveries. The pipeline system has also been used to deliver thousands of acre-feet of purchased supplemental water during the drought. … ” Read more from Noozhawk here: County Supervisors Set Hearing to Consider Assigning Santa Barbara County State Water Contract to CCWA
Recent rains have helped, but Santa Barbara remains in drought emergency: “Rain poured on Santa Barbara a week ago, and more is expected later this week, but the city of Santa Barbara wants residents to remember one thing: “The city remains in a drought emergency,” said Kelley Dyer, water supply manager. Dyer presented her monthly drought report to the City Council on Tuesday. … ” Read more from Noozhawk here: Recent rains have helped, but Santa Barbara remains in drought emergency
Thomas Fire haunts drought-stressed Lake Casitas as storms bring rain, debris down river: “January storms bolstered a drought-stressed Lake Casitas, but officials say burned hillsides continue to cause problems to capturing water. About 8 inches of rain fell near Casitas Dam in January. That pushed the area slightly above normal for this time of year, according to the Ventura County Watershed Protection District. The lake, however, has a long way to go to climb back to normal. ... ” Read more from the Ventura County Star here: Thomas Fire haunts drought-stressed Lake Casitas as storms bring rain, debris down river
Back-to-back storms will bring rain, potential for debris flows in burn areas: “The first of three back-to-back winter storms will arrive in Southern California Thursday morning, bringing the potential for heavy rain along with a chance of debris flows and flooding in areas recently ravaged by wildfires, the National Weather Service said. The first storm, arriving by noon Thursday, will be fairly light — dropping a quarter of an inch to an inch of rain in Los Angeles County. Possible thunderstorms, however, could bring heavier rain to some regions, said Lisa Phillips, a meteorologist intern with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. ... ” Read more from the LA Times here: Back-to-back storms will bring rain, potential for debris flows in burn areas
Along the Colorado River …
Colorado River drought plan takes another step at Arizona Legislature; final vote today: “Arizona lawmakers appear on track to pass a Colorado River drought plan, with less than 30 hours to go before a critical federal deadline. A state Senate committee voted 6-1 Wednesday evening to pass a pair of measures that outline how the state would share looming cutbacks on the river’s water and work with other states to take less. The bills now head to the full Senate and House. Both chambers are expected to pass the bills Thursday, an effort that could stretch into the night as they rush to meet a federal deadline. ... ” Read more from the Arizona Republic here: Colorado River drought plan takes another step at Arizona Legislature; final vote Thursday
It’s Deadline Day For Arizona’s Debate Over Colorado River Drought Plan: “Arizona lawmakers face a Thursday deadline to let the state join a drought plan for the Colorado River or risk blowing up a compromise years in the making for the seven states that draw water from the constrained river. Arizona is the only state that requires legislative approval to join the agreement, which will require the states to take less water from the river in hopes of keeping major reservoirs from reaching catastrophically low levels. The House and Senate are scheduled to debate the legislation in marathon sessions on Thursday. … ” Read more from Colorado Public Radio here: It’s Deadline Day For Arizona’s Debate Over Colorado River Drought Plan
With Water Leasing Vote, Colorado River Indian Tribes Will Seek Consequential Legal Change: “Having gained an endorsement from its members, a tribe with one of the largest and most secure claims to water in the Colorado River basin will seek approval from Congress to lease water for use off of its riverside reservation. The Colorado River Indian Tribes, or CRIT, have lands that stretch along 56 miles of the lower Colorado River. Eighty-five percent of the reservation is in Arizona, with the remainder in California. The tribe’s right to divert nearly 720,000 acre-feet from the river is more than twice the water that is allocated to the state of Nevada. … ” Read more from Circle of Blue here: With Water Leasing Vote, Colorado River Indian Tribes Will Seek Consequential Legal Change
What the new water shortage plans could mean for Utah: “The seven states in the Colorado River Basin face a deadline this week to submit water shortage plans to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Utah’s Division of Water Resources has already teamed up with other Upper Basin States — Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming — on contingency plans, but the federal government wants to be sure that the entire basin has a workable solution in the event of a severe water shortage declaration that could come as soon as next year. … ” Read more from NPR Utah here: What the new water shortage plans could mean for Utah
Running Dry: New Strategies for Conserving Water on the Colorado: “From the air, the Grand Valley Water Users Association canal — 10 feet wide and 8 feet deep — tracks a serpentine 55-mile-long path across the mountain-ringed landscape of Mesa County, Colorado. It’s a line that separates parched, hard-baked desert and an agricultural nirvana of vast peach and apple orchards and swaying fields of alfalfa. The future of this thin brown line that keeps the badlands of the Colorado desert at bay, however, is growing more uncertain by the day. … ” Read more from Yale 360 here: Running Dry: New Strategies for Conserving Water on the Colorado
Western water managers bet on cloud seeding, despite gaps in science: “Each winter, anxious water managers, farmers and city leaders in the American Southwest turn their eyes toward the snowy peaks of the southern Rocky Mountains. The piling snow is a massive frozen reservoir, and its depth and weight can foreshadow the year ahead. Millions of dollars are spent divining what a heavy or light snowpack means for the region’s reservoirs, for its booming cities, for its arid farmland. … ” Read more from KUNC here: Western water managers bet on cloud seeding, despite gaps in science
Commentary: Tough times along the Colorado River: Peter Annin writes, “Last month hundreds of Western water managers, farmers and scientists gathered at a conference with state, federal and tribal officials in Las Vegas, where they heard a sobering address about the Colorado River. The crowd knew the situation was grim. But it was up to Colby Pellegrino, the director of water resources at the Southern Nevada Water Authority, to set the scene. She methodically laid out how bleak the situation had become for the river, which supports roughly 40 million people in the Southwest. ... ” Read more from the New York Times here: Commentary: Tough times along the Colorado River
Precipitation watch …
Strong storm will bring heavy rain, strong wind to most of California on Friday-Saturday: Daniel Swain writes, “In my last post, I discussed the potential for an extended California dry spell–largely the result of time-lagged effects from a recent split of the stratospheric polar vortex and subsequent disruption of the Northern Hemisphere flow pattern. Well, a major disruption definitely occurred–and has resulted in some extremely noteworthy outcomes across the U.S. Midwest–where, against all odds in a warming world, all-time record low temperatures are being threatened this evening (with windchills as low as -70F in northern Minnesota (!!) ). Back on the West Coast, we did see two weeks of strong ridging and generally warm temperatures. But that window of dry conditions is now rapidly closing this evening as the first in a pair of significant weather systems approaches the coast. … ” Read more from the California Weather Blog here: Strong storm will bring heavy rain, strong wind to most of California on Friday-Saturday
And lastly …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
Today’s announcements …
Sign up for daily email service and you’ll never miss a post …
Sign up for free daily email service and you’ll get all the Notebook’s aggregated and original water news content delivered to your email box by 9AM. And with breaking news alerts, you’ll always be one of the first to know …
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.
