- Delta Stewardship Council meets beginning at 9am. Agenda items include the Lead Scientist’s report, an update from the Delta Independent Science Board, and the appointment of a new lead scientist. Click here for full agenda and webcast information.
- PUBLIC NEGOTIATION SESSION for the State Water Project contract amendment for Delta conveyance resumes at 10am this morning. They will be discussing DWR’s eighth offer which is here. Click here for webcast instructions.
- FREE WEBINAR: Trust Matters: Building and Maintaining Confidence Through Communications from 10:15 to 11:15 am. Presented by the Southern California Water Coalition. Click here to register.
- FREE WEBINAR: COVID-19 in CA: What We’re Learning About the Coronavirus and Disinfection from 11am to 12:30pm. Presented by the California Water Environment Association. Click here to register.
- FREE WEBINAR: The Benefits of Headwater Forest Management from 12pm to 1:30pm. Presented by the PPIC. Click here to register.
- FREE WEBINAR: Safe and Affordable Fund for Resilience and Equity (SAFER) Questions and Answer with Water Boards staff from 2pm to 3:30pm. Agenda: SAFER Overview and Updates, Question and Answer Session with SAFER Program staff. Spanish translation provided. Click here to register.
Valley, L.A. water users hit Newsom with three lawsuits over water policy: “San Joaquin Valley and Southern California water users launched a legal blitz late Tuesday night, filing three lawsuits against the Newsom administration to challenge the validity of the state’s newly-issued environmental rules that seek to restrict pumping water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta through the State Water Project. The suits, all filed in Fresno County Superior Court, mark yet another turn in the new chapter of California’s Water Wars led by a conflict in environmental rules issued by the Federal government and the Newsom administration. … ” Read more from the San Joaquin Sun here: Valley, L.A. water users hit Newsom with three lawsuits over water policy
Grand compromise on California water wars in disarray. Newsom faces multiple lawsuits this week: “From the moment he took office, Gov. Gavin Newsom said he wanted to bring peace to California’s water wars. But now, more than a year later, most of the warring factions are united against his plan for governing the Delta. Three of the most powerful groups in California water sued the state this week over Newsom’s two-month-old plan for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, the hub of California’s complex water delivery network. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: Grand compromise on California water wars in disarray. Newsom faces multiple lawsuits this week
California water wars heat up with suits from state contractors: “Water contractors in California are suing the state over its new permit that authorizes water deliveries, the result of a conflict with the Trump administration’s policies. The groups suing California supply water to nearly 75% of the state’s population, 4 million acres of farmland, and many hundreds of thousands acres of critical habitats. The complaints, filed in Superior Court in Fresno County, have to do with California’s complex water delivery system, which is shared between federal authorities and the state. … ” Read more from Bloomberg Law here: California water wars heat up with suits from state contractors
State Water Project draws ire of environmentalists: “Four environmental groups sued the state of California in state court Wednesday, claiming the complex series of dams, channels, aqueducts and pumps responsible for transferring water from Northern California to the south state are killing fish. “It’s time for the state to be honest about the damage being done to the delta ecosystem and our native fish by the unsustainable water diversions of the State Water Project,” said Jeff Miller, a senior conservation advocate at the Center for Biological Diversity. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service here: State Water Project draws ire of environmentalists
Head spinning with all of these lawsuits and letters? Here’s a recap:
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- Really, this batch of lawsuits started up when on March 31, the Department of Fish and Wildlife released the Incidental Take Permit, the operating rules for CESA compliance for the State Water Project.
- A week later (April 8), Republican Congressmembers send letter to Newsom, requesting he withdraw the Incidental Take Permit.
- At the April 14 Metropolitan Board meeting, the directors voted to file a lawsuit against the state. Letters ensued. Feinstein and other Democratic Congressmembers wrote Bernhardt and Newsom, encouraging them to work together. There were letters between the State and Metropolitan.
- On April 21, Attorney General Xavier Becerra filed for a preliminary injunction over federal water exports from the Delta. Commissioner of Reclamation Brenda Burman responded.
- On April 28, Democratic Congressmembers applauded the state’s lawsuit and Central Valley Project contractors filed a lawsuit of their own. Secretary Bernhardt responded to all letters received, saying Newsom’s actions were potentially unlawful.
- Then yesterday, the State Water Contractors filed a lawsuit against the state, and four environmental groups also sued the state.
State Water Board hosts virtual workshop on chromium-6: “The State Water Resources Control Board’s Division of Drinking Water held a virtual workshop on April 27 regarding its white paper Feasibility Analysis in Consideration of a Hexavalent Chromium Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL). ACWA staff and representatives from several ACWA member agencies provided comments. ACWA has an active Water Quality Committee work group focused on the issue of economic feasibility of MCLs. The work group has reviewed the white paper and is developing written comments in response. ... ” Read more from ACWA’s Water News here: State Water Board hosts virtual workshop on chromium-6
$15 million targeted for Conservation Innovation Grants: “USDA is investing $15 million to help support the adoption of innovative conservation approaches on agricultural lands. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service is accepting proposals through June 29, 2020, for national Conservation Innovation Grants. This year’s priorities are water reuse, water quality, air quality, energy and wildlife habitat. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press here: $15 million targeted for Conservation Innovation Grants
Trump nominates Dirk Paloutzian to Fresno’s U.S. District Court: “The long-beleaguered and overworked U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California is about to receive some reinforcements. Wednesday, President Donald Trump nominated Dirk Paloutzian, a Fresno attorney with Baker Manock & Jensen, to fill an open seat on the bench for the judicial district that spans Sacramento to Bakersfield. … ” Read more from the San Bernardino Sun here: Trump nominates Dirk Paloutzian to Fresno’s U.S. District Court
Poop may tell us when the coronavirus lockdown will end: “Every day, millions of Americans could be flushing critical coronavirus data down the toilet. With the nation growing ever more weary of sweeping stay-at-home orders and a worsening economy, some scientists say our poop could be the key to determining when a community might consider easing health restrictions. From Stanford to the University of Arizona, from Australia to Paris, teams of researchers have been ramping up wastewater analyses to track the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Initial studies show that sewage monitoring, or “wastewater-based-epidemiology,” could not only tell us how much the virus might actually be spreading in a community — but also when the virus has finally gone away. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune here: Poop may tell us when the coronavirus lockdown will end
Coronavirus causes delay in EPA’s rule for managing wastewater: “The EPA has been too busy responding to the deadly coronavirus to work on its long-awaited proposal to manage huge volumes of pathogen-infested sewage and stormwater during heavy rains, the agency’s top wastewater official said Wednesday. “We think we have a potential path forward,” said Andrew Sawyers, director of the Environmental Protection Agency Office of Wastewater Management, said in a webinar on water priorities for the year. But “with Covid-19, there are a lot of things under consideration,” he said, referring to the disease caused by the coronavirus. … ” Read more from Bloomberg here: Coronavirus causes delay in EPA’s rule for managing wastewater
Ranchers sue Trump administration, arguing water rollback is federal overreach: “A group of ranchers sued the Trump administration Monday over a rollback to an Obama-era water rule they argue is still too strict. At stake is the Navigable Waters Protection Rule, a rule President Trump repeatedly promised to deliver for farmers who complained previous policy left huge swatches of their land subject to federal oversight. But the suit from the New Mexico Cattlemen’s Association argues the latest Trump replacement is both too strict, violating “the Constitution, the Clean Water Act, and Supreme Court precedent,” and lacks key definitions. ... ” Read more from The Hill here: Ranchers sue Trump administration, arguing water rollback is federal overreach
Environmental groups sue EPA over Clean Water Act rollback: “A recent flurry of litigation from around the state and across the country could have huge ramifications in California on the protection and distribution of scarce water resources. Two separate coalitions of environmental advocacy groups filed litigation on Wednesday against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers challenging the Trump Administration’s rollback of the Clean Water Act. At the core of the litigation is the definition of federally protected waterways, as recent changes in regulatory language have reduced legal protections for huge numbers of streams, especially around the arid West. … ” Read more from the Desert Sun here: Environmental groups sue EPA over Clean Water Act rollback
South Fork Eel River – fish counts are low but hopes are high: “While salmon counts are low this year, having accurate information will better inform our conservation efforts. CalTrout has been using a Sonar system to estimate abundance of spawning Chinook Salmon, Coho Salmon, and steelhead on the South Fork Eel River with support from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) Steelhead Report and Restoration Card Program. The Sonar System (DIDSON) located 10 miles above the South Fork confluence with the Eel River records video of fish as they migrate upstream to their spawning grounds. We estimated 2,190 Chinook Salmon passed the Sonar during November and December 2019 compared to 3,800 Chinook Salmon seen in November and December 2018. ... ” Read more from Cal Trout here: South Fork Eel River – fish counts are low but hopes are high
Zone 7 predicts more stored water usage in 2020: “Anticipated drier weather in 2020 will increase demand to use more stored water in the Tri-Valley than usual, according to a recently released annual sustainability report from the Livermore-Amador Valley Water Supply and Flood Protection Zone 7 Water Agency. The yearly water supply review helps agency officials plan and evaluate their level of sustainability for the future. However, Zone 7 told the Weekly, “There is no need for concern about using more water from storage this year,” adding the agency “strategically stores water during wet years for use during dry years such as this year, so this falls within Zone 7’s standard operation.” … ” Read more from Pleasanton Weekly here: Zone 7 predicts more stored water usage in 2020
Delta: Real McCoy ferry again out of service: “The California Department of Transportation announced Wednesday that the Real McCoy II ferry, which provides service along Highway 84, will be out of service for an extended period of time due to an unexpected mechanical failure. … ” Read more from the Daily Republic here: Delta: Real McCoy ferry again out of service
Monterey: Water district considering lawsuit against partner agency over environmental report: “Three days after the board of Monterey One Water decided to reject a $1 million environmental study that was paid for by taxpayers, the regional wastewater agency is facing a possible lawsuit for doing so. The agency’s partner in the study, Monterey Peninsula Water Management District, called a special board meeting for Thursday, April 30, to consider possible legal action. The discussion will take place in closed session without public participation, which is the standard practice for such situations. … ” Read more from Monterey Weekly here: Water district considering lawsuit against partner agency over environmental report
Reclamation seeks public input on Del Puerto Canyon Reservoir project: “The Bureau of Reclamation invites public input on the Del Puerto Canyon Reservoir Project, a proposed 82,000 acre-foot reservoir in the Coast Range in Stanislaus County, California. Del Puerto Water District and the San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors Water Authority are sponsoring the project and propose to construct a reservoir located on Del Puerto Creek to develop additional water storage south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The Project would allow water delivery under existing Central Valley Project contracts into the reservoir until it is needed. “Reclamation is pleased to partner with Del Puerto Water District and the Exchange Contractors on this beneficial water supply project,” said Ernest Conant, Reclamation regional director. “The project would bring much needed water supply reliability to south-of-delta agriculture and wildlife refuges. It is a win-win for the region.”... ” Read more from the Bureau of Reclamation here: Reclamation seeks public input on Del Puerto Canyon Reservoir project
Tulare County: Deadline extended for second round of GSP comments: “As Groundwater Sustainability Agencies continue implementing their plans, the state has extended the deadline for the second round of public comments, citing disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Eric Osterling, the general manager of the Greater Kaweah GSA, said that despite the pandemic, GSAs are continuing to work and implement their Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSP). We can’t stop. It seems like so much has stopped, but we don’t have the luxury to stop,” Osterling said. “We have deadlines that we still have to meet and we have to show what work we’ve put in during our annual report.” … ” Read more from the Foothills Sun-Gazette here: Deadline extended for second round of GSP comments
Tulare County: Farmers can expect 40 to 60% Sierra runoff: “Valley saw close to double the average river runoff last year but in 2020 it could be as low as quarter of that – perhaps 50% of average. Runoff on the San Joaquin River is estimated at 720,000 acre-feet, 59% of average. But to date the Bureau of Reclamation has announced just a 40% Class 1 supply to contractors. On average, the Friant delivers 1.2 million acre-feet of irrigation water annually through the Friant Kern Canal and the Madera Canal to more than 15,000 farms on over a million acres including those in Tulare County. ... ” Read more from the Foothills Sun-Gazette here: Tulare County: Farmers can expect 40 to 60% Sierra runoff
Las Vegas pipeline outcome offers new opportunity, says Chris Giunchigliani: She writes, “Rural and urban Nevada can both rest a little easier now that the massive pipeline project is not at the forefront of the Southern Nevada Water Authority’s plans. But there is still plenty of work to do to protect and expand the water supply in Las Vegas while doing the same in rural parts of the state. As the nation’s driest state, we must ensure that our decisions in one region don’t harm another. For many years, that has not been the case. … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Sun here: Las Vegas pipeline outcome offers new opportunity
Restore the Delta webinar on voluntary agreements
Delta stakeholder group provides history of Delta water quality planning and expresses their concerns over the voluntary agreements
In mid-April of 2020, Restore the Delta hosted a webinar where they discussed the history of water planning and the voluntary agreements, including their numerous concerns.
Restore the Delta is a grassroots organization campaign of residents and organizations started in 2006 with 40,000+ members whose mission is to “fight for a Delta with waters that are fishable, swimmable, drinkable, and farmable, able to support the health of the estuary, San Francisco Bay, and the ocean beyond.”
Click here to read this article.
SCIENCE NEWS: A new planting palette for Sierra meadows; Watching the flow of water through oak woodlands at Arbor Creek Experimental Watershed; Can nature help curb climate change?; and more …
Click here to read science news.
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.
