On the calendar today …
- WEBINAR: County Drought Plan Requirements for State Small Water Systems and Domestic Wells – SB 552 from 10:30am to 12:00pm. This is the first of three webinars to inform and solicit input from stakeholders on the development of a guidebook to support the preparation of County Drought Plans which focus on state small water systems and domestic wells as required under SB 552. During this first webinar, DWR and State Water Board will review the SB 552 requirements for counties and the plan to develop a guidebook as technical assistance, and solicit input on needed tools and considerations that could help counties meet the requirements. Register in advance for this meeting: https://csus.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAsceChqTwqHNHcrBQg-5UFZuIwNSKaVJ85
- WEBINAR: Drought Update and Wildfire Outlook Webinar for California and the Southwest from 11am to 12pm. The Drought Update and Wildfire Outlook Webinar for California and the Southwest is designed to provide stakeholders and other interested parties in the region with timely information on the current drought status and outlook and wildland fire potential outlook. Click here to register.
- WEBINAR: Growing Green Schoolyards: The Movement for Cooler, Healthier School Campuses from 12:30pm to 2:00pm. Replacing asphalt in school yards with shade trees, plants, and gardens supports kids physical and mental health, sequesters carbon, creates habitat for biodiversity, and provides outdoor learning opportunities. Join us on Thursday, June 2 for an important discussion about how we can turn this promise into a reality for more of California’s schools. Click here to register.
- VIRTUAL TOWN HALL: Sonoma County drought at 4pm. Sonoma Water will issue an update on the drought emergency and its impacts on Sonoma County during a virtual town hall meeting at 4 p.m. on Thursday, June 2, 2022, part of a new series of monthly public forums on the drought. A panel of experts will report on current drought conditions, local water conservation measures and guidelines for well water users. Register in advance to view the town hall live on Zoom
In California water news today …
Going rogue? Groundwater agency says protecting all domestic wells is “unreasonable”
“A San Joaquin Valley groundwater agency may be “going rogue” on the issue of whether it’s responsible to protect all drinking water wells. A letter approved by the board of the Kings River East Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA), which covers eastern Fresno County and a chunk of northern Tulare County, says that it is “unreasonable” for the state to require the agricultural industry to raise groundwater levels enough to protect even the most shallow domestic well. … DWR rejected the Kings Subbasin, which includes the Kings River East GSA, groundwater sustainability plan in January. One of the state’s biggest concerns was that the plan didn’t explain how it would protect community drinking water wells from being harmed by agricultural over pumping. The Kings River East GSA’s letter calls that requirement “unreasonable.” ... ” Read more from SJV Water here: Going rogue? Groundwater agency says protecting all domestic wells is “unreasonable”
New report: Landmark CA Groundwater policy neglects small, underrepresented farmers
“The most consequential groundwater policy in California history has so far failed to include small and underrepresented farmers, according to a new report. Passed in 2014, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) was designed to protect the state’s groundwater, setting up local agencies to develop regional plans to prevent over-pumping as demand grows, droughts persist, and climate change points to a drier future. But despite the law’s mandate to consider the interests of all beneficial uses and users of groundwater, the new report titled SGMA and Underrepresented Farmers, released this week by Clean Water Action, Community Alliance with Family Farmers (CAFF), Civic Well, University of California Agriculture & Natural Resources, and the Leadership Counsel for Justice & Accountability, reveals that among 14 local Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) studied, few considered the impacts of their plans on farmers growing on smaller acreages, those with shallow wells, tenant farmers, and farmers from underserved communities. None of the plans reviewed included efforts to provide language and culturally appropriate outreach to engage these farmers when drafting their plans. … ” Click here to continue reading this press release from the Community Alliance of Family Farmers. |Click here for the report.
Stanford study shows subsidence will likely continue for decades even if groundwater levels stop declining
“The floor of California’s arid Central Valley is sinking as groundwater pumping for agriculture and drinking water depletes aquifers. A new remote sensing study from Stanford University shows land sinking – or subsidence – will likely continue for decades to centuries if underground water levels merely stop declining. To stop the sinking, water levels will need to rise. “If you don’t get these water levels to come back up, then the land is going to sink, potentially tens of centimeters per year, for decades. But if they go up, you can get rewarded very quickly. You almost immediately improve the situation,” said Matthew Lees, a geophysics PhD student and lead author of the study, which appears June 2 in Water Resources Research. … ” Read more from Stanford News here: Groundwater depletion causes California farmland to sink. Stanford study shows water levels must rise to halt subsidence.
Forget the drought, experts say CA has lots of water to expand forever
“Don’t worry your pretty heads about the apocalyptic mega-drought that triggered historic new water use restrictions across SoCal as of Wednesday—some experts say California still has plenty of water for its never-ending expansion, according the Los Angeles Times. Thanks to the state’s perennial housing crisis, hordes of elected officials are stumping hard for the construction of “millions of homes.” Governor Gavin Newsom campaigned four years ago on his promise to develop 3.5 million homes by 2025, a goal he re-set to a more realistic 2.5 million houses in the next eight years. Jeffrey Kightlinger, who until last year ran the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, the agency that delivers the water used by half the state’s residents, is often asked, “How in the world are you approving new housing when we’re running out of water?” Simply put, there’s a 60-year trend of Californians using less water. If that continues—and add in some mitigating measures—there will be enough of the wet, wet stuff for everyone. … ” Read more from LA Magazine here: Forget the drought, experts say CA has lots of water to expand forever
California is rationing water amid its worst drought in 1,200 years
“Southern California is imposing mandatory water cutbacks as the state tries to cope with the driest conditions it has faced in recorded history. Starting Wednesday, about 6 million people in parts of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Ventura counties are limited to watering outdoor plants once a week — an unprecedented move for the region. The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which supplies water to about 19 million people, declared a water shortage emergency in April and voted unanimously to curtail water use, either by restricting outdoor watering or by other means. ... ” Read more from CBS News here: California is rationing water amid its worst drought in 1,200 years
Water cuts are coming for the west
“If Californians don’t change the way they consume water, officials are warning, sweeping, statewide mandatory cuts may be unavoidable. Three years into a severe drought and with water supplies plummeting, lush green lawns and the careless use of drinking water are no longer realistic in California and throughout much of the West, experts say. It will take changes to personal behavior, consistent messaging from state and local water officials and historic investments in programs and infrastructure that promote conservation to survive an indefinite state of drought. There is no choice but to conserve, said Char Miller, a professor of environmental analysis at Pomona College in Claremont, California. … ” Read more from the Pew Charitable Trust here: Water cuts are coming for the west
Local, state well owners urged to test groundwater amid extreme drought
“Groundwater levels and quality are often heavily impacted by drought conditions, which continue to worsen across California. Now, state and local water agencies are encouraging well owners to test their water and get their wells inspected. “There’s over a million water wells in California and, because most of the state is under some level of drought at any given point, a majority of those may experience some impact of this drought,” said California Groundwater Association Spokesperson Ben Frech. … ” Read more from KCBX here: Local, state well owners urged to test groundwater amid extreme drought
California farmers’ tequila dreams
“How bad is California’s drought? Bad enough to make farmers turn to tequila. About 40 farmers and distillers gathered last week at an inaugural agave symposium at the University of California, Davis, to explore the prospects of growing agave in California and making alcohol from it. Stuart Woolf, who grows almonds, pistachios and tomatoes, has a 1.5-acre test plot of about 900 agave plants at his farm on the southwest side of the Central Valley. “Can we grow a bigger plant, with more sugar, with drip irrigation just using a little water?” he’s asking. “More distilled spirits per acre than they can in Mexico?” … ” Read more from Cal Ag Today here: California farmers’ tequila dreams
Will work for water: Ag seeks drought relief
“In a state with the nation’s largest agricultural sector, one that employs well over 400,000 workers and generates more than $50 billion in annual revenue, drought is an unwelcome visitor. Especially when it stays too long and makes its hosts uncomfortable. According to the Public Policy Institute of California: “Climate change is making the state’s variable climate even more volatile as the megadrought brings chronic low precipitation and higher temperatures. While economic impacts last year were modest, statewide, they were more costly in the Sacramento and North Coast regions (and) dry conditions will persist in 2022, increasing those impacts.” … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press here: Will work for water: Ag seeks drought relief
Climate change is coming for your pizza sauce
“It got really, really hot early last summer in California’s Central Valley. For days, temperatures spiked above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, well over the 30-year average. Toward the south end of the valley, many farmers had only just planted their crop of tomatoes, and the heat wave hit at the exact worst time. Tomato plants aren’t particularly delicate, but they have limits—especially in their young, tender moments when their spikey yellow flowers bloom. The result? Many flowers “aborted,” withering on the vine. Those that already had been pollinated simply fell off and produced no tomatoes. Weather problems affect agriculture all the time. But climate change is intensifying the challenges, making it harder to grow beloved foods like tomatoes. … ” Read more from National Geographic here: Climate change is coming for your pizza sauce
Water Solutions Network releases the WSN Watershed Framework
“The Water Solutions Network (WSN) is pleased to announce the release of the WSN Watershed Framework. Guided by broad engagement from statewide land and water leaders, the Framework charts a collaborative cross-sector, watershed scale path toward climate resilience. The effort envisions a bold future where humans succeed at handling our most pressing climate challenges. The Framework suggests activities that will move us toward that vision. The Framework is designed to build individual, local, and watershed-wide skills and capacity to, first, center equity, and then to break down silos and develop understanding and solutions that work with and restore our natural systems. WSN is inviting willing watersheds to take the Framework for a “test drive” and will create a learning network for those test driving the Framework. … ” Read more from the Water Solutions Network here: Water Solutions Network releases the WSN Watershed Framework | Click here for the framework document.
Western anglers take on the California Delta to finish the season
“Sprawling, challenging, famously fickle and infinitely rewarding—the California Delta stretches east from the Bay Area like a tantalizing lure for bass anglers. Tournament images are striking here, on a playing field where cargo ships and sea lions contrast with boat wraps, ball caps and tules. Catch it at the right moment and the Delta can reward you like few places on the planet. Fail to figure out its puzzle and you could be counting zeros on the weigh-in stage. This week, anglers from the Toyota Series Presented by A.R.E. will square off in the Western Division’s regular-season finale. On the line, berths in the Toyota Series Championship, an Angler of the Year title and plenty of cash. … ” Read more from Major League Fishing here: Western anglers take on the California Delta to finish the season
The Hail Mary hatcheries
“Elizabeth Ruiz parked the white pickup at the side of a winding road, climbed out of the cab, and looked around in disbelief at what was left of the narrow valley: how could any salmon have possibly survived? Once a redwood forest so lush that the land’s contours were lost in it, every ridge and gulley was now exposed, eerily radiant under the Creamsicle-orange sky. … It’s not as though this corner of California had been pristine before 2020’s record-setting fire season. Mill Creek is part of the Russian River watershed, which drains 3,900 square kilometers of Sonoma and Mendocino counties. It’s an hour’s drive north of San Francisco, near enough that early buildings in the city were crafted with redwoods hauled from this watershed. So much gravel has been mined from the river—some of it used to construct the Golden Gate Bridge—that in places the streambed dropped to the height of a two-story house. In the late 1950s and early 1980s, the US Army Corps of Engineers built dams on the Russian River to flood the Lake Mendocino and Lake Sonoma reservoirs, walling off fish habitat. … ” Read the full story at Hakai Magazine here: The Hail Mary hatcheries
Too many pinks in the Pacific
“The Tutka Bay Lagoon Hatchery is located at the edge of an isolated estuary off southcentral Alaska’s Kachemak Bay. Accessible only by boat from the closest hub community of Homer, the hatchery is one of 30 constructed by the state to boost commercial salmon fisheries that were struggling in the 1970s. On the last day of April, I board a water taxi in the Homer harbor to visit the facility. A raging westerly wind careens across the bay as the 10-meter landing craft slams into swells the skipper describes as “sporty.” I’m visiting during the hatchery’s ponding process—the transfer of pink salmon fry from freshwater incubators on land to floating saltwater pens in the lagoon. This is the first step before the hatchery releases about 60 million paper clip–sized pink salmon into the ocean where they’ll disperse to feed and mature by next summer. … ” Continue reading at Hakai Magazine here: Too many pinks in the Pacific
In commentary today …
Editorial: Gov. Newsom should develop backbone to curb ag’s water waste
The San Jose Mercury News editorial board writes, “With limited options for new California water sources, it’s time to stop wasting the precious supply we have. Gov. Gavin Newsom should muster the political will to enforce Article X, Section II of the state Constitution that requires “reasonable and beneficial” use of the state’s water supply. The current waste must not continue. A handful of users are using water that drains from the Sierra as they see fit. As a result, the state’s agriculture sector uses about 75% of the state’s available water. ... ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here: Editorial: Gov. Newsom should develop backbone to curb ag’s water waste
Editorial: New Melones modeling & mega-droughts: Setting stage for state’s water Armageddon
Dennis Wyatt, editor of the Manteca Bulletin, writes, “New Melones Reservoir is the proverbial canary in the mine when it comes to where state water policy wedded with the return of mega-droughts is taking California. Using historical hydrology data on the Stanislaus River basin between 1922 and 2019, based on current regulatory rules New Melones Reservoir would fall below 250,000 acre-feet of storage in three out of the 98 years. Based on the pending State Water Quality Control Plan and the 40 percent unimpaired flow requirement that will help boost the combined numbers of Chinook salmon on the Stanislaus, Merced, and Tuolumne rivers by 1,500 annually, New Melones Reservoir would fall below 250,000 acre-feet in 20 out of 98 years. A few things to add to the mix … ” Continue reading at the Ceres Courier here: New Melones modeling & mega-droughts: Setting stage for state’s water Armageddon
Make the California Coastal Commission elective
“The most powerful political force in the state is not the governor’s office, the legislature, or the state Supreme Court, but the California Coastal Commission. It wields dictatorial power over almost all environmental and land decisions along the coast. Its influence ripples inland, as its restrictions on land use increase coastal property prices, forcing people to move inland, increasing demand there—thus also increasing inland prices. That’s why its 12 members ought to face election every four years. Much as do four of the five members of the Board of Equalization. An initiative could bring about the reform, setting up 12 districts based on population. … ” Read more from the Epoch Times here (registration may be required): Make the California Coastal Commission elective
Today’s featured article …
DR. PETER MOYLE: Delta fishes: Introduction to a dynamic fauna
Dr. Peter Moyle is a distinguished professor emeritus and Associate Director of the Center for Watershed Sciences at UC Davis. He has studied the ecology and conservation of fishes in freshwater and estuarine habitats in California for over 50 years.
At the February meeting of the Delta Independent Science Board, Dr. Moyle provided an overview of Delta fish, explaining why some fishes have become overabundant and others are headed for extinction, all while being participants in a novel ecosystem.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Klamath River Renewal Corporation seeks tribal-affiliated businesses, individuals for dam removal project
“The Klamath River Renewal Corporation and Kiewit, the contractor it hired to spearhead the removal of four hydroelectric dams on the river, is holding a hiring outreach at Yurok Tribal Office in Klamath on Saturday. Coming as the nonprofit organization continues to work on obtaining the final permits needed to start the project, the event is aimed at any tribal-affiliated business and individual, not exclusively Yurok, KRRC CEO Mark Bransom told the Wild Rivers Outpost on Tuesday. … ” Read more from the Lost Coast Outpost here: Klamath River Renewal Corporation seeks tribal-affiliated businesses, individuals for dam removal project
Shellfish farmers need greater flexibility to face climate change
“To adapt more nimbly to the challenges presented by climate change, shellfish farmers along the California coast say they need a streamlined regulatory process, better access to current data and stronger connections with scientists and other farms, a new Oregon State University study found. The study examined shellfish farmers’ “adaptive capacity,” meaning their ability to shift growing techniques and locations to mitigate the effects of climate change on their shellfish populations, especially the effects of ocean acidification. Shellfish are particularly vulnerable to ocean acidification because it impairs their ability to grow hard shells. … ” Read more from the Del Norte Triplicate here: Shellfish farmers need greater flexibility to face climate change
‘Unusually wet’ weekend kicks off Humboldt’s June
“The first weekend of June is forecast to be unusually wet. Nearly all of Northwest California will probably receive some rain this weekend. Some light rain or coastal drizzle will be possible (20% chance) as early as Thursday night and Friday. … ” Read more from the Lost Coast Outpost here: ‘Unusually wet’ weekend kicks off Humboldt’s June
Lake County: Water weeds aren’t the only problem
“June is the month when invasive weeds, both land and aquatic, start to bloom. Clear Lake is known for is weed infestation, which makes boaters very unhappy as the weeds tend to plug up their outboards and trolling motors. The county will start its annual weed spraying program on the lake within two weeks. Local lakefront property owners are also allowed to hire commercial weed exterminators to spray around their docks. Because of the drought and low lake level, the weeds in the lake should be thicker, the reason being that the low lake level allows sunlight to penetrate to the lake bottom, which aids in rapid weed growth. … ” Read more from the Lake County Record-Bee here: Lake County: Water weeds aren’t the only problem
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Glenn Colusa Irrigation District water aids wildlife and habitat at federal refuges
“The Glenn-Colusa Irrigation District (GCID) Board of Directors recently approved the sale of surplus water to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation for use at three federally managed refuges that provide critical habitat for migratory birds and other wildlife. The agreement, which was approved during the board’s regular meeting on May 19, allows for the transfer of 11,289 acre-feet of water for the Sacramento, Delevan and Colusa national wildlife refuges. According to a release by the district, the water being sold is what remained after landowners and water users reserved their share of deliveries received by GCID from the Bureau of Reclamation’s Central Valley Project. … ” Read more from the Appeal Democrat here: Glenn Colusa Irrigation District water aids wildlife and habitat at federal refuges
Butte Creek spring-run chinook: 2021 results and improvements for future years
“Last week, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) released the final “Butte Creek Spring-run Chinook Salmon Adult Monitoring Annual Report 2021.” With a very dry and hot year, 2021 was a tough year for salmon and other water-dependent species and Butte Creek spring-run were not spared from these challenges. Looking at the data in the report, the final estimate is that 21,580 adult Butte Creek spring-run Chinook returned to the upper reaches of Butte Creek last year. This was an incredible return – the largest in at least 65 years and more than double the average return since the habitat improvement projects were implemented in the creek during the mid-1990s. Unfortunately, these fish returned in a year that was one of the hottest and driest on record. Once they migrated into the upper reaches of the creek in such large numbers, they were crowded into limited habitat, where they were exposed to higher water temperatures and severe pathogen outbreaks. … ” Read more from the Northern California Water Association here: Butte Creek spring-run chinook: 2021 results and improvements for future years
Sacramento approves sale of up to 3 billion gallons of water after declaring ‘water alert’
“The City of Sacramento says it has too much water and it’s going to make millions of dollars selling it to other parts of the state, despite already declaring a “water alert” for the summer and doubling fines for water-wasting violators. The city council approved the sale of up to $5 million of its water. The 10,000 acre-feet up for sale is equal to more than 3 billion gallons. That’s 60 million bathtubs full and enough to supply water to 30,000 households for a year. But does this sale send the wrong message with calls for Sacramentans to conserve? … ” Read more from CBS Sacramento here: Sacramento approves sale of up to 3 billion gallons of water after declaring ‘water alert’
NAPA/SONOMA
Sonoma Water to host virtual town hall on drought impacts
“Sonoma Water will provide an update on current drought conditions and local conservation measures during a virtual town hall on Thursday, according to county officials. The 4 p.m. event is the first in a series of scheduled monthly public forums about the drought, which was declared a local emergency in April 2021. Speakers will include District 2 Supervisor David Rabbitt, Santa Rosa Water Director Jennifer Burke and Christopher Watt, senior engineering geologist on the North Coast Regional Water Board. To attend on Zoom, register in advance at bit.ly/3x0Bh43. … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here: Sonoma Water to host virtual town hall on drought impacts
Calls renewed for Petaluma water conservation amid new programs
“As concerns about local water supplies continue, Petaluma officials are urging residents and businesses to continue daily water conservation and are introducing new incentives and programs to help them do so. In a May 25 monthly community bulletin email, city officials said they are noticing some residents are not following current limitations. As a result, they are beseeching those living in the city to follow the outdoor watering schedule that restricts irrigation to Tuesdays and Saturdays between 7 p.m. and 8 a.m. … ” Read more from the Argus-Courier here: Calls renewed for Petaluma water conservation amid new programs
BAY AREA
New report finds S.F.’s biggest development project ignores huge climate change risk: rising contamination
“Rising seas caused by climate change could ultimately expose thousands of people to hazardous chemicals at San Francisco’s biggest redevelopment project — and the city is unprepared for the risks, according to a new grand jury report. San Francisco plans to build housing units, commercial spaces and parks in low-lying areas of the former Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, which hugs the bay in southeastern San Francisco. The project is the city’s biggest redevelopment effort since the 1906 earthquake. Yet the San Francisco civil grand jury report warns that groundwater could carry dangerous buried substances to the surface as the water table rises at the site, which was contaminated decades ago with heavy metals, volatile organic compounds and radioactive substances. The result could be catastrophic “for health, for environmental safety, and for the resilience of future development,” the report notes. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: New report finds S.F.’s biggest development project ignores huge climate change risk: rising contamination
Livermore sewage line extension for South Livermore Valley vineyards going to the ballot box
“On May 23, the city council directed planners to continue preparing a ballot measure that would require voter approval to extend the municipal sewage system to South Livermore Valley vineyards. Proposed about six months ago by the Tri-Valley Conservancy (TVC), the underground sewer would extend beyond the city’s boundaries, primarily along Tesla Road, to the area’s wineries. The sewer system would protect the groundwater endangered by residential and winery visitor septic systems, as well as livestock. “It will not spur any unforeseen growth in the city or its sphere of influence,” said Lori Souza, a longtime TVC board member. “It would serve existing and already permitted uses to achieve the vision of the South Livermore Valley Area Plan (SLVAP) plan in full conformance with Alameda County Measure D.” … ” Read more from the Livermore Independent here: Livermore sewage line extension for South Livermore Valley vineyards going to the ballot box
Editorial: Zone 7 board members will determine the future of our water supply
The Livermore Independent editorial board writes, “During the next few years, key issues for Zone 7’s Water Agency Board of Directors will involve managing the drought, deciding whether to mandate increased water rationing, and determining whether to continue support for the state’s scaled-down Delta Conveyance project. The infrastructure project — now one tunnel instead of two — would take massive quantities of water rushing from the Sierra Nevada through the Sacramento River and divert them from their natural flow into the San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary, so that they can be used by 27 million residents and 750,000 acres of farmland from the Tri-Valley to San Diego. … ” Read more from the Livermore Independent here: Editorial: Zone 7 board members will determine the future of our water supply
New Santa Clara County drought rules in effect
“There are new water use restrictions in effect for Santa Clara Valley Water customers. As of June 1, their outdoor water use is limited. Hank Wong is one customer in the South Bay who received notice. He was told water will cost him roughly 10-12 percent more, but he is not worried about the drought fees.“I know the only way to get people to conserve is to hit them in the pocket books but then I understand that there are people out there who are on fixed incomes and they should be exempt, so I see it as a double-edged sword,” he said. … ” Read more from KRON here: New Santa Clara County drought rules in effect
CENTRAL COAST
Water fight: Cuyama Valley landowners face an adjudication lawsuit as they try to sustainably manage their groundwater basin
“Cuyama Valley’s water woes dominated Santa Barbara County 2nd District Supervisor Das Williams’ comments during a recent hearing about the future of water well permits in his county. “I just have some concerns about how this is going to impact high-priority basins, particularly Cuyama,” Williams said during the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors’ May 24 meeting. “The local people are under two stresses: One stress of their well might run dry, and the second stress is what’s paying for the plan to make sure their well doesn’t run dry is a pumping fee that they’ve never paid before.” … ” Read more from New Times SLO here: Water fight: Cuyama Valley landowners face an adjudication lawsuit as they try to sustainably manage their groundwater basin
Column: Conditions for water conditioning when softeners are hard on the environment
“Nearly everyone in Ventura County subscribes to trash collection service, requiring three separate trucks to stop at their house each week, but thousands of people also subscribe to another environmental service requiring an additional truck. Like trash service, water softening is considered essential in some areas, but unlike trash collection service, most residents have a choice whether to subscribe to a water softening tank exchange program. Alternatives to tank exchange include owning a softener, whole house water filtration, appliance-specific water filtration, other technologies, or using unmodified tap water. In parts of Ventura County served by state water through the Metropolitan Water District, water hardness ranges up to 5.2 grains per gallon (gpg), not a level generally considered to require softening. For example, sustainabilitymattersdaily.com recommends water softening only for hardness levels over 25-50 gpg. … ” Continue reading from the Ventura County Reporter here: Column: Conditions for water conditioning when softeners are hard on the environment
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
A purple water truck might avoid a lot of dead grass in Manteca
“The grass at the Manteca Civic Center is non-essential for the most part as defined by the state order going into effect June 10 to cease irrigating turf classified as such by using portable water. The exceptions carved out currently besides turf in the yards of homes are institutional grass — think schools, hospitals city facilities, commercial, business park, and community landscaped areas — that are used for recreation purposes. That means parks, school playing fields, recreation/sports turf, and golf courses don’t have to start turning brown in eight days. It also means areas at city hall — the quad where preschool participants play and the dog park — can still be watered using potable water. But all other grass under the state guidelines has to die — or does it? … ” Continue reading at the Manteca Bulletin here: A purple water truck might avoid a lot of dead grass in Manteca
Fernandes Farms continues to thrive despite water challenges
“Third generation dairy farmer Landon Fernandes knows all about dairy. He grew up on the farm, raises 3,700 heifers and milks 5,000 Holsteins and Jerseys twice daily on the family’s 1,260 acres. “My father, Joey, brother Preston and I work together operating our family’s dairy operation — Fernandes Farms,” he said. “Our cows are housed in corrals or free-stall barns where feed is brought to them daily. We use our land to grow forage crops that are harvested and fed to our cattle.” … ” Continue reading at the Capital Press here: Fernandes Farms continues to thrive despite water challenges
EASTERN SIERRA
Drought worsens at Mono Lake
“Mono Lake is suffering from a severe drought. The lake has dropped more than three feet in elevation since 2019, exposing more lakebed. Dust storms have become more common on windy days. The third consecutive year of below-average snowpack has greatly reduced runoff into Mono Lake, impacting the lake’s salinity, shoreline, and wetlands. The landbridge between the mainland and Negit Island has expanded, leading hungry coyotes closer to ground-nesting California Gulls on nearby islets. Growing expanses of bright, salt-encrusted alkali flats and tufa shoals have emerged from a retreating lake. It looks like drought. … ” Read more from the Mono Lake Committee here: Drought worsens at Mono Lake
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Sweeping water restrictions begin in Southern California as drought worsens
“Sweeping restrictions on outdoor water use go into effect on Wednesday for more than 6 million residents in Southern California as officials work to conserve water during a severe drought. The conservation rules, among the strictest ever imposed in the state, were set by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, one of the largest water distributors in the country. Households are now forbidden from watering their lawns more than once a week in many jurisdictions. The goal is to slash water use by 35% as the state enters its third straight year of drought. … ” Read more from NBC LA here: Sweeping water restrictions begin in Southern California as drought worsens
Defiance, acceptance and cries of ‘bull—’ as sweeping L.A. water restrictions begin
“Millions of Angelenos awoke Wednesday to a new, more arid future as unprecedented water restrictions went into effect across Southern California. For some, the sweeping limitations on outdoor watering felt like déjà vu from the last time the state was in a significant drought, when lawns turned brown and short showers became the norm. For others, the rules were a frustrating reminder of how little has changed. “Here we go again,” said Rose Campos, who has lived in El Sereno for 18 years. Campos is now one of more than 4 million residents in the city of L.A. who are subject to the new rules from the Department of Water and Power that limit outdoor watering to two days a week in a herculean effort to conserve water in a third year of drought. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Defiance, acceptance and cries of ‘bull—’ as sweeping L.A. water restrictions begin | Read via Denver Gazette
Fontana Water Company is not implementing new restrictions, but is seeking to increase water rates
“Millions of Southern California voters are now facing new water restrictions because of the severe statewide drought, but so far, no additional regulations have been implemented by the Fontana Water Company. Restrictions on outdoor watering went into effect on June 1 for customers of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power as well as some customers of the Metropolitan Water District (MWD). Part of the MWD affects the Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA), which covers Fontana, but the IEUA said in May that it was seeking to adopt conservation measures that would take the place of immediate cutbacks for local customers. … ” Read more from the Fontana Herald News here: Fontana Water Company is not implementing new restrictions, but is seeking to increase water rates
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Mission Springs Water District prohibits spray irrigation during daylight hours amid drought
“Mission Springs Water District implemented several water conservation measures on Wednesday, including a ban on outdoor water use for spray irrigation during daylight hours. An emergency regulation approved by the State Water Resources Control Board last week requires urban water suppliers to implement their Level 2 demand reduction actions by June 10. The state is currently in its third year of drought, with almost all of California and much of the Western U.S. in severe to extreme drought, according to the U.S. drought monitor. ... ” Read more from the Desert Sun here: Mission Springs Water District prohibits spray irrigation during daylight hours amid drought
State-mandated water restrictions, what Coachella Valley residents need to know
“As California goes into its third year of drought, the State Water Board is requiring local water agencies to move on to their Level 2 drought response plans. The unanimous vote happened on May 24. What does the statewide drought declaration mean for the local area? There is not a water shortage locally, but local water agencies need to follow the State’s direction by June 10. ... ” Continue reading at KESQ here: State-mandated water restrictions, what Coachella Valley residents need to know
SAN DIEGO
North County area deals with water restrictions amid drought
“The Vallecitos Water District, which serves the northeastern region of San Diego County, has already activated its level two water conservation plans following California Governor Gavin Newsom’s executive order in April, calling on all state water suppliers to prepare for a shortage of up to 20%. “On June 13, I would expect a lot of local agencies to move to a level two drought either by invoking the drought or by invoking the specific water conserving policy contained in that level two status,” water district spokesperson Chris Robbins said. ... ” Read more from Channel 5 here: North County area deals with water restrictions amid drought
East County breaks ground on wastewater recycling plant
“People wearing business suits and hard hats broke ground Wednesday in Santee for the East County Advanced Water Purification Plant. It’s part of a plan of four East County water agencies to take wastewater, that’s now treated and dumped in the ocean, and turn it into water that’s clean enough to drink. The water recycling plant is expected to provide 11.5 million gallons a day of purified wastewater for East County ratepayers. ... ” Read more from KPBS here: East County breaks ground on wastewater recycling plant
Along the Colorado River …
Could the Colorado River Compact adapt to go with the flow?
“Dwindling flows in the Colorado River Basin are stirring discussions about whether a 100-year-old agreement that governs how that water is divided needs to be overhauled. But there may be another option: don’t rewrite the law, instead reinterpret it. Despite its status as the cornerstone of the “Law of the River” — the various agreements that dictate how the water is managed between seven basin states and Mexico — some key provisions in the Colorado River Compact remain unsettled. “There are a lot of unresolved questions and much more complexity then you frequently read in the newspaper about characterizations of the compact,” Anne Castle, a former Interior Department assistant secretary for water and science, explained in March at the University of Utah’s Wallace Stegner Center annual symposium. ... ” Read more from E&E News here: Could the Colorado River Compact adapt to go with the flow?
Listen: Why Phoenix may need to look to Las Vegas’ years of water conservation
“The drought’s continuing hold on the Southwest and its dramatic impact on water supplies coming from the Colorado River to the Phoenix area has forced an inevitable conclusion: We are going to have to conserve water in Arizona. Improved efficiency and better technology have helped reduce overall water consumption, but more is going to be required of individuals. A couple of decades ago, Las Vegas implemented changes to how households were able to use water. It wasn’t easy to begin with, but the modifications seem to have made significant differences. To learn more about what Valley water users might come to expect, The Show spoke with John Entsminger, general manager of the Southern Nevada Water Authority.” Listen at KJZZ here (7:32): Why Phoenix may need to look to Las Vegas’ years of water conservation
City of Phoenix issues water alert amid drought
“Phoenix is calling on customers to reduce their water as the city activated its drought management plan on Wednesday. The City of Phoenix declared a stage 1 water alert during the afternoon City Council meeting. The alert means officials are urging people to cut back on their water use that’ll have a minimal impact on their daily lives. The city points to watering landscape correctly as one of the easiest and most effective ways to conserve water. Since the water reductions are voluntary, the city will focus on customer outreach and education on the drought conditions rather than enforcement. … ” Read more from Arizona Public Media here: City of Phoenix issues water alert amid drought
Sudden rockslide in Lake Powell stuns tourists, sends boaters fleeing large wave
“Tourists on Lake Powell captured astounding video of massive red rocks on the side of the reservoir toppling over into the water, generating a wave powerful enough to capsize a small watercraft. Mila Carter and her husband Steve were out boating on Lake Powell — a human-made reservoir on the Colorado River in Utah and Arizona — when the pair noticed the beginnings of the rockslide and began recording the collapse. The video shows a large portion of the cliff — which was more exposed to the elements than usual due to a persistent drought that has brought the lake to its lowest water level ever — toppling into the water, creating an explosion-like plume of dust and a massive wave of water that rushed out from the impact site. ... ” Read more and watch video from AccuWeather here: Sudden rockslide in Lake Powell stuns tourists, sends boaters fleeing large wave
In national water news today …
VP Kamala Harris unveils White House plan for global water security
“Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday unveiled a White House plan to advance global water security and emphasized the national security implications of water scarcity. Harris said the plan, which elevates water security as an “international priority,” is aimed at preventing conflict between nations and promoting equity and economic growth. The vice president said the US is committed to expanding access to safe water, hygiene and sanitation services across the world. The US will also share data it is collecting to help manage and preserve global water resources. The US will also leverage its diplomatic resources to elevate the issue on the global stage, Harris said. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here: VP Kamala Harris unveils White House plan for global water security
Biden-Harris Administration announce White House Action Plan on Global Water Security
“The Biden-Harris Administration recognizes the critical role of sustainable water systems and the transformational power that water access has in the life of each person on earth. From its most basic role as the source of life to its advanced role in powering global economies, water matters. Still, its ubiquity in everyday life risks leading us to take it for granted — while global trends in population growth, urbanization, environmental degradation, deforestation, and climate change pose growing challenges to water security around the world. Here at home, water crises are becoming more frequent and intense. Historic droughts threaten our supply of water, and failing infrastructure and chronic underinvestment deprive our most vulnerable communities of safe drinking water. Lack of sanitation threatens public health, individual safety and dignity, equity, and the protection of freshwater resources; extreme weather events intensify these risks where improved sanitation is unavailable. As the source of both life and livelihoods, water security is central to human and national security. Domestically, the Administration is tackling a spectrum of water security challenges. … ” Read the plan from the White House here: White House Action Plan on Global Water Security
SEE ALSO: Pacific Institute Statement on White House Action Plan on Global Water Security
Why hydropower is the forgotten giant of clean energy
“Hydropower is by far the largest renewable worldwide, producing over twice as much energy as wind, and over four times as much as solar. And pumping water up a hill, aka “pumped storage hydropower”, comprises well over 90% of the world’s total energy storage capacity. But in spite of hydropower’s outsize impact, we don’t hear much about it in the U.S. While the past few decades have seen wind and solar plummet in price and skyrocket in availability, domestic hydropower generation has remained relatively steady, as the nation has already built hydropower plants in the most geographically ideal locations. Internationally, it’s a different story. … ” Read more from CNBC here: Why hydropower is the forgotten giant of clean energy
June 2022 U.S. Climate Outlook: Warmth again favored for the southern and eastern U.S.
“It’s getting hot out there as the calendar shifts to meteorological summer (June through August). So what is in store for the next month? Let’s look at the June 2022 climate outlook from NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. Like the past several months, the temperature outlook for June boasts a tilt in the odds towards a hotter-than-average month across the southern and eastern U.S. and a cooler-than-normal June in the north-central U.S. stretching west to the Pacific Northwest. Meanwhile, a wetter-than-average start to summer is favored for Florida, south-central Great Plains and the Pacific Northwest, with drier-than-average conditions expected for Texas, and parts of the Southwest and Great Basin. ... ” Continue reading at Climate.gov here: June 2022 U.S. Climate Outlook: Warmth again favored for the southern and eastern U.S.
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
NOTICE: June 1 Weekly Update on Curtailment Status of Water Rights and Claims in the Delta Watershed
