In California water news today, February storms doubled Sierra snowpack, state snow survey shows; New legislation introduced to increase local representation on the Delta Stewardship Council, repair sinking Friant-Kern Canal, fund Sites Reservoir; Fishermen cautiously optimistic about salmon season; Bernhardt misusing post to aid California water district, complaint says; How utilities can adapt cap and trade for water security; Climate change is depleting our essential fisheries; Population and climate change point to future water shortages; and more …
On the calendar today …
- State Water Board Proposed Water Rights Enforcement Policy Informational Meeting from 1pm to 4pm at Cal EPA headquarters in Sacramento. This meeting will also be webcast.
In the news today …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
SNOWPACK/STORMS
February storms doubled Sierra snowpack, state snow survey shows: “Storms that pummeled Northern California with rain and snowfall in February helped double the Sierra Nevada snowpack since January, state officials said Thursday. Snow surveyors with the California Department of Water Resources conducted their third snow survey of the year at Phillips Station near Sierra-at-Tahoe and recorded 113 inches of snow depth and a snow water equivalent of 43.5 inches — which refers to the depth of water that would yield if the snowpack melted upon falling, officials said. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: February storms doubled Sierra snowpack, state snow survey shows
Sierra snowpack shows promise for California’s water supply, experts say: “Snow in the Sierra Nevada Mountain range is a beautiful and welcomed sight. When it snows, it can affect drought conditions and water supplies hundreds of miles away in the Southern California area. How much is determined by the snowpack. “The snowpack is about 30 percent of our water storage in California. During the winter months we build up our reservoirs, we build up the snowpack. But during our summer months as the water is used and the snowpack starts to melt away, it replenishes the reservoirs,” Chris Orrock with the California Department of Water Resources said. ... ” Read more from Fox 11 here: Sierra snowpack shows promise for California’s water supply, experts say
Here’s What the Sierra Nevada’s Huge Snow Season Looks Like From Space: “The heavy atmospheric river storms dumping on Northern California since January have increased the Sierra Nevada snowpack to 153 percent of its historical average for this date. That’s according to sensors from the Department of Water Resources spread across the Sierra that give daily preliminary readings. The measurement is good news for water districts and for snow aficionados alike, since Sierra snow makes up 30 to 50 percent of California’s water supply. Winter storms bolstered the Sierra snowpack by 114 percent in the last 3 months. … ” Read more from KQED here: Here’s What the Sierra Nevada’s Huge Snow Season Looks Like From Space
Winter storms wash drought almost completely off California map: “Back-to-back storms hammering California this winter have nearly washed drought off the California map. After the recent atmospheric river, only a lingering sliver of “moderate drought” conditions remains near the Oregon border. The federal Drought Monitor Map, one way to measure drought that’s mainly used in agriculture, shows two percent of the state with “moderate drought” conditions and 13 percent abnormally dry in its Feb. 28 report. … ” Read more from SF Gate here: Winter storms wash drought almost completely off California map
Shasta Reservoir shot up 39 feet in February: “The storms hitting California in February have left their mark on California’s largest and most important water reserve. Shasta Lake jumped 39 feet in elevation since February 1 and as of Tuesday it was at 85 percent of capacity and only 25 feet from its crest. … ” Read more from SF Gate here: Shasta Reservoir shot up 39 feet in February
SEE ALSO:
- ‘Rivers in the sky’ are why California is flooding, from National Geographic
- A by-the-numbers look at Northern California’s wild weather, from the San Jose Mercury
NEW LEGISLATION INTRODUCED
Frazier’s AB 1194 would increase local representation on Delta Stewardship Council: “Assemblymember Jim Frazier (D-Discovery Bay) has introduced a bill, AB 1194, that would would add four voting members, appointed by representatives of the Delta region, to the Delta Stewardship Council. The four additions would increase the Council’s voting membership from seven to 11 — and address a great injustice in the absence of Delta residents from the could. Legislation signed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger 10 years ago created the Delta Stewardship Council to develop the Delta Plan and manage the plan after its implementation. However, residents of the Delta region are barely represented on the Stewardship Council, even though it makes decisions that affect the economy and environmental health of the Delta region and the everyday lives of the people who live here, according to Fraser. ... ” Read more from the Daily Kos here: Frazier’s AB 1194 would increase local representation on Delta Stewardship Council
California Senator proposes $400M bill to repair sinking Friant-Kern Canal: “State Senator Melissa Hurtado (D-Sanger) is proposing a $400 million bill to lift the sinking Friant-Kern Canal. On Wednesday, Hurtado said Senate Bill 559, will “help secure California’s water supply by investing $400 million toward restoring lost (delivery) capacity on the Friant-Kern Canal, one of the San Joaquin Valley’s most critical water delivery facilities.” The Friant-Kern Canal delivers on average one million acre-feet of water to more than 18,000 acres of farmland annually, according to Friant spokeswoman Alexandra Biering. … ” Read more from the Visalia Times-Delta here: California Senator proposes $400M bill to repair sinking Friant-Kern Canal (corrected link)
Garamendi introduces bill to fund Sites Reservoir: “Rep. John Garamendi, D-Solano, introduced the Sites Reservoir Protection Act Thursday to provide federal support for the building of Sites Reservoir and other water infrastructures in the Central Valley. The act, also known as House Resolution 1453, would direct the Bureau of Reclamation to complete a feasibility study for the project Colusa and Glenn counties. The proposed reservoir aims to provide 1.8 million acre-feet of off-stream water storage capacity for California and help local communities prepare for droughts, according to a news release. ... ” Read more from the Daily Republic here: Garamendi introduces bill to fund Sites Reservoir
OTHER STATEWIDE NEWS
Fishermen cautiously optimistic about salmon season: “After three difficult years when Chinook salmon population numbers were down and fishing opportunities were limited, commercial fishermen are hoping that the upcoming season will be better. “What we’re seeing is a better forecast of salmon in the ocean this year than we saw last year,” said Harry Morse, public information officer for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, following a meeting with about 85 commercial and recreational anglers on Wednesday in Santa Rosa. “We’re cautiously optimistic.” ... ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Fishermen cautiously optimistic for strong salmon season
BERNHARDT NEWS
Trump’s interior secretary misusing post to aid California water district, complaint says: “Complaints are mounting against Acting Interior Secretary David Bernhardt over allegations he used his position to help the interests of his former lobbying client, California’s powerful Westlands Water District. The nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center filed a complaint accusing Bernhardt of ethics violations by partaking in decisions directly related to his past lobbying work, resulting in rules that would free up more river water to Fresno-based Westlands and weakening protections for certain endangered fish populations. … ” Read more from McClatchy DC here: Trump’s interior secretary misusing post to aid California water district, complaint says:
Ethics watchdog, Democratic senators call for probe of Interior chief Bernhardt’s work on water policy: “An ethics watchdog group filed a complaint Thursday with the Interior Department’s Office of Inspector General, alleging that Acting Secretary David Bernhardt violated federal ethics rules by working to weaken protections for imperiled fish species and to expand California farmers’ access to water, even though he once lobbied on behalf of a massive agricultural water district that stood to benefit from the changes. The request came on the same day that two Democratic senators, Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) and Richard Blumenthal (Conn.), asked Interior’s inspector general and designated ethics official to look into the matter. ... ” Read more from the Washington Post here: Ethics watchdog, Democratic senators call for probe of Interior chief Bernhardt’s work on water policy
Trump’s interior chief ‘violated ethics pledge’ by cutting animal protections: “Several years before becoming acting US interior secretary, David Bernhardt was a lobbyist for one of California’s largest water districts, where he sought to win more water for farmers, even if it came at the expense of imperiled fish that also needed it. But despite joining the interior department in 2017, a new complaint alleges, he has continued to pursue policies that favor his old clients. According to the non-partisan Campaign Legal Center, he has taken steps to weaken protections for endangered fish, such as the diminutive delta smelt, in California and make more irrigation water available for prominent agricultural interests in the state. … ” Read more from The Guardian here: Trump’s interior chief ‘violated ethics pledge’ by cutting animal protections
NATIONAL NEWS
How utilities can adapt cap and trade for water security: “In 1990, the US established the world’s first ever pollution trading system, popularised as “cap and trade.” Governments sought a new way to reduce levels of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide that had accumulated since the industrial revolution. The idea was simple, if radical: let people buy and sell the ‘right to pollute,’ while developing local market-based solutions as a way to clean up the environment. While targeting energy emissions up in the sky, that first cap and trade was aimed at the pressing water problem of acid rain falling to earth. It worked. … ” Read more from Source Magazine here: How utilities can adapt cap and trade for water security
Climate change is depleting our essential fisheries: “A new study published Thursday in the journal Science outlines the impacts warming waters are having on commercially important fish species. The world’s fishing industry relies on what’s called fisheries, the clusters of regional fish populations that people can catch economically. And on average, the researchers found that the numbers of fish in critical fisheries around the world have decreased by four percent since 1930. … ” Read more from National Geographic here: Climate change is depleting our essential fisheries
Population and climate change point to future water shortages: “Climate change plus population growth are setting the stage for water shortages in parts of the U.S. long before the end of the century, according to a new study in the AGU journal Earth’s Future. Even efforts to use water more efficiently in municipal and industrial sectors won’t be enough to stave off shortages, say the authors of the new study. The results suggest that reductions in agricultural water use will probably play the biggest role in limiting future water shortages. The new study is part of a larger 10-year U.S. Forest Service assessment of renewable resources including timber, rangeland forage, wildlife and water. … ” Read more from the EOS here: Population and climate change point to future water shortages
In commentary today …
Metropolitan Water District’s ‘generous’ Colorado River offer hurts Salton Sea hopes, says the Desert Sun: They write, “In the grand chess match that has been the seven-state effort to craft a comprehensive Colorado River drought contingency plan, L.A.’s Metropolitan Water District just made a move to take the Imperial Irrigation District completely out of the game. In December, IID’s board voted to withhold its approval of California’s piece of the package unless federal officials came through with $200 million for efforts to restore the decaying Salton Sea. With Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Brenda Burman’s March 4 deadline for a deal looming, MWD this week in Las Vegas told the various parties working on the pact that it would cover with its own water supplies the amount IID would be expected to forgo. … ” Read more from the Desert Sun here: Metropolitan Water District’s ‘generous’ Colorado River offer hurts Salton Sea hopes
In regional news and commentary today …
Heavy rain causes bureau to increase water flows in Sacramento River: “The Bureau of Reclamation on Thursday increased water releases into the Sacramento River below Keswick Dam to make room in Lake Shasta for all of the rain that has fallen in the Redding area this week. The bureau, which operates Keswick and Shasta dams, said it ramped up the releases from about 7,000 cubic feet per second to 25,000 cfs by 2 p.m. Thursday. The bureau also said it would increase the releases up to 30,000 cfs by Saturday. “At this juncture that is where we are leveling off and we will be managing the inflow and watch for more precipitation on what looks like March 5 and 6,” Bureau of Reclamation spokeswoman Sheri Harral said. … ” Read more from the Redding Record-Searchlight here: Heavy rain causes bureau to increase water flows in Sacramento River
Healdsburg declares emergency after wastewater facility floods: “An atmospheric river that dumped huge amounts of rain on the North Bay has left parts of Healdsburg flooded and scrambling. According to the mayor’s office, the city’s wastewater reclamation facility has sustained several feet of flooding. The facility collects and treats water from drains city-wide — including toilets. The Santa Rosa Press Democrat reports a staff workshop on site was flooded with 3 feet of water, plus another 8 inches made its way into a key operations building after a nearby creek overflowed. On top of that, roads needed to access the facility were also flooded. ... ” Read more from SF Gate here: Healdsburg declares emergency after wastewater facility floods
Before and after: Photos show severe flooding along Russian River: “The Russian River in wine country north of San Francisco crested at more than 46 feet Wednesday night, exceeding flood stage by some 14 feet. The water swelling over riverbanks inundated homes, businesses, and entire communities, including much of the small town of Guerneville. Drone footage of the area shows rivers where roads should be. “It came up super fast last night,” Chris Baker, who is staying in a safe place in Guerneville through the flood, told SFGATE in an email. “You could almost watch it rising and it clearly caught out even experienced flood watchers. ... ” Read more from SF Gate here: Before and after: Photos show severe flooding along Russian River
Stranded town of Monte Rio copes with worst Russian River flood in decades: “Three days after floodwaters marooned hundreds of people in rural communities that dot the Russian River, Monte Rio Fire Chief Steve Baxman climbed up the rickety wooden stairs of a modest home to check on an elderly resident. The 82-year-old man hadn’t answered his phone since the rainstorm and flooding overtook his river enclave, causing friends to worry. But he opened the door when Baxman knocked Thursday afternoon to check on him, finding the man warm and dry in sweats and slippers. … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here: Stranded town of Monte Rio copes with worst Russian River flood in decades
Sonoma County: More groundwater meetings for well owners: “The Santa Rosa Plain Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) is hosting a new round of community meetings next week to discuss the agency’s plans to charge well owners fees for their water usage. The March 4, 6 and 7 meetings will give people another opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback after an overflow crowd attended a groundwater fee meeting in Santa Rosa last month. “While the fee is relatively small (less than $13 a year for rural residential well owners), people at the Jan. 30 meeting had a lot of questions,” said Santa Rosa Plain GSA Vice-Chairperson Tom Schwedhelm. “The additional meetings will provide both important information to landowners and additional feedback to the GSA Board.” ... ” Read more from Sonoma West here: Sonoma County: More groundwater meetings for well owners
Concern growing over sea level rise in Redwood City: “No other county in California is more vulnerable to sea level rise than San Mateo County and developed areas, including highways, will be increasingly prone to flooding in the not-so-distant future if nothing is done, according to a presentation organized by the Committee for Green Foothills. Held Tuesday evening at the Redwood City library, the presentation provided an overview of the causes and impacts of sea level rise and steps that can be taken to protect the Bayside of the Peninsula, with an emphasis on Redwood City. ... ” Read more from the Daily Journal here: Concern growing over sea level rise in Redwood City
Widespread contamination: Paradise water contamination widespread, could affect home plumbing: “Alfonso Magdaleno would love to reopen Celestino’s Pizza and Pasta in Paradise, which sustained damage but did not burn in the Camp Fire. A lack of potable water is holding him back. “We do want to open up, but we want to make sure it’s done safely and properly,” he said by phone. “The town has already been through enough. We want to make sure we are in no way putting anyone in the public at more risk than they’ve already been.” ... ” Read more from the Chico News & Review here: Widespread contamination: Paradise water contamination widespread, could affect home plumbing
A Full Yolo Bypass Means Sacramento’s Flood Controls Are Working: “State water managers are keeping a close eye on lakes, dams, and rivers. The recent rain storms are putting experts on high alert to make sure the flood control system can handle all of this winter’s runoff. All the water is filling the Yolo Bypass. It’s a sight we don’t see every year. Cars on Interstate 80 drive over what appears to be a large lake, but it’s really runoff from our serious of strong February storms. ... ” Read more from CBS Sacramento here: A Full Yolo Bypass Means Sacramento’s Flood Controls Are Working
Yolo County Levees Repaired As Authorities Prepare For More Rain: “Blue skies peaked through Thursday, but more storms are on the way. This comes as the state more than tripled the amount of water released from Shasta Dam. Cache Creek rose 20 feet in just under two days. It’s down 30 feet since Wednesday afternoon, giving the hundreds of people who live along the levee a break. … ” Read more from CBS Sacramento here: Yolo County Levees Repaired As Authorities Prepare For More Rain
West Sac’s new floodplain in use as Sacramento River runs high: “Weeks of rain and Sierra runoff have West Sacramento’s newly created floodplain in use. The floodplain, built as part of the city’s levee improvement project, is filled with water from the Sacramento River, which is running high after weeks of consistent precipitation. “This is what we created this project to do, in part, and so having the high river levels and actually seeing this as intended is a real treat,” said Greg Fabun, West Sacramento flood program manager. … ” Read more from KCRA Channel 3 here: West Sac’s new floodplain in use as Sacramento River runs high
Canyon Country: Homes continue to slide as residents prepare for more rain: “With the help of two pumps, 40,000 square feet of plastic sheeting and 250,000 pounds of gravel, officials said they are planning to work 24 hours a day through the upcoming rainy weekend in hopes of protecting property at the site of the American Beauty/Trestles development landslide. On Wednesday, employees of Landscape Development Inc., the private firm hired by the two homeowners associations that have shared ownership of the collapsing hillside, were blanketing it with spool after spool of tarp, and bag after bag of gravel. ... ” Read more from The Signal here: Canyon Country: Homes continue to slide as residents prepare for more rain
Santa Clarita Valley Water recycled water plan unaffected by Sanitation District move: “Conservation plans to augment the Santa Clarita Valley water supply with recycled water are not affected by Monday’s decision by SCV sewage treatment officials to scuttle their recycled water project. On Monday, SCV Sanitation District officials announced they would not be pursuing recycled-water plans and, specifically, would not be preparing the environmental studies needed to make them happen. The plan, now scuttled, would have seen SCV Sanitation District officials providing some of the water they treat and discharge into the Santa Clara River watershed to agencies pursuing recycled-water projects, such as the SCV Water Agency. … ” Read more from the Signal here: Santa Clarita Valley Water recycled water plan unaffected by Sanitation District move
Water district is obligated to pay its share of costs for Laguna wastewater treatment plant until 2030, judge says: “In a preliminary decision, a judge ruled this week that the Moulton Niguel Water District is obligated to pay its share of the costs associated with a wastewater treatment facility in Laguna Niguel until 2030, the first step in settling a dispute going back to 2016, when Moulton Niguel challenged the way the facility would be managed and tried to obtain more voting power. Wednesday’s ruling in a bench trial that began in November determined a definitive end date for the contract binding four south Orange County service providers that jointly own and manage the Coastal Treatment Plant at Aliso Creek and clarified the criteria for how the members of the joint powers authority vote on budget items. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Water district is obligated to pay its share of costs for Laguna wastewater treatment plant until 2030, judge says
Along the Colorado River …
Radio show: The Drought Plan and water conservation: “Monday is the new deadline for all parties to sign the drought contingency plan — the deal between seven states to share less water on the Colorado River. Arizona state lawmakers approved the deal ahead of a late January deadline but the federal government said it didn’t meet the mark. Meanwhile, some say the plan doesn’t go far enough to ensure Arizona has enough water for the future. The Buzz talked with Luke Runyon, a reporter who covers the Colorado River for KUNC in Colorado, to get the latest on where drought contingency plan negotiations stand and what will happen if Arizona and California hold up the final approval process for a second time.” Listen to the radio show from Arizona Public Media here: Radio show: The Drought Plan and water conservation
‘A recipe for disaster’: Pinal County might not have enough water for 139,000 planned homes: “State water regulators have confirmed that their data shows there may not be enough water underground for dozens of planned developments in Pinal County, new subdivisions that, if built, would bring more than 139,000 homes. That finding is based on data the Arizona Department of Water Resources has compiled that shows a long-term groundwater shortage in the area is possible. The data, which The Arizona Republic obtained through a public-records request, raises red flags about growth and the water supply in one of the fastest growing parts of the state. ... ” Read more from Arizona Central here: ‘A recipe for disaster’: Pinal County might not have enough water for 139,000 planned homes
Opponents, legislators raise questions that bills could enable Las Vegas pipeline, depart from Western water law: “An Assembly committee heard two water bills Wednesday amid criticism from a varied group of water users who worry that the legislation could undermine the historic application of Western water law and enable large-scale projects, including the controversial Las Vegas pipeline. The Southern Nevada Water Authority, which is pushing the project, testified neutral on the bill. The legislative package was proposed at the end of Gov. Brian Sandoval’s administration by then-state engineer Jason King. In an interview with The Nevada Independent, King argued that the bills would bring more flexibility to Nevada water law. The legislation, he said, would help the state better manage water claims and resolve conflicts between users. … ” Read more from the Nevada Independent here: Opponents, legislators raise questions that bills could enable Las Vegas pipeline, depart from Western water law
And lastly …
‘Strangest Fish I’ve Ever Seen’: Rare Giant Sunfish Found in California: “Stumbling upon a seven-foot-long sunfish while walking on a beach is already pretty surprising. But what researchers initially thought was a common type of sunfish turned out to be much rarer – a newly discovered species thought to make its home almost entirely in the oceans of the Southern Hemisphere. This was in Santa Barbara, California — much further north than anyone expected to find it. “I literally, nearly fell off my chair,” Marianne Nyegaard of Murdoch University in Australia said in a statement. Nyegaard, a sunfish expert, discovered and described the Mola tecta sunfish — commonly known as the hoodwinker sunfish — in 2017. ... ” Read more from KQED here: ‘Strangest Fish I’ve Ever Seen’: Rare Giant Sunfish Found in California
Precipitation watch …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
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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.
