WEEKLY WATER NEWS DIGEST for April 3-8: The California Environmental Flows Framework, Suisun Marsh: A bastion for fish; Plus all the top water news of the week ~ MAVEN'S NOTEBOOK

A wrap-up of posts published on Maven’s Notebook this week …

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This week’s featured articles …

DELTA INDEPENDENT SCIENCE BOARD: The California Environmental Flows Framework

California water is a seemingly unending battle of allocating an often scarce resource among cities, farms, and the environment. In particular, the question of how much water should be left instream for the environment rather than diverted for human use is perhaps the most controversial. Most (if not all) people would agree that some water should be left in the rivers and streams, but just how much?

California’s environment is incredibly diverse; it includes chaparral scrub, temperate coniferous forests, mountains, desert, and the coast, and the rivers and streams that flow through the landscape reflect that diversity. This means that what works for environmental flows in one area will likely not work in another. Further complicating matters, multiple state and local agencies share responsibility for determining the flows needed to protect freshwater ecosystems. Still, the vast majority of streams and rivers in California do not have any instream flow prescriptions, and where such flow criteria have been developed, those efforts have been poorly coordinated and have not resulted in effective protection of the ecosystem.

Enter the California Environmental Flows Framework, which uses a functional flows approach to develop consistent science-based recommendations for setting ecological flow criteria that is flexible enough to apply statewide. The Framework was recommended in Water Resilience Portfolio as a way to better protect the environmental flow patterns that sustain fish and wildlife.

At the March meeting of the Delta Independent Science Board, Dr. Sarah Yarnell, professor of research at the Center for Watershed Sciences at UC Davis, and Dr. Julie Zimmerman, lead scientist for the Nature Conservancy’s water program in California, gave a presentation on the state of the science of environmental flows, an overview of the California Environmental flows framework, and the opportunities and challenges for improving the science underpinning environmental flows.

Click here to read this article.

ESTUARY NEWS: Suisun Marsh: A Bastion for Fish

By Nate Seltenrich

Rising seas are coming for Suisun Marsh, and without careful management some of its most critical habitats could be lost forever. The largest remaining contiguous, brackish-water marsh in western North America, Suisun Marsh is also a critical refuge for many native fishes of the highly modified, highly invaded San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary – but for how much longer?

“[Sea-level rise] really has the potential to change the marsh into a much more homogeneous, much less interesting system that offers a lot less refuge and food production for fishes,” says UC Davis senior researcher John Durand, who since 2015 has led the 42-year-old Suisun Marsh Fish Study, which involves monthly surveys of fish and invertebrates.

Click here to read this article.

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In California water news this week …

California snowpack virtually nonexistent in last survey of water year

“Most Californians understand the water supply problem, but the California Department of Water Resources’ final snow survey of the year conducted Friday underscored the true dire nature of the situation. “You need no more evidence than standing on this very dry landscape to understand some of the challenges facing California,” said Karla Nemeth, director of the state’s water department. April 1 is the last snow survey because it is typically when the snowpack that builds in the Sierra Nevada mountains throughout the winter is at it peak. On Friday, Nemeth and her team walked through what was essentially dry ground at a field near Echo Summit, just west of Lake Tahoe. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service here: California snowpack virtually nonexistent in last survey of water year

Disappointing rain and snow mean tighter water rules ahead

“California’s wet season wrapped up as a big disappointment, setting the stage for a third year of drought. Most of the state — about 96% — was categorized as having severe drought conditions as March came to a close, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The continuing drought suggests more water restrictions are forthcoming as supplies run low. “You need no more evidence than standing here on this very dry landscape to understand the challenges we’re facing in California,” said Karla Nemeth, director of the state Department of Water Resources, at the agency’s April snow survey in the Sierra Nevada, where there was very little snow to measure. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Disappointing rain and snow mean tighter water rules ahead

‘Urgency change’ will allow more water to be stored in Lake Oroville and Shasta Lake

“Federal and state water agencies have issued an urgency change to conserve more water in Lake Oroville and Shasta Lake. District 1 Rep. Doug LaMalfa announced Wednesday, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) and California Department of Water Resources (DWR) have issued a temporary urgency change petition (TUCP). It will be in effect now through June 30. The urgency petition allows the State Water Project and Central Valley Project to release less water through the Delta, in order to conserve stored water at reservoirs including Shasta Lake, Lake Oroville and Folsom Lake. … ” Read more from Action News Now here: ‘Urgency change’ will allow more water to be stored in Lake Oroville and Shasta Lake

Ongoing drought demands updated models to better manage California’s water

“This year’s Sierra Nevada snowpack is just 39% of average. But it’s now more than the amount of snow and rainfall that determines California’s water supply. Scientists say climate change has created a cycle of drought that is increasingly hard to reverse, and new models are needed to be able to fully meet the West’s water management needs. “One of the issues that we’re always concerned about with these types of extended droughts or particularly warm periods is that the soil itself will dry out and almost lose its ability to retain water,” said Dr. Andrew Schwartz, lead Scientist and station manager at the Central Sierra Snow Laboratory at UC Berkeley. “Or in another case, depending on your soil type, can actually pull up so much of the water from any new rainfall that it doesn’t make it into streams and then our reservoirs. And so as a result, the drought is kind of, in a way, self-perpetuating.” … ” Read more from KPBS here: Ongoing drought demands updated models to better manage California’s water

LaMalfa: “Water Changes Were Needed Months Ago”

“Today, Congressman Doug LaMalfa (R – Richvale) commented on the Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) and California Department of Water Recourses’ (DWR) announcement that they have issued a Temporary Urgency Change Petition (TUCP) to California water operations. The new order allows DWR and BOR to conserve more water in Shasta and Oroville, reduce Delta outflow requirements for salinity, and reduce the mandatory minimum flows in the river to save water. There had been a TUCP in place for much of the fall, however, BOR and the DWR allowed it to lapse in January. Congressmen LaMalfa, McCarthy, McClintock, Valadao, and Calvert had asked for this additional flexibility to be issued in February in order to store additional water during the winter months. “I’m happy to see the state finally taking our drought conditions more seriously. The flexibility to store additional water and reduce outflows that was issued today was needed months ago when fresh water was needlessly being flushed out to the ocean unused. … “ Continue reading at Congressman Doug LaMalfa’s website here: LaMalfa: “Water Changes Were Needed Months Ago”

Despite cutbacks to the rest of the state, some ag districts get full allotment of water

“Even as most agricultural water supplies are being cut to the bone, with California descending into a third year of extreme drought, the San Joaquin River Exchange Contractor districts will apparently receive 650,000 acre feet — 100% of their “critical year” allotment. The move is just one of the quirks in California’s byzantine world of water rights. The federal Bureau of Reclamation has increased the amount of water coming out of the Friant Dam above Fresno to help satisfy its contract with the Exchange Contractors. That water normally goes to Friant Water Authority and its member agencies which are spread more than 150 miles up and down the east side of the San Joaquin Valley. Calls to the Authority weren’t returned. … ” Read more from the Fresno Bee here: Despite cutbacks to the rest of the state, some ag districts get full allotment of water

Friant water officials dismayed over Federal water shuffle

“A move by Federal water officials to release water from Friant Dam to accommodate the needs of competing, farm water users is prompting increased worries from Friant Water Authority over its ability to serve disadvantaged communities in the San Joaquin Valley. Last Friday, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced it would begin releasing water from Millerton Lake to assist San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors, those who have contracted with Federal water officials for Sacramento River water in exchange for historic rights to the Kings and San Joaquin River. In a statement on Tuesday, the Friant Water Authority – which services the Friant-Kern Canal and a bevy of San Joaquin Valley communities from Madera to southern Kern counties – expressed disappointment at the decision by Federal officials. … ” Read more from the San Joaquin Valley Sun here: Friant water officials dismayed over Federal water shuffle

Listen: The dire consequences of continued chiseling away of water from California farmers

“Mario Santoyo served as assistant manager for 30 years on the Friant Water Users Authority, and then served as Executive Director for the San Joaquin Valley Water Infrastructure Authority representing the counties of Merced, Madera, Fresno, Tulare, and Kings, in order to promote the building of Temperance Flat Dam. He has seen many zero allocations and has been bruised badly trying to insure water for California Agriculture.” Listen at Cal Ag Today here: The Fate of Available Water—A Dire Prediction for California Agriculture, Part 1 and The dire consequences of continued chiseling away of water from California farmersm Part 2

DWR allocates funds for Delta-Mendota canal repairs

“The California Department of Water Resources signed an agreement to award $3.3 million in funding to the San Luis and Delta-Mendota Water Authority to repair segments of the Delta-Mendota Canal (DMC) in the San Joaquin Valley that have been damaged by land subsidence. The Delta-Mendota Canal, which conveys water over 116 miles from its headworks in Byron to its outlet in Mendota, plays a critical role in delivering water to 1.2 million acres of farmland in the San Joaquin, San Benito, and Santa Clara valleys. It also delivers water to more than 2 million Californians and approximately 150,000 acres of managed wetlands important to the Pacific Flyway. … ” Read more from DWR News here: DWR allocates funds for Delta-Mendota canal repairs

Watch: Could the water wars in California be over? Westlands water district GM says new VA plan would solve state’s mismanagement of water

“Could the decades old battle over water distribution in California soon be over? This governor Newsom, state and federal officials along with two of the state’s biggest water agencies agreed to a new voluntary agreement that would provide a new framework on how water will be used. The general manager of Westlands Water District, the largest water ag district in the country, Tom Birmingham joined Alexan Balekian exclusively on Sunday Morning Matters after signing off on the agreement on why he believes this is the first major step in ending the water wars in the Golden State.” Watch the news segment at Your Central Valley here: Could the water wars in California be over? Westlands water district GM says new VA plan would solve state’s mismanagement of water

California salmon are at risk of extinction. A plan to save them stirs hope and controversy

“Shasta Dam stands more than 600 feet tall, the height of a 55-story building, with a colossal spillway that towers over the Sacramento River in a curved face of concrete. Since its completion in 1945, the dam has created California’s largest reservoir, which provides water for farms and cities across the state. But it has also blocked Chinook salmon from returning upstream to the cold, spring-fed streams near Mt. Shasta where they once spawned. … With California in a third year of drought, state and federal officials are moving ahead with plans to truck fish above Shasta Dam and reintroduce them to the McCloud River. After the fish spawn and die, their offspring would be captured and trucked back to waters below the dam to begin their journey to adulthood in the Pacific Ocean. … ” Continue reading at the LA Times here: California salmon are at risk of extinction. A plan to save them stirs hope and controversy

Judge in Boswell-Vidovich battle says she can’t “stretch” laws to keep groundwater from leaving Kings County

“A pair of lawsuits focused on trespass and environmental issues surrounding construction of a 48-inch water pipeline in Kings County are, in many ways, just a token of a much larger issue: Groundwater leaving the county, a judge noted on Friday. “The fact that groundwater is an issue in this county isn’t disputed,” Judge Valerie Chrissakis said … During a proceeding Friday, Chrissakis acknowledged that groundwater depletion is a serious problem and many other counties have ordinances prohibiting native groundwater from being shipped outside their borders. “The fact is we don’t,” she said of Kings. “There are people who could have protected our county from this and, for whatever reason, they haven’t.” … ” Read more from SJV Water here: Judge in Boswell-Vidovich battle says she can’t “stretch” laws to keep groundwater from leaving Kings County

Water trading can help California’s struggling freshwater ecosystems

“Adding more water to rivers, wetlands, and streams at key times can support California’s struggling native fishes and birds. Regulation is one way to do this, by requiring water users to leave a certain amount of water instream. A complementary approach is water trading. Paying water users to make water available can enhance the environment while reducing conflict over the allocation of scarce supplies. Despite trading’s promise, however, there are questions about the path forward. ... ” Continue reading at the PPIC here: Water trading can help California’s struggling freshwater ecosystems

Hurtado no longer calling for State Water Board to be dissolved

“State Senator Melissa Hurtado, D-Sanger, will no longer seek to dissolve the State Water Resources Control Board, which manages the state water. But Hurtado is still moving ahead with Senate Bill 1219 — the State Water Resiliency and Modernization Act. The act originally called for the State Water Resources Control Board to be dissolved and to be replaced by a Blue Ribbon Commission. That Commission would have been comprised of officials from water agencies across the state along with State Legislators. But Hurtado has placed amendments to the bill which no longer calls for the State Water Resources Control Board to be dissolved. … ” Read more from the Porterville Recorder here: Hurtado no longer calling for State Water Board to be dissolved

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

Progressives want to ban trading of California water futures

“In September 2020, as wildfires lashed a drought-stricken West Coast and average water prices in California leaped to double what they had been a year earlier, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange and NASDAQ announced a new tool to bet on the price of water. The exchanges were offering a futures contract—an agreement to buy an asset at a predetermined time—structured much like existing derivatives that allow investors to wager on changes in the cost of pork or palm oil. The launch prompted considerable distress from environmental nonprofits. “My first reaction when I saw this was horror,” Basav Sen, climate justice project director at the Institute for Policy Studies, told the news outlet Earther. “What this represents is a cynical attempt at setting up what’s almost like a betting casino so some people can make money from others suffering.” … ” Read more from The American Prospect here: Progressives want to ban trading of California water futures

NASA finds new way to monitor underground water loss

“Scientists have produced a new method that holds the promise of improving groundwater management – critical to both life and agriculture in dry regions. The method sorts out how much underground water loss comes from aquifers confined in clay, which can be drained so dry that they will not recover, and how much comes from soil that’s not confined in an aquifer, which can be replenished by a few years of normal rains. The research team studied California’s Tulare Basin, part of the Central Valley. The team found that the key to distinguishing between these underground sources of water relates to patterns of sinking and rising ground levels in this heavily irrigated agricultural region. ... ” Read more from NASA JPL here: NASA finds new way to monitor underground water loss

Gov. Newsom’s drought order aims to slow ag well drilling

“New wells for agriculture will be more difficult to drill in the San Joaquin Valley under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recent executive order in response to the ongoing drought. Part of the order prohibits new wells from being drilled without approval from local groundwater sustainability agencies (GSA) first. The GSAs must determine that new wells or changes to existing wells won’t hurt their groundwater sustainability goals, damage infrastructure or cause ground subsidence. “It’s a historic move that we’re really proud to see happening,” said Kyle Jones, policy and legal director for nonprofit Community Water Center. ... ” Read more from SJV Water here: Gov. Newsom’s drought order aims to slow ag well drilling

Assemblymember Bennett champions groundwater sustainability bill

“As concerns about the drought continue, Assemblymember Steve Bennett, D-Ventura, has filed legislation meant to strengthen and protect groundwater sustainability. His AB 2201 would enact restrictions and other regulations on groundwater extraction, including the prohibition of permits for new or expanded facilities in a probationary basin unless a state board determines the area is properly managed. It would prohibit a groundwater extraction facility in a basin designated by the Department of Water Resources subject to critical conditions of overdraft from extracting water without a valid permit with certain exceptions. … ” Read more from the Santa Barbara News-Press here: Bennett champions groundwater sustainability bill

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In commentary this week …

Dan Walters: California water war peace treaty? Not quite

Dan Walters writes, “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. … Last week, Gov. Gavin Newsom became the latest governor to claim progress on settling the conflict, announcing a $2.6 billion agreement between the state and some municipal and agricultural factions to reduce the amount of water taken from the Sacramento and San Joaquin river systems so that more can flow naturally and thus improve fish habitat. “We don’t have to choose between healthy ecosystems or a healthy economy,” Newsom said in a written statement. “We can choose a path that provides for both. This is a meaningful, hard-earned step in the right direction.” Perhaps, but we’ve heard that claim before. … ” Continue reading at the Ventura County Star here: California water war peace treaty? Not quite

Who (and what) are excluded from backroom Bay-Delta “deal”

Doug Obegi, Director of NRDC’s California River Restoration Program, writes, “The State’s recent announcement of a proposed voluntary agreement (“VA” for short) for the Bay-Delta watershed is the result of an illegitimate, exclusionary backroom negotiation that fails to protect the health of the estuary, its native fish and wildlife, and the jobs and communities that depend on its health. Rather than the state using its longstanding authority to reform our inequitable water rights system and require water districts divert less water from our overtapped rivers, the proposed voluntary agreement seeks to reinforce the privileged, making state and federal taxpayers subsidize the obligations of the water districts whose unsustainable water diversions have devastated the estuary. … ” Continue reading from the NRDC here: Who (and what) are excluded from backroom Bay-Delta “deal”

Crisis in California water

Geoff Vanden Heuvel, Director of Regulatory and Economic Affairs at the Milk Producer’s Council, writes, “It took me a while, but I finally got through all 122 pages of the court order, issued a few weeks ago by Federal District Court Judge Dale A. Drozd, that will dictate how water will flow through the Bay-Delta between now and September 30. I’d heard it before, but it is still shocking to read the dictates of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) on the pages of a court order cited by the Judge: “Congress has determined that under the ESA the balance of hardships always tips sharply in favor of endangered or threatened species, courts considering and issuing injunctive relief under Section 7(a) of the ESA do not have the discretion to consider countervailing allegations of economic costs. Evidence regarding purely economic consequences of an injunction proposed to address an ESA violation is therefore arguably not relevant to the court’s evaluation of that proposed injunctive relief. That is because preserving an endangered species has an “incalculable value.” … ” Continue reading at the Milk Producer’s Council here: Crisis in California water

Commentary: Improved data on protecting salmon can help farms

Mike Wade, Executive Director of the California Farm Water Coalition, writes, “Farms require water to grow the healthy local food supply we depend on. But despite increasing water efficiency, farmers are always the first to have supplies cut. That trend continues this year, with increasing tensions, as California enters year three of a withering drought. Yet amid our water challenges, farmers continue to recognize the importance of iconic California wildlife, such as winter- and fall-run Chinook salmon. Numerous farms and irrigation districts work with state agencies and multiple interest groups to help improve salmon habitat, reduce predators and ensure ample supplies of nutrients for juvenile salmon populations. Those considerations for farms and fish were points of discussion recently when the State Water Resources Control Board held a workshop to discuss Sacramento River temperature management and its impact on salmon for 2022 and beyond. The workshop was planned when there was still hope for improved water conditions. After heavy early-season snowfall, the opportunity seemed ripe to explore water management options for water users and the environment. … ” Read more from Ag Alert here: Commentary: Improved data on protecting salmon can help farms

Snowpack report underscores need for transformative changes to address record-setting California drought

Heather Cooley, Dr. Peter Gleick, and Dr. Amanda Bielawski from the Pacific Institute write, “April 1st marks the end of the wet season in California. It’s also the day the California Department of Water Resources announces key seasonal snowpack measurements and makes projections of water availability for the rest of the water year. Today, the news is extremely bad and is a call to action to do much more — and to do some things much differently. Emergency short-term measures are necessary but will not be enough. We must also make systemic, transformational changes to build longer-term water resilience. … ” Read the full article at the Pacific Institute here: Snowpack report underscores need for transformative changes to address record-setting California drought

Today’s world is full of uncertainties. Your food supply shouldn’t be one of them

The California Farm Water Coalition writes, “The war in Ukraine and all the global unrest it is causing has focused American’s attention on just how uncertain a world we inhabit. Inflation was already wreaking havoc on family budgets and now gas prices are also skyrocketing. Which is exactly why our government should be doing everything it can to reduce reliance on foreign sources for our basic needs, especially food. Unfortunately, that is the exact opposite of what is happening. Through out-of-balance regulatory policies and a failure to prioritize western farming, our government is putting our safe, affordable, domestic food supply at risk. … ” Read more from the California Farm Water Coaliton here: Today’s world is full of uncertainties. Your food supply shouldn’t be one of them

California needs to update water conservation standards

State Senator Bob Hertzberg and Tracy Quinn, Director of Natural Resources Defense Council’s California urban water policy, writes, “With Gov. Gavin Newsom’s recent executive order calling on local water systems to start conserving more water, we find ourselves in an all-too familiar cycle. When signs of drought abound, we hope for miraculous storms to parch the land’s thirst. Hope starts to fade, and our agencies pivot into crisis mode, cutting water use in ways that likely won’t impact daily life but will ensure our faucets keep flowing. But what happens if the faucets stop flowing? Without transforming California’s water-efficiency standards, that unfortunate day could come much sooner, devastating our poorest neighborhoods where access to clean water is already no guarantee. ... ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here: California needs to update water conservation standards

Environmental justice work starts with relationships

Delta Stewardship Council Senior Environmental Planner Morgan Chow writes, “Environmental Justice and equity have been a common thread throughout my career in environmental management. Before I joined the Delta Stewardship Council as a Senior Environmental Planner, I worked as an analyst at the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission, where I had the opportunity to participate in the formation of the agency’s first EJ policy. While at BCDC, I not only learned from their EJ policy process but also from other State agencies, including the California Coastal Commission, State Lands Commission, and the State Coastal Conservancy, who were simultaneously writing EJ policies and guidelines reflecting California’s recent prioritization of EJ. Little did I know at the time, but this experience equipped me well to support the Council’s EJ initiative. The most important lesson I took away from these State agencies’ EJ processes is that to succeed in this work, we, at the Council, need a more inclusive and varied approach to community outreach. … ” Read more from the Delta Stewardship Council here: Environmental justice work starts with relationships

Column: The end of the world is coming, even if you’ve heard it all before

Columnist Nicholas Goldberg writes, “The periodic reports of the U.N.’s International Panel on Climate Change are lapsing into self-parody. This is your last warning, they say. Get a move on. Don’t sit idly by. Fix the problem now. We mean it! I am continually amazed that the IPCC scientists don’t throw up their collective hands in disgust at humanity’s inability to awaken from its slumbers and stop issuing reports altogether. … ” Continue reading at the LA Times here: Column: The end of the world is coming, even if you’ve heard it all before

Lawmakers have chance to block worst aspects of climate change

Arnold Sowell, executive director of NextGen Policy, writes, “Not many people have seen how state budgets get put together and state legislation gets enacted, but I have. For decades, I helped shape the state’s policy priorities as a senior member of the Assembly Speaker’s Office – including being the lead Assembly staffer on the historic passage of AB 32, which made California the first state in the nation to place caps on greenhouse gas emissions. So trust me when I say, California’s elected leaders have a huge opportunity to stave off the worst impacts of climate change by enacting the governor’s current Climate Budget. … ” Read more from Capitol Weekly here: Lawmakers have chance to block worst aspects of climate change

Don Wright with Water Wrights on Executive Order N-7-22

Don Wright with Water Wrights writes, “California’s Governor Gavin Newsom released Executive Order N-7-22 on March 28, 2022 in response to the state’s ongoing drought conditions. It is effective immediately and covers the entire state. The entire order could perhaps be viewed as part five of his four previous drought related executive orders from 2021. The order is formatted like a proclamation, it has two pages of whereas explaining the Governor’s thoughts on why the order is needed. He blames everything on climate change and doesn’t mention any other causes such as the possibility of government mismanagement of storage and supplies. However, in whereas number five he does mention farms alongside vulnerable communities and fish and wildlife, so at least agriculture wasn’t ignored. Page two yields a therefore let it be written, let it be done followed by four more pages listing 15 items or directives. … ” Read more from Water Wrights here: Don Wright with Water Wrights on Executive Order N-7-22

Smart land use planning, not courts, key to wildfire safety

Tiffany Yap, DEnv/PhD, a senior scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity, writes, “California’s startling reminder that its wildfire season is indeed year-round came at the end of January. The Colorado Fire tore through Monterey County, coming uncomfortably close to the iconic Bixby Bridge. Just weeks after parts of the state saw record snowfall, fire personnel rushed to contain the nearly 700-acre blaze. Since then, multiple fires have ignited throughout the state, including a 4,000-acre blaze in the Owens Valley. As this winter dry spell continues, we are reminded that the wildfire season has become a wildfire constant. … ” Read more from Capitol Weekly here: Smart land use planning, not courts, key to wildfire safety

Column: The only thing we should be talking about is the climate crisis

Culture Columnist and Critic Mary McNamara writes, “Why are we talking about anything but climate change? This is a question I ask myself every time scientists release one of their consistently alarming reports on the projected countdown to doomsday. Doomsday being the moment when the ability to lower the atmospheric temperature has slipped from our control. The moment when we puny humans are finally and irrevocably at the mercy of hurricanes, fires, tornadoes, drought, food shortages, rising sea levels and all the socio-political carnage that will accompany same. The moment that, by the latest estimates, is less than 10 years away. ... ” Read more from the LA Times here: Column: The only thing we should be talking about is the climate crisis

Water is the new carbon

Jay Famiglietti, Jose Ignacio Galindo, Palash Sanyal, and Li Xu write, “When it comes to acknowledging society’s impact on climate, environment, and human security, water is the next frontier for comprehensive accounting and adaptation strategies — for industry, municipalities, governments, and individuals, all of which have made impressive commitments and progress to track carbon pollution. However, our increasingly threatened global water security demands that accounting for water use and risk rapidly acquire the same urgency with which we address carbon. The paths of our water and climate journeys have led us to one abundantly clear realization. Since industry accounts for over 80 percent of water withdrawals worldwide, it will be impossible to significantly move the needle on global water security without deep engagement by the private sector. This will require new strategies by industry and investors for valuing and protecting water, the ecosystem services it provides, and its cultural importance. ... ” Continue reading at the Circle of Blue here: Water is the new carbon

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In regional water news this week …

Klamath irrigators vote for water deliveries even if it puts federal drought funding at risk

“A group of farmers and ranchers in Southern Oregon have voted in favor of trying to access water in the parched Klamath Basin, even if it puts their access to federal drought funding in jeopardy. After last year’s drought that saw protests and threats of breaking into federal water management facilities, the implications of the recent Klamath Irrigation District (KID) vote are unclear, but support from irrigators was widespread on March 29, 2022. Out of 377 votes, 319 KID members voted ‘yes’ to the ballot question: “Pursuant to both our federal contract obligations and state water rights, do you want the district to attempt to deliver you water knowing it will likely complicate federal drought funding?” … ” Read more from Jefferson Public Radio here: Klamath irrigators vote for water deliveries even if it puts federal drought funding at risk

Judge halts curtailment for Siskiyou County irrigators

“Irrigators in Siskiyou County have won a court ruling to temporarily block a state water curtailment order that would have prevented area farmers and ranchers from tapping into percolating groundwater supplies they have relied on for decades. Superior Court Judge John Lawrence granted their request last week for injunctive relief to stop the state action. Citing “imminent, irreparable harm and waste,” attorneys for Big Springs Irrigation District argued that the State Water Resources Control Board, in issuing the drought emergency curtailment order for the Shasta and Scott rivers last year, exceeded its jurisdiction on groundwater. Darrin Mercier, a Yreka-based attorney for Big Springs Irrigation District, called the decision a win for agriculture and the first step in a long legal journey. … ” Read more from Ag Alert here: Judge halts curtailment for Siskiyou County irrigators

Work progressing towards providing full capacity CVPIA supplies to Gray Lodge Wildlife Area

“California’s many wildlife refuges thrive on an adequate supply of water, including Gray Lodge Wildlife Area in Butte County, which receives part of the water it needs for waterfowl and other species through the Central Valley Project Improvement Act. Located 55 miles northwest of Sacramento, Gray Lodge is home to more than 1 million waterfowl annually. The 9,100-acre preserve is managed for wildlife and supports more than 300 species of resident and migrant waterfowl, mammals, and wetland-dependent species such as the giant garter snake. Gray Lodge receives about 35,400 acre-feet of water each year through groundwater, California Department of Fish and Wildlife surface water rights and CVPIA surface water supplies. … ” Read more from the Bureau of Reclamation here: Work progressing towards providing full capacity CVPIA supplies to Gray Lodge Wildlife Area

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

Merced County school district sues Dow and Shell over cancer-causing chemical in water

“The Ballico-Cressey School District, a small school district in a rural stretch of northern Merced County, is suing corporate giants Dow Chemical and Shell Oil. The lawsuit, filed on March 30 in Merced County Superior Court, alleges that the big companies manufactured and sold agricultural fumigants containing the toxic chemical 1,2,3-TCP, or 1,2,3-Trichloropropane, that were sprayed on nearby fields surrounding the school district, polluting Cressey Elementary School’s water supply. “This is an effort to hold these companies accountable,” said Kenneth Sansone, attorney at SL Environmental Law Group who is representing the school district. “We want to make sure the companies who created the mess and profited from it are the ones who pay to clean it up.” ... ” Read more from the Merced Sun-Star here: Merced County school district sues Dow and Shell over cancer-causing chemical in water

Porterville: Beckman site officially removed from Superfund List

“The EPA announced on Thursday the site that was the former site of Beckman Instruments where Beckman Coulter operated has been removed from the list of American’s most contaminated properties — the Superfund National Priorities List. The groundwater that was contaminated by the former electronics plant has been decontaminated and now meets all California and federal drinking water standards. EPA removes sites from the Superfund National Priorities List once all the cleanup actions are successfully implemented and no further work is required by EPA. … ” Read more from the Porterville Recorder here: Porterville: Beckman site officially removed from Superfund List

Mono Lake: Reduced diversions in the year ahead

“This morning, April 1, Mono Lake Committee staff and Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (DWP) staff cooperatively read the level of Mono Lake. The official reading was 6379.92 feet above sea level, a mere inch below the 6380.00 threshold set forth in DWP’s licenses to divert water from the tributary streams. This low surface elevation triggers limitations designed to slow further decline of the lake from the ecologically perilous current level. For the next twelve months, DWP diversions cannot exceed 4,500 acre-feet of water, a significant reduction from the 16,000 acre-feet allowed in the prior twelve months. … ” Continue reading at the Mono Lake Committee here: Reduced diversions in the year ahead

Paso Robles groundwater pumped far beyond sustainable levels, new report shows

“A new report shows that over-pumping of the Paso Robles groundwater sub-basin has continued at unsustainable levels, an issue worsened by the ongoing drought that has resulted in greater irrigation needs for agriculture operations in the region. In total, groundwater users in the basin in northern San Luis Obispo County — generally encompassing the area east of Highway 101 and north of Highway 58 — pumped 82,100 acre-feet of water in 2021, up from 67,300 in 2020, a 22% increase, according to the latest annual report for the basin. That’s a far cry from the estimated sustainable yield of 61,100 acre-feet per year and resulted in the basin’s groundwater supply being depleted by about 41,500 acre-feet, the annual report says. … ” Read more from the San Luis Obispo Tribune here: Paso Robles groundwater pumped far beyond sustainable levels, new report shows