On the calendar today …
- WEBINAR: Water-Energy Nexus in California: New research and tools from 9am to 10:30am. Presentation will focus on a recent study from the Pacific Institute and Next 10 that examines how the energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) footprints of California’s future water scenarios will be influenced by the combined effects of electricity decarbonization and other emerging pressures. Session will also explore the Water-Energy Calculator 2.0, a tool that quantifies the embedded energy savings for water efficiency measures that was developed through a partnership between the CPUC, Pacific Institute and SBW Consulting. Click here to register.
- MEETING: The California Water Commission will meet beginning at 9:30am. Agenda items include consideration of Division of Safety of Dams Enforcement Regulations, Panel on California droughts of the past, present, and future; and a presentation on the road to final funding for Water Storage Investment Program projects. Click here for full agenda and remote access instructions.
- MEETING: The State Water Resources Control Board will meet beginning at 9:30am. Agenda items include an update on the drought and current hydrologic conditions, and Consideration of a proposed Resolution revising and re-adopting an emergency curtailment and Reporting regulation for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Watershed. Click here for the full agenda and remote access instructions.
- WEBINAR: Plant Talk: Your landscape questions answered from 11am to 12:30pm. Styled after NPR’s long-running and popular “Car Talk” program, this session is designed to address landscape, garden and plant questions from attendees. We will also include a guest panelist, a garden-based puzzler and a “stump the chumps” segment with prizes if you win! Click here to register.
- WEBINAR: Expanding Frontline Communities’ Access to Federal Funding from 12pm to 1pm. WaterNow Alliance, in partnership with River Network, will host a 1-hour virtual seminar for utility and community leaders nationwide facing the first, and worst, water challenges—from flooding, to drought to basement backups to water contamination and more—on how they can access State Revolving Fund grants and loans to help overcome these challenges with 21st Century infrastructure solutions. Click here to register.
- WEBINAR: Upcoming WIFIA Funding Opportunities from 12pm to 1:30pm. On Monday June 13th, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced the 2022 notices of funding availability for the agency’s Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation (WIFIA) program and the State infrastructure financing authority WIFIA (SWIFIA) program. This year’s funding will provide up to $6.5 billion in total funding to support $13 billion in water infrastructure. The WIFIA program will host a webinar for prospective borrowers, including municipal entities, tribes, corporations, and partnerships, as well as private and non-governmental organizations that support prospective borrowers. Click here to register.
- WEBINAR: Advances in Asset Management from 12:30pm to 1:00pm. Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD) is working to standardize, evolve, and enhance its asset management practices; particularly in the 5-year capital asset planning efforts. Learn more about IRWD’s asset management plans for the future. Click here to register.
- PUBLIC MEETING: Independent Review Panel on Salton Sea Water Importation from 5:30pm to 7:00pm. The Independent Review Panel evaluating proposals for water importation to the Salton Sea will provide an update and present its latest report on July 20, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. in a virtual Zoom meeting. The report summarizes de Panel’s fatal flaw analysis for the 13 submissions on water importation still under review. To join the meeting: https://zoom.us/j/93007308543 Meeting ID: 930 0730 8543 Password: 010109
- PUBLIC WORKSHOP: State Water Board’s Racial Equity Action Plan from 5:30pm – 7:30pm. The State Water Board invites you to attend a workshop to learn about our ongoing racial equity efforts and to join us in developing a Racial Equity Action Plan. Please help us create a future where we preserve, protect, and restore drinking water and water resources for all Californians, and where race is not a predictor of professional outcomes for Water Boards employees. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
How Boeing created a nature preserve that may also preserve pollution
“The scientists and engineers of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory saw themselves as pioneers. Their work from the 1940s through the early 2000s helped put men on the moon and build missiles used to stare down the Soviet Union during the Cold War. But the innovation came at a cost. Decades of unsafe pollution management created a health hazard that would endanger neighbors for decades to come. … In 2007, Boeing signed an agreement with California to make 1,900 acres clean enough that people could live on the land and eat vegetables from their gardens.But most of that cleanup never happened. Now, Boeing is pursuing an unorthodox strategy that could enable it to bypass cleaning up much of the land. The company is using a legal agreement meant to preserve nature to argue that it should be allowed to leave much of the pollution untouched. … ” Read the full story at NASDAQ here: How Boeing created a nature preserve that may also preserve pollution
Food and farming forum focuses on times of scarcity
“California’s horn of plenty has become a horn of plenty of issues, prompting many leading minds of California agriculture to meet under one roof to hash out ideas. At a July 11 agriculture summit in Sacramento, Jamie Johansson, president of the California Farm Bureau, named drought, inflation and supply-chain issues as among the top problems facing his membership. He also identified a paradox facing farmers and ranchers. “We know that consumers want us to be more sustainable, our buyers do, but we know we have to intensify our production,” Johansson said, noting it was not long ago that stores had to limit how much milk shoppers could buy. ... ” Read more from Ag Alert here: Food and farming forum focuses on times of scarcity
Agencies looking to “Plan B” as more valley towns on brink of going dry and emergency water suppliers are tapped out
“Groundwater levels are dropping and domestic wells throughout the San Joaquin Valley are going dry as California’s third year of drought grinds on. That includes entire towns, such as East Orosi and Tooleville in Tulare County, which both went dry last week. It’s bad. But it may get worse. Area water suppliers are “locking down” and may not have enough to share, equipment is in short supply and so are people to get the water to those in need. And there’s still a long stretch of summer to go. “I’m concerned about a lot,” said Tami McVay, assistant program director for Self-Help Enterprises, a Visalia-based nonprofit that helps poor, rural residents with housing and water needs. … ” Read more from SJV Water here: Agencies looking to “Plan B” as more valley towns on brink of going dry and emergency water suppliers are tapped out
PPIC experts weigh in on the drought
“The water news in California has been grim. As PPIC Water Policy Center senior fellow Jeff Mount says, “we’re in year three of a miserable drought”—with “miserable” being the operative word. We sat down with Mount, senior fellow Alvar Escriva-Bou, and center director Ellen Hanak to discuss recent water news. We’re in year three of a serious drought. How different is it from last year? Jeff Mount: One difference is that the State Water Board has been very proactive. They announced curtailments earlier and they are moving much more quickly than last year. They have the right authorities to deal with the drought. Alvar Escriva-Bou: If you look at the state’s reservoirs, some are higher now than they were at this time last year. That may give people the false impression that we’re in better shape than last year. We’re not. JM: Yes. It may look like a “normal” dry year to some, but it’s the third successive dry, hot year in a row, which has a huge cumulative effect. It hits plants, animals, groundwater, cropping—there’s nothing left in the tank. It’s wrong to look at each individual year—you’ve got to look at the cumulative effect. … ” Read more from the PPIC here: PPIC experts weigh in on the drought
California water crisis to leave 800,000 acres of farmland empty this year
“California’s unprecedented megadrought may leave as much as 800,000 acres of farmland, amounting to 1,250 square miles, unworked this year, says an expert. In preliminary findings of a study conducted by the University of California Merced with funding from the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Associate Professor Josue Medellin-Azuara told Bloomberg the figure on July 15. The figure is so enormous that it doubles what was left unworked last year and is described as “the most in at least several decades.” Medellin-Azuara said that while an official figure is still several weeks away, the data is estimated from satellite imaging. … ” Read more from Vision Times here: California water crisis to leave 800,000 acres of farmland empty this year
As West evaporates, experts plot ways to help businesses save water
“As models predict another La Niña for the coming winter, which could lead to another dry year, leaders of water agencies and other groups from across California and the western United States met Tuesday to discuss how best to get commerce and industry to use less water. While residential water use has declined, commercial and industrial users need retrofits, new equipment and new ways of doing business when it comes how much liquid “gold” they consume. One thing meeting attendees agree on is that it will take more than financial incentives to push enterprises to make the switch. They will need to be convinced that shifting to new systems will increase efficiency, production and more. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service here: As West evaporates, experts plot ways to help businesses save water
Water shortage is the number one concern for this California dairy producer
“Even the recent historic high milk prices have been slightly overshadowed by the grain and forage costs that continue to climb. However, according to Ryan Junio, owner of Four J Jerseys in Pixley, Calif., feed costs take a backseat to the water supply, or lack-there-of, facing the Golden State. “As a dairy producer, this is an ever-growing challenge and is my top concern,” Junio says. The California water issue is complex and long-standing. Geoff Vanden Heuvel, the director of regulatory and economic affairs with the California Milk Producer Council, says the state of California was developed without any regulations on groundwater. … ” Read more from Dairy Herd here: Water shortage is the number one concern for this California dairy producer
Congressman Valadao fights for water for the valley
“Today, Congressman David G. Valadao (CA-21) spoke on the House Floor during amendment debate on the Fiscal Year 2023 Appropriations Package. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, Rep. Valadao offered his three amendments during the committee’s markup of the Energy and Water Appropriations Bill, where the majority rejected all three. He also spoke in front of the Rules Committee, highlighting the importance and urgency of these amendments. “We can’t produce more water, but we can work with the water we already have and apply commonsense solutions to make this water available to our agriculture communities,” said Rep. Valadao. “We need to stop playing politics with a resource that the Central Valley is so reliant on.” … ” Read more from Congress Valadao’s office here: Congressman Valadao fights for water for the valley
Board begins CEQA Process for Bay-Delta Plan Update
“In its continuing effort to address the prolonged decline of native fish and the deteriorating ecosystem in the Lower San Joaquin River and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta watershed, the State Water Resources Control Board announced plans Friday to develop a draft environmental impact report and hold a public scoping meeting on August 10 for a proposed regulation to implement the Bay-Delta Plan’s Lower San Joaquin River flow and southern Delta salinity objectives. The board adopted an updated Bay-Delta Plan and an environmental review document in December 2018 that establish water quality standards and flow objectives for the Lower San Joaquin River and its three salmon bearing tributaries, the Stanislaus, Tuolumne, and Merced Rivers. The changes also included southern Delta salinity objectives for the reasonable protection of agriculture in the southern Delta. Worsening drought conditions and existing flow objectives (established in 1995) that are insufficient to protect fish and wildlife amplify the need to act as soon as possible. … ”
State Water Board holds four workshops, seeks input on Racial Equity Action Plan ideas
“The State Water Resources Control Board is holding four workshops as part of its process to develop a draft Racial Equity Action Plan that sets forth concrete goals and metrics to implement its November 2021 resolution “Condemning Racism, Xenophobia, Bigotry, and Racial Injustice and Strengthening Commitment to Racial Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, Access, and Anti-Racism.” Staff are now working to create the Action Plan that the board’s resolution directed them to develop and implement, in collaboration with tribes, stakeholders and the communities most impacted by racial inequities. All four workshops will take place over a one-week period and be held virtually; three of these workshops also will take place in person in Redding, Mecca and Visalia. During the workshops, staff will provide an overview of the board’s racial equity work so far and share initial ideas for actions under the plan. … ” Read more from the State Water Board here: State Water Board holds four workshops, seeks input on Racial Equity Action Plan ideas
SEE ALSO: CA State Water Board to Hear Comments from Tribal Communities on their Racial Equity Resolution, from Dan Bacher at the Daily Kos
After $100 million Huntington Beach denial, what’s the future of desalination in California?
“After a high profile, decades-long battle to build a desalination plant in Huntington Beach ended in denial, all eyes will be on the California Coastal Commission as it considers whether or not to approve two smaller desalination projects this fall. Commissioners are tentatively scheduled to consider the Doheny Ocean Desalination project in October. The project, based in Orange County, could produce up to 5 million gallons of potable water per day, according to the project’s environmental impact report. The project is expected to cost $140 million, and $32.4 million in grants have been secured thus far, Southern California Water District Public Information Specialist Sheena Johnson told The Center Square. The commission could also consider another desalination project in water-starved Monterey County in the coming months. The Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project would produce up to 6.4 million gallons of water per day and is estimated to cost around $322 million. ... ” Read more from KPVI here: After $100 million Huntington Beach denial, what’s the future of desalination in California?
Fertigation is ‘dialed in’ to deliver targeted nutrients
“The irrigation technology known as fertigation has been around for some time. But with increased water-quality regulations by the state of California aimed at reducing nitrates in groundwater, farmers are adopting ways of targeting nutrients to plants using precise applications of fertilizers through irrigation systems. “We really tried to get more dialed in as far as the timing in the irrigation set and getting the fertilizer into the water so that it ends up right in the root area and picked up by the tree and not leached down,” said Stanislaus County farmer Daniel Bays, who grows almonds, apricots and walnuts. … ” Read more from Ag Alert here: Fertigation is ‘dialed in’ to deliver targeted nutrients
California’s fire season is so unusually quiet that it resembles a ‘normal summer’
“Despite fears that California could see its “absolute worst” fire season, it’s been a relatively quiet fire year — so far. State and federal data show that the massive blazes Californians have become accustomed to aren’t as massive this year. So far in 2022, wildfires have scorched 35,135 acres, according to combined data from Cal Fire and the U.S. Forest Service. That’s less than 20% of the acreage burned over the same time frame last year, and it’s significantly lower — roughly 10% — of the 5-year average over that time period. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: California’s fire season is so unusually quiet that it resembles a ‘normal summer’
SEE ALSO: California fires are so severe some forests might vanish forever, from the LA Times
In commentary today …
Delta Flows: Failed drought planning for Delta
Barbara Barrigan-Parilla writes, “Yesterday, Restore the Delta sent the following scoping comment letter to the Army Corps of Engineers in response to a “Dredge and Fill (404) Application from California Department of Water Resources (DWR) to construct North Delta Drought Salinity Barriers Project.” DWR proposes in its application to add two more temporary rock fill barriers along Steamboat and Miner sloughs in the North Delta intending to prevent intrusion of high-salinity tidal waters into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta should critical drought conditions persist into 2023 and beyond. Responding to planning for the installation of salinity barriers as the preferred method to manage drought in the Delta has always been difficult for Restore the Delta. ... ” Continue reading at Restore the Delta here: Delta Flows: Failed drought planning for Delta
Mapes’ water sales may roil irrigation district
Eric Caine writes, “Longtime Modesto Irrigation District Board member John Mensinger announced recently he would be stepping down from the board. Thus far, the only declared candidate for his position is Frank Damrell, former Senior District Representative to Cathleen Galgiani when she was a State Senator. Mensinger’s term was stormy, with board members disagreeing about water sales, electricity rates and lawsuits. In one recent lawsuit, female members of the district’s legal department accused Mensinger of, “gender discrimination, retaliation and more.” The district settled the case without admission of wrongdoing by Mensinger. Any new board members will face a host of problems, some of them ongoing over decades. MID has never managed to separate costs of delivering electricity from costs of delivering water, and that failure alone has made the district look incompetent and vulnerable to charges of fraud and dysfunction. … ” Read more from the Valley Citizen here: Mapes’ water sales may roil irrigation district
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Court rejects claims against farming in Klamath Basin national wildlife refuges
“A federal appeals court has rejected claims that irrigation, pesticides and grazing in several Klamath Basin national wildlife refuges are managed in violation of environmental laws. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has also dismissed arguments by farm representatives that agriculture is too strictly regulated in the Klamath Basin National Wildlife Refuge Complex. Last year, a federal judge threw out multiple lawsuits filed in 2017 against a “comprehensive conservation plan” for five refuges within the complex. A unanimous panel of three 9th Circuit judges has now upheld that decision, ruling that the Fish and Wildlife Service’s plan complies with all the laws governing the 200,000-acre refuge complex. … ” Read more from the Herald & News here: Court rejects claims against farming in Klamath Basin national wildlife refuges
Humboldt Bay found to have highest sea level rise rate in California
“According to California’s 4th Climate Change Assessment, Humboldt Bay has the highest sea level rise rate in California, surpassing both global and regional averages. This finding prompted Humboldt County to conduct a grand jury report regarding the local response to sea level rise, which the Eureka City Council reviewed during their weekly meeting this evening. The report identified various local stakeholders including businesses, residents of the unincorporated coastal communities in the county, and the many plants and animals that rely on the Humboldt Bay ecosystem. … ” Read more from KRCR here: Humboldt Bay found to have highest sea level rise rate in California
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Nevada Senators Rosen, Cortez Masto applaud $3.4 million in bipartisan infrastructure law funding for Lake Tahoe to address aquatic invasive species
“Today, U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-NV) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) applauded news that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has awarded $3.4 million in funding to the Washoe Tribe of California and Nevada and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency to combat the spread of aquatic invasive species in Lake Tahoe. This funding was provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which both Nevada Senators helped pass. “Lake Tahoe is a critical part of our region’s ecosystem and plays an essential role in Nevada’s culture, environment, and tourism economy,” said Senator Rosen. “This new funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will help protect the Lake Tahoe Basin from invasive species and preserve it for generations to come.” … ” Read more from Senator Rosen’s office here: Nevada Senators Rosen, Cortez Masto applaud $3.4 million in bipartisan infrastructure law funding for Lake Tahoe to address aquatic invasive species
NAPA/SONOMA
Jenner by the Sea to get water system upgrade
“The County of Sonoma Department of Transportation and Public Works today announced the department has received a $74,000 grant from the California Department of Water Resources to install smart meters for the water system serving approximately 128 connections in the community of Jenner by the Sea. The funding comes as part of an overall $5 million award from the Urban and Multi-benefit Drought Relief Grant Program, which was filed by Humboldt County on behalf of the North Coast Funding Area. The project aligns with both the Resilient Infrastructure and Climate Action and Resiliency pillars of Sonoma County’s Five-Year Strategic Plan. … ” Read more from Sonoma County here: Jenner by the Sea to get water system upgrade
Toxic algal mats growing in Russian River
“The North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board is urging the public who visit the Russian River to be cautious of potentially toxic algal. It was confirmed through testing that toxic algal mats are growing on the bottom of the Russian River. Algae or cyanobacteria can both grow on the bottom of waterways and while floating in water. … ” Read more from KRON here: Toxic algal mats growing in Russian River
BAY AREA
Marin County adopts long-overdue protections for endangered coho salmon
“The Marin County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a conservation ordinance on Tuesday that would protect coho salmon habitat and end a 15-year legal battle over California’s most important watershed for the endangered species. The Stream Conservation Area Ordinance would set development limits and improve riparian habitat and water quality for Central Coast coho and steelhead populations in the San Geronimo Valley and Lagunitas Watershed. The Center for Biological Diversity and the Salmon Protection and Watershed Network had sued the county for failing to adopt conservation measures that were deemed necessary under its own environmental analysis. “It’s about time the endangered coho salmon get the protection to survive a warming planet,” said Peter J. Broderick, a senior attorney at the Center. “I’m relieved that after many years of litigation, the county has finally agreed to do the right thing and adopt these common-sense measures before it’s too late.” … ” Read more from the Center for Biological Diversity here: Marin County adopts long-overdue protections for endangered coho salmon
East Contra Costa: The latest plan to stop the Marsh Fire? Drown it with 10 million to 20 million gallons of water
“Firefighters and air quality experts are cautiously optimistic that a plan to flood the stubborn Marsh Fire with 10 million to 20 million gallons of water could finally end a two-month nightmare for several eastern Contra Costa County cities perpetually shrouded in a fog of acrid smoke from the long-simmering blaze. ConFire crews flipped on three additional water pumps Wednesday, bringing to five the number of pumps pulling water from nearby Mallard Slough onto the 200-acre property outside Pittsburg, which has been burning since late May. But several major questions remain, including how long it will take to sufficiently saturate deep layers of peat in the drought-stricken marsh, and whether it can finally bring a measure of relief to nearby residents. … ” Read more from the Mercury News here: East Contra Costa: The latest plan to stop the Marsh Fire? Drown it with 10 million to 20 million gallons of water
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
East Tule GSA approves amended groundwater sustainability plan
“The Eastern Tule Groundwater Sustainability Agency board approved an amended groundwater sustainability plan it believes will be approved by the state at its meeting on Monday. Agencies that govern groundwater pumping are required to submit GSP’s to the state on how they’re going to meet the requirements of the Groundwater Sustainability Management Act. The amended plan was required after the State Department of Water Resources gave ETGSA’s GSP an incomplete rating in January. DWR gave virtually all of the GSP’s from agencies across the state an incomplete rating. … ” Read more from the Porterville Recorder here: East Tule GSA approves amended groundwater sustainability plan
Going, going….water at some of Bakersfield’s most popular parks is almost gone
“The lake at the Park at River Walk is fast disappearing, as are the Truxtun Lakes. Blame the drought. The City of Bakersfield Water Resources Department has cut off flows to city-owned recreation and recharge facilities to hold on to what little surface water it’s receiving from the dwindling Kern River for drinking water, according to Daniel Maldonado, a water planner with the department. “At this time, the City has allocated all of its surface water supplies for surface water treatments to ensure residents of Bakersfield have safe drinking water,” he wrote in an email. … ” Read more from SJV Water here: Going, going….water at some of Bakersfield’s most popular parks is almost gone
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
As celebs cheat drought restrictions, ‘water police’ are going door to door
“The ongoing megadrought in the American West is bringing about a new kind of patrol. Workers with the Department of Water and Power walk around the city looking for footpath puddles — a potential sign of misused water — and investigating community complaints about water waste. California officials have announced several water restrictions this year, including one that limits outdoor watering to only one day a week. Damon Ayala, part of the inspection team, told AFP that, while they can issue fines for misused water, “We’re trying to get behavioural change.” They write down addresses that show signs of water waste and educate residents about the water restrictions. The first signs of a violation are only followed up with a warning, and repeat offenders are fined up to $US600 ($833). If a household is found to be violating the water restriction orders for a fifth time, a water limiting device can be installed in the home. … ” Read more from Gizmodo here: As celebs cheat drought restrictions, ‘water police’ are going door to door
Dirty water: The history of Los Angeles is inextricably intertwined with the city’s insatiable thirst for the water it desperately needed to sustain its growth.
“In Los Angeles, the historians know the truth: The water here is anything but clean. Like many areas with relatively high temperatures and paltry precipitation, water has always been a matter of life and death for L.A., a city that sits on a semi-arid coastal plain with desert on three sides and the Pacific Ocean on the fourth. The city resorted to drastic, at times deeply unethical — and occasionally even criminal — means to secure the vital resource that enabled it to grow into a major world metropolis. … The conflicts over water were waged on two fronts. There was the freshwater battle that involved, among other skirmishes, the struggle over procuring drinking water and irrigation. And there was the saltwater battle, involving the development of the Port of Los Angeles and control over its lucrative shipping and trade potential. ... ” Read more from USC Dornsife Magazine here: Dirty water: The history of Los Angeles is inextricably intertwined with the city’s insatiable thirst for the water it desperately needed to sustain its growth.
Along the Colorado River …
Colorado and other upstream states have a plan to help save the Colorado River. It doesn’t include any mandatory water cuts
“Colorado and the states that make up the upper half of the Colorado River basin have submitted a two-page proposal on how they will reduce their use of the river. The five-point plan does not include any mandatory cuts to water usage in the upper basin. The plan is in response to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s recent demand that the seven states that share the river must act quickly to reduce their water consumption dramatically. The federal agency’s demand that states come up with a plan by August to reduce usage by 2 to 4 million acre-feet of water to save the country’s two largest reservoirs, Lake Powell and Lake Mead, which have both hit record-low levels amid decades of drought and climate change. … ” Read more from Colorado Public Radio here: Colorado and other upstream states have a plan to help save the Colorado River. It doesn’t include any mandatory water cuts
On the Colorado River the feds carry a big stick. Will the states get hit?
“The seven Colorado River basin states have until mid-August to come up with a plan to drastically cut their water use. Federal officials say the cuts are necessary to keep the river’s giant reservoirs from declining to levels where water cannot be released through their dams and hydropower production ceases. If state leaders fail to devise a plan, they could face a federal crackdown. But while federal intervention is a key feature of Colorado River governance and management, to cajole stubborn water users into negotiating — it’s rarely tested. That leaves users along the river from Colorado to California to wonder just how serious the federal government is when it threatens unilateral actions. … ” Read more from KUNC here: On the Colorado River the feds carry a big stick. Will the states get hit?
Lake Mead level decline worse than anticipated
“A megadrought is draining Lake Mead faster than anticipated. Water shortages and demand on the Colorado River Basin will require reductions in water use of 2 million to 4 million acre-feet in 2023 to preserve “critical levels” at Lake Mead and Lake Powell, Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton told the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources in testimony recently. If entities that use the water cannot reach agreement within 60 days on a plan to reduce consumption, the Interior Department could mandate cutbacks and would do so, Touton said. … ” Read more from the Boulder City Review here: Lake Mead level decline worse than anticipated
Transformer explodes at Hoover Dam, prompting emergency response; fire quickly extinguished
“An explosion at the Hoover Dam has prompted an emergency response from a Nevada fire crew, authorities said Tuesday morning. “We have a crew on the way where we have a report of a fire,” said Lisa LaPlant, a spokesperson for Boulder City. Boulder City officials said on Twitter that the city fire department was heading toward the incident about 10:30 a.m. after video circulated on social media showing an explosion near the dam. They later said the fire was extinguished before crews arrived. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Transformer explodes at Hoover Dam, prompting emergency response; fire quickly extinguished
Las Vegas water district OKs proposal for pool-size limits
“The Clark County Commission approved a new measure to mitigate the falling water level of Lake Mead on Tuesday, limiting residential pool sizes in the Las Vegas area. The commission Tuesday unanimously approved a new ordinance prohibiting the Las Vegas Valley Water District from serving residents with pools with a total surface area of over 600 square feet. The new code will only apply to single-family residential customers who received a pool permit for their “pool(s), spa(s), and/or water feature(s)” after Sept. 1, 2022. … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Sun here: Las Vegas water district OKs proposal for pool-size limits
In national water news today …
Climate, environmental groups want EPA to target CAFOs
“A letter sent July 19 to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Michael Regan urges him to immediately act on the EPA’s existing authority to provide federal oversight of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations under the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act and Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act. EPA has several pending rulemaking petitions before it, including petitions to list industrial dairy and hog operations under Section 111 of the Clean Air Act; rescind the Air Consent Agreement and enforce Clean Air Laws against CAFOs; and revise Clean Water Act regulations as they apply to CAFOs. The agency has not acted on any of the petitions, but a release from Friends of the Earth says, “EPA is expected to propose a rule in December that would repeal a Trump-era rule exempting CAFOs from the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act.” … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press here: Climate, environmental groups want EPA to target CAFOs
Assessing the U.S. climate in June 2022
“The average temperature of the contiguous U.S. in June was 70.7°F, which is 2.2°F above average, ranking 15th warmest in the 128-year record. Temperatures across much of the southern half of the Lower 48 as well as from the northern Plains to the Ohio Valley were above average. June precipitation for the contiguous U.S. was 2.33 inches, 0.60 inch below average, tying with 1930 for 12th driest in the historical record. Precipitation was above average across portions of the Northwest and Southwest. Precipitation was below average in the Great Basin, from the central Rockies to the Great Lakes, across the Deep South and from the mid-Mississippi Valley to the Southeast. … ” Read more from NOAA here: Assessing the U.S. climate in June 2022
