In California water news today …
Some California cities think they’re safe from sea level rise. They’re not, new data show
“Just north of the Golden Gate Bridge, yet a world away from San Francisco, in an unincorporated and oft-overlooked area known as Marin City, sea level rise is rarely the first worry that comes to mind. Traditional flood maps for this predominantly Black and working-class community suggest that the area is safe from rising water until 3 feet or more. But sea level rise is a lot more complicated than just waves breaking over seawalls and beaches disappearing. Imagine the groundwater beneath your feet. As the ocean moves inland, it will push all this trapped water upward until it breaks the surface. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Some California cities think they’re safe from sea level rise. They’re not, new data show
Fish surveys in the estuary: the whole is greater than the sum of its parts
“The San Francisco Estuary is a dynamic and altered estuary that supports a high diversity of fishes, both native and non-native. These species have substantial recreational, commercial, and intrinsic value to people. Since the 1950s, various agencies and UC Davis have established long-term surveys to track the status of fish populations. These surveys help scientists understand how fishes are responding to natural- and human-caused changes to the Estuary. Each survey has strengths and weaknesses due to differences in sampling gear and effort, program duration, consistency of sampling, and area sampled. Because of this, it is challenging to understand drivers of change when looking at only a single survey. ... ” Read more from the California Water Blog here: Fish surveys in the estuary: the whole is greater than the sum of its parts
California wildfire spawns a rare firenado
“Northern California was alerted to a rare tornado warning unlike any other by the National Weather Service — a fire tornado. Sure enough, a fiery tornado was spotted shortly after the warning on Saturday near the Nevada border, where a large wildfire, winds and extreme temperatures combined to create a dangerous storm. The Reno office of the National Weather Service knew the mixture of 60-mph winds with pyrocumulonimbus clouds from the Loyalton Wildfire could produce a fire-induced tornado. The forecasters warned the conditions posed “an extremely dangerous situation for firefighters.” … ” Read more from AccuWeather here: California wildfire spawns a rare firenado
In regional water news and commentary today …
Don’t let courts decide future of Klamath water, says C
She writes, “Another drought year, another long, hot summer, more fighting over what little precious water we have in the Klamath Basin. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Except that things don’t have to stay the same. We know what needs to be done to enable everyone to benefit from the Klamath River’s limited water resources. We know that unless all our communities in the basin — tribal, agricultural and municipal — get enough water to meet their basic needs, no one will have any water security. … ” Read more from the Herald & News here: Don’t let courts decide future of Klamath water
If jury is still out, why presume Klamath farmers are guilty? says
“The well-written and informative article in the August 14 edition concerning Upper Klamath Lake elevations and sucker populations (“Does Upper Klamath Lake’s elevation affect suckers? The jury’s still out”) omits a harsh reality: For nearly 30 years, Klamath Project irrigators have been presumed guilty and punished, even though there is no evidence that their use of water from Upper Klamath Lake has anything to do with endangered sucker populations. … ” Read more from the Herald & News here: If jury is still out, why presume Klamath farmers are guilty?
Huffman to lead forum examining impact of Klamath Dams
“North Coast Rep. Jared Huffman will lead a live-streamed forum that will examine the impacts of the Klamath Dams on tribes, fisheries, the environment and downstream stakeholders on Tuesday, Aug. 18 at 2 p.m. … ” Read more from the North Coast Journal here: Huffman to lead forum examining impact of Klamath Dams
Napa Valley’s Living Landscape: The dancing waters of Calistoga’s Old Faithful Geyser
“I thought it would be fun to revisit a special place in the Napa Valley. The Old Faithful Geyser of Calistoga is layered in stories, and it is rich in geology and history. Millions of years of geologic activity that produced the Coast Range mountains, also created volcanic action in the vicinity. A large remaining feature of the violent volcanic action of the past is situated near Mt. Saint Helena where its remains left a crater. Mt. Saint Helena is an uplifted and doubled-over remnant of volcanism that has eroded over time. … ” Read more from the Napa Valley Register here: Napa Valley’s Living Landscape: The dancing waters of Calistoga’s Old Faithful Geyser
Wild weather in Bay Area brings lightning, thunderstorms, gusty winds and spot fires
“An unusual summer storm accompanying an intense heat wave triggered thunder and lightning, wind gusts of up to 75 mph and dozens of spot fires early Sunday across the Bay Area — and stormy conditions were expected to continue on and off into Monday. The fires, mostly small but persistent, burned from Point Reyes to the East Bay to the Santa Cruz Mountains, keeping firefighters busy putting out one blaze just as soon as another lightning-caused fire would take hold. No major injuries or damage was immediately reported. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Wild weather in Bay Area brings lightning, thunderstorms, gusty winds and spot fires
Zone 7 starts ozone treatment of musty drinking water at Del Valle water treatment plant
“The annual musty taste and odor in summer tap water in the Tri-Valley has returned, but Zone 7 Water Agency this week brought in a new solution. “I am very happy to announce that the ozonation treatment at Del Valle Water Treatment Plant is fully online,” Zone 7 General Manager Valerie Pryor said. The change in taste and odor are the result of algal blooms in the lakes and streams that supply water to wholesaler Zone 7 and its customers — Valley retailers Livermore and Pleasanton city water departments, Dublin San Ramon Services District (DSRSD) and the private California Water Service in Livermore. … ” Read more from the Livermore Independent here: Zone 7 starts ozone treatment of musty drinking water at Del Valle water treatment plant
State Coastal Commission says Del Mar train tracks need to move inland
“The state’s Coastal Commission signed off last week on emergency repairs made in December to the Del Mar bluffs, but the commissioners emphasized the need to move the railroad tracks away from the crumbling seaside location. “I feel like nature is communicating in a very direct way that time is of the essence,” said Commissioner Donne Brownsey at the Wednesday, Aug. 12, online meeting. The Coastal Commission oversees all coastal development in California, from seawalls to high-rise hotels, and generally reviews projects long before construction begins. It approved an “after-the-fact consistency certification” Wednesday, Aug. 12, for the emergency work to safeguard the bluff-top tracks. … ” Read more from the Del Mar Times here: State Coastal Commission says Del Mar train tracks need to move inland
Imperial Valley: Over a century of agriculture research and extension
“The University of California Desert Research and Extension Center (UC DREC) was established in 1912 and is the oldest research and extension center in the UC system. For the past 108 years, UC DREC has conducted innovative and relevant agricultural, natural resources, and environmental research and extension in arid desert regions. DREC has gone by many names in its 108 years of Imperial Valley agriculture research. Some may remember the Imperial Valley Experiment Station (1912-1948), Imperial Valley Field Station (1948-1984), Imperial Valley Agriculture Center (1984-1990), and now, the Desert Research and Extension Center (1990-present). … ” Read more from the Desert Review here: Over a century of agriculture research and extension
In national water news today …
Millions in US face losing water supply as coronavirus moratoriums end
“Millions of families in America risk losing running water over unpaid bills as moratoriums on shutoffs expire across the country, despite record levels of unemployment and mounting fatalities from the coronavirus pandemic. Running water had been guaranteed to about two-thirds of Americans as hundreds of utilities suspended disconnections amid warnings from public health experts that good hygiene, particularly hand-washing, was crucial to curtailing the spread of the virus. … ” Read more from The Guardian here: Millions in US face losing water supply as coronavirus moratoriums end
Research paper: Machine learning predicts subsidence from groundwater pumping
“Excessive pumping of groundwater is leading to substantial land subsidence in many parts of the world. Monitoring land subsidence by remote sensing at sufficient resolution is costly, and GPS observations are usually too scattered to provide accurate maps. Smith and Majumdar [2020] use the machine learning method “random forests” to provide the first comprehensive map of land subsidence rates of the western United States. From these land subsidence rates, water loss from aquifers by excessive pumping in confined aquifers is also estimated. This shows that, apart from GRACE and water-balance based methods, there now exists a third route to estimating groundwater depletion in areas without piezometric data.” Read the paper at the AGU Journal here: Research paper: Machine learning predicts subsidence from groundwater pumping
If you unbuild it, they will come—the fish, that is
“If you unbuild it, they will come. It’s early June, and I’m drifting with mask and snorkel in the chilly waters of Mill Brook, a wooded stream in Westbrook, Maine, no more than six miles from downtown Portland. All around me are silvery fish, swimming up from the Gulf of Maine to spawn in Highland Lake, about 11 miles from the sea. Their scaly bodies thump against me with an energy that’s ineffable and uplifting. About 10 inches long, the fish are alewives, a kind of river herring, also known as sawbellies because of the sharp modified scales on their undersides called scutes. … ” Read more from National Geographic here: If you unbuild it, they will come—the fish, that is
Industry 4.0 & the water sector
“The first three industrial revolutions transformed our modern society with mechanization, mass production and digital technology. The world around us fundamentally changed. The fourth industrial revolution is now upon us. Industry 4.0, as it is called, will transform modern society and economies through innovation brought about by advancements in digitization, interconnectivity, data analysis and automation. The technological elements of Industry 4.0 integrate physical production and operations with smart digital technology, machine learning, and big data to create a more holistic and connected world. The result is productivity far beyond what has been seen in the past three industrial revolutions. … ” Continue reading at Water Finance & Management here: Industry 4.0 & the Water Sector
Weekend Daily Digest …
This weekend in California water news:
- Department of Fish and Wildlife drone program provides a bird’s eye view for environmental scientists;
- Harder, Feinstein collaborate to keep snowpack readings accurate;
- Supreme Court lets stand decision upholding Delta Council’s authority;
- Municipal water rates are protected from referendum challenges;
- PFAS issues in California compounded by Colorado’s PFAS proliferation;
- PG&E cancels upcoming whitewater flows in Feather River, citing coronavirus pandemic;
- American River forest project before and after thinning;
- Old aircraft taxiway in Alameda to be converted to wetlands park;
- EPA reaches $56.6M settlement for groundwater cleanup throughout LA County;
- And lastly … Michigan drone plunged to watery death in eagle attack;
- And more …
