In California water news today, Who owns groundwater? Lawsuit seeks to answer the question; State Thanks ‘Robust’ Storms for Higher Water Allocation; The Delta Conveyance Design and Construction Authority’s Role in Assisting DWR; ‘This is all stolen land’: Native Americans want more than California’s apology; Rice fields provide protected habitat for young salmon; Protecting US from rising sea levels will cost $400 billion over next 20 years, study finds; Looking for Fresh Water in All the Snowy Places; Looking for some weekend water fun?; and more …
In the news today …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
- NEWS WORTH NOTING: Western Senators introduce bipartisan drought legislation; Garamendi secures funding for Central Valley water and flood control projects; Reclamation selects 18 projects to receive $9 million in WaterSMART grants to prepare and build resilience to drought
- DELTA eNEWS: ~~ Paradise Cut~ Delta Seminar~ DSC Meeting~ Delta’s Best~ New SFEWS~ LiDAR Dataset~ Estuary News ~~
- WATER PLAN eNEWS: ~~ Californians Queried~ Sea levels~ NOAA Forecasting~ Conservation Grants~ Water Symposium~ Delta LiDAR~ WestFAST News ~~
Who owns groundwater? Lawsuit seeks to answer the question: “A case making its way through Santa Barbara County Superior Court is challenging the amount of water farm owners can pump from a groundwater basin that sits below Moorpark. The lawsuit was filed more than a year ago, in March 2018, by a group of Ventura County landowners and agricultural business owners. The group claims that Fox Groundwater Management Agency, an entity that oversees groundwater basins in the area, overstepped its responsibilities as a supervisor of local water sources. Specifically, the lawsuit deals with water rights in the Las Posas Groundwater Basin, a drainage area that encompasses 42,000 acres of land and extends from Simi Valley and Moorpark west to Camarillo. … ” Read more from The Acorn here: Who owns groundwater? Lawsuit seeks to answer the question
State Thanks ‘Robust’ Storms for Higher Water Allocation: “Citing the winter’s “robust” storms and resulting above-average snowpack, California’s Department of Water Resources announced Thursday it will slightly raise the allocation for the State Water Project. The increase from 70% to 75% is the final allocation level for the calendar year, and marks a dramatic increase since the water year’s initial allocation of 10% in November 2018. The water year runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30. The lion’s share of the water collected by the SWP in Northern California is used in Southern California and the Bay Area, but about 30% is used by Central Valley farmers. … ” Read more from GV Wire here: State Thanks ‘Robust’ Storms for Higher Water Allocation
The Delta Conveyance Design and Construction Authority’s Role in Assisting DWR: “On May 2, 2019 the Department of Water Resources (DWR) announced that it will pursue a new environmental review and planning process for modernized water conveyance in the Delta. This effort is consistent with Governor Newsom’s vision for water resilience and his directive for a single-tunnel project that will ensure water security. During the same announcement, DWR directed the Delta Conveyance Design and Construction Authority (DCA) to engage in engineering planning activities in support of the environmental review. … ” Read more from DWR News here: The Delta Conveyance Design and Construction Authority’s Role in Assisting DWR
Rice fields provide protected habitat for young salmon: “A team of researchers is waiting to learn how many of the small chinook salmon that were raised on the healthiest of food in Mike Dewit’s rice field in the Yolo Bypass, fitted with microtransmitters, and released into the Sacramento River in late April survive the arduous journey to San Francisco Bay and the ocean beyond. The study of the survival to adulthood of these 900 young fish is part of an ambitious three-year $1.4 million pilot project aimed at learning if the rice fields can play an important role in providing habitat for salmon, as they already do for sandhill cranes and other waterfowl. … ” Read more from the Daily Democrat here: Rice fields provide protected habitat for young salmon
‘This is all stolen land’: Native Americans want more than California’s apology: “California’s governor made history this week when he formally apologized to Native Americans, acknowledging the brutal genocide and “war of extermination” declared by the state’s first governor in 1851. While indigenous people across California welcomed the long overdue statement, many had a similar response: now what? … Echoing the debate in Congress this week about reparations for black Americans, indigenous groups argue that government should compensate Native Americans for harms, some of which continue today. The state of California, indigenous leaders told the Guardian, should be looking at land and water rights, education, cultural revival, criminal justice and more.... ” Read more from The Guardian here: ‘This is all stolen land’: Native Americans want more than California’s apology
$14 Million Awarded in Grant Funding for Water Desalination Projects: “DWR announced more than $14 million in grant funding for projects that increase water quality, supply, and infrastructure in California communities. This is the second round of Water Desalination Grant Program awards, as part of the Continuous Application Process (CAP). In the Continuous Application Process, funds are awarded on a first ready, first served basis to public agencies, non-profit organizations, Indian Tribes, investor-owned utilities, and mutual water companies that pass the review process until all grant funds are exhausted. ... ” Read more from DWR News here: $14 Million Awarded in Grant Funding for Water Desalination Projects
UCLA bike expedition raises awareness of climate change in California: “The sun blazes down on a group of cyclists as they stand on a levee, contemplating the difference in elevation between the water channel to the left and the sunken land on the right. Long ago converted from wetland to a farm, the island the group is standing on has been slowly losing elevation because it no longer supports land-restoring ecological processes. “Imagine a few feet of sea level rise bringing the channel right to the edge of this levee,” one of their guides instructs. “And now add a storm surge on top of that.” It’s easy to see how water would rise above the height of levee and flood the farming areas it’s supposed to protect. The cyclists are part of the California Climate Expedition, a bicycle tour from Oakland to Los Angeles — led by UCLA climate scientist Alex Hall — that grants riders the chance to experience climate change impacts in California first-hand. … ” Read more from UCLA Newsroom here: UCLA bike expedition raises awareness of climate change in California
Would You Drink Treated Wastewater? “Water recycling and other forms of reuse—such as direct potable reuse—have become mainstream enough to attract the attention of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In April, the agency began seeking input to develop a framework to “accelerate the application of water reuse as a safe, reliable and sustainable way to meet the country’s current and future water demands.” Companies involved in the sector are planning to share knowledge with the EPA, which is accepting comments until July 1 and plans to release a draft of a water reuse action plan in September. The topic was also in the forefront of discussion for those attending the American Water Works Association’s annual conference in Denver in early June. … ” Read more from ENR here: Would You Drink Treated Wastewater?
Protecting US from rising sea levels will cost $400 billion over next 20 years, study finds: “Protecting U.S. coastlines from rising sea levels could cost an estimated $400 billion over the next 20 years, according to a study published Thursday. The report by Resilient Analytics and the Center for Climate Integrity estimates that more than 50,000 miles of coastal barriers, or sea walls to mitigate rising ocean levels, will need to be constructed in 22 states. … ” Read more from The Hill here: Protecting US from rising sea levels will cost $400 billion over next 20 years, study finds
There Is No Escaping the Reach of Microplastic Pollution: ” … Since plastics became a ubiquitous part of life, they have pervasively made their way into every corner of the globe. For decades, reports of macro- and microplastic pollution in the ocean have been making headlines; pictures of strangled dolphins and sea turtles, albatrosses with stomachs full of plastic, and the infamous Pacific garbage patch that’s roughly the size of Texas have captured the public’s attention. These are memorable examples because they are easy to visualize: the fishing net, the six-pack rings, the plastic bags and water bottles floating near the beach. But arguably the worst plastic pollutants are essentially invisible. They’re called microplastics, and they’re everywhere—in the oceans, in the air, and even in your honey. … ” Read more from Pacific Standard here: There Is No Escaping the Reach of Microplastic Pollution
Looking for Fresh Water in All the Snowy Places: “Snowflakes that cover mountains or linger under tree canopies are a vital freshwater resource for over a billion people around the world. To help determine how much fresh water is stored in snow, a team of NASA-funded researchers is creating a computer-based tool that simulates the best way to detect snow and measure its water content from space. Snow’s water content, or snow water equivalent (SWE) is a “holy grail for many hydrologists,” said Bart Forman, the project’s principal investigator and a professor with the University of Maryland, College Park. When snow melts, the ensuing puddle of water is its SWE. ... ” Read more from NASA here: Looking for Fresh Water in All the Snowy Places
Trump 5G push could hamper forecasting of deadly California storms: “As atmospheric rivers dumped record volumes of rain on California this spring, emergency responders used the federal government’s satellites to warn people about where the storms were likely to hit hardest. Many government scientists say such warnings may become a thing of the past if the Trump administration’s Federal Communications Commission pushes forward with plans to auction off radio frequency bands adjacent to one that weather forecasters use. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Trump 5G push could hamper forecasting of deadly California storms
Looking for some weekend water fun? …
- Take the plunge in these swimming holes to keep your cool: This LA Times piece highlights ‘swimming holes’ in Garberville, Nevada County, Calaveras County, Yosemite, Santa Paula, and Santa Barbara
- 5 spots to river snorkel in California: Tom Steinstra points out places to river snorkel on the Yuba River, the Tuolumne River, the Stanislaus River, the McCloud River, and the Klamath River.
- Hidden Adventures: Fresno County’s largest waterfall, Stevenson Falls: KFSN tells you how to get there
In commentary today …
Commentary: California wildfires threaten water supply. Here’s how: Marc Marcantonio writes, “In 2008, a fire swept through the Santa Ana Canyon in Orange County. The fire lasted 10 days and burned over 30,000 acres, leveling hundreds of buildings. The fire was started by a car on the side of the freeway–a fluke which gave the fire its name, the Freeway Complex Fire. Ten years later, while firefighters and communities are gearing up for another wildfire season, California’s lawmakers are grappling with tough questions over how to assign financial responsibility for wildfire damages. The Freeway Complex Fire holds important lessons for all. … ” Read more from Cal Matters here: Commentary: California wildfires threaten water supply. Here’s how
Commentary: Connecting the drops between farm fields and mounting water risks: Sandra Postel writes, “The heavy spring rains in the Midwest that have flooded farm fields, disrupted shipping and triggered numerous evacuations are also driving two disturbing projections for this summer: another large algal bloom in Lake Erie and a dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico the size of Massachusetts. Each spring, heavy loads of nitrogen and phosphorus from chemical fertilizers flow off farm fields into rivers and streams. In years of extreme precipitation, which the latest National Climate Assessment predicts will occur more often, those loads greatly increase. … ” Read more from The Hill here: Connecting the drops between farm fields and mounting water risks
In regional news and commentary today …
Biologist from Yurok Tribe discovers new species of lampreys: “Keith Parker has had a lot of jobs and even a couple of careers in his life. It wasn’t until after he turned 40, however, that he said he found his calling studying fish. His passion for understanding life beneath the water led the Yurok Fisheries Department biologist to discover two new subspecies of Pacific lamprey, a jawless fish that resembles an eel with a sucker-like mouth, on the Klamath River — one that matures in the ocean and one that matures in the river. The ocean-maturing variety will be referred to in academic literature by the Yurok word for ocean, tewol, while the river-maturing variety will be called by the Yurok word for Pacific lamprey, key’ween. … ” Read more from the Eureka Times-Standard here: Biologist from Yurok Tribe discovers new species of lampreys
How do you test your plumbing in Camp Fire areas? State and academics disagree: “Community members whose homes survived the Camp Fire or are looking to move back have a big question: Is the water safe? State government officials are trying to address some of those concerns with guidance issued Friday for those who wish to test their own plumbing systems in areas burned by wildfires. But some academics who study plumbing and drinking water disagree with parts of the document and are encouraging even more thorough in-home testing in their own guidelines. ... ” Read more from the Oroville Mercury-Register here: How do you test your plumbing in Camp Fire areas? State and academics disagree
Yuba Water Agency to begin work on watershed learning center: “A learning center along the Yuba River is no longer just an idea now that the Yuba Water Agency and partners have decided to move forward with planning and development. Officials are planning to build a facility and develop a program aimed at educating the public about the Yuba River Watershed. The water agency is partnering with the Yuba County Office of Education, Yuba Community College District, South Yuba River Citizens League and the Yuba River Endowment on what they are calling the Yuba Watershed Experience. ... ” Read more from the Appeal-Democrat here: Yuba Water Agency to begin work on watershed learning center
Chemical reaction causes Rancho Murieta water to turn yellow: “A chemical reaction has some Rancho Murieta residents wondering what happened to their water. “It seemed a little tinted,” resident Rebeca Martin said. “It was a little off to me.” Martin said her water has looked a little yellow for the last few weeks. The general manager for Rancho Murieta’s Community Services District said it got about 80 calls Friday from residents concerned about the color of their water. ... ” Read more from KCRA Channel 3 here: Chemical reaction causes Rancho Murieta water to turn yellow
Salinas: North County residents rail against newly approved rural water treatment program: “Every week for the past 15 years, Prunedale resident Chris Saling has gotten in her car and headed to the market to purchase bottled water for her family. They go through about 20-25 gallons a week for drinking and cooking, she said. She hauls the water home in 5- and 10-gallon jugs, much as you might see perched atop an office water cooler, in the trunk of her car. Yet under a new ordinance passed unanimously Tuesday by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, residents like Saling will have another way to find clean water in rural areas struggling to trust the tap. … ” Read more from the Salinas Californian here: North County residents rail against newly approved rural water treatment program
Supervisors look to shake up Paso groundwater rules: “As SLO County prepares to extend regulations that restrict water use out of the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin, supervisors are requesting policy changes that they say will help protect residents and small farmers. Current county rules require farmers planting new crops with more than 5 acre-feet of water demand per year to offset their water use. At least two supervisors want that “de minimis” threshold to increase to 25 acre-feet per year. ... ” Read more from New Times SLO here: Supervisors look to shake up Paso groundwater rules
Owens River Water Trail EIR reviewed: “The Owens River Water Trail took one step closer to reality with the completion of the environmental documents late last month. Monday evening, the Inyo County Water Commission held a public hearing to go over the findings of the Environmental Impact Report. Bottom line: overall, the EIR was good news. There were some mitigatable impacts as well as the positive impact to water quality. … ” Read more from the Sierra Wave here: Owens River Water Trail EIR reviewed
Cadiz: Feds Can’t Duck Claims of Shoddy Review for Desert Water Pipeline: “A federal judge indicated Thursday he will advance conservation groups’ claims that a proposed 43-mile groundwater pipeline in a Southern California desert was approved abruptly and without proper environmental review by a federal agency. The Cadiz groundwater pipeline project would move nearly 45 million gallons of water daily for 50 years from an underground aquifer in the Mojave Desert and to cities across Southern California. … ” Read more from Courthouse News Service here: Cadiz: Feds Can’t Duck Claims of Shoddy Review for Desert Water Pipeline
Final EIR Released for Doheny Desal Plant: “Plans for an ocean desalination plant in Dana Point are nearing completion with the release of the project’s final Environmental Impact Report(EIR) and an upcoming public meeting to review its findings and consider certification. The publication of the final EIR—released on Monday by South Coast Water District, which provides water to several South County cities and some Laguna Beach residents—marks the last step in the environmental review process for the Doheny Ocean Desalination Project. The analysis evaluates the possible environmental impacts of producing desalinated drinking water. ... ” Read more from the Laguna Beach Indy here: Final EIR Released for Doheny Desal Plant
Group Lobbying to Revive Oceanside’s Sandy Beaches: “Homeowners, and visitors alike are tired of the sandless shoreline along Oceanside’s coast. “It’s really disheartening. We brought our kids down here from a young age, taught them to surf enjoyed so many good family times down here,” said Kara Walker and her husband, Bob Walker. They are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary this Fourth of July and were reminiscing about all the holidays and parties they used to celebrate on the once sandy beach by their Oceanside home. … ” Read more from Channel 7 here: Group Lobbying to Revive Oceanside’s Sandy Beaches
Ramona: Water district eyes eminent domain for sprayfields: “Ramona Municipal Water District Board of Directors unanimously approved to move forward with acquiring 48 acres of Spangler Peak Ranch’s property through eminent domain for a sprayfields project. The land would be used to dispose of effluent from RMWD’s San Vicente Water Reclamation Plant. The desired property consists of three parcels located on a hill above the plant at 214 Creelman Lane. ... ” Read more from the Ramona Sentinel here: Water district eyes eminent domain for sprayfields
Researchers: Coastal Defense Could Cost San Diego Over $350 Million: “San Diego will need to spend over $350 million to protect its coast from chronic flooding by 2040, according to a new study from the Center for Climate Integrity. And researchers there say that’s a low estimate. The study looked at what researchers are calling conservative projections of sea-level rise over the next several decades across the country. Even with moderate emissions, they estimate the cost of protection for California alone would hover around $22 billion. … ” Read more from KPBS here: Researchers: Coastal Defense Could Cost San Diego Over $350 Million
San Diego: Paying the toll on sea level rise: “Defending San Diego County against rising seas would cost about $1 billion, according to a new study that estimated that the cost of coastal armoring would be at least $22 billion for California, and more than $400 billion for the United States as a whole. And that’s just a “minimum down payment for short-term defense against rising seas in California,” says the study released today by the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Climate Integrity and the environmental engineering firm Resilient Analytics. ... ” Read more from the San Diego Union Tribune here: San Diego: Paying the toll on sea level rise
Madaffer: Collaboration Propels San Diego Water Supply Reliability: “As the San Diego County Water Authority celebrates its 75th anniversary this month, Board Chair Jim Madaffer offered a fresh vision of the region’s water future and outlined new efforts to ensure water supply reliability for generations to come at the National Albondigas Political Society of San Diego meeting in Chula Vista. Madaffer pointed to the 2003 Quantification Settlement Agreement with the Imperial Irrigation District as an example of the creative thinking and political leadership needed to secure reliable water supplies not only for San Diego County, but across the southwestern U.S by working cooperatively. “We were able to work out a deal with the Imperial Irrigation District for 200,000 acre-feet of water,” said Madaffer, noting that IID has priority rights to Colorado River water supplies. “How smart to have this insurance policy for the region.” ... ” Read more from the Water News Network here: Madaffer: Collaboration Propels San Diego Water Supply Reliability
San Diego Water Authority’s Jim Madaffer Named to Colorado River Board: “Jim Madaffer of the San Diego County Water Authority has been named to the Colorado River Board of California, which represents the state in talks with other states and federal agencies regarding management of the Colorado River. The appointment was announced Thursday by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office. Madaffer, 59, is a former San Diego councilman who has been president of Madaffer Enterprises since 2009. ... ” Read more from the Times of San Diego here: San Diego Water Authority’s Jim Madaffer Named to Colorado River Board
Along the Colorado River …
New agreement cuts water usage further if Colorado River levels keep dropping: “The American West has never been particularly wet, but it’s getting even drier. … The Colorado River Drought Contingency Plan, divided into plans for the river’s upper and lower basins, is the product of years of interstate negotiations, business transactions and political dealings. What, though, does it mean for Nevada and other Western states as a whole? ... ” Read more from the Las Vegas Sun here: New agreement cuts water usage further if Colorado River levels keep dropping
Upper Colorado water users most vulnerable, study says: “Upper Colorado River Basin water users are the most vulnerable on the Western Slope in the event of a call required by an interstate compact to curtail use, with much of that vulnerability resting with entities that divert water from that basin to the Front Range, new analysis shows. John Carron, with Hydros Consulting, presented the latest work on potential risks facing the Western Slope in the case of continued long-term drought to a joint meeting of the four West Slope Basin Roundtables at the Ute Water Conservancy District in Grand Junction Thursday. This is the third phase of an analysis being conducted for West Slope water entities of risk arising from possible future water supply and demand levels. … ” Read more from Grand Junction Sentinel here: Upper Colorado water users most vulnerable, study says
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.
