On the calendar today …
- SYMPOSIUM: Adapting Restoration for a Changing Climate beginning at 9am. Join us to learn about and discuss cutting-edge, climate-adaptive strategies for ecosystem restoration across the San Francisco Estuary and beyond. Symposium continues on Wednesday. Click here to register.
- PUBLIC WEBINAR: SAFER: 2022 Drinking Water Needs Assessment from 9am to 12pm. The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) will hold a public webinar to provide an opportunity for stakeholders to review and discuss proposed changes to the Drinking Water Needs Assessment for 2022. Click here for the meeting notice.
- WORKSHOP: 2022 Proposition 1 Solicitation Application from 10:30am to 12:00pm. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will conduct an online application workshop to walk through the application process for the 2022 Proposition 1 Proposal Solicitation Notice (Solicitation). Click here to join Microsoft Teams meeting
- LUNCH-MAR from 12:30pm to 1:00pm. The February Lunch-MAR webinar will feature Jesse Roseman presenting highlights from a recent California Almond Board report. The report offers guidance to almond growers interested in using aquifer recharge to address local subbasin overdraft. Click here to register.
- GRA NorCal BRANCH MEETING: Cheers to 2022 and GSP Submittals from 5:30pm to 8:30pm at the Parkside Tap House in Chico. The hard work of developing our local groundwater sustainability plans (GSPs) is now complete and congratulations are in order! Please join your North Sacramento Valley colleagues to our first meeting of the New Year! We will hear from representatives from Butte, Glenn and Tehama counties on the final GSPs. Click here to register.
Snow survey, hydrology …
‘Drought still far from over.’ Sierra snow survey shows results of dry January
“The Sierra Nevada snowpack is dwindling, and California’s drought is worsening. A once-promising start to winter has given way to grim predictions about a third year of tight water supplies. The California Department of Water Resources’ monthly survey of snow conditions Tuesday revealed a substantial loss of snow from a month earlier, following a bone-dry January. “Our snowpack has hit this flatline and we’re not getting any snow,” said Sean de Guzman, manager of the state’s snow surveys, after his crew completed its measurements at Phillips. “We’re starting to get more concerned.” ... ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: ‘Drought still far from over.’ Sierra snow survey shows results of dry January
California snowpack dwindles after a dry January
“California’s second snow survey of the season arrived on the heels of one of the state’s driest Januarys on record, and officials are warning that a third dry year is possible unless more rain and snow arrive soon. Surveyors from the California Department of Water Resources gathered Tuesday at Phillips Station near South Lake Tahoe to announce their latest findings. Statewide snowpack has dwindled to 92% of average for the date, they said. During the initial survey about one month ago — after December’s deluge of rain and snow — that number stood at 160%. “January basically wiped out whatever head start we had as we head toward the end of winter,” said Sean de Guzman, manager of snow surveys for the Department of Water Resources. ... ” Read more from the LA Times here: California snowpack dwindles after a dry January
Maps show dramatic change in California snowpack after dry January
“California’s snowpack is now below average for this time of the year following a dry January, a dramatic turn from the previous month when the Sierra Nevada was inundated with record amounts of snow. As of Tuesday, the snow water content measured 90 to 95% of normal across the Sierra range, with the statewide average hovering around 92%, according to the California Department of Water Resources. The new figures reveal a staggering reversal from the end of December, when the state’s ever-dwindling snowpack was replenished by a barrage of storms that brought record-setting snow to parts of the Sierra. … ” Read more from KTLA here: Maps show dramatic change in California snowpack after dry January
With snowpack in decline, California’s ‘weather whiplash’ could mean alternating drought and flooding
“California is deep into its rainy season, inching toward a make-or-break moment in building the Sierra Nevada snowpack that millions of Californians rely on for drinking water. What’s happening here is that the state is experiencing a phenomenon called weather whiplash. Warming temperatures are deepening California’s already natural weather pattern: wet, then super-dry conditions that can be accentuated by heat waves, which can melt precious snow reservoirs early and cause flooding. After multiple atmospheric rivers in December and a virtually dry January, the state is oscillating between climate extremes in real time. … ” Read more from KQED here: With snowpack in decline, California’s ‘weather whiplash’ could mean alternating drought and flooding
In other California water news …
River rights battles in the San Joaquin Valley stuck in eddy
“If you’re living in excited anticipation of the next batch of legal action on several San Joaquin Valley rivers now under scrutiny by the rights division of the State Water Resources Control Board, you may want to cool your jets. That doesn’t mean absolutely nothing has been happening on the Fresno, Kings and Kern rivers. But things are moving at a, well, conservative pace. The Kern River seems to be in the lead with one set of hearings already done in December and a second set scheduled for mid-March and early April. Action on the Fresno River, meanwhile, is becalmed. … ” Read more from SJV Water here: River rights battles in the San Joaquin Valley stuck in eddy
‘Enjoy the skiing while we can’: Tahoe’s winter resorts face a future of climate change
“… Even in what promised to be a bountiful season, with the early snow the deepest it’s been in several years, Northern California’s winter getaway is under assault from climate change. California Department of Water Resources’ monthly survey of snow conditions Tuesday revealed a substantial loss of snow following a bone-dry January. Scientists say warmer weather is turning much of Lake Tahoe’s snowfall into rain, particularly at lower elevations, and is compressing the winter season into fewer days. The future is looking bleak: A study published last fall in the journal Nature Reviews says “persistent low-to-no snow conditions” will plague the Sierra Nevada in 35 years. … ” Continue reading from the Sacramento Bee here: ‘Enjoy the skiing while we can’: Tahoe’s winter resorts face a future of climate change
Delta rice farming to restore soil
“Staten Island sits deep in California’s Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, one of numerous puzzle-piece-shaped isles carved from reclaimed wetland. Like much of the lowland region, the island is mostly farmland and completely encircled by several miles of levee. The shallow crater contains an expansive mosaic of fields within it, with waterways perched precariously around its outer rim. Dawit Zeleke, president of the nonprofit Conservation Farms and Ranches, runs Staten’s 8,500-acre working farm. While corn and potato fields take up most of the island, towards its southern tip, grassy stalks of rice wave knee-high in flooded paddies. … ” Read more from Earth Island Journal here: Delta rice farming to restore soil
UCSC researchers study effects of wildfire runoff on steelhead sense of smell
“In 2020, a massive lightning storm ignited wildfires across much of Northern California. Among the thousands of acres it charred were multiple coastal watersheds from San Mateo County to Big Sur. For UC Santa Cruz fish ecologist Eric Palkovacs, the burns offered a chance to study how the runoff after wildfire affects one of the region’s most iconic fish: steelhead trout. Unlike rainbow trout, which technically belong to the same species (Onchorhyncus mykiss), endangered steelhead hatch in in freshwater streams, migrate to the ocean to mature, and finally return to their natal stream to spawn. Palkovacs worries that chemicals in runoff from burned landscapes are causing the trout’s sense of smell to go haywire. That could mean disaster for an entire generation of the federally threatened fish. … ” Read more from UC Santa Cruz here: UCSC researchers study effects of wildfire runoff on steelhead sense of smell
Lawmakers seek to leverage $12bil Calif. surplus for water projects
“Will California’s historic budget surplus mean the drought-ridden state will finally see the flow of dollars to water projects? That’s the goal of a new bill being tendered by Sens. Andreas Borgeas (R–Fresno) and Jim Nielsen (R–Red Bluff). The pair of Republican lawmakers rolled out Senate Bill 890 on Tuesday, seeks to create a Water Storage and Conveyance Fund, an eight-year funding vehicle to help fund badly-needed water projects beyond. … ” Read more from the San Joaquin Valley Sun here: Lawmakers seek to leverage $12bil Calif. surplus for water projects
California ballot measure to build more reservoirs, water projects dies due to lack of signatures
“Supporters of a proposed November ballot measure to provide billions of dollars to build new dams, desalination plants and other large water projects in California announced Tuesday they are ending their campaign due to lack of signatures and funding. “Despite crafting an initiative that would solve California’s challenge of chronic and worsening water scarcity, and despite recent polling that indicates over 70% of California’s voters support increased state spending on water infrastructure, the campaign has been unable to attract the financial support necessary to gather the required 1 million signatures,” the campaign said in a statement. … ” Continue reading at the San Jose Mercury News here: California ballot measure to build more reservoirs, water projects dies due to lack of signatures
Water agencies break ground on work-around for sunken canal
“Local, state and federal agencies and officials gathered in rural Tulare County Jan. 25 to break ground on a massive project to unclog the main surface water arterial for the San Joaquin Valley’s eastside. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which owns the canal, the Friant Water Authority, which operates the canal, and California Department of Water Resources, which regulates the water within it, held a joint a press conference along the banks of the Friant-Kern Canal near the intersection of Avenue 95 and Road 208 west of Terra Bella to celebrate the groundbreaking of a $187 million construction project to restore capacity in a 10-mile portion of the canal. … ” Read more from the Foothills Sun-Gazette here: Water agencies break ground on work-around for sunken canal
See captivating views as ISS passes over Bay Area, Delta, Folsom Lake and snowy Tahoe
“The International Space Station passed over Northern California on Sunday and took incredibly clear satellite video of some familiar locations. ISS orbits at about 254 miles above Earth. The video, tweeted by @ISSAboveYou, looks down on the Bay Area, the Delta, the Sacramento metro area, Folsom Lake, the Motherlode, the northern Sierra and Lake Tahoe. … ” Watch video at the Sacramento Bee here: See captivating views as ISS passes over Bay Area, Delta, Folsom Lake and snowy Tahoe
Global warming goes to sea — heat waves hit oceans worldwide
“While much research focuses on the impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems in the near and distant future, a new study by the Monterey Bay Aquarium finds that global warming had reached a turning point in 2014, when over half of the world’s oceans experienced extreme heat. Using what it calls an “atlas of extreme heat” to map out global ocean temperatures over time, the study was published Tuesday in the journal PLOS Climate. It helps put into context the marine heat waves that occurred off the California Coast in recent years that disrupted the ecosystem and caused closures of the Dungeness crab and other fisheries. It’s also a reminder that climate change is not a future abstract occurrence but something that is already happening, coauthor Kyle Van Houtan said. ... ” Continue reading from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Global warming goes to sea — heat waves hit oceans worldwide
In commentary today …
Editorial: As snowpack shrinks, will Gov. Newsom finally show leadership?
“Drip, drip, drip. That sound you hear is what’s left of California’s snowpack, melting away at an alarming rate. The Sierra snowpack provides about 30% of the state’s water needs. On New Year’s Day, the snowpack stood at 168% of normal for that date, thanks to a series of storms in October and December. But by Tuesday, after a dry January, the snowpack had fallen to just 92% of its historical average. With the window for winter snowfall rapidly narrowing with no sign of storms in the forecast, the situation will only get worse. … It’s time for Gov. Gavin Newsom to get real about solving the state’s short-term and long-term water crises. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here: Editorial: As snowpack shrinks, will Gov. Newsom finally show leadership?
If the Sierra snowpack vanishes as feared, California will need ideas like this for water
The Sacramento Bee editorial board writes, “Sacramento — which once only had to worry about seasonal floods — now worries each year about delivering water to its citizens in a hotter and drier California. But there is a way for Sacramento to capture rain and snow, and for the broader region to keep surface reservoirs like Folsom and Oroville lakes nearly full. This same technique could help Sacramento capture enough water to share with neighboring areas in dry years, as well as to store it when we need it most. It’s called groundwater banking. The need for it will only become more urgent as the Sierra snowpack starts to disappear. … ” Continue reading at the Sacramento Bee here: If the Sierra snowpack vanishes as feared, California will need ideas like this for water
Federal water regulations must respect our farmers
Vincent “Zippy” Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation, writes, “Water is critical to our families and our farms. It breathes life into our crops and produces forage for animals on our rangelands. It is a priority for farmers and ranchers to ensure the water we rely on is clean because safe, clean water is critical to all life. Farmers and ranchers are stepping up to partner with their communities to protect our water. Farmers have increased the use of buffer strips to prevent excess fertilizer from reaching waterways. They’re using new technologies to filter water as it drains beneath our fields and continually work to beef up other clean water protections. Last year, officials at the Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced they would rewrite the Waters of the United States, or WOTUS, rule, continuing a nearly decade-long back and forth that has left farmers and small-business owners scratching their heads. … ” Continue reading from Ag Alert here: Federal water regulations must respect our farmers
Today’s featured articles …
MONTHLY RESERVOIR REPORT for February 1st, plus a look at current reservoir and snow conditions
Written by Robert Shibatani
After a record-setting December 2021, this past month has seen the exact opposite; demonstrating once again, the extreme nature (sometimes termed a “weather whiplash”) in California’s hydroclimatology. In many areas of the State, virtually no new precipitation was recorded while, in others, nominal accumulations were observed.
Click here to read the reservoir report.
CA WATER COMMISSION: California Water Plan 2023 Update
The California Water Plan is the state’s strategic plan for sustainably managing and developing water resources for current and future generations. The plan is updated every five years, and work is in progress for the 2023 update. At the January meeting of the California Water Commission, Kamyar Guivetchi with DWR’s Division of Planning briefed the Commission on the timeline and process for developing the California Water Plan Update 2023.
Click here to read this article.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
High pressure system dominates region, may worsen drought
“Most people quickly abandoned their attempts at “dry January” this year, but not the atmosphere over the northeastern Pacific Ocean. A stubborn region of high pressure hundreds of miles wide has parked itself over the U.S. West Coast, deflecting the winter storms the region so desperately needs to improve its drought situation. Since January 9, the Klamath Basin has seen mostly sunny skies, abnormally high daytime temperatures and abnormally low nighttime temperatures. With just 0.34 inches of precipitation falling at the Klamath Falls Ag Weather Station, last month was the station’s sixth-driest January since 1948. … ” Continue reading at the Herald & News here: High pressure system dominates region, may worsen drought
Commentary: Dredge and dike Upper Klamath Lake
Joan Riker, the former owner of Klamath Consulting Service and co-author of the 314 Clean Lakes Project report, writes, “Dredge Upper Klamath Lake; do not dredge Upper Klamath Lake. I don’t know which side you are on, nor does it matter. Although it is doubtful anyone will listen, here is a third alternative, which I espoused in the 314 Clean Lakes Report which my company did in the early 1980s. No other entity has put forth my solution (except, in part, John Boyle 100 years ago). Why dredge when there is water covering the dredgable materials? “Sucking” the sludge up then mostly sucks up water, wasting energy and time and manpower and leaving you with a sloppy mess. When the water is low on Upper Klamath Lake (or Gerber, or Malone), all you have is a river sized flow following through the lowest levels of the reservoir. … ” Read more from the Herald & News here: Dredge and dike Upper Klamath Lake
Scott, Shasta river water cuts worry farmers in region
“Farming and ranching families in the Scott River and Shasta River watersheds say drought emergency curtailment regulations adopted by the state last August will threaten their livelihoods if water supplies run out as the state prioritizes minimum flows to protect threatened coho and other fish. Curtailments in the Scott River are suspended through Feb. 11, and through Feb. 28 for the Shasta River. Inefficient livestock watering was prohibited for both watersheds through last month. This is worrisome to Sari Sommarstrom, a retired watershed consultant in the Scott Valley community of Etna whose husband owns a reforestation nursery. … ” Continue reading from Ag Alert here: Scott, Shasta river water cuts worry farmers in region
Huffman announces $6.97M in new funding for local infrastructure projects from bipartisan infrastructure law
“Last week, Representative Jared Huffman (D-San Rafael) announced that three projects in California’s Second Congressional District will receive $6.97 million in new funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Disaster Relief Law to help with long needed operations and maintenance work. This new federal investment comes as the Biden administration continues its nationwide focus on easing supply chain bottlenecks, improving infrastructure resilience, and creating jobs for families. “Waterways, dams, and jetties are vital parts of our communities and economy on the North Coast, but many are in need of repair,” said Rep. Huffman. “Thanks to these historic laws, almost $7 million will be heading our way to revitalize and improve three critical projects. With these new federal funds from the Army Corps, we will be able to ensure that these structures can continue to serve Californians and all who rely on them for decades to come.” ... ” Read more from the Del Norte Triplicate here: Huffman announces $6.97M in new funding for local infrastructure projects from bipartisan infrastructure law
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Yuba Water approves $240,000 for Fire Safe Council to help reduce wildfire risk in foothills
“The Yuba Water Agency Board of Directors today approved a local cost-share grant worth up to $240,000 for the Yuba Watershed Protection and Fire Safe Council to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire and improve public safety for communities in the Yuba County foothills. The funding will serve as the local cost share to help the Fire Safe Council be more competitive in its application for a Cal Fire grant worth up to $3.2 million. If the council is successful in getting the Cal Fire grant, the funds will be put toward a major project to reduce roadside fuels on approximately 1,000 acres within the five eastern Yuba County fire districts. … ” Read more from Yuba Water here: Yuba Water approves $240,000 for Fire Safe Council to help reduce wildfire risk in foothills
Forest Service Joint Chiefs projects improve fire resiliency in Northern California and Hawaii
“The USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region (Region 5) will be investing more than $1.5 million through the Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership to support wildfire prevention and resiliency activities through two strategic projects in Northern California and one in Hawaii. They are the Big Flat Community Protection Project, the Butte Valley South Landscape Restoration Project, and the Hawaii Island Wildfire Mitigation and Support Project. The three projects will bring together Tribes, state and local governments, and other partners to help make these important activities successful. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune here: Forest Service Joint Chiefs projects improve fire resiliency in Northern California and Hawaii
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Tuscan Water District Commentary: The Water Buck
Trudy Wischemann, California water writer/researcher, writes, “We Americans have a saying about bucks: “passing the buck” means giving responsibility to someone else, while “the buck stops here” means taking responsibility, a saying made famous by President Harry Truman. The saying comes from the game of poker: apparently a “buck” is the token identifying who deals the cards, which may be kept or passed depending on some nuance of the game I don’t know. I don’t play poker for fun, don’t believe in gambling even for sport. But when it comes to water, there’s no way in hell we should be playing a game. In Butte County, however, the buck has finally come to a stop regarding the proposed Tuscan Water District, and their LAFCo (Local Agency Formation Commission) is poised to approve it this Thursday, Feb. 3rd. This story may be of use to citizens working to protect groundwater here, and to all the real farmers Valley-wide threatened with losing their lifeblood. ... ” Read more from the Foothills Sun-Gazette here: Commentary: The Water Buck
Media statement: Sacramento Regional Water Bank is key to stopping cycles of drought
“Jim Peifer, Executive Director of the Regional Water Authority, which represents 20 water providers serving 2 million people in the Sacramento region, issued the following statement in response to today’s manual snow survey conducted at Phillips Station by the California Department of Water Resources. “Today’s snow survey is yet another reminder of the ‘precipitation whiplash’—continually moving from severe drought followed by record-breaking precipitation—long predicted by climate scientists that is now normal. “This is just the beginning and is projected to have serious implications to water supplies in the Sacramento region and California. The good news is that we can adapt our water supplies—as a region and a state – to these climate challenges with long-term water efficiency and the right projects. “Chief among these projects is the Sacramento Regional Water Bank. Until we expand our ability to store—or bank—water in our groundwater aquifer, we will continue to be in a never-ending cycle of drought—some years more severe than others. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Regional Water Authority here: Media statement: Sacramento Regional Water Bank is key to stopping cycles of drought
Why residents could be voting on higher rates for Sacramento’s stormwater drainage system
“Residents living in Sacramento could soon be voting on a proposal to pay more for storm drainage upgrades. According to city officials, the issue is an $8 billion storm drainage system that could potentially run out of money at the current rate. … ” Read more from KCRA Channel 3 here: Why residents could be voting on higher rates for Sacramento’s stormwater drainage system
NAPA/SONOMA
Potter Valley Project: ‘Everybody’s at risk’: Plan to acquire Mendocino County power plant unravels
“Plans to acquire an aging power plant in Mendocino County to ensure continued flows of Eel River water into Lake Mendocino and Sonoma County have unraveled. A coalition of organizations from Sonoma, Humboldt and Mendocino counties abandoned their quest to acquire the century old Potter Valley hydroelectric plant, saying it could not meet an April 14 deadline for submitting a federal license application. The plant, about 80 miles north of Santa Rosa, is owned by Pacific Gas & Electric, which in 2019 announced plans to abandon it and surrender its license. … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here: ‘Everybody’s at risk’: Plan to acquire Mendocino County power plant unravels
Mendocino College Art Gallery presents ‘The Russian River and its Watershed’
“The Mendocino College Art Gallery is excited to present an exhibition of landscape paintings documenting the Russian River over a three-year period. The exhibit will run Feb. 8 through March 18. Renowned landscape artist Richard McDaniel created 50 paintings and drawings as he traversed the river’s 110-mile path, from its headwaters in the Laughlin Mountain Range north of Ukiah to its mouth at the Pacific Ocean in Sonoma County. In partnership with the Sonoma Land Trust and Sonoma Water, he also published a book about the project, “The Russian River & Its Watershed.” … ” Read more from the Ukiah Daily Journal here: Mendocino College Art Gallery presents ‘The Russian River and its Watershed’
BAY AREA
Marin water district proposes prohibiting decorative turf
“The Marin Municipal Water District is proposing a ban on decorative grass at commercial and municipal properties to reduce demand on local reservoir supplies. The proposal would require most nonfunctional turf be removed over several years. Under the proposal presented by staff last month, commercial properties would be barred from installing new decorative turf beginning in March. The prohibition would not affect residential properties, churches, homeowners association common areas, sports fields, golf course greens and play areas such as in schools and parks. The board is set to consider the proposal at a future meeting. The new rules, if enacted, could begin in March. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here: Marin water district proposes prohibiting decorative turf
City Council rejects proposal to sell Palo Alto’s water rights
“For decades, Palo Alto has been enjoying the right to buy far more water than it uses. As one of 26 members of the Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency (BAWSCA), an alliance of communities that get their water from the San Francisco Public Utility Commission, the city is entitled to buy 16.57 million gallons per day from the utility. That’s more than any other city in the alliance and second among all customers only to the California Water Service, which supplies several San Mateo County communities. This is despite the fact that the city’s water usage has remained relatively steady in recent years at about 10 million gallons. … ” Read more from Palo Alto Online here: City Council rejects proposal to sell Palo Alto’s water rights
CENTRAL COAST
How much has Santa Cruz county’s water supply improved?
“The first rain storms of winter brought more than just moisture. With them came a chance to raise local water levels in alarmingly low aquifers and reservoirs. They also allowed water agencies across the county to put new sustainability projects—like injecting stormwater into underground aquifers—to the test. “At least we know that it does rain in California,” jokes Brian Lockwood, the general manager of the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency (PV Water). But the drought isn’t over yet. “I think that it’s easy to get a couple of big rainstorms and think we’re out of the woods,” says Lockwood. “But the truth is we’re not.” … ” Read more from Good Times Santa Cruz here: How much has Santa Cruz county’s water supply improved?
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Vulnerable Central Valley is on the front lines of climate change
“California’s Central Valley is on the front lines of climate change, according to a recent report by its own University of California. In early January, a team of UC Merced and affiliated researchers released the Fourth Regional Climate Change Assessment, illustrating the biggest problems — and possible solutions — facing California’s vast and diverse biomes and communities, from the coasts to the mountains and forests to deserts. “The San Joaquin [Valley] is uniquely at the heart of California and this first-of-its-kind regional assessment of climate change impacts shows the unique challenges faced by the region, including access to safe drinking water and dependence on vulnerable water supply for agricultural production,” said report co-author and Associate Dean for Research Professor Joshua Viers. … ” Continue reading at the Foothills Sun-Gazette here: Vulnerable Central Valley is on the front lines of climate change
Lowering Lodi Lake and buttressing the riverbanks
“Visitors to Lodi Lake will see the water level at the park decline this week, but there is no need to worry. Water in the lake will be lowered today in preparation for annual maintenance, and as the Riverbank Restoration Project gets underway. The Woodbridge Irrigation District drains the lake by about two feet every February as part of its operating plan. The lake’s depth is typically 12 feet. During this time, the district’s fish screens are cleaned, and City of Lodi Public Works staff typically inspect storm drains, as well as perform cleaning and maintenance on the Lodi Surface Water Treatment Plant. … ” Read more from the Lodi News-Sentinel here: Lowering Lodi Lake and buttressing the riverbanks
Monthly report on Kern River watershed shows underachieving snow pack, so far
“The monthly Kern River Snow and Water Report ,compiled by a local grassroots group, was delivered to email inboxes Feb. 1 and the news was sub par. The Keepers of the Kern, a community group in the Kern River Valley dedicated to keeping the Kern River and surrounding areas clean and accessible, compiles a monthly precipitation report for the Kern River watershed from numerous publicly available sources. The report shows a roller coaster water year so far with a great October, a water bust for November, a super December, ending with a very low January. The end result, as of the beginning of February, was a below-average snowpack. … ” Read more from SJV Water here: Monthly report on Kern River watershed shows underachieving snow pack, so far
EASTERN SIERRA
Ridgecrest: Hard questions, fewer answers at public workshop on adjudication
“Members of the public turned up and asked hard questions at the Indian Wells Valley Water District’s adjudication workshop Wednesday night at city hall. Not all of them were answered. Questions ranged from potential impacts on small pumpers (unknown) to whether the adjudication outcome can be challenged after the fact (to some extent apparently). Questioners were polite and articulate, but frequently not reassured by the answers they heard. “I hope the judge doesn’t just say let’s cut that baby in half and give you each a half,” Skip Gorman said after asking about whether the determination can be questioned after the fact. … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent here: Hard questions, fewer answers at public workshop on adjudication
Ridgecrest: Groundwater Authority finances: A brief look
“The regular meeting of the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority board of directors on Jan. 12 was a quick and overall uneventful venture which mostly involved monthly updates as the IWVGA waited to hear of updates on the status of their submitted groundwater sustainability plan and of special adjudication workshop which would come later that month. One of those monthly updates was a review of expected money coming in from California propositions designed to help fund groundwater sustainability plans across the state. ... ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent here: Groundwater Authority finances: A brief look
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Rosamond Community Services District halts efforts to use eminent domain
“The Rosamond Community Services District has halted its efforts to use eminent domain procedures to obtain water rights from agricultural land owned by the Calandri family on Rosamond’s west side. In November, the District Board of Directors unanimously approved a Resolution of Necessity, which declared it in the public interest to acquire the property for the water rights. On Wednesday, the Board rescinded that resolution, as the District had acquired other permanent water rights that meet a great deal of its water needs and temporary water rights that will provide a cushion while the effort continues to obtain permanent water rights, General Manager Steve Perez said. … ” Read more from the Antelope Valley Press here: Rosamond Community Services District halts efforts to use eminent domain
L.A. River sewage spill forces beach closures in Long Beach
“A sewage spill in Compton has forced temporary beach closures in Long Beach, officials confirmed Tuesday. Dr. Anissa Davis, Long Beach’s city health officer, ordered all swimming areas west of Belmont Pier temporarily closed for water contact, according to a city statement. The closure will remain in place until water quality meets state standards. … ” Continue reading at the LA Times here: L.A. River sewage spill forces beach closures in Long Beach
SAN DIEGO
Partners agree to move ahead on 500 MW San Vicente Energy Storage Facility
“Partners the City of San Diego and the San Diego County Water Authority will begin negotiations on a project development agreement with the BHE Kiewit Team to develop Phase 1 of the potential 500 MW San Vicente Energy Storage Facility Project. The proposed project, which could generate enough energy for about 135,000 households, is subject to a full environmental review and regulatory approvals. If the authority and the city decide to proceed after completing environmental review, the San Vicente Energy Storage Facility would provide up to 500 MW of long-duration stored energy to help meet peak electrical demands throughout southern California and help meet California’s renewable energy goals. … ” Continue reading from Hydro Review here: Partners agree to move ahead on 500 MW San Vicente Energy Storage Facility
Along the Colorado River …
The great drying: The end of the American Southwest?
“Nancy Caywood is a fifth-generation farmer. With her son, Travis, she grows alfalfa and cotton in Arizona’s Pinal County, located between Phoenix and Tucson. She walks across a dry, nearly barren field. With each step, alfalfa crunches beneath her boots. “Everything is dead out here,” she says. The Caywood farm is just one of many that are facing the possibility of shuttering their operations as the federal government begins to ration water from the Colorado River. This is unprecedented but necessary if the two major reservoirs on the Colorado River – Lake Powell and Lake Mead – are not to run dry. The problem facing the farmers in Pinal County is a twenty-year long drought. … ” Read more from the Good Men Project here: The great drying: The end of the American Southwest?
Listen: Desalination should be the last option for Arizona’s water problems — not the first, expert says
“In his State of the State address last month, Gov. Doug Ducey brought up some of the water issues facing the state and mentioned a much-talked-about potential solution: desalination. The governor said instead of just talking about the technology, the state should make it happen. And he proposed a $1 billion investment to do that. His budget proposal, though, clarifies that amount is to be spread out over the next three years. But Seth Siegel says desalination is the most expensive and sophisticated technology you can use to augment water supplies — and it’s the last one you should use. Siegel is a water activist and author of two books on water. The Show spoke with him about Ducey’s vision and started the conversation with the issue of water scarcity.” Listen at KJZZ here: Listen: Desalination should be the last option for Arizona’s water problems — not the first, expert says
Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project projected to serve thousands of people
“Arizonans are facing water shortages as the Colorado River declines, but Teddy Lopez and many other residents of the Navajo Nation have lived without easy access to clean water for decades. Lopez, 66, has learned that nothing is guaranteed – with water or in life. “I just take it one day at a time and try to work what I can, what I can do,” said Lopez, who in August received news no one wants to hear. “I have cancer,” he said, “so I just take care of my family, I guess.” Lopez lives with his wife in Lybrook, New Mexico, and his daughter and grandchildren visit him every day to cook his meals. … ” Read more from the Arizona Daily Sun here: Navajo-Gallup Water Supply Project projected to serve thousands of people
In national water news today …
Sustainable groundwater use could lower agricultural production
“In the U.S., 52 percent of irrigated land is used for corn, soybean and winter wheat production. The water used for irrigation is often unsustainably pumped groundwater. According to a recent Dartmouth-led study published in Earth’s Future, using groundwater sustainably for agriculture in the U.S. could dramatically reduce the production of corn, soybean and winter wheat. Irrigation relies on extracting groundwater from aquifers, which also serve as a source of drinking water and are essential to lakes, rivers, and ecosystems. Aquifers are naturally recharged, as rainfall, snowmelt and other water infiltrate the soil, and are collected in a porous layer underground. If groundwater use, however, exceeds aquifer recharge rates, this reduces the amount of groundwater that is available in the aquifer, including for growing crops. … ” Read more from Water World here: Sustainable groundwater use could lower agricultural production
Big data: Maps and clicks help the public advance environmental objectives
“Alexandra Dapolito Dunn, Lily Chinn and Anne Carpenter, of Baker Botts LLP, discuss “environmental big data” available to companies, governments and the public on environmental impacts on communities. Today, with a few clicks and swipes, any person can view dozens of publicly available databases or resources with detailed information about a community, including the air and water quality; the number of companies with permits to release various substances to the environment; incidents and accidents involving those companies, and related penalties paid by them; and even the last inspection by a regulator. Sometimes this information is easy to understand and put in context, but, at other times, it requires regulatory and technical knowledge to understand the information. … ” Read more from Reuters News here: Big data: Maps and clicks help the public advance environmental objectives
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
WATER PLAN eNEWS: ~~Prepare California~ Wildfire Strategy~ Data Infrastructure~ Drought Data~ Science Policy~ 2022 Roadmap ~~
