On the calendar today …
- MEETING: Central Valley Regional Water Board beginning at 9am. Agenda items include an update on the CV-SALTS Program, NPDES renewal for City of Tracy Wastewater Treatment Plant, and the City of Arvin Wastewater Treatment Facility. Click here for the full agenda and remote access instructions.
- WORKSHOP: Central Valley Flood Protection Board beginning at 10am. Board staff will provide an overview of the Board’s projects and programs advanced in calendar year 2022 and review the board calendar for 2023. Board staff will provide an overview of the Board’s projects and programs advanced in 2023. Click here for the full agenda and remote access instructions.
- PUBLIC MEETING: Fisheries Restoration Grant Program 2023 Proposal Solicitation Notice Public Comment Meeting from 11am to 12pm. Agenda items include an overview of the FRGP and 2023 PSN and Guidelines, updates from 2022 PSN, and how to apply. Click here for the full agenda and remote access instructions.
On the calendar for Saturday …
- A Talk with Erica Gies, Author of “Water Always Wins” from 5pm to 6:30pm in Santa Rosa. In this presentation, Author Erica Gies will give a talk on the research that went into her book as well as how new climate disasters remind us every day, our world is not stable. Increasingly severe and frequent floods and droughts inevitably spur calls for higher levees, bigger drains, and longer aqueducts. But as we grapple with extreme weather, a hard truth is emerging: our development, including concrete infrastructure designed to control water, is actually exacerbating our problems. Because sooner or later, water always wins. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
Pair of storms to unleash heavy snow, rain across western US into the weekend
“Back-to-back storms from the Pacific will take aim at the West into the weekend, with the second and larger storm of the pairing expected to set the stage for severe weather and blizzard conditions in the nation’s midsection next week. The storms will continue to help grow the snowpack throughout the West and deliver needed rainfall as far south as Southern California. Winter weather advisories were in place across parts of Northern California, Oregon, Idaho and Washington Thursday. The first storm produced rain and high-elevation snow on Thursday and Thursday night in Washington, Oregon and Northern California, AccuWeather forecasters said. By Friday morning, the system will move southward, and snow will expand into the Sierra Nevada. Storm totals in both the Siskiyou Range and the Sierra Nevada could exceed a foot. … ” Read more from AccuWeather here: Pair of storms to unleash heavy snow, rain across western US into the weekend
CW3E AR update: Atmospheric River to Bring Impactful Winter Weather to California
“An initial weak AR associated with a shortwave trough will bring rain and snow to the Coast Ranges of Northern California Thursday evening into early Friday. A stronger AR will make landfall near the border of Oregon and California late Friday, bringing AR 1/AR 2 conditions (based on the Ralph et al. 2019 AR scale) to much of California through Sunday afternoon. Precipitation associated with this storm will fall primarily as snow in higher elevations, with freezing levels remaining between 3,500–5,000 feet in the Sierra Nevada. NWS Weather Forecast Offices have issued snowfall forecasts for between 48–60 inches the Northern Sierra and 36–48 inches for the southern Sierra. … ” Read more from the Center for Western Weather & Water Extremes here: CW3E AR update: Atmospheric River to Bring Impactful Winter Weather to California
SEE ALSO: ‘Difficult to impossible mountain travel’ forecast for Tahoe, from SF Gate
As Delta Tunnel plans move forward, CDFW midwater trawl survey reports zero Delta smelt in November
“For the sixth November in a row, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has caught zero Delta smelt during its Fall Midwater Trawl Survey of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The Delta smelt, an indicator species for the broader ecological health of the estuary, is found only in the Delta. The smelt typically reach a length of 2 to 3 inches and have a steely blue sheen on their sides, giving the fish an almost translucent look. The last time Delta smelt were found in CDFW’s November survey was in 2016. Only 8 of these fish were caught by state biologists at the time. 2017 was the last year when any Delta smelt were discovered in the entire four month survey, when 2 smelt were reported in October. … ” Read more from the Daily Kos here: As Delta Tunnel plans move forward, CDFW midwater trawl survey reports zero Delta smelt in November
Tribal, federal leaders cheer Klamath River dam removals
“Tribal, state and federal officials on Thursday cheered a plan for the largest dam removal in U.S. history along the Klamath River near the California-Oregon line as a major step toward restoring a once-thriving watershed that tribal communities have long relied on. “Clean water, healthy forests and fertile land made the Klamath River Basin and its surrounding watershed a home to tribal communities, productive agriculture, and a place where abundant populations of migratory birds, suckers, salmon and other fish could thrive,” U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said. “We must take urgent and necessary action to protect this special place.” … ” Read more from the Associated Press here: Tribal, federal leaders cheer Klamath River dam removals
SEE ALSO:
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- Largest River Restoration Project in American History Set to Begin, from the Office of the Governor
- During Visit to Klamath River, Secretary Haaland Announces Four Tribal Water Projects, from the Department of the Interior
- ‘We got the job done’: Tribal leaders celebrate Klamath River restoration with state, federal partners, from the Western Farm Press
- Historic Klamath River restoration project lauded by tribal, state and federal leaders, from KTVU
California needs to prepare to live with less water, new report suggests
“Storms arriving in the region may seem to signal a promising start for snowfall to ease California’s prolonged drought. But for now, the overall outlook is not optimistic. Federal climate scientists at NOAA have forecasted a warmer and drier than average winter for California and the broader Western U.S. and much of the state is experiencing severe to exceptional drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. “We have a tendency to focus on the now: It’s raining outside and it’s cold and it’s snowing, it’s delightful,” said Jeffrey Mount, a senior fellow with the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California. “It’s a drop in the bucket. And this is a really vanilla storm. We need those frog-chokers that we expect in the winter, those really big storms with atmospheric rivers.” … ” Read more from Capital Public Radio here: California needs to prepare to live with less water, new report suggests
Study: New life for water-starved farmland could pack $15.6B impact
“A new study finds that that strategic farmland repurposing could preserve landowner revenue and create jobs in the Golden State. The article “Water, environment, and socioeconomic justice in California: A multi-benefit cropland repurposing framework,” was published in the February 2023 issue of scientific journal “Science of the Total Environment.” The study finds that in the face of drought, repurposing retired farmland could create better-paying jobs in rural communities while decreasing pollution and overall water use. … ” Read more from The Business Journal here: Study: New life for water-starved farmland could pack $15.6B impact
CFB’s Johansson: Restore ‘management of bounty’
“California Farm Bureau president Jamie Johansson this week urged state policymakers and the public to “reimplemnet the management of bounty” in their approach to agriculture. Speaking Dec. 5 during the organization’s 104th annual meeting in Monterey, Johansson rejected the notion that farmers should simply accept limitations as a result of drought and other challenges, the CFB reports. He said California can embrace solutions such as building water-storage infrastructure and supporting groundwater recharge to provide more water to farmers, according to the CFB.California’s driest three-year period on record has resulted in $3 billion in crop revenue losses after growers left a total of 1.3 million acres unplanted over 2021 and 2022 as compared with 2019, according to a study commissioned by the state Department of Food and Agriculture. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press here: CFB’s Johansson: Restore ‘management of bounty’
‘Probably the toughest year we’ve had’
“Water shortages, supply chain snags, inflation and war in 2022 combined to confront the almond industry with “probably the toughest year we’ve had as an industry,” Almond Board President and CEO Richard Waycott told an industry conference. Adding to the woes were frost and freeze damage that devastated some orchards last winter, and a record carryover supply that kept prices lower. David Magana, senior analyst with RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness, last season’s 2.85-billion-pound crop came on top of 608 million pounds of unsold crop from the previous season. This year’s carryout could add another 930 million pounds, he has said. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press here: ‘Probably the toughest year we’ve had’
Rice groundwater success story highlighted on regional board site
“The Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board has highlighted rice as a success story for its comprehensive evaluation of nitrate impacts on ground water. The culmination of nearly 2 years of work and an ongoing dialogue with the Regional Board, the rice team – Jacobs Engineering, Montgomery and Associates, Kahn Soares and Conway, and the CRC – undertook an in-depth technical assessment of rice field nitrate impacts on ground water quality. We looked at historical monitoring under rice fields, developed a crop model and projected impacts 20 years into the future. The result – rice has minimal discharge of nitrate beneath Sacramento Valley fields and no impact or de minimis impact on ground water quality when it comes to nitrate. … ” Read more from the California Rice Commission here: Rice groundwater success story highlighted on regional board site
Farmers see promise in drought tolerant agave farming
“For some, the loud sound of a blade being sharpened might be jarring. For Craig Reynolds, it’s the sound of untold potential in commercial farming of agave in California — the plant Tequila is made from. After doing work on California water policy and growing agave in Mexico 16 years ago, Craig began to experiment with the idea of agave successfully being farmed in the sunshine state in 2014. “It dawned on me that one of the problems is we’re growing a lot of high-water use crops in California and we should consider some low-water use crops,” Reynolds said. … ” Read more from Spectrum 1 here: Farmers see promise in drought tolerant agave farming
Why legal weed is failing in one of California’s legendary pot-growing regions
” … Part of the tri-county “Emerald Triangle” in Northern California, this expanse of forests and hidden canyons has the ideal climate for cannabis: hot days and cool summer nights. It’s described by locals as the Napa Valley of weed. If any place in California would have been expected to flourish after cannabis was legalized, it was Trinity, where the crop’s roots were sown during the counterculture movement of the 1960s. But the legalization measure, which in Trinity won by only a handful of votes, was polarizing from the start. Critics of licensed farming worried that an influx of commercial growers would wreak havoc, causing ecological destruction and eroding the community’s sense of safety and trust. Proponents touted the benefits of tax revenue and higher property values from cultivation licenses. Following a lawsuit, a Superior Court judge last year invalidated nearly all licenses that had been awarded, ruling that the county approved them without requiring growers to document potential environmental impacts and measures to prevent harm. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Why legal weed is failing in one of California’s legendary pot-growing regions
Feinstein to California Lands Commission: Approve Doheny Desalination Project
“Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) this week called on the California State Lands Commission to approve the South Coast Water District’s (SCWD) Doheny Ocean Desalination Project. “This project will allow SCWD to strengthen and diversify its water supply and management strategies,” Senator Feinstein wrote. “In addition, the project has taken crucial safety measures to be the first to comply with the California Ocean Plan, utilizing subsurface intakes and comingling brine discharge to minimize marine life impacts. SCWD has also effectively collaborated with key stakeholders such as California State Parks, nonprofit organizations, tribal nations and local representatives. The Doheny Ocean Desalination Project would undoubtedly improve water reliability for underserved residents throughout Orange County and the broader Southern California region.” ... ” Continue reading from Senator Feinstein’s office here: Feinstein to California Lands Commission: Approve Doheny Desalination Project
How do floating wind turbines work? With 5 companies winning the first US leases to build wind farms off California’s coast, let’s take a look
“Northern California has some of the strongest offshore winds in the U.S., with immense potential to produce clean energy. But it also has a problem. Its continental shelf drops off quickly, making building traditional wind turbines directly on the seafloor costly if not impossible. Once water gets more than about 200 feet deep – roughly the height of an 18-story building – these “monopile” structures are pretty much out of the question. A solution has emerged that’s being tested in several locations around the world: wind turbines that float. In California, where drought has put pressure on the hydropower supply, the state is moving forward on a plan to develop the nation’s first floating offshore wind farms. … ” Read more from The Conversation here: How do floating wind turbines work? With 5 companies winning the first US leases to build wind farms off California’s coast, let’s take a look
SEE ALSO: ‘It’s Beyond Frustrating’: Yurok Vice-Chair Calls Out Provisional Winners of Offshore Wind Bid for Failing to Engage With the Tribe Ahead of This Week’s Auction, from the Lost Coast Outpost
In commentary today …
Sierra Club says once again: EPA must obey the law on regulating ballast discharges
Andrew Cohen and Chance Cutrano write, “This past October, the Sierra Club and 159 other organizations — environmental and fishing groups, public health organizations, Native American tribes, water agencies and others — asked President Joe Biden to direct the EPA to establish discharge standards for ships’ ballast water that comply with the Clean Water Act (CWA). For 50 years, the agency has refused to do so. Ships take up, transport and discharge ballast water to adjust for changes in cargo loads. This ballast water distributes between distant ports a wide variety of marine and freshwater organisms as well as human and animal pathogens, which have damaged ecosystems and fisheries, harmed economic activities, and sickened and killed people. … ” Read more from the Sierra Club here: Sierra Club says once again: EPA must obey the law on regulating ballast discharges
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Crescent City harbormaster says it’s four months away from permit that’ll lead to disposal of 95,000 cubic yards of dredge material
“It’ll likely take another four months for the Crescent City Harbor District to get permission to remove the 95,000 cubic yards of dredge material it’s stored for nearly a decade, but that doesn’t mean it’ll be gone immediately, Harbormaster Tim Petrick said. “That’s still going to take probably most of the year to even get the Army Corps to mobilize to take their 52,000 (cubic yards),” Petrick told commissioners Tuesday. “So the dredge ponds are still probably, I would say, a year and a half from being available for filling.” Petrick said he anticipates the State Water Quality Control Board to approve a beneficial use permit for the harbor this week. The next part in the process, he said, is an application for a permit waiver. … ” Read more from Wild Rivers Outpost here: Crescent City harbormaster says it’s four months away from permit that’ll lead to disposal of 95,000 cubic yards of dredge material
Radio: Tribes offer curriculum on Traditional Ecological Knowledge to California schools
“The knowledge of the environment and its proper care used to be passed down from generation to generation, by word of mouth. Then Americans of European descent came and pushed the indigenous people off the land, managing resources with very different values. California schools now have the option of including Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) in middle schools, by using a curriculum developed by several tribes and released through Save California Salmon. The creators say the curriculum meets middle school standards in several subject areas, and tells a more positive story of the first people to occupy California. Charley Reed and Regina Chichizola from SCS visit with details of the learning plan, and the process of getting it ready for schools to use.” Listen at Jefferson Public Radio here (17:46): Radio: Tribes offer curriculum on Traditional Ecological Knowledge to California schools
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Now’s the best time to see salmon at Nimbus Fish Hatchery; trout’s arrival around corner
“Rain and storms, while they could wash out fish eggs if the water level changed significantly, are typically good for the chinook salmon and steelhead trout at the Nimbus Fish Hatchery in Gold River. Storms feeds cold freshwater to the American River, which encourages fish to swim upriver, and this occurs most often in October and November. The Folsom Dam prevents substantial water level shifts, according to Laura Drath, the interpretive services supervisor for the Sacramento region of the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Rain also keeps temperatures cold — the water needs to be less than 60 degrees for salmon and trout eggs to survive. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: Now’s the best time to see salmon at Nimbus Fish Hatchery; trout’s arrival around corner
NAPA/SONOMA
Congressman Mike Thompson secures $14.55 million for Santa Rosa water infrastructure
“Today, Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-05) secured $14.55 million for the Santa Rosa Water and Wastewater Infrastructure Project. This funding is included in the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) and will replace aging water and wastewater pipelines in the Santa Rosa water system that are predicted to fail in the next 2 years. “Every community deserves to have clean water and secure wastewater systems,” said Thompson. “Replacing aging pipelines is vital to the health and wellbeing of our community in Santa Rosa, and this funding is going to deliver the resources necessary to modernize the water system and protect habitats of endangered species. Proud to have secured this funding and I will continue to work with local leaders to identify additional projects that will benefit Santa Rosa and all our district.” … ” Read more from office of Congressman Mike Thompson here: Congressman Mike Thompson secures $14.55 million for Santa Rosa water infrastructure
Sonoma Valley water agencies hope for rain amid lowest water levels at reservoirs
“The rain pelting Sonoma Valley this week could not be more needed, just as a local reservoir marked its lowest water level since its inception, despite increased conservation efforts by the public. Lake Sonoma, the reservoir most responsible for Sonoma Valley’s water flow, reached its lowest point since it was constructed in 1984 at just 40% capacity as of Nov. 27 — down from the historical average of 73.3% recorded from 2013-21. The drought’s impact on Sonoma Valley watersheds have challenged people and animals alike, according to experts. “We’re still in the third year, going into a fourth year, of drought depending on what happens going in to 2023. There’s a lot of uncertainty,” said Don Seymour, deputy chief engineer for water resources planning at Sonoma Water. … ” Read more from the Sonoma Index-Tribune here: Sonoma Valley water agencies hope for rain amid lowest water levels at reservoirs
BAY AREA
Thunderstorms, heavy rain in the forecast for Bay Area this weekend. Here’s when the storm arrives
“After Thursday’s quarrel with isolated thunderstorms, strong winds and downpours, the Bay Area will be in a bit of a weather lull this Friday morning. But this period of light showers will be short-lived as another winter storm sets its sights on California this weekend. A strong low-pressure system over the Gulf of Alaska will spin into California late Friday night and into Saturday morning, bringing round-after-round of heavy rain and snow showers to the coast. These showers will spread to the Bay Area and Sierra Nevada by Saturday afternoon, becoming more intense along ski resorts and passes in the Tahoe area through Sunday morning. Bursts of rain and winds will then spread south along Highway 1, encompassing the LA and San Diego metros by Sunday afternoon. The stage is set for a statewide winter storm that will introduce some challenges for residents and travelers alike all weekend long. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Thunderstorms, heavy rain in the forecast for Bay Area this weekend. Here’s when the storm arrives
Restoration and conservation efforts help Marin’s salmon overcome sizable hurdles
“Last winter residents around the North Bay were wowed by video of salmon swimming through neighborhood creeks and small tributaries in Marin County on their way to spawn. Eric Ettlinger, a fisheries expert with Marin Water, said the previous spawning season was hugely successful for Marin’s salmon. “In this summer, we had a record breaking number of juvenile salmon,” Ettlinger said. “In fact, it was along the lines of three times the previous record of fish. So there were just juvenile salmon everywhere we looked.” That’s despite the massive barriers Ettlinger said face those fish. “So the fish in this area have lost about 50% of their habitat because they can’t get past the dams that we have here,” Ettlinger said. “And the 50% of the habitat that they have left has been degraded by past logging and housing development.” … ” Read more from Northern California Public Media here: Restoration and conservation efforts help Marin’s salmon overcome sizable hurdles
How a ‘sturgeon surgeon’ tracks the bay’s giant, stealthy living fossils
“In a boat floating on San Pablo Bay, Emily Miller prepared her scalpel. Just 15 feet below, her quarry lurked in the murk, probing the mud with its dangling chin-whiskers, searching for clams to guzzle whole with its toothless, tube-shaped mouth. A net loomed behind it, ready to snag the behemoth. Sturgeons are notoriously stealthy, their journeys elusive. Miller’s mission was to implant fish with acoustic transmitters, which tracked them as they traveled throughout the watershed. She especially wanted to understand the migration and lifestyle differences between the Bay Area’s two resident species, green and white sturgeon, both of which are at risk from human activities. “Sturgeon are the redwoods or the sequoias of San Francisco Bay,” says Levi Lewis, a migratory fish researcher at UC Davis. They’re big, old and threatened—and, Lewis added, a part of California’s natural heritage and identity. … ” Read more from Bay Nature here: How a ‘sturgeon surgeon’ tracks the bay’s giant, stealthy living fossils
CENTRAL COAST
Ventura water lawsuit mediation continues; trial set for March 30
“Major parties in the Ventura River Watershed Adjudication lawsuit say they plan to meet again next week with a mediator in the 8-year-old case. In a joint report filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Nov. 29, parties said mediator David Ceppos of California State University Sacramento “has continued to conduct a structured mediation in this case … to work toward a comprehensive settlement.” On Nov. 15-16, Ceppos held a two-day mediation session, the first day consisting of a full-day session attended by the initial mediation parties — representatives and elected officials from the city of Ventura, the city of Ojai, Casitas Municipal Water District and the East End Group. … ” Read more from the Ojai Valley News here: Ventura water lawsuit mediation continues; trial set for March 30
Oxnard: Water Cost of Service report has threat
“The Water Cost of Service Report, presented to the Public Works & Transportation Committee Tuesday, November 22, continues with threats to the water system. As everyone is aware, climate change can mean drier droughts and wetter wet periods.“We have very old infrastructure and a Capital Improvements Program to replace a lot of the aging infrastructure, mostly cast-iron pipelines,” Assistant Public Works Director Joseph Marcinko said. “Another threat is the Global Supply Chain issues. As a function of Covid, there are very long lead times, well over a year, on some larger parts like pumps and motors.” … ” Read more from the Tri-County Sentry here: Oxnard: Water Cost of Service report has threat
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Madera County farmers won’t pay $246 per acre, for now
“On September 13, 2022 the Valley Groundwater Coalition, led by president and longtime Madera County landowner Ralph Pistoresi, represented by law firm Wild, Carter & Tipton, filed a petition for writ of mandate and complaint for declaratory and injunctive relief against the County of Madera; Madera County Superior Court case number MCV087677: Valley Groundwater Coalition vs. County of Madera. The main issue at hand is whether or not farmers within the Madera County Groundwater Sustainability Agency (“Madera County GSA”) must pay the $246 per acre “GSP Project Fee” imposed by the Madera County GSA. … On Tuesday, December 6th, at 10:30 AM approximately 30 to 40 landowners, farmers and interested parties filed into the courtroom at Department 40 in the Madera County Courthouse. Judge Collet heard arguments for and against issuing the preliminary injunction. … ” Read more from Water Wrights here: Madera County farmers won’t pay $246 per acre, for now
State, local leaders want to help citizens create water-efficient landscapes
“According to the National Integrated Drought Information System, more than 64% of Fresno County is considered to be facing an exceptional drought and 98% of the county is facing extreme drought. “We perhaps know the purpose of water as much or more than anyone because it is our survival,” said Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer. That’s why the City of Fresno is trying to get the word out about their lawn-to-garden rebate program, which pays people a dollar per square foot for homeowners to replace grass with water-efficient landscapes. … ” Read more from Your Central Valley here: State, local leaders want to help citizens create water-efficient landscapes
West Goshen gets money for CalWater connection
“As the state is looking for ways to help throughout the ever-present drought, a small town with no more than 600 residents expect to have their water problems solved by the end of next year.The unincorporated community of West Goshen has been awarded $3.4 million from the Department of Water Resources (DWR) to connect 50 households to the nearby public water system, California Water Service (CAL Water) Visalia. The community is no stranger to water struggles, as half of the community was previously connected to the CAL Water system in 2016, according to Daisy Gonzalez, community solutions coordinator with the Community Water Center (CWC). This funding comes as a huge relief and is enough to see the project all the way to the end. … ” Read more from the Foothills Sun-Gazette here: West Goshen gets money for CalWater connection
Attempt to fill old sewer pipeline becomes messy nightmare for Hughson pastor
“The city of Hughson’s effort to fill in an abandoned and crumbling sewer line on Tully Avenue on Wednesday turned into a nightmare for a Hughson pastor whose bathroom and home became flooded with a cement-like substance coming out of a toilet and bathtub. Hughson City Manager Merry Mayhew said a contractor was pumping a foamy material which in time hardens into an old industrial line that ran between the old Hughson Creamery and the Hughson wastewater plant north of town on Leedom Road. The clay pipeline, which is over a century old, has been collapsing under Tully Road so the city decided to fill it in by a contractor. When the company began to backfill the line near Hughson Church of Christ and Hughson Christian School, the material began pushing up into unknown connections to the parsonage and the church. “It was unknown that there were two other lines there,” explained Mayhew. “That’s what the problem was.” … ” Read more from the Ceres Courier here: Attempt to fill old sewer pipeline becomes messy nightmare for Hughson pastor
Kern County enters third year of drought
“Kern County officially reached its 2 year anniversary of the drought today. Unfortunately, this drought doesn’t seem to be going anywhere as we now enter our third year, and water services are asking consumers to cut back on water usage. This is especially true after the California Department of Water Resources announced their initial state water project allocation for 2023 , would be five percent of the contracted amount. “That contract amount is just under a million acre feet,” said Tom McCarthy, the General Manger for the Kern County Water Agency. … ” Read mroe from Bakersfield Now here: Kern County enters third year of drought
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Water? Fire? Bad smells? These environmental stories shaped Southern California in 2022
“Throughout 2022, lawmakers in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. set lofty goals — and laid out significant funds — in an effort to slow climate change and improve the environment. And Southern California already is benefitting from those efforts, with billions of dollars directed to install new electric vehicle charging stations, shore up water supplies, reduce wildfire risk and more. But this year Southern California also was particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change, as drought, beach erosion, extreme heat and other challenges hit home. As the year winds down, here’s a look back at how seven major environmental stories shaped Southern California in 2022. … ” Read more from the OC Register here: Water? Fire? Bad smells? These environmental stories shaped Southern California in 2022
New plan to reduce copper in Newport Bay approved by Santa Ana Regional Water Control Board
“The Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board recently passed a plan to regulate the amount of copper in Newport Bay, but officials with the city of Newport Beach contend that the path forward to address the issue is murkier than it seems. In 2002, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency established thresholds of toxic substances for both Newport Bay and San Diego Creek, the latter being the primary tributary into the bay. The total maximum daily loads — known as TMDLs — define the amount of a pollutant that can enter a body of water without resulting in violations of water quality standards set forth by the U.S. Clean Water Act. The TMDLs included copper, which the federal agency determined was impairing Newport Bay, and have been on the books for years, but there has never been an implementation plan formally put into place. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: New plan to reduce copper in Newport Bay approved by Santa Ana Regional Water Control Board
Along the Colorado River …
Climate change forces difficult decisions along the Colorado River
“The Colorado River provides drinking water and hydropower to more than 40 million people in the Southwest — but more water has been parceled out among its many users than actually exists in the river. As climate change has exacerbated severe drought conditions in the region, water shortages worsened to a crisis point this past year, forcing widespread rationing and bringing unforeseen consequences. Low levels now threaten the everyday water and power use of residents across seven states and numerous Tribal lands — as well as the survival of the humpback chub, a recovering species that once represented a wildlife success story. There is no easy solution to reverse the water shortages in this critical river system, but federal agencies are taking first steps to address some of the worst effects of the crisis, and advocates are pushing for innovative new strategies to rethink water use for the long term. … ” Read more from the National Parks Conservation Association here: Climate change forces difficult decisions along the Colorado River
Video: Boaters express concern with Lake Mead’s boating future
“The future of Lake Mead’s boat ramps is questionable as water levels continue to fall. The National Park Service is now investigating the lake’s future leisure opportunities.” Watch video at Yahoo News here: Video: Boaters express concern with Lake Mead’s boating future
Some water users could get paid to conserve as Upper Colorado River Basin program gets planned reboot
“As climate change continues to shrink the Colorado River’s largest reservoirs, a group of four states that use its water are set to lay out plans to reboot a conservation program. The Upper Colorado River Commission – comprised of Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico – plans to announce details of an extended “System Conservation Pilot Program” through which water users could be paid to cut back on their use. The soon-to-be-launched program aims to use a pool of $125 million from the Inflation Reduction Act for payouts to “mitigate the impacts of long-term drought and depleted storage,” according to presentation slides obtained by KUNC. … ” Read more from KUNC here: Some water users could get paid to conserve as Upper Colorado River Basin program gets planned reboot
In national water news today …
How the water sector is using innovative tech to become more resilient and sustainable
“During weeks of drought across Europe this summer, water levels dropped low enough to expose an ancient message, “if you see me, then weep.” The inscription on a rock in the Elbe River, near the northern Czech town of Děčín, was a timely reminder as rivers ran dry. In the US, waters along the Mississippi receded to such a low level they revealed a ferry, likely sunk around the turn of the 19th century, near Baton Rouge. These are only two indicators in a year that left us in little doubt that climate change is wreaking havoc on water and how we manage it. Many communities are facing up to the urgent issue of ageing infrastructure that is ill-equipped to deal with a harsher climate. They are confronting the economic anxiety of major upgrades by rethinking the status quo and leaning into technology to deliver more water sustainability. … ” Read more from the World Economic Forum here: How the water sector is using innovative tech to become more resilient and sustainable
NASA mission takes a deep dive into Earth’s surface water
“NASA is launching an Earth-orbiting mission that will map the planet’s surface water resources better than ever before. Scheduled to launch on Dec. 15 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, the Surface Water and Ocean Topography, or SWOT mission is the latest international collaboration designed to monitor and report on our home planet. By providing us with a highly detailed 3D view of rivers, lakes, and oceans, SWOT promises to improve our understanding of Earth’s water cycle and the role oceans play in climate change, as well as help us better respond to drought and flooding. Read on to find out why we’re hoping to learn more about Earth’s surface water, get to know the science behind SWOT’s unique design, and follow along with STEM teaching and learning resources. … ” Continue reading from JPL here: NASA mission takes a deep dive into Earth’s surface water
America’s drought-hit lakes and rivers in sobering before and after photos
“The year 2022 has seen large portions of the U.S. scorched by blazing temperatures and an oppressive mega-drought. As of November 29, 2022, 48.1 percent of the total U.S. and 57.51 percent of the mainland 48 states are in some degree of drought conditions, U.S. Drought Monitor data shows. In the summer, this was drastically worse, especially across the west and southwestern states: in July 2022, one third of all land in California, Texas, Oregon, Nevada, Utah and New Mexico was classified as experiencing extreme or exceptional drought. “This year has seen the highest percentage of the country (over 80% of the continental U.S.) be classified as being in a drought since the U.S. Drought Monitor was established (a little over 20 years ago),” Antonia Hadjimichael, an assistant professor in geosciences at Penn State University, told Newsweek. … ” Read more from Newsweek here: America’s drought-hit lakes and rivers in sobering before and after photos
How the current Southwestern North American megadrought is affecting Earth’s upper atmosphere
“New research, based on two decades’ worth of data, shows that in the ten years after its onset in 2000, the Southwestern North American (SWNA) megadrought caused a 30% change in gravity wave activity in Earth’s upper atmosphere. More than 30 years ago, Chester Gardner of UIUC’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering and Chiao-Yao She of Colorado State University’s Department of Physics teamed up to study Earth’s middle atmosphere. Using sodium resonance laser radar (lidar), Gardner and She developed and demonstrated an important new technique for measuring temperature profiles in the Earth’s upper atmosphere. … ” Read more from Phys Org here: How the current Southwestern North American megadrought is affecting Earth’s upper atmosphere
House approves defense, water projects bill
“The House on Thursday afternoon sent the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act to the Senate floor for consideration next week. The legislation, which passed the House 350-80, carries a number of energy and environment riders, including authorizing billions of dollars for water infrastructure projects and environmental cleanups. “This bill represents compromise after months of hard work with colleagues on both sides of the aisle and in both chambers of Congress. Whatever our disagreements may be, there’s a lot to be proud of in this bill,” said House Armed Services Committee Chair Adam Smith (D-Wash.). ... ” Read more from E&E News here: House approves defense, water projects bill
National water and climate update …
The Natural Resources Conservation Service produces this weekly report using data and products from the National Water and Climate Center and other agencies. The report focuses on seasonal snowpack, precipitation, temperature, and drought conditions in the U.S.
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