In California water news today, Pineapple Express storm to bring flooding and snow to the West; Strong storms boost California snowpack to highest December level since 2015; A new technique for modeling land subsidence facilitates better groundwater management; California vs. Trump hits boiling point over water, high-speed rail; The disproportionate impact of climate change on indigenous communities; Lower Colorado River Basin can still expect shortage next year; and more …
On the calendar today …
- The Central Valley Flood Protection Board meets at 9:00am. Agenda items include an update on the San Joaquin River Restoration Program, an Memorandum Of Understanding between the Bureau of Reclamation and the Central Valley Flood Protection Board regarding management of one Sacramento and San Joaquin Drainage District easement adjacent to the San Joaquin River located in Madera County, request that the State assume operation and maintenance responsibilities for the “Horseshoe Levee”, and discussion of Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency (SAFCA) projects. Click here for the full agenda.
In the news today …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
- NEWS WORTH NOTING: San Diego County Water Authority offers settlement to end MWD litigation, focus on future; CDFW releases final environmental impact report for Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve; Congress approves energy and water funding bill
- THIS JUST IN … Reclamation uses latest science to improve water reliability in California
- FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: Reclamation makes funding available for Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Projects
- FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: Proposition 68 groundwater treatment and remediation grant program – solicitation updates
- WETLANDS: New CRAM Technical Bulletin Now Available
Pineapple Express storm to bring flooding and snow to the West: “An atmospheric river is moving to the West Coast, likely to bring menacing flooding, heavy mountain snow, and damaging winds. Atmospheric rivers are narrow corridors of the upper atmosphere that transport intense moisture from a large body of water onto land. … ” Read more from CNN here: The Pineapple Express storm will bring flooding and snow to the West
Strong storms boost California snowpack to highest December level since 2015: “In a boost for California’s water supply, a series of recent storms that blanketed the Sierra Nevada in snow has built the state’s snowpack to its highest December level since 2015. The snowpack — a key source of the state’s water supply — measured 113% of average this week, roughly 40% higher than the snowpack during the same time in 2018, according to the Department of Water Resources. ... ” Read more from the LA Times here: Strong storms boost California snowpack to highest December level since 2015
A new technique for modeling land subsidence facilitates better groundwater management: “Land subsidence – the sudden sinking or gradual settling of Earth’s surface – can occur naturally or be triggered by human activity. One of the most common human-affected factors is groundwater pumping, a practice that has been steadily increasing due to prolonged periods of drought. Groundwater pumping is so prevalent in some areas that it is severely compromising the quantity and quality of the groundwater as well as the physical structure of the land and aquifer capacity beneath it. Large-scale initiatives for putting water back into the ground, or groundwater recharge, are being implemented in some regions. However, groundwater resource managers still need better information to determine where the land is at greatest risk of subsidence as well as where recharge efforts would be the most effective. … ” Read more from Stanford University here: A new technique for modeling land subsidence facilitates better groundwater management
California vs. Trump hits boiling point over water, high-speed rail: “The State of California and the Federal government appear destined on a two-front litigation collision course with issues of utmost importance to the San Joaquin Valley. Last week, the California High-Speed Rail Authority approved soliciting bids for a 30-year contract to build and maintain the track and operating system for the pared-down high-speed rail system now slated to run from Merced to Bakersfield. … ” Read more from the San Joaquin Sun here: California vs. Trump hits boiling point over water, high-speed rail
The disproportionate impact of climate change on indigenous communities: “Now more than ever, the topic of climate change has been receiving national attention and is at the forefront of many conversations. In addition to altering environments, it also has a social impact. Extreme weather events have been happening more than ever in recorded history, disrupting both ecosystems and livelihoods for people across the globe. However, marginalized communities, including Indigenous groups, are often the people most affected by devastating storms, flooding, or fires. Recent environmental changes brought on by climate change uniquely impact Indigenous people, especially because of their relationships with the land, ocean, and natural resources. The United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs articulately states, “Climate change poses threats and dangers to the survival of Indigenous communities worldwide, even though Indigenous peoples contribute the least to greenhouse gas emissions.” … ” Read more from KCET here: The disproportionate impact of climate change on indigenous communities
In commentary today …
In a battle over Kings River water, Fresno should clearly win out over Kern County, says the Fresno Bee: They write, “Mark Twain gets credit for the great adage, “Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting over.” Time to roll out the whiskey barrels because the San Joaquin Valley has a new water fight brewing. In this instance, a Kern County water agency wants to get state permission to take floodwaters from the Kings River. Kings River water interests, including the city of Fresno, are opposing such a grab. This proposal contains all the elements of a classic California water war: A far-off entity wanting to take water from elsewhere in the state, while those closest to where the water actually originates cry foul. … ” Read more from the Fresno Bee here: In a battle over Kings River water, Fresno should clearly win out over Kern County
California must stop agriculture from fouling our drinking water, says Horacio Amezquita: He writes, “The San Jerardo housing cooperative in Salinas is home to 60 farm workers and their families. I am its general manager. The people in my housing cooperative breathe pesticides when neighboring fields are sprayed. When agricultural practices harm wildlife, we see the change in our backyards. The people of San Jerardo also have a stake in moving toward more sustainable agricultural practices. Our drinking water is where this connection with agriculture is most powerful. ... ” Read more from Cal Matters here: California must stop agriculture from fouling our drinking water
In regional news and commentary today …
State allots $1.4 million for Highway 37 flood protection, wetland restoration: “A project aimed at reducing flooding near Highway 37 and bolstering nearby wetlands near Novato is set to proceed after obtaining a nearly $1.5 million state grant on Thursday. The California Coastal Conservancy voted unanimously on Thursday to allocate the grant funds to the Marin Flood Control and Water Conservation District to perform the enhancement work on 136 acres of wetlands in Simmons Slough. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here: State allots $1.4 million for Highway 37 flood protection, wetland restoration
State funding could help preserve Santa Cruz County coastal old growth forests: “Conservationists took a major step forward Thursday in a four-decade-long effort to preserve one of the most significant privately held old-growth coast redwood properties remaining in the Santa Cruz Mountains. In a meeting held at Santa Cruz City Hall, the California Coastal Conservancy board unanimously voted to set aside as much as $2.5 million toward the Save the Redwoods League’s efforts to purchase the Cascade Creek (Holmes) Property, 554 acres of coastal land stretching from Año Nuevo State Reserve south to Big Basin Redwoods State Park. … ” Read more from the Santa Cruz Sentinel here: State funding could help preserve Santa Cruz County coastal old growth forests
Newman: Grant boosts city wetlands project: “The city’s vision of eventually transforming 103 acres of property on its eastern outskirts into a natural filtration system for storm drain flows recently took a significant step forward. City officials learned that Newman has been awarded a grant of more than $600,000 from the California Department of Fish and Game to develop a seasonal wetlands on 10 acres of the property. “This is the first piece of a bigger project that we are working on that will treat storm water and ag tail water,” said Kathryn Reyes, the city’s director of public works. “This is an important first step to bringing the project to fruition.” … ” Read more from KJZZ here: Newman: Grant boosts city wetlands project
Salton Sea Authority board endorses emergency declaration made by Imperial County: “After initially balking, the Salton Sea Authority board of directors on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution supporting Imperial County’s declaration of an emergency at the fast-shrinking sea. Last month, two members of the authority’s board — Riverside County Fourth District Supervisor V. Manuel Perez and Coachella Valley Water District board member Patrick O’Dowd — had objected to immediately supporting Imperial County’s declaration. … ” Read more from The Desert Sun here: Salton Sea Authority board endorses emergency declaration made by Imperial County
San Diego County Water Authority offers to settle long-running rate dispute with MWD: “The San Diego County Water Authority’s board offered Thursday to settle a long-running dispute over rates with the giant Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. The offer, made following a special board meeting, asks MWD to make $140 million in payments to San Diego County water customers to cover claims from 2011 through 2020 and, in the future, follow new, transparent procedures in setting water rates. … ” Read more from the Times of San Diego here: San Diego County Water Authority offers to settle long-running rate dispute with MWD
Along the Colorado River …
Lower basin states’ water contributions slow down Colorado River drought: “Last week, all seven states met at a conference in Las Vegas, Nevada to discuss what’s next in managing the slowly declining river. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) counted nearly 1,200 individuals including water users, basin state officials, and tribes in attendance at the conference. The topic of discussion: How much water will each state have to contribute to Lake Mead to hold off the drought? … ” Read more from KYMA here: Lower basin states’ water contributions slow down Colorado River drought
Lower Colorado River Basin can still expect shortage next year: “The Lower Colorado River Basin does not avoid a shortage in 2020 despite the plentiful snowpack on the Rocky Mountains this past winter. Why? Well, the new Drought Contingency Plan defines different “tiers” of shortage. The Lower Basin will not drop into a Tier One shortage next year because Lake Mead will almost certainly remain above 1,075 feet in elevation. At the same time, Mead will likely remain under 1,090 feet. That triggers a Tier Zero shortage. ... ” Read more from KJZZ here: Lower Colorado River Basin can still expect shortage next year
Interior Sec. skips climate change in Colorado River users speech: “Water wonks, state and tribal officials, attorneys and irrigation district representatives hit the floor at Bally’s Las Vegas Hotel last week. Not to shake loose the slots. But to gamble on the future of the Colorado River. During the annual meeting of the Colorado River Water Users Association (CRWUA), stakeholders from the seven US states that share the river’s water met to talk about everything from interagency cooperation to cloud seeding, forecasting to tribal water rights. But even as the impacts of the Earth’s warming are increasingly clear, there’s still a political and practical disconnect between the cause of climate change—the burning of fossil fuels—and the challenges warming poses to water supplies in the western United States. … ” Read more from the Santa Fe Reporter here: Interior Sec. skips climate change in Colorado River users speech
Precipitation watch …
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
THIS JUST IN … Reclamation uses latest science to improve water reliability in California
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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.
