Note: Articles marked with the unlocked symbol 🔓 are freely available. Absence of the unlocked symbol means you might encounter a paywall, depending upon how often you have visited that website this month. I do not include links to content behind strict paywalls.
- California Advisory Committee on Salmon and Steelhead Trout from 10am to 4:30pm. Agenda items include updates on action items and various salmon and steelhead programs, A review the Department ‘s efforts with regard to Public Resource Code (Sec. 6217.1) to develop and maintain a program to restore salmon and steelhead resources; update on the Annual Salmon Information Meeting and status of major salmon stocks and forecasts for 2020; and an update on Klamath Dam removal. Click here for the full agenda. Remote access available.
GRA Sacramento Branch: The State’s Three-Legged Stool for Improving Groundwater Quality: Porter Cologne, SGMA and the Recycled Water Policy – How Do They Work Together? from 5:30pm to 8:30pm. Speaker is Tess Dunham from Somach Simmons & Dunn. Click here to register.CANCELED
Metropolitan’s Jeff Kightlinger set to retire: Read the memo here.
Tuolumne Utilities District announces negotiations with PG&E to acquire water system, pre-1914 water rights: “Tuolumne Utilities District announced on Tuesday that it has entered into exclusive negotiations with Pacific Gas and Electric Co. to acquire the Phoenix Hydroelectric Project, which would include pre-1914 water rights on the South Fork of the Stanislaus River, the Tuolumne Main Canal, Lyons Dam and Lyons Reservoir, and Strawberry Dam and Pinecrest Reservoir. “The need to acquire water rights and storage has been a topic of discussion in Tuolumne County for more than a century,” said TUD General Manager Ed Pattison in a news release. “We view this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to secure a locally controlled water system to provide reliable, cost-effective water for future generations.” … ” Read more from the Union Democrat here: Tuolumne Utilities District announces negotiations with PG&E to acquire water system, pre-1914 water rights
TUD in negotiations with PG&E about water system transfer: “The Tuolumne Utilities District and PG&E announce that they are in exclusive negotiations about the potential transfer of the Phoenix Hydroelectric Project. Under the proposed agreement, TUD would acquire the Phoenix Powerhouse, the Main Tuolumne Canal, the pre and post 1914 water rights, the Lyons Dam and Reservoir, Strawberry Dam and Pinecrest Reservoir. … ” Read more from My Mother Lode here: TUD in negotiations with PG&E about water system transfer
Delayed opening of April 2020 recreational ocean salmon fishery for much of the California coast: “California’s recreational salmon fishery will open in ocean waters on Saturday, April 4 in the Monterey management area, from Pigeon Point (37° 11’ 00” N. latitude) south to the U.S./Mexico border. In the Fort Bragg and San Francisco management areas, between Horse Mountain (40° 05’ 00” N. latitude) and Pigeon Point, the recreational salmon fishery will open on Saturday, April 11 rather than April 4. The Klamath Management Zone (Horse Mountain to the Oregon state line) will remain closed for the month of April. The remaining 2020 season dates will be finalized next month. At its meeting this week in Rohnert Park the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) made the decision to open sections of the California coast on April 4 and April 11. The delayed opening will help managers achieve conservation goals for Klamath River fall Chinook, which are projected to return in low numbers this year, while providing anglers with opportunity to catch Sacramento River fall Chinook. ... ” Read more from Department of Fish and Wildlife here: Delayed opening of April 2020 recreational ocean salmon fishery for much of the California coast
West Coast waters shift toward productive conditions, but lingering heat may “tilt” marine ecosystem: “Burgeoning populations of anchovy and a healthy crop of California sea lion pups reflected improved productivity off parts of the West Coast in 2019. However, lingering offshore heat worked against recovery of salmon stocks and reduced fishing success, a new analysis reports. The California Current Ecosystem Status Report explains that ocean conditions off the West Coast remain unusually variable. This has been the case since the arrival of a major marine heatwave in 2014 known as “The Blob.” NOAA Fisheries’ two West Coast laboratories, the Northwest Fisheries Science Center and Southwest Fisheries Science Center, issue the report each year to the Pacific Fishery Management Council. … ” Read more from NOAA here: West Coast waters shift toward productive conditions, but lingering heat may “tilt” marine ecosystem
Report predicts how water losses will hit SJ Valley: “San Joaquin Valley farmers say they hope a newly released report will capture the attention of Californians about the potential impact of water shortages in the region. The report, released last week, said water shortages could cause 1 million acres of San Joaquin Valley farmland to be fallowed and cost as many as 85,000 jobs. The water shortages would result from the state’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, which requires local agencies to bring groundwater supplies into balance by the 2040s, combined with restrictions on surface water supplies. … ” Read more from Ag Alert here: Report predicts how water losses will hit SJ Valley
Water supply restrictions to have billion-dollar impact: “A new report from the University of California Berkeley illustrates the billion-dollar impact that water supply restrictions will have on California. The study looked at how the San Joaquin Valley will be affected by water policy in the coming decades, incorporating changes in groundwater availability as part of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, as well as changes in surface water availability. … ” Read more from Ag Net West here: Water supply restrictions to have billion-dollar impact
A possible end to ‘forever’ chemicals: “Synthetic chemicals known as per- and polyfluoroalkyls, or PFAS, contain bonds between carbon and fluorine atoms considered the strongest in organic chemistry. Unfortunately, the widespread use of these nonbiodegradable products since the 1940s has contaminated many water supplies across America. Engineers at UC Riverside have now shown in modeling experiments that using excess electrons shatters the carbon-fluorine bond of PFAS in water, leaving by-products that might even accelerate the process. The paper is published in Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics. ... ” Read more from UC Riverside here: A possible end to ‘forever’ chemicals
The EPA’s National Water Reuse Action Plan: “A new National Water Reuse Action Plan focuses on water reuse practices aimed at strengthening water security, sustainability and resilience for both rural and urban communities. The Plan was released by the Environmental Protection Agency in conjunction with other federal, state, tribal, local and water sector partners. The EPA and its partners hope to increase water reuse to address the rising demands for water across the United States. Currently, water reuse amounts to less than 1 percent of the demand. … ” Read more from BB&K here: The EPA’s National Water Reuse Action Plan
President Trump is attacking California’s salmon fishing industry and its 23,000 jobs, say John McManus, president of the Golden State Salmon Association, and Noah Oppenheim, executive director of the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations: They write, “President Donald Trump rallied supporters in Bakersfield last month with his administration’s attack on California’s salmon fishing industry, which supports 23,000 jobs and generates $1.4 billion a year in the Golden State. Joining the president was Interior Secretary David Bernhardt – former lobbyist for Westlands Water District. When he worked for Westlands, Bernhardt lobbied and litigated – unsuccessfully – against salmon protections. Now, as Interior Secretary, Bernhardt finalized the elimination of more than a dozen protections for endangered species and salmon in Central Valley river and the Bay-Delta estuary. … ” Read more from Cal Matters here: President Trump is attacking California’s salmon fishing industry and its 23,000 jobs, say John McManus and Noah Oppenheim
Northern California: Reclamation releases draft congressionally mandated repayment contract for Central Valley Project 4M Water District contractor: “The Bureau of Reclamation announced today ongoing congressionally mandated contract conversions pursuant to the Water Infrastructure Improvements for the Nation Act (WIIN Act). Today’s release includes one draft repayment contract assignment from the Sacramento River Division’s 4M Water District for a 60-day public comment period. This is one of over 86 repayment contract conversions requested by federal Central Valley Project contractors. Reclamation plans to release an additional 13 draft repayment contracts with north-of-delta contractors for public review in 2020. Reclamation will continue to release more draft repayment contracts throughout the year. … ” Read more from the Bureau of Reclamation here: Reclamation releases draft congressionally mandated repayment contract for Central Valley Project 4M Water District contractor
Ten sentenced for illegal cannabis grow at Cosumnes River Preserve: “Last month, nine men and one woman were sentenced for illegal activities associated with a black market cannabis operation in Sacramento County. The illegal grow was discovered last summer on property owned by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) which is part of the Cosumnes River Preserve. It was eradicated and cleaned up by CDFW’s wildlife officers with support from the California Department of Water Resources and allied enforcement agencies in July 2019. The case was then prosecuted by the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office Major Narcotics Unit. … ” Read more from CDFW News here: Ten sentenced for illegal cannabis grow at Cosumnes River Preserve
Building bigger walls in San Francisco Bay to hold back rising waters: “Six miles of mounded rock and earth already partially encircle this Bay Area city some 20 miles south of San Francisco. The levees protect about 17,000 parcels of land here and in neighboring San Mateo from waves, tides, and flood waters. Those earthen embankments, however, are not protective enough. Not for floods today and not for floods of the future. Spurred by a recent change in federal flood zone maps and a desire to prepare for rising seas, Foster City is in the process of raising its levees by 1 to 7 feet. Residents voted in 2018 to tax themselves in order to pay for the estimated $90 million upgrade. … ” Read more from the Circle of Blue here: Building bigger walls in San Francisco Bay to hold back rising waters
EPA announces $62 million water infrastructure loan to the city of Morro Bay (press release): “Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a $62 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan to the City of Morro Bay, California to replace the City’s aging wastewater treatment plant with a new treatment and water recycling facility. The new facility will reduce discharges into the ocean, increase water supply, and support flood resilience. Morro Bay (population 10,600) is the first small community nationwide to receive a WIFIA loan. “This WIFIA loan will help improve water quality in Morro Bay, while using advanced water reuse technology to help provide an enduring source of water to the small community of Morro Bay,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “Through WIFIA, EPA is playing a key role in President Trump’s efforts to improve and upgrade our nation’s water infrastructure in communities both large and small. With this loan closing, EPA has now issued 17 WIFIA loans totaling $3.7 billion in credit assistance to help finance $8.4 billion for water infrastructure projects while creating more than 16,000 jobs.” … ” Read more from the EPA here: EPA announces $62 million water infrastructure loan to the city of Morro Bay
Central Coast: Ag Order 4.0 ‘will change the way we farm’: “The draft Agricultural Order for Discharges to Irrigated Lands 4.0, simply known as Ag Order 4.0, was submitted in late February by the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board and is now available for public review and comment. The regulation would expand monitoring and reporting requirements and establish a limitation on the amount of nitrogen that farmers can apply to crops during the year. ... ” Read more from Ag Net West here: Ag Order 4.0 ‘will change the way we farm’
Inyo County: From “extinct” to “prolific”: How one private landowner’s vision saved an extinct desert fish and other desert animals: ““’Listen to the land’ is my mantra,” said Susan Sorrells, a 4th generation resident and owner of Shoshone, California. Sorrells grew up in Shoshone, a small desert town located on the edge of Death Valley in Inyo County, and always had a close connection with the natural world. “My family came here as pioneers in 1910,” she said. “Shoshone was one of the best places to grow up because it was surrounded by nature. I truly fell in love with the land and its people.” Integrating nature with community became a part of Sorrells’ and her husband Robby Haines’ vision for stewarding the land. As a gateway to Death Valley National Park, ecotourism became their economic engine. These conservation-minded efforts boosted financially sustainability and helped recover endangered species, particularly a type of fish once believed to be lost. … ” Read more from the US FWS here: Inyo County: From “extinct” to “prolific”: How one private landowner’s vision saved an extinct desert fish and other desert animals
A week of rain is nice, but does virtually nothing to help L.A.’s water issues, says the LA Times: They write, “Southern California’s March rain is a welcome relief, coming as it does after a mostly dry January and an absolutely desiccated February. Los Angeles, like much of the rest of the state, had been in drought and was getting by without severe conservation measures only because of reservoirs still brimming from the soaking winter of 2017 and a succession of moderately wet follow-ups. We have a name for late winter storms that come at the end of mostly failed rainy seasons. We call them March Miracles. The granddaddy of them all came in 1991, when California was facing a desperate water shortage only to be hit by a late-March Sierra blizzard that packed a whole season’s worth of moisture into three days. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: A week of rain is nice, but does virtually nothing to help L.A.’s water issues
Could this week’s rain make up for Southern California’s extra-dry winter? “In less than a day, a storm Tuesday more than doubled the total rainfall that some parts of Southern California had received all year. More precipitation is on the horizon for at least the rest of this week. But will the change be enough to turn this month into a “Miracle March” that will make up for an extra-dry January and February? “I think at this point, we can hope to close the gap a little bit, but not get all the way up to normal,” said David Sweet, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. … ” Read more from the OC Register here: Could this week’s rain make up for Southern California’s extra-dry winter?
Tijuana River sewage pollution shutters beaches as far north as Coronado: “Beaches were closed on Tuesday from the Mexico border to Coronado as rain flushed sewage-contaminated runoff from Tijuana into the San Diego region. Millions of gallons of polluted water have been regularly flowing over the border through the Tijuana River for months. The southern shoreline in Imperial Beach has been closed since November as a result. “Things have gotten worse than ever,” said Imperial Beach Mayor Serge Dedina. “Over the last three months, the levels of pollution are astronomical. We’ve never seen anything like it.” … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune here: Tijuana River sewage pollution shutters beaches as far north as Coronado
Nevada: Commissioner calls on water authority ‘to look in a different direction’ as District Court judge reaffirms decision to deny water for Las Vegas pipeline: “A District Court judge has once again scuttled the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s plans to obtain and pump rural groundwater about 300 miles from eastern Nevada, prompting one Clark County commissioner to call on the water authority “to look in a different direction.” Senior District Court Judge Robert Estes, presiding over the 7th Judicial District Court, ruled that the state’s water law does not support the project. The court order, filed on March 9, denied the water authority a portion of the rights for the project, which it said could result in “water mining.” ... ” Read more from the Nevada Independent here: Nevada: Commissioner calls on water authority ‘to look in a different direction’ as District Court judge reaffirms decision to deny water for Las Vegas pipeline
Arizona working to define and protect its waterways cut from Clean Water Act: “Arizona does not currently have a comprehensive program to protect its surface water quality. The state is now faced with the task of creating one following a change to federal law. The Trump administration unveiled its final rule in January redefining which waterways are regulated under the Clean Water Act, known as “Waters of the U.S.” Under this rule change, the vast majority of Arizona’s creeks and streams will not be protected. At a public meeting in Tucson in late February, facilitator Theresa Gunn invited attendees to help the state fill in the gaps in regulating surface water quality. … ” Read more from Arizona Public Media here: Arizona working to define and protect its waterways cut from Clean Water Act
As Western coal-fired plants close, who gets their water? “Coal-fired power plants are closing, or being given firm deadlines for closure, across the country. In Western states supported by the overallocated and drought-plagued Colorado River, these plants use a significant amount of the region’s scarce water supplies. With closure dates looming, river communities are starting the contentious debate about how this newly available water should be put to use. That conversation is just beginning in Craig, in the northwest Colorado, which is home to nearly 9,000 residents and hundreds of coal industry workers. In January, Tri-State Generation and Transmission announced it will fully close Craig Station by 2030. The same goes for the nearby Colowyo coal mine. … ” Read more from Cronkite News here: As Western coal-fired plants close, who gets their water?
Interior combating the spread of invasive mussels throughout the Lower Colorado River Basin: “The U.S. Department of the Interior today announced that four of its Bureaus will further coordinate efforts to prevent, contain and control quagga and zebra mussels in western states. An agreement among the Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management and the National Park Service will pool resources to fund essential work in waterways across the Lower Colorado River Basin. “Under Interior’s new unified regional structure, Bureaus have been tasked to find opportunities to improve coordination and facilitate problem-solving and resource sharing,” said U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt. “This collaborative effort will aid in combating the spread of invasive species in vital western waters and is a testament of Interior’s commitment to conserving our natural resources.” ... ” Read more from the Department of Interior here: Interior combating the spread of invasive mussels throughout the Lower Colorado River Basin
SGMA IMPLEMENTATION: Borrego Valley’s strategy for a negotiated resolution under SGMA
Presentation at the California Irrigation Institute conference highlights this critically-overdrafted basin’s creative approach to meeting the requirements of SGMA
The Borrego Valley is a small valley in the northeastern part of San Diego County, about 60 miles northeast of San Diego. Groundwater is the sole source of water supply for the valley; there isn’t any surface water or imported water available. After decades of excessive pumping, the Borrego Groundwater Basin is considered critically-over drafted and dramatic reductions in pumping – up to 70% by the latest estimate – will be needed to reach sustainability.
At the 2020 California Irrigation Institute conference held in January of this year, Michele Staples, a shareholder in the Irvine office of Jackson Tidus, gave a presentation on the creative way the basin came up with complying and implementing SGMA.
Click here to read this article.
REPORTS: Concurrent governance processes of SGMA; Comparing complexity in watershed governance; Challenges of using and interpreting GPCD
Click here to read this article.
Image credit: CA streamflow assessment map, courtesy of Belize Lane. From this paper: Lane, B. A., Dahlke, H. E., Pasternack, G. B., & Sandoval‐Solis, S. (2017). Revealing the diversity of natural hydrologic regimes in California with relevance for environmental flows applications. JAWRA Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 53(2), 411-430.
