DAILY DIGEST, 4/4: ‘The truth is California does not have enough water’; CA Groundwater Conditions Report Water Year 2021; A small and unpretentious fish is sending a warning message; Feds slash water supplies for Valley communities; and more …


On the calendar today …

  • WEBINAR: Office Hours: Proactive groundwater management strategies from 12pm to 1pm.  On April 4, we’ll be hosting Maurice Hall, Vice-President, Climate Resilient Water Systems, for the Environmental Defense Fund.  We’ll be discussing OpenET, groundwater accounting and proactive water management to build resilience beyond SGMA.  Click here to register.
  • WEBINAR: Resilience Roundtable: Launching California’s Updated Climate Adaptation Strategy from 12pm to 1pm. In recent reports from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world’s leading climate scientists make clear that adapting to climate change requires transformational action. Join statewide leaders as they outline how this Strategy puts California on this path, and what it means for Californians, other states and nations across the globe. Click here to register.

In California water news today …

‘The truth is California does not have enough water’

California’s San Joaquin Valley is getting drier, hotter and more polluted as climate change intensifies, and its communities will need to embrace more equitable agricultural strategies in order to survive, according to local experts and political leaders.  “The truth is California does not have enough water to continue with its current practices,” said Angel Santiago Fernandez-Bou, a postdoctoral scholar in environmental systems at University of California, Merced. “Climate change will make it worse.” He spoke at a virtual panel last week organized by the Water Hub, a water justice program launched by the advocacy group Climate Nexus. ... ”  Read more from the Food and Environment Reporting Network here: ‘The truth is California does not have enough water’

California Groundwater Conditions Report Water Year 2021

Water year 2021 (October 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021) was the second driest year on record following the fifth driest year in 2020. Once again, California is experiencing historic drought conditions and a reduction in surface water supplies. In the face of these drought conditions, many water managers have turned to extracting additional groundwater to fulfill their water supply needs.  Groundwater conditions in California are reflective of these dynamics, as water levels in nearly two thirds of monitoring wells are below their historical average level, with one in five wells being measured at its historic low in fall of 2021.  As groundwater levels decline, areas in the southern San Joaquin Valley continue to experience land subsidence at rates up to one foot per year and areas on the western side of the Sacramento Valley have begun experiencing land subsidence at rates up to 0.7 feet per year. Nearly 1,000 dry well reports were received this water year as the drought ensued, a large increase from the previous water year. Adding to pressure on the resource, higher numbers of new domestic and irrigation wells were installed this water year than any of the previous five water years.

Click here to read/download the report from the Department of Water Resources.

A small and unpretentious fish is sending a warning message

Over the past few decades, [the Delta] watershed has seen a dramatic change in its climate. Years-long droughts and record-high temperatures have transformed the region – a shift that’s told no better, perhaps, than through the story of the Delta smelt.  The Delta smelt is an iridescent fish about the size of a finger. The fish is a bioindicator, often noted for its distinct smell of fresh cucumbers. Though small in size, it has an impact reaching beyond the Delta, all the way to Capitol Hill. The smelt’s role in Northern California’s decades-long “water wars” have made it a key player in shaping the region’s water policy.  As a bioindicator, its presence in the Delta signifies a healthy ecosystem – one that can support a diverse range of life. However, not since the 1980s have the fish been abundant in the wild. ... ”  Read more from Yale Climate Connections here: A small and unpretentious fish is sending a warning message

Feds slash water supplies for Valley communities

As California’s worst-ever drought conditions persist, state and Federal water officials are clamping down on water supplies to a bevy of contractors.  Friday, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced that the Central Valley Project would be zeroing out its allocation to municipal and industrial water contractors – largely municipalities – after announcing a 25 percent allocation in February.  Effective Friday, municipal water users of the Central Valley Project will only receive their minimum amounts of water resources for health and safety purposes.  The announcement of a cutback in water supplies for Valley communities now parity between contractors north and south of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta as it relates to municipal water. ... ”  Read more from the San Joaquin Valley Sun here: Feds slash water supplies for Valley communities

This farmland repurposing project is delivering 3 benefits. A park may be next.

Sarah Woolf, a member of a Fresno County farm family, is standing on the edge of a field that most recently grew hemp; garlic, tomatoes and onions before that; and cotton years ago. On one side is the dry Arroyo Pasajero Creek, bushes, and a wild, scraggly tree that looks like something from a Dr. Seuss book. On the other side in the far distance is the small farming town of Huron.  This former hemp field has been regraded to recharge groundwater from the creek during the next big storm in order to provide both water supply and flood control benefits. It’s an example of the kind of project that could be funded by the state’s new Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program, which launched this year with an initial $50 million. The program was created to help ease the transition for farmers to sustainable groundwater management while creating new benefits on previously irrigated land. … ”  Continue reading at EDF’s Growing Returns here: This farmland repurposing project is delivering 3 benefits. A park may be next.

Mini desalination plants could refresh the parched West

“California and the rest of the American West are facing the worst drought in over 1,200 years. Fortunately, a decent chunk of California is on the coast, meaning one solution to the drought is utilizing desalination technologies to turn seawater into fresh water. However, large desalination plants take years to become operational and are expensive to operate (nearly $3,000 per acre-foot of seawater). Additionally, many places experiencing drought in the West, such as Arizona and New Mexico, are not on the coast.  But desalination isn’t just an option for freshening up seawater, says Brent Haddad, a professor of environmental studies at the University of California, Santa Cruz. “[Desalination] can improve not just brackish groundwater but also agricultural groundwater that’s been harmed by chemicals and even some industrial wastes,” Haddad says. … ”  Read more from Popular Science here: Mini desalination plants could refresh the parched West

Celebrating partnerships in the Central Sierra Recovery and Restoration Project

Tall. Majestic. Distinct. The landscape of California wouldn’t be complete without giant sequoia trees and the USDA Forest Service is focused on ensuring that those species are protected. With the goal of safeguarding this environment, the agency has managed a project in the Sierra National Forest that is critical in reducing the threat of wildfire to local communities and sensitive habitats. The Central Sierra Recovery and Restoration Project is a Joint Chiefs’ project that has helped reduce fuel loads and removed hazardous trees in the wildland urban interface. … ”  Read more from the US Forest Service here: Celebrating partnerships in the Central Sierra Recovery and Restoration Project

California once prohibited Native American fire practices. Now, it’s asking tribes to use them to help prevent wildfires

California is calling upon Native American tribes to bring back the once-prohibited practice of lighting controlled burns to help prevent devastating wildfires that have wreaked havoc on the state.  Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force has launched a new plan — “Strategic Plan for Expanding the Use of Beneficial Fire” — that relies on the help of Native Americans to revive their cultural burning practices, the governor’s office announced in a news release on Wednesday.  State, federal, and local agencies will partner with tribes to reintroduce the Native American tradition of prescribed, cultural burns, which are purposefully set, low-intensity fires. The technique is based in part on fire prevention: ridding the land of wildfire fuel like debris, scrub, undergrowth and certain grasses. Such fuel ignites easily, allowing for more intense flames that are harder to fight. … ”  Read more from CNN here:  California once prohibited Native American fire practices. Now, it’s asking tribes to use them to help prevent wildfires

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In commentary today …

I’m a scientist in California. Drought is worse than we thought.

lead scientist and station manager at UC Berkeley’s Central Sierra Snow Lab, writes, “This past week, I joined teams of other scientists gathering the most important measurements of the Sierra Nevada snowpack from over 265 sites throughout the state. Typically, this measurement marks the transition from snow accumulation season to the melt season and contains the most snow of any measurement throughout the year. The 2022 results, however, confirmed what those of us monitoring the state’s drought had feared: California’s snowpack is now at 39 percent of its average, or 23 percent lower than at the same point last year. This signals a deepening of the drought — already the worst in the western United States in 1,200 years — and another potentially catastrophic fire season for much of the West.  Many people have a rather simplistic view of drought as a lack of rain and snow. That’s accurate — to an extent. What it doesn’t account for is human activity and climate change that are now dramatically affecting the available water and its management. … ”  Continue reading at the New York Times here: I’m a scientist in California. Drought is worse than we thought.

ICYMI: Dan Walters: California water war peace treaty? Not quite

The holy grail of those involved in California’s decades-long political and legal battle over how the state’s water supply should be allocated has been some sort of master agreement.  There have been countless efforts at negotiating such a peace treaty and some premature declarations of success. However, California’s water wars have continued with skirmishes in the water bureaucracy, in the Legislature, in Congress, in the courts and even in the White House.  The water war involves dozens of specific agricultural and municipal water agencies and environmental groups, each with a particular stake in the outcome — known colloquially as “water buffaloes” — and their perpetual jousting is a lucrative industry for lawyers, lobbyists and public relations operatives. … ”  Read more from Cal Matters here: Dan Walters: California water war peace treaty? Not quite

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In regional water news and commentary today …

MOUNTAIN COUNTIES

July 4th show returns to North Lake Tahoe but here’s what will replace familiar fireworks

After a two-year pause during the pandemic, the Fourth of July fireworks show in North Lake Tahoe is set to return this year but with a twist. Rather than traditional fireworks, this year the show will include a drone lights show, the North Lake Tahoe Resort Association said in a news release. The shift from pyrotechnics to drones is to better “address community concerns related to fire risk,” the association said. ... ”  Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: July 4th show returns to North Lake Tahoe but here’s what will replace familiar fireworks

SACRAMENTO VALLEY

Northern California could hit 20 degrees above average in yet another spring heat wave

Temperatures in Northern California will soar into the 90-degree range this week, marking this year’s second big early-spring heat wave, forecasts suggest. The National Weather Service predicts highs in the upper 70s Monday and Tuesday in Sacramento will ratchet up, first to 80 degrees by Wednesday and then to 92 degrees by Thursday. Forecasts show Friday hitting 90 before temperatures cool to the low 80s over the weekend. ... ”  Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: Northern California could hit 20 degrees above average in yet another spring heat wave

NAPA/SONOMA

State Water Board may extend restrictions to Russian River water

A current regulation that curtails water rights in the Russian River watershed set to expire in July may be extended due to the continuing drought, according to the state agency charged with balancing all water needs of the state.  State Water Resources Control Board officials announced Friday the board released a draft emergency regulation to extend the regulation and clarify some of its requirements. … ”  Read more from SF Gate here: State Water Board may extend restrictions to Russian River water

RELATED: NOTICE: State Water Board proposes new drought emergency regulation for Russian River watershed

BAY AREA

California to survey aquifers by helicopter

The State Department of Water Resources (DWR) plans to use helicopter-based technology to gather information about California’s groundwater aquifer structure, including the Livermore Valley basin.  “The data collected during these surveys will provide a better understanding of California’s groundwater systems, and in turn support more informed and sustainable groundwater management and drought preparedness and response approaches,” said Steven Springhorn, DWR’s technical assistance manager for the state’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. … ”  Read more from the Livermore Independent here: California to survey aquifers by helicopter

SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY

Latino leaders address ongoing drought in the Central Valley

Central Valley Latino leaders met in Selma on Saturday for a conference about water policies, sustainability plans, and the drought.  The Water Education for Latino Leaders (WELL) hosted its first in-person conference since Covid.  The event was all about water.  “It’s the life blood of the valley, it’s the life blood of the state,” said one of the panelists, Kassy Chauhan, executive director at North Kings Groundwater Sustainability Agency. … ”  Read more from KGPE here: Latino leaders address ongoing drought in the Central Valley

Friant Dam water releases increasing. Why there’s concern on San Joaquin River

With a major warming trend in the forecast and temperatures in Fresno reaching the 80s on Sunday, the Bureau of Reclamation is alerting the public to monitor flow conditions and to exercise caution when on the San Joaquin River due to increased releases from Friant Dam. The bureau started releases into the river on Friday to help meet contractual obligations to deliver Central Valley Project water to the San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors on the west side of the Valley. … ”  Read more at the Fresno Bee here:  Friant Dam water releases increasing. Why there’s concern on San Joaquin River

RELATED:

Kings River watershed snow level falls short

Snow surveys taken during the final week of March reflected far below average water conditions. Steve Haugen, watermaster for Kings River Water Association (KRWA), reports the remaining snowpack water content in the Kings River basin is just 41% of average. Haugen, who manages the KRWA, cautioned this water year’s Kings River supply is likely to not even be that high.  Most of the winter and early spring storm activity has been minimal. How the remainder of this year may ultimately turn out is still up to precipitation that could be received over the next month or two. ... ”  Read more from the Hanford Sentinel here: Kings River watershed snow level falls short

Kern River snow watcher’s report shows below average year

Amateur, but thorough, snow watcher Scott Williams released his monthly “Kern River Snow and Water Report” April 2 and the news is subpar.  Annual runoff from the watershed is anticipated to be 33% of average this year based on the paltry snow pack left following the significantly dry January, February and March months.  Williams compiles data from several publicly available sources for his monthly reports, which he releases from Nov. 1 through June 1. … ”  Read more from SJV Water here: Kern River snow watcher’s report shows below average year

‘Superblooms of fungus’: How climate change is making valley fever worse

Officially known as coccidioidomycosis — or “cocci” for short — valley fever is a fungal infection that is transmitted in dust. In the United States, it has mostly plagued humans and animals in Arizona and California’s San Joaquin Valley, where the illness was first described as “San Joaquin Valley fever” more than a century ago.  But a disease that was confined to the arid Southwest for decades appears now to be spreading, with new cases being reported in Washington, Oregon and Utah. At the same time, infection rates are increasing, particularly in California, where rates have risen 800% since 2000.  Now, as health officers attempt to track this emerging infectious disease, researchers say climate change is largely responsible for its spread — much the way malaria, Zika virus and Lyme disease are believed to be getting worse because of global warming. ... ”  Read more from the LA Times here: ‘Superblooms of fungus’: How climate change is making valley fever worse

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

State’s latest recommendation of chromium 6 levels may increase Banning’s water rates

Last week the California Water Resources Control Board’s Drinking Water Program announced a maximum contaminant level of 10 parts per billion for hexavalent chromium in water.   Seven of Banning’s wells are known to have chromium 6 contamination.  Chromium 6, made famous for polluting the waters highlighted in the film “Erin Brockovich” is deemed 500 times the state’s public health goal at 10 parts per billion. … ”  Read more from the Record Gazette here: State’s latest recommendation of chromium 6 levels may increase Banning’s water rates

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Along the Colorado River …

Editorial: All stakeholders in the West rely on one another for competent water management

The Las Vegas Sun editorial board writes, “As the states and Native American tribes that share water from the Colorado River prepare to renegotiate how the water supply is allocated, the cardinal rule for these talks should involve conservation. Any state that shows up at the table without a plan to staunchly conserve its existing water supply should be penalized, and any with robust conservation plans should be rewarded.  For too long, some states in the 100-year-old Colorado River Compact have treated their allocation as if the end of the drought is right around the corner and the flow of the river will return to normal.  That’s magical thinking. … ”  Continue reading at the Las Vegas Sun here: Editorial: All stakeholders in the West rely on one another for competent water management

In Mohave County, groundwater supports sprawling farms, but what about future job growth?

This small Mojave Desert city [Kingman] has traded on its crossroads location since before pop singers advised 20th century travelers to motor west on Route 66.  People in the city and other parts of Mohave County along that storied route still use their proximity to Las Vegas, Phoenix and the ports of Southern California to lure manufacturers and distributors to an airport industrial park with quick access to Interstate 40 and freight rail service. … The area, with about 35,000 people in the city, and suburbs housing about the same number, has room to grow. But Foggin’s first question to prospective employers is: Are you a major water user?  If so, he suggests, Kingman’s not the place to get your kicks. ... ”  Read more from the Arizona Sun here: In Mohave County, groundwater supports sprawling farms, but what about future job growth?

Silt seeks long-term drinking water solution after Grizzly Creek fire, mudslides tainted Colorado River

The original problem was fire. The flames from the Grizzly Creek fire lasted for five months in 2020, burning more than 32,000 acres in western Colorado.  Now, the fire has created another problem, and it has to do with water.  Debris and ash from the fire and subsequent mudslides fell into the Colorado River, the main source of drinking water for 40 million Americans.  The effects of the fire pose a long-term threat to drinking water in neighboring Silt, which Town Manager Jeff Layman said is the first town west of the fire’s source in Glenwood Canyon to draw its water directly from the Colorado River. … ”  Read more from the Colorado Sun here: Silt seeks long-term drinking water solution after Grizzly Creek fire, mudslides tainted Colorado River

A waterfall could soon form on the Colorado River as Lake Powell drops

Each spring on the brushy banks of the San Juan River, a bucket brigade assembles twice daily.  Biological technicians with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service find their footing on wet riverside rocks and pass five-gallon buckets up the edge of an 18-foot waterfall near the Navajo Nation. The crews then carry the buckets a quarter-mile upstream by hand, following a path feral burros have forged through thickets of tamarisk in an area that Lake Powell once covered.  Inside the plastic buckets rides a precious, if somewhat disoriented cargo: endangered fish species preparing to spawn. … ”  Read more from the Salt Lake Tribune here: A waterfall could soon form on the Colorado River as Lake Powell drops

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In national water news today …

A new threat emerges for US lakes and rivers. Your lawn or toilet may be partly to blame.

The swift rise in algae blooms across the nation is the most visible symptom of a much deeper problem facing U.S. waterways, experts say. Over the past 50 years, the buildup of agriculture and human development nationwide has created an immense strain on lakes, rivers, and streams in virtually every region of the country, threatening the ability of Americans to safely fish, swim, and drink from our waters.  Passed in 1972, the U.S. Clean Water Act at first vastly improved the nation’s waterways, primarily by clamping down on pollution coming from industrial factories and sewage treatment plants. … But, experts say, the law paid little attention to polluted runoff from a vast constellation of American farms, towns, businesses, and homes. … ”  Read the full story at the Register-Guard here:  A new threat emerges for US lakes and rivers. Your lawn or toilet may be partly to blame.

FY23 budget proposal would expand drinking water funds, affordability assistance

The FY23 budget request released by the White House would boost EPA spending to $11.9 billion in 2023, (an increase from $9.56 billion in FY22), while providing full funding for a new drinking water system resilience program long championed by the drinking water sector and the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies (AMWA). The budget plan also proposes to expand a long-established home energy assistance program to allow it to help low-income families pay water and wastewater bills.  Under the Biden Administration’s budget plan for EPA, funding for the Drinking Water and Clean Water State Revolving Fund (SRF) programs would remain flat next year, at $1.126 billion and $1.639 billion, respectively. … ”  Read more from Water Finance & Management here:  FY23 budget proposal would expand drinking water funds, affordability assistance

Conservation funding inadequate:  Conservation funding must not fall out from underneath the American farmer.

It’s not that the conservation programs in Title 2 of the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018 aren’t working, according to Dr. Joe Outlaw, co-director of Texas A&M University’s Agricultural and Food Policy Center.  The problem is the conservation programs in the 2018 farm bill, like the 2014 farm bill and other farm bills before it, haven’t received enough funding, Outlaw told a hearing of the House Agriculture Committee on the role of farm programs in addressing climate change.  While some environmental activists have been advocating that carbon sequestration market payments could replace conservation and traditional farm safety net payments in the next farm bill, Outlaw said the 675 who participate in the Agricultural and Food Policy Center’s producer surveys disagree. … ”  Read more from the Western Farm Press here:  Conservation funding inadequate:  Conservation funding must not fall out from underneath the American farmer.

Here, there, and everywhere: the plastic particles around us all

Plastics are incredibly useful materials. They are flexible, strong, and maintain their durability over long periods of time. Unfortunately, the last quality listed is exactly why plastics have become a massive ecological concern. Whereas other materials like metal or wood can be easily broken down and recycled, recycling of the most commonly used plastics only makes use of roughly 5% of the material being recycled. This translates to lots of plastic waste ending up breaking down slowly in landfills or as litter. Because of the durability of plastics, its breakdown over time simply creates smaller and smaller pieces of plastic, resulting in millions of plastic particles smaller than 5 millimeters in size, which easily disperse through diverse ecosystems. … ”  Read more from EnviroBites here: Here, there, and everywhere: the plastic particles around us all 

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More news and commentary in the weekend edition …

This weekend in California water news …

  • California snowpack virtually nonexistent in last survey of water year
  • Judge in Boswell-Vidovich battle says she can’t “stretch” laws to keep groundwater from leaving Kings County
  • Voluntary Agreements to manage the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta watershed take the next step
  • Gov. Newsom’s drought order aims to slow ag well drilling
  • Assemblymember Bennett champions groundwater sustainability bill
  • Congress passed a historic infrastructure law: What this means for California and its cities
  • Climate change creating more devastating rainfall events in wildfire burn scars
  • Northern California could face dire wildfire danger in 2022. How high is the risk?
  • Dan Walters: California water war peace treaty? Not quite
  • Yurok fish expert describes benefits of dam removal for salmon
  • A Berkeley architect is obsessively tracking the East Bay’s backyard water towers
  • Mono Lake: Reduced diversions in the year ahead
  • Empty canals, dead cotton fields: Arizona farmers are getting slammed by water cuts in the West
  • And more …

Click here to read the Weekend Daily Digest.

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Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

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About the Daily Digest: The Daily Digest is a collection of selected news articles, commentaries and editorials appearing in the mainstream press. Items are generally selected to follow the focus of the Notebook blog. The Daily Digest is published every weekday with a weekend edition posting on Sundays.

 

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