On the calendar today …
- PUBLIC MEETING: The State Water Board will meet beginning at 9am to consideration the adoption of California’s 2020-2022 Clean Water Act Section 303(d). Click here for the meeting notice.
- PUBLIC MEETING: Waters of the US (WOTUS) from 2pm to 5pm. To allow more time for speakers, the agencies may prerecord a video introduction and overview of the rule, which will be available on the EPA website at Public Outreach and Stakeholder Engagement Activities | US EPA. Attendees may sign up for a three-minute time slot to provide verbal comments. Those who wish to speak are highly encouraged to sign up in advance by selecting a “ticket” to speak during their preferred time window. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
From buckets to umbrellas: fish conservation before the storm
Alyssa Obester, Rob Lusardi, Sarah Yarnell, Ryan Peek, and Nick Santos write, “Fish need water. While minimum flows and other emergency-response approaches might save some fishes during crises, such “bucket-based” approaches are insufficient in the long-term. For example, biologists in the Owens Valley saved the Owens pupfish from extinction by translocating individuals via buckets; however, the underlying cause of this dire circumstance—low dissolved oxygen related to insufficient flow and limited understanding of habitat needs—remains a persistent challenge. Understanding the needs of species forms a better basis for sustaining native fish. But developing this knowledge takes time and resources. … ” Read more from the California Water Blog here: From buckets to umbrellas: fish conservation before the storm
Healdsburg finds a creative way to conserve water
“This past summer, as California faced a historic drought, reservoirs used by the small city of Healdsburg dropped to record lows. “It puts us in a situation where we just simply don’t have enough water to go about our normal daily practices,” says Terry Crowley, the city’s utility director. He says to conserve water, Healdsburg needed to slash consumption by 40%. City officials limited household use and banned watering ornamental lawns. But they did not want residents’ trees and bushes to die, so they found a creative solution. … ” Read more from Yale Climate Connections here: California city finds a creative way to conserve water
Farmer uses art to help fund new wells for fellow 81-year-old Valley farmer
“Paul Buxman says playing the viola helps heal his soul. “Music goes in and without you realizing it, your heart’s open,” he said. Fresno farmer Will Scott saw that first hand. “People like Paul who step up and see there’s a need, regardless of who you are,” he said. When Scott’s well ran dry on his Fresno farm in 2015, Buxman offered to help, even though his own wells were drying up because of the drought. … ” Read more from KFSN here: Farmer uses art to help fund new wells for fellow 81-year-old Valley farmer
New analysis led by Californian researchers identifies extent of contaminants in drinking water
“A new analysis led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, Los Angeles identified the relationship between Californians and drinking water. According to the study, an estimated 370,000 Californians rely on drinking water which may contain high levels of arsenic, nitrate or hexavalent chromium. The contamination also disproportionately impacts communities of color in the state, reported Berkley News. This study is limited to three common contaminants, however, so a limitation is that its results likely underestimate the actual number of Californians drinking unsafe drinking water. … ” Read more from Water Quality Products here: New analysis led by Californian researchers identifies extent of contaminants in drinking water
Climate resiliency strategies at the community level
“In late 2019, the California Community Economic Development Association (CCEDA), in partnership with Climate Resolve and a number of state agencies, began discussions on how to develop and implement climate adaptation and resiliency strategies into the everyday functions of community-based organizations across the state of California. Today, those discussions have evolved into a full-fledged, multi-phase movement that has seen climate assessment and climate resource guides become available to over 100 community-based organizations statewide. “The state had produced a statewide assessment of climate change, but there was nothing that was more regional in nature and a lot of our community-based organizations had very little in the way of resources and guides for addressing climate adaptation and resiliency,” said Roberto Barragan, executive director of CCEDA. “From our conversations, the state of California’s Department of Community Services then funded the development of regional assessments and a resource guide through Climate Resolve.” … ” Read more from the Sierra Nevada Ally here: Climate resiliency strategies at the community level
Today’s featured article …
BLOG ROUND-UP: Governor’s budget: A view from the Delta; On science and intellectual humility in resource management; The merry-go-round of denial must stop; and more …
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Lady of the Lake: How about the hitch
“Dear Lady of the Lake,How are the Clear Lake Hitch doing? I saw that they did not get Federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) Protection? What does that mean for the future of the fish? … Hi Hans!I have been holding on to your question for a while, sorry it took so long to get to you. But this is a great time to talk about the Clear Lake hitch. The scientific name of the Clear Lake hitch is Lavinia exilicauda chi, and the native indegenous peoples of Clear Lake (the Hinthil, Gowk Xabatin, or the Pomo) refer to the fish as “chi” (pronounced CH-eye). In this article I will use hitch and chi interchangeably, as they are commonly recognized under both names. … ” Read more from the Lake County News here: Lady of the Lake: How about the hitch
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Grant to help water supply forecasting
“The El Dorado Water Agency has been awarded a $300,000 grant from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART Drought Response Program: Drought Resiliency Projects. EDWA’s proposed project is for an intelligent hydroclimatic information system for water and power management in the American River Basin and was one of 18 projects selected in the Western United States. This project will provide critical real-time data and support water supply forecasting needed to help the region better prepare for, identify and respond to drought. … ” Read more from the Mountain Democrat here: Grant to help water supply forecasting
EID awarded $10 million for Sly Park intertie replacement
“El Dorado Irrigation District has been awarded a $10 million grant from the California Department of Water Resources to replace an important water conduit called the Sly Park intertie. Authorized by the Budget Act of 2021, the Urban and Multibenefit Drought Relief Program is one of two DWR drought relief grant programs that offers financial assistance to address drought impacts through implementation of projects with multiple benefits. … ” Read more from the Mountain Democrat here: EID awarded $10 million for Sly Park intertie replacement
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Yolo County supervisors approve Teichert mining project along Cache Creek
“The Teichert Mining and Reclamation project was approved by Yolo County supervisors following a lengthy presentation, deliberation and public comment session earlier this week. The Teichert Shifler Mining and Reclamation project involves an application to establish a new mining operation to extract sand and gravel aggregate along lower Cache Creek. Referred to as the Teichert Shifler operation, the mining would occur on 264.1 acres of a 319.3-acre site, with other project related uses on the remaining 55 acres. “Every home in the cities and unincorporated areas of Yolo County uses aggregates as does every road, trail, bikeway, sidewalk, rail line, pathway, steps to get into buildings and ramps for disabled access,” Heidi Tschudin, Yolo County contract planner, told the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday. “Mining of aggregates has occurred in Yolo County along lower Cache Creek for over 100 years.” … ” Read more from the Daily Democrat here: Yolo County supervisors approve Teichert mining project along Cache Creek
BAY AREA
Caltrans announces virtual session to review Highway 37 plans to counter flooding
“Caltrans Bay Area invites the public to a virtual meeting Jan. 25 to learn about a study being conducted to improve Highway 37. The highway links U.S. 101 in Marin County to Interstate 80 in Solano County. Highway 37 is subject to congestion and flooding and faces future risks from sea level rise, extreme weather events, and ecological and multimodal issues, the state Department of Transportation reports. Caltrans is undertaking a study that will examine a solution to address issues that face the roadway. ... ” Read more from the Daily Republic here: Caltrans announces virtual session to review Highway 37 plans to counter flooding
Marin commentary: Water district board member lays out plan to build 3-year supply
Monty Schmitt, member of the Marin Municipal Water District Board of Directors, writes, “The heavy rains of the past three months have been truly extraordinary. And while the rains have brought much-needed relief to Marin’s water supply crisis, they are a harbinger of the dangers we still face. Consistent with the predicted effects of climate change, dramatic swings in rainfall – big storms and big droughts – will be the norm in California. Marin has experienced these predicted extremes in the last year alone, which included both one of the driest years and the wettest October on record. This year, our reservoirs were reaching near historic lows in September. We were faced with the realistic prospect of running out of water by the summer of 2022. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here: Marin commentary: Water district board member lays out plan to build 3-year supply
Marin salmon runs extend farther with help from rain
“Surveyors of Marin County’s endangered coho salmon had something to celebrate this year after heavy downpours allowed fish to access habitats where they haven’t been seen in nearly two decades. “I’m very pleased with this year’s run,” said Eric Ettlinger, an aquatic ecologist with the Marin Municipal Water District who surveys the Lagunitas Creek watershed. “Even though the run seems smaller than three years ago, with all the rain, the fish were able to get high into the watershed into all the tributaries.” ... ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here: Marin salmon runs extend farther with help from rain
Richardson Bay eelgrass, bird report progresses
“An environmental consulting firm expects to release data to the Richardson’s Bay Regional Agency this summer on the health of eelgrass beds and migratory water birds. The agency has hired Coastal Policy Solutions to help implement a long-term protection plan for the eelgrass in the bay. Rebecca Schwartz-Lesberg, president of the firm, presented a progress report to the agency’s board on Thursday. “As we work to implement our eelgrass protection measures, these monitoring efforts and these data allow us to understand the impacts of our actions,” she said in a phone interview. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here: Richardson Bay eelgrass, bird report progresses
Zone 7 submits mandatory plan for groundwater management
“Ahead of a deadline this month, the Zone 7 Water Agency recently submitted a plan for groundwater management to state officials. Approved at the Dec. 15 Board of Directors meeting, the plan outlines actions for maintaining and improving the 69,557-acre Livermore Valley Groundwater Basin, which provides about 30% of the agency’s water supply. As a water wholesales, Zone 7 provides water for approximately 250,000 Tri-Valley residents through sales to agencies including the cities of Pleasanton and Livermore and Dublin-San Ramon Services District (DSRSD). … ” Read more from Pleasanton Weekly here: Zone 7 submits mandatory plan for groundwater management
Beach bacteria a concern after rain in San Mateo County
“After heavy rainfall, many of the county’s beaches post warning signs cautioning beachgoers to not go in the water because bacteria levels exceed health standards. For many, the thought of heavy rainfall is good news but what may be an overlooked issue, such as runoff that washes pollutants and bacteria through our local creeks that eventually lead out to many of San Mateo County’s beaches. … ” Read more from the San Mateo Daily Journal here: Beach bacteria a concern after rain in San Mateo County
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Antelope Valley: Storms provide ‘good,’ ‘cautious’ news for water supply
“The late December storms provide a “good news and cautious news” for the Antelope Valley-East Kern Water Agency’s water supply this year. “This is a cautionary note,” General Manager Dwayne Chisam told the agency’s Board of Directors, Tuesday. While the “very, very wet period,” in December, helped raise water levels in reservoirs that supply the State Water Project, it wasn’t enough to pull the state from the drought. In addition, the January forecast does not promise more rain, as a high pressure system off the coast is keeping wet storms away and to the north, Chisam said. … ” Read more from the AV Press here: Storms provide ‘good,’ ‘cautious’ news for water supply
Ongoing drought impacting businesses around Big Bear Lake
“Despite the heavy rains and record snowfall this past December, the Department of Water Resources said California remains in a drought. The next few months will be telling, especially for an area like Big Bear, which receives its water in the form of rain. The ongoing drought has had many impacts on Big Bear Valley, especially for businesses that rely on the lake. Big Bear Marina owner, Steve Fengler, said that during last spring and summer seasons, he had to physically move his docks and storefront to deeper water. … ” Read more from Spectrum 1 here: Ongoing drought impacting businesses around Big Bear Lake
Along the Colorado River …
“A generational historic struggle to regain our water”
“A riverbed that has been parched since the end of the 19th century — a portion of the historic lifeblood of the Gila River Indian Community — is now coursing again with water, luring things like cattails and birds back to its shores. “You add water and stuff just immediately starts coming back naturally. Birds have returned and it’s just such a different experience,” says Jason Hauter, an attorney and a Community member. “It’s amazing how much has returned.” The revival of this small segment of the 649-mile (1045-kilometer) Gila River, which has served the tribes that make up the Gila River Indian Community — the Akimel O’odham (Pima) and the Pee-Posh (Maricopa) — for roughly 2,000 years, was an added benefit of a grassroots infrastructure overhaul, known as “managed aquifer recharge,” or MAR, which aimed to restore the local groundwater basin. … ” Read more from the Good Men Project here: “A generational historic struggle to regain our water”
Could we — should we — build a desalination plant?
“Heading into his state of the state address last week, Gov. Doug Ducey said water would be a big theme. In the end, water got just a few paragraphs in a speech that numbered 15 pages. But those few paragraphs included a big commitment. “With resources available within our budget, a relationship with Mexico we’ve built and strengthened over the last seven years, and the need clear, what better place to invest more? Instead of just talking about desalination, the technology that made Israel the world’s water superpower, how about we pave the way to make it actually happen,” he said. Desalination, of course, is not a new idea. But this week’s edition of Gavel to Gavel examines if this could be the year the state finally sets a project in motion.” Listen at Arizona Public Media here: Could we — should we — build a desalination plant?
Some taking Arizona’s water future with a grain of salt
“Gov. Doug Ducey says he’s all in for desalination to augment Arizona’s water supply which has taken a big hit during the prolonged drought. “Our goal, secure Arizona’s water future for the next one hundred years,” the Governor said in his eighth and final state of the state address on January 10, 2022. “We propose that we make a historic investment.. one billion dollars.” Desalination has been talked about in Arizona for a long time even with the construction of the Central Arizona project which supplies most of the water used by Phoenix and Tucson. … ” Read more from KOLD here: Some taking Arizona’s water future with a grain of salt
With less water on the surface, how long can Arizona rely on what’s underground?
“In Arizona, verdant fields of crops and a growing sprawl of suburban homes mean a sharp demand for water in the middle of the desert. Meeting that demand includes drawing from massive stores of underground water. But some experts say those aquifers are overtaxed and shouldn’t be seen as a long-term solution for a region where the water supply is expected to shrink in the decades to come. “We should recognize now, as we do with the Colorado River, that we have to take action before it’s too late,” said Kathleen Ferris, a senior research fellow with Arizona State University’s Kyl Center for Water Policy. Ferris has made groundwater her life’s work, helping write some of Arizona’s foundational groundwater management law in the late 1970s and later directing the state’s Department of Water Resources. Now, she’s calling for updates to policies she says no longer are sustainable. … ” Read more from Cronkite News here: With less water on the surface, how long can Arizona rely on what’s underground?
Dropping reservoirs create ‘green light’ for sustainability on Colorado River
“Some Colorado River scholars say that a plan by the lower-basin states to leave more water in Lake Mead embodies a principle they explore in a recently published article: Dropping reservoir levels have opened a window of opportunity for water-management policies that move the river system toward sustainability. In December, water managers from California, Nevada and Arizona signed a memorandum of understanding, or MOU, to spend up to $200 million to add 500,000 acre-feet of water in both 2022 and 2023 to Lake Mead, the nation’s largest reservoir, which has dropped precipitously low due to climate change and drought. Water managers developed the program, known as the 500+ Plan, in just four months — lightning speed for something that requires the cooperation among (and millions of dollars from) each participant. … ” Read more from the Aspen Times here: Dropping reservoirs create ‘green light’ for sustainability on Colorado River
In national water news today …
As climate change worries deepen, water utilities must address vulnerabilities, raise resilience
“The existential and operational threats posed by climate change are clear and imminent, if not present, but how ready — and how concerned — are water and wastewater utilities? From chronic headaches about aging infrastructure to cyber threats and shifting regulations, water utilities have no shortage of complexities that keep operators up at night. … That reality begs two questions as climate change — the force behind evidence of more severe and frequent storms — drives difficult decisions. Are utilities and communities doing enough to “harden” their water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructures and assets against climate change, the phenomena manifesting itself elsewhere in seemingly more common droughts, flooding, hurricanes, and wildfires? Or are they at the very least starting to plan for such upgrades — and creatively sorting out how to pay for them — in the interest of dependable water security and supply? And in the scheme of things, how much hardening is enough? … ” Read more from Water Online here: As climate change worries deepen, water utilities must address vulnerabilities, raise resilience
EPA changes pesticide registration practices
“There will now be additional steps taken before the environmental protection agency approves any new pesticide active ingredients. In a news release, the agency said it is reversing decades of practice and taking action to further the Agency’s compliance with the Endangered Species Act when evaluating and registering new pesticide active ingredients. … ” Read more from Ag Net West here: EPA changes pesticide registration practices
Radio show: One Planet: What’s the path forward for the environmental justice movement?
“On this edition of Your Call’s One Planet Series, we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. day by speaking with activists about their long hard fight for environmental justice. We’ll discuss protests against the construction of Enbridge’s Line 3 pipeline, the proliferation of toxic chemical plants in Louisiana, and the waste and water sanitation infrastructure crisis in rural communities.” Listen at KALW here: One Planet: What’s the path forward for the environmental justice movement?
And lastly …
Water buffalo escapes California home, gets involved in low-speed chase with CHP officers
“The California Highway Patrol was involved in a different type of chase on Monday afternoon, a very low-speed pursuit of a wayward water buffalo that managed to squeeze through a fence and was wandering rather aimlessly around North Zediker and Ashlan avenues in Fresno. “I was on my way back from the store, and he was standing there in the road, and I didn’t want anybody to get hit,” said Dan Villanueva, who lives up the road from the 20-acre lot that is home to the water buffalo. … ” Continue reading at the Sacramento Bee here: Water buffalo escapes California home, gets involved in low-speed chase with CHP officers
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
NOTICE: Public Comment Period Opens for Groundwater Sustainability Plans
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: Interior Department Announces Infrastructure Investments for Desalination, Water Reclamation and Reuse Projects
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: Application period for the Water Efficiency Technical Assistance Program extended to February 3, 2022
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: Reclamation application period gets underway for aging infrastructure with funding from Bipartisan Infrastructure Law
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: Public Workshops for Proposition 1 Round 2 IRWM Implementation
