On the calendar today …
- WEBINAR: Central Valley, CA Well & Pump Webinar from 8am to 11am. This webinar will give water well contractors, hydrogeologists, engineers, and groundwater end-users (municipal, agricultural, and commercial) recommendations for well shutdown and start-up after a period of non-pumping. Make beneficial use of well down-time to secure the value of your water well, pump and performance monitoring assets. Three hours attending this webinar could save your company, utility, or irrigation business thousands of dollars! Click here to register.
- MEETING: Central Valley Flood Protection Board at 9am. Agenda items include an update and possible adoption of the 2022 Central Valley Flood Protection Plan Update. Click here for the full agenda and remote access instructions.
- WEBINAR: Restoration Project Virtual Science Presentation: Habitat Evolution Mapping Project (HEMP) Decadal Update 2019 & 2021 Final Results from 10am to 11am. As part of its Adaptive Management Plan, the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project tracks habitat evolution and change in South San Francisco Bay, with particular focus on changes to marsh vegetation and mudflat acreages. This work to map baylands habitats south of the San Mateo Bridge via classification of high-resolution satellite imagery and groundtruthing has been undertaken as the Habitat Evolution Mapping Project (HEMP) by Brian Fulfrost of Fulfrost & Associates, first in 2009-2011 (HEMP1) and again in 2019 and 2021 (HEMP2). Join us for a presentation by Brian on the final results of the HEMP2 decadal update, which maps and quantifies habitat changes over the last decade and describes the current status of these marsh and mudflat habitats. Register for the Zoom meeting here.
In California water news today …
Planning for dry times: The West considers more reservoirs and aquifers
“As parched California receives much needed rain and snow this winter, some local water officials are calling on state leaders to invest in new infrastructure projects that will store freshwater for inevitable dry times to come. Western states can no longer rely on snowmelt and rain to supply their communities in a drier, more arid landscape caused by climate change, say water experts. Environmental groups have called for increased conservation efforts, such as pushing people to limit watering of ornamental lawns and upgrade to more efficient appliances. And they want officials to invest more in wastewater recycling or desalination projects. But some local water officials in California and across the West see a massive opportunity in storing rainwater in new or expanded reservoirs and groundwater aquifers. “We can’t just keep conserving our way out of this,” said Gary Arant, general manager at Valley Center Municipal Water District, which serves communities throughout San Diego County. “Our supplies are becoming less and less reliable, our population is growing, our economy is growing. We’re at a point where we need to make investments in the statewide water system.” … ” Read more from the Pew Charitable Trust here: Planning for dry times: The West considers more reservoirs and aquifers
California storms bring some improvement to drought conditions
“California remains in the grip of a yearslong drought but recent storms have led to some improvement, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor’s weekly report. The latest map issued Thursday showed some contraction in all categories of drought, including “exceptional” and “extreme,” compared to a week earlier. A year ago the two worst categories combined covered most of the state. “Hefty rainfall amounts in some of the coastal mountain ranges of California caused high streamflow, which lessened precipitation deficits and led to localized improvements,” the monitor reported. “Widespread improvements occurred in parts of the central Sierra Nevada range, where heavy snow fell and added to a healthy early-season snowpack.” … ” Read more from KCRA here: California storms bring some improvement to drought conditions
SEE ALSO: Did last week’s storm improve California drought conditions? Here’s what we know, from the Sacramento Bee
California-Nevada drought status update
“Several December storms have helped snowpack and soil moisture conditions; nonetheless, 98% of California and 100% of Nevada remain in drought. A La Niña advisory is still in effect, but is expected to change to ENSO neutral by spring. Extended range forecasts are leaning towards dry conditions for California and Nevada for the latter part of December. However, storms forecasted for the Pacific Northwest could drop down and impact the region. A Colorado Basin 24-month study shows Lake Powell dropping below the power pool in the minimum probable inflow scenario. … ” Read the full drought update from NIDIS here: California-Nevada drought status update
The Southern California Water Coalition and Californians for Water Security submit comments in support of Delta Conveyance Project
“With the close today of the public comment period for the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) on the Delta Conveyance Project, Californians for Water Security has released a letter in support of the project from social justice, labor, business, and community leaders highlighting the need to secure the state’s vulnerable water supply. Excerpt from support letter: “We urge the Department of Water Resources and Governor Newsom’s Administration to approve and move forward with the proposed project presented in the Draft EIR, which consists of a 6,000 cubic feet per second conveyance system that connects directly into the California Aqueduct. Climate change and sea level rise threaten to make future operations of the State Water Project (SWP) increasingly less reliable. It is prudent and responsible to pursue this project now, before climate change creates a water supply emergency. Failure to act on this project as proposed, will inevitably limit the SWP in the future, and result in the loss of continued local investment and water supplies for a majority of Californians.” … ”
CSPA comments on deficient environmental impact report for proposed Delta tunnel
“CSPA submitted Comments on December 14, 2022 on the Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) for a proposed new tunnel to divert massive amounts of water under the Sacramento – San Joaquin Delta. The proposed tunnel is the latest scheme by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) to more reliably ship more northern California water south. CSPA’s comments show that the DEIR violates the Delta Reform Act and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The DEIR must be revised and recirculated. DWR has branded its project as the upbeat-sounding “Delta Conveyance Project.” This new branding of reduced flow into the water-starved Delta is only slightly less annoying than DWR’s previous branding, the “California WaterFix.” The addiction to excessive water exports from the Sacramento Valley to the San Joaquin Valley and southern California still requires court-ordered rehab. … ” Read more from the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance here: CSPA comments on deficient environmental impact report for proposed Delta tunnel
Coalition of water agencies send letter to new legislators, urging them to make the water supply crisis a key issue
“As general managers of water agencies from across the State, we are writing to congratulate you on becoming one of the newest members of the California State Legislature. We are looking forward to working with you to help solve the critical issues surrounding California’s ongoing and serious water supply crisis. As you begin to develop your 2023 legislative priorities, we strongly urge you to put the water supply crisis at the top of your list of key issues to address immediately. While the issues in Sacramento are many, we strongly urge you to discuss and consider this water supply crisis and the potential solutions with your local water agencies to understand risks to your district, the economy, and the State. In addition to the impact on your constituents, the water supply crisis will impact all sectors of the economy – agriculture, homebuilding, manufacturing, hospitality and tourism, and technology. According to a new report released by UC Merced, “direct economic impacts on farm activity alone will reach $1.2 billion this year, up from $810 million in 2021” with job losses in the agriculture industry reaching nearly 20,000 jobs. … “
“When you think of California’s climate, drought probably comes to mind first, but California has a long history of floods. Some floods were so punishing and relentless they crippled the state. New research indicates these “megafloods” are twice as likely in the future with a changing climate. It’s a future we can’t avoid, but we can learn from the past and prepare. ABC10’s team of meteorologists investigated the topic, answering questions like: What exactly is a megaflood? Can our infrastructure withstand it? What would an emergency response during a flood look like? How can you prepare your property for a flood? … ” Read more from Channel 10 here: Megaflood | California’s disaster in waiting “Can Alex Padilla and other western senators convince the Biden administration to make drought relief a higher priority as it doles out $20 billion in climate-change funding for agriculture? Padilla, a California Democrat, is trying to get the attention of President Joe Biden and Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack as the drought fallows large swaths of farmland and kills off livestock. “As you know, the Inflation Reduction Act invested $20 billion through key conservation programs to ensure that the agricultural sector plays a central role in combatting the climate crisis,” Padilla and five other senators wrote in a letter sent to Biden administration officials today. … ” Read more from GV Wire here: Should Biden administration fund more drought relief? Sen. Padilla says yes SEE ALSO: Feinstein, Padilla Urge USDA to Prioritize Drought in Deploying Inflation Reduction Act Funds, from Senator Feinstein’s office “In the past few years, wildfires have killed tens of thousands of California’s giant sequoias. As a result, the state lost nearly a fifth of its population in just two years according to a 2021 report. Government agencies, tribes and environmental groups have rallied to save the iconic tree. Last year, a number of these groups formed the Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition to share their knowledge and work to better treat forest areas where groves of giant sequoias can be found. Over the last year, the coalition treated thousands of acres of forest land in and around these groves. They’ve used methods like prescribed fire, cultural burning and forest thinning. Of the 80 giant sequoia groves the group is targeting, they’ve treated 36. … ” Read more from Capital Public Radio here: Coalition of tribes, government agencies unite to restore California’s giant sequoia population “After years of promising, Cal Fire has released new, updated maps to help residents determine if they live in a risky wildfire area. The interactive Wildfire Hazard Severity Zone map is more than a decade in the making and comes after groups voiced criticism of Cal Fire, calling the department’s antiquated maps “pretty inexcusable.” The latest map indicates numerous California communities face moderate to high to very high fire risk. … ” Read more from Capital Public Radio here: New wildfire risk map suggests California communities increasingly vulnerable SEE ALSO: Is your home at higher risk for wildfires? California updates map for first time in 15 years, from the Sacramento Bee Mike Wade, executive director of the California Farm Water Coalition, writes, “Harvest season is an iconic time of year. Summer is over, the weather cools and we turn our attention to fall. We associate autumn harvest with plentiful, fresh food, delivered to our grocery stores, and finally making its way to the family dinner table. Living in California, which produces 60% of the nation’s fruits, nuts, and vegetables, we get the best of this bounty. Unfortunately, this year will be different. According to the University of California, Merced, 695,000 acres of California farmland is unplanted and will not produce anything this year — a 76 percent increase from last year. Much of the blame lies with the ongoing drought. While the wet years are getting wetter and the dry ones hotter, the same cycle has occurred often in California’s past. We got by before. What’s changed? … ” Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here: A different kind of harvest is in store this year Dr. Jeff Michael, Executive Director of the Center for Business and Policy Research at the University of the Pacific, writes, “The most significant change from the twin-tunnel, three-intake, 9,000cfs capacity WaterFix to the single-tunnel, two-intake, 6,000cfs capacity Delta Conveyance Project (DCP) isn’t the number of tunnels, but how they are utilized. It would seem logical that lowering the capacity of the Delta tunnel(s) would result in the remaining capacity being used more intensively. That was how it worked when DWR briefly switched to a staged, single-tunnel plan for the WaterFix in 2017, as well as other alternatives with lower capacity. Instead, the draft EIR for the single-tunnel DCP states that the tunnel will be used much less than the WaterFix twin-tunnels. In fact, the operation modeling shows zero diversions through the tunnel most of the time. In the DCP, the tunnel only makes up 13.5% of projected Delta water exports, compared to 50% of total Delta water exports in the WaterFix. Is this low-utilization rate of the DCP believable? Will the state spend $20 billion on the most expensive water infrastructure project in history and not operate it most of the time (or as Osha Meserve said, why buy a Maserati and only drive 10 miles per hour)? … ” Continue reading at the Valley Economy blog here: Is DWR lying about the low-utilization operating plan for the Delta Conveyance Project? Steve Malanca, co-founder of My Job Depends on Ag, and Clint Olivier, CEO, Central Valley Business Federation, write, “A recent Fresno Bee editorial, entitled “’My Job Depends on Oil’ is a distraction from the real issue of protecting Fresno’s farming,” fails to make a compelling case that the new grassroots effort to preserve California’s oil jobs could be harmful to Valley agriculture, but it does succeed in highlighting the hypocrisy and extremism of California policymakers and their defenders in the media. What’s more, the Editorial Board left out a number of important facts. The Editorial Board took aim at BizFed Central Valley’s “My Job Depends on Oil” campaign, which was modeled after, and enjoys the support of the founders of the extremely popular, Central Valley-based “My Job Depends on Ag” movement. The newspaper attempts to pit the two life-sustaining industries against one another, even though they both find themselves in the same boat — fighting for survival in a state run by overzealous politicians and bureaucrats who have indicated they will not stop their meddling until both industries are stamped out of existence. … ” Read more from the Fresno Bee here: Bee Editorial Board got it wrong. Oil and ag can co-exist, and lots of jobs depend on both “Klamath Tribes are set to receive $500,000 in order to help with restoration projects along the Klamath River, according to a press release from the U.S. Department of Interior. The funds will focus on assessing and planning restoration activities for 5 miles of the Upper Williamson River. After overcoming challenges posed by critics, the Klamath River restoration project is ready to get to work. Normally, dams can be pretty helpful, but in this case, it’s better if they are removed. By removing the Klamath River dams, salmon will be able to return to the waters for the first time in 100 years, KTVL’s News 10 reported. … ” Read more from Green Matters here: The Klamath River Restoration Project is working to remove dams and help local tribes “Nonprofit research and conservation organization California Trout, McKinleyville Community Services District (MCSD), the Wiyot Tribe, and other partners, have completed an important Baduwa’t estuary restoration and reconnection project. The project opens up more than 4 acres of important habitat for imperiled salmon and steelhead while increasing public access to an inspiring coastal viewpoint overlooking the Baduwa’t, also known as the Mad River, in Humboldt County. “Fish habitat is really limited on the lower Baduwa’t, so this project is going to make an outsized difference for juvenile salmon and steelhead,” said Mary Burke, CalTrout’s North Coast Regional Manager. … ” Read more from Cal Trout here: Estuary restoration project on Mad River (Baduwa’t) opens acres of fish habitat, new public trail “At the Mendocino City Community Services District Board of Directors meeting on Monday, December 12th, the board voted to adopt the rate increases that have been the subject of multiple meetings over the last several months. They also reappointed Dennak Murphy and Jim Sullivan, respectively, as president and vice president of the board for another one-year term. The two new board members, Matthew Miksak and Ishvi Aum were in attendance for the vote. Both new board members ran unopposed and did not go through the election process. The board also discussed the process of pursuing a feasibility study for developing a public water system, which will be discussed more thoroughly at upcoming meetings. The sewer rate increase will increase rates gradually over five years from $51 per unit to $97 was unanimously adopted by the board. … ” Read more from the Mendocino Beacon here: Mendocino: Double-digit rate increases to start in February “The California Tahoe Conservancy Board on Thursday approved actions allowing the Conservancy to continue pursuing acquisition of 31.2 acres of environmentally sensitive land along the Upper Truckee River in South Lake Tahoe. The Board updated its authorization for the Conservancy to pursue the potential acquisition, located at 2375 Lake Tahoe Boulevard and 940 Sunset Drive, upstream of the Conservancy’s Upper Truckee Marsh property. The Board authorized up to $18 million for the Conservancy to continue negotiating to acquire the land, as well as to demolish the existing Motel 6 and restaurant structures and to stabilize the site. The Conservancy will preserve the meadow and wetlands on the property. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune here: Tahoe Conservancy pushes forward with acquisition of Motel 6 “The Santa Clara Valley Water District shut down its largest reservoir, Anderson Dam in 2020 as the state was slipping into a deepening drought. Anderson Dam is in Morgan Hill and was built in 1950, which was part of the problem. Anderson also did not meet state seismic safety standards and needed a major retrofit. In 2009, the state reported the old dam could break during a major earthquake and flood the valley. After years of studies and wrangling over regulations, Anderson was drained to 3% capacity. Then, last month, the actual retrofit began. For the first time since construction began, NBC Bay Area had a up and close look at how the project is going. … ” Read more from NBC Bay Area here: Inside the Anderson Dam Reconstruction Project in South Bay “For the first time in over fifty years, these salmon can also access the upper watershed. Former barriers at the BART weir and inflatable bladder dams are now passable by fish due to newly constructed fish ladders by the Alameda County Water District and Alameda County Flood Control District. This incredible opportunity for salmonids to migrate throughout the Alameda Creek watershed is the product of decades of hard work to improve fish passage by a myriad of partners in the longstanding Alameda Creek Fisheries Work Group, including the Alameda County Water District (ACWD) and Alameda County Flood Control District, Alameda Creek Alliance (ACA), California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), Zone 7 Water District, Alameda County Resource Conservation District, Trout Unlimited and the National Marine Fisheries Service, among others. … ” Read more from Cal Trout here: Salmon return to Alameda Creek “A growing number of wild Chinook salmon are turning up and spawning in a most unlikely place: an urban watershed in the South Bay. Steve Holmes used to fish for salmon in the wild rivers of Alaska. Now he gears up to help save the salmon in the polluted urban streams of Santa Clara County. “This waterway, the Guadalupe watershed, is the furthest south on the North American continent where you have Chinook salmon coming into an urban setting to have a re-occurring spawning event each year,” said Holmes, who founded the environmental non-profit, the South Bay Clean Creeks Coalition. … ” Read more from CBS Bay Area here: Chinook salmon return to urban watershed in the Santa Clara County “Updated drinking water regulations around forever chemicals have sent the Tri-Valley into an emergency-response mode. Water providers are now engineering plans to supply enough safe drinking water in the face of groundwater now identified as contaminated. Released by the state Division of Drinking Water (DDW) on Oct. 31, the new regulations will take effect Feb. 1, 2023. But both Pleasanton and Zone 7 – the region’s water wholesaler – have already responded to the new contaminant specifications. Pleasanton shut down its two operational groundwater wells on Nov. 2 and has since been supplying customers with water wholly purchased from Zone 7. The city council voted unanimously on Dec. 6 to keep all its wells offline. … ” Read more from the Livermore Independent here: With groundwater offline, Zone 7 shares plans “On December 1, 2022, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) approved the Water Purchase Agreement between Monterey One Water, the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District and California American Water to fund the expansion of the Pure Water Monterey project. While California American Water continues to support the Expansion project, the company will seek a rehearing of the decision on limited issues related to funding of the project and will seek to resolve these issues as quickly as possible. “Our commitment to the Pure Water Monterey Expansion project is unequivocal and our concerns are clear,” said Kevin Tilden, president of California American Water. “We fully support the Expansion project and adding the project’s additional recycled water to bolster the region’s water supplies. But we need the necessary funding to support the wells, pipelines and pumps necessary to deliver the Expansion project’s additional supplies to our customers on the Monterey Peninsula.” … ” Read more from Cal Am via the AP here: Press release: California American Water supports Pure Water Monterey expansion “Four thousand pounds of tagged triploid rainbow trout were released into Cachuma Lake Monday, representing the second of four plantings for the 2022-23 stocking season. Santa Barbara County Parks, in cooperation with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, trucked in the load from Mt. Lassen Trout Farms Inc. in Paynes Creek and released fish ranging in size from half-pound “catchables” to eight-pound trophies. “Cachuma Lake is one of the very few lakes that continues to have large trout plants,” which Rich Tauber, local angler and professional Southern California fishing guide, said are double and triple the size of store-bought trout. … ” Read more from the Santa Maria Times here: 4,000 pounds of rainbow trout released into Cachuma Lake for second seasonal planting “When Saturday’s storm pelted the city of Lodi with nearly 2.4 inches of rain, new homeowner Jade Watts was anxiously glued to her cell phone, watching real-time video from her security camera as her street turned into a small lake. “My husband was going in and out, going in and out, and we were closely watching it because it’s not going down,” Watts said about the water as it advanced toward her and her neighbors’ homes. “We’re having to constantly keep a close eye on it to make sure it’s not getting closer to the porch, it’s not getting in the cars, you know, my mom has a really low car, we had to move that.” … ” Read more from Channel 10 here: Lodi homeowners concerned about frequent flooding in 2-year-old neighborhood “The Kern Groundwater Authority discussed the anticipated effects of a new state-level racial equity plan at its December 14 board of directors meeting, specifically considering ways to minimize any potential impacts on its operations. On December 8, the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board adopted a racial equity resolution with proposed goals and guidelines to increase racial equity and access to clean water. This resolution comes on the heels of the State Water Resources Control Board’s adoption of its own racial equity resolution in November 2021. Valerie Kincaid, an attorney for the Kern Groundwater Authority (KGA), pointed out several features of the Regional Water Quality board’s resolution that specifically affect the authority’s work. … ” Read more from SJV Water here: Kern Groundwater Authority responds to newly-adopted racial equity plan “The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California has declared a regional drought emergency and called on water agencies to immediately reduce their use of all imported supplies. The reason? Drought conditions are limiting imported water supplies from the State Water Project in Northern California and the Colorado River. State Water Project-dependent areas have been under mandatory restrictions for months, including limiting outdoor watering to once or twice a week and new pushes for drought-tolerant landscaping. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Here’s how Southern California’s drought emergency could affect you “A celebrity-studded, water-strapped region on the western edge of Los Angeles County has cleared a major hurdle for the construction of a water purification facility that officials say will help reduce local dependence on supplies imported from Northern California. The board of the Las Virgenes-Triunfo Joint Powers Authority this week approved a final impact report for the proposed Pure Water Project at 30800 Agoura Road in Agoura Hills — a facility that would purify the millions of gallons of treated wastewater that are used for irrigation or flushed into the Pacific Ocean. The facility would supply water to about 75,000 residents in Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills and Westlake Village, and about 14,000 residents in Ventura’s Oak Park. The communities have long relied almost entirely on state supplies. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Low on water, but high on celebrity, Las Virgenes seeks wastewater purification facility “The Ballona Wetlands have inspired passionate debate and environmental activism on the Westside for over 40 years. When the California Department of Fish and Wildlife certified their final Environmental Impact Report for the Ballona Wetlands Restoration Project in 2020, one thing seemed clear: Los Angeles’ final stretch of coastal wetlands would finally have a centralized plan for restoration. But it has been two years and roughly $1.7 million since the final EIR was approved, and CDFW’s restoration will not begin until February 2024 at the earliest. Although the Ballona Wetlands Restoration Project has been a multilateral effort for over a decade, CDFW is still working to obtain preliminary permits for the first two of 35 points before construction can begin. … ” Read more from The Argonaut here: What happened to the Ballona Wetlands Restoration Project? “The San Dieguito Wetlands live just two hours south of the Ballona Wetlands via Interstate 5, sandwiched between the coastal towns of Solana Beach and Del Mar. A three-phase restoration that began twenty years ago, San Dieguito is an excellent study for how the state plans to restore our Ballona Wetlands, and what Ballona will look like. This video, produced by the San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy (SDRVC), provides a good overview of San Dieguito today as seen through the eyes of the young people now studying its habitat. … ” Read more from The Patch here: Ballona Wetlands: Glimpse its future at San Dieguito “Earlier this year, officials in Southern California declared a water shortage emergency resulting in restrictions such as limiting outdoor water use to one day of the week. While mandatory restrictions vary across the region, Amir Haghverdi, UC Cooperative Extension specialist and associate professor of agricultural and urban water management at UC Riverside, is using research to pinpoint irrigation strategies that will help communities reduce their demand for water and increase supply. Haghverdi and his team are responding to a hotter and drier California by working to identify changes that can make a substantial difference in water savings. … ” Read more from Cal Ag Today here: UCCE water management expert helps save water, increase supply in SoCal California is in its third year of severe drought, and the situation is not improving. Our region relies on groundwater from the Beaumont Basin to meet community demand and ensure our homes and businesses continue to receive a steady stream of water. Beaumont-Cherry Valley Water District (BCVWD) delivers 4 billion gallons of water annually to customers, and we understand the risk of exhausting this supply. We must ensure our local water does not run out, and conservation and responsible groundwater practices are vital to meeting that goal. … ” Read more from the Record-Gazette here: Commentary: Smart water management creates a reliable supply – but you also play a role “The “Imperial Streams Salton Sea Feasibility Cost-Share Agreement” is going to be signed today bringing together local, state, and federal agencies to conduct a feasibility study. The end goal is to restore the Salton Sea and its region. The feasibility study is going to be conducted by the United States Army Corps of Engineers with help from the State of California, and the Salton Sea Authority. G. Patrick O’Dowd, the Executive Director of the Salton Sea Authority said it took two years to finally get to this point in time. … ” Read more from KESQ here: Several agencies coming together to restore Salton Sea “The San Diego County Water Authority’s Board of Directors today unanimously authorized an agreement with Poseidon Resources (Channelside) LP to make major upgrades to the Claude “Bud” Lewis Carlsbad Desalination Plant, as required by the state’s Ocean Plan Amendment. The new facilities ensure the plant will continue to meet California’s evolving standards for protecting marine life. Upgrades to the seawater intake and discharge facilities were anticipated in the 2012 Water Purchase Agreement that launched construction of the nation’s largest seawater desalination plant in Carlsbad; however, the current Ocean Plan Amendment was not in place at the time. Since the start of commercial operations in 2015, the plant has produced more than 100 billion gallons of drinking water, helping protect the San Diego region’s economy and quality of life during the worst drought in more than 1,200 years. … ” Read more from the San Diego County Water Authority here: Carlsbad desalination plant upgrades to protect marine life “WILDCOAST has been involved in Coastal Conservation for over 22 years and recently moved their offices to Del Mar where they’re taking care of business in their own backyard. As the Conservation Director for WILDCOAST, Angela Kemsley says it’s all protection. “Our location in Del Mar is incredible! It’s right across the street from some of our own conservation sites where we are doing restoration and doing carbon sampling. So, we do ecosystem-based conservation. Think sea turtle nesting beaches, mangrove forests, grey whale breeding lagoons, coral reefs, marine protected areas and California wetlands.” … ” Read more from Channel 8 here: WILDCOAST makes move closer to conservation sites “What’s better than an ice-cold beer inside a perfectly air-conditioned room on a hot San Diego day? How about beer made from water condensation from those AC units? It’s an unusual partnership between the San Diego International Airport and East Village Brewing Company. “One of the things that some of our intrepid staff members noticed was that the condensation from the air conditioners on our jet bridges was just falling onto the ground, and it seemed like a lot of water was just falling onto the ground,” said Gil Cabrera, chair of the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority. ... ” Read more from KPBS here: Condensing water into beer: San Diego Airport’s unusual collab with East Village Brewery “San Diego County supervisors voted 4-0 Wednesday in favor of a multi-year program to increase the use of native plants in the region. The program was developed by the San Diego Regional Biodiversity Working Group, which formed via a proposal from Supervisors Nathan Fletcher and Terra Lawson-Remer. Lawson-Remer said that more native plants aren’t just good for the environment; they also benefit the regional economy in the form of more landscaping and related service jobs. … ” Read more from KPBS here: San Diego County supervisors OK multi-year program to increase native plants in region “There weren’t any smiles coming from panelists while addressing attendees at the Colorado River Water User Association’s annual conference at Caesars Palace on Thursday. The depletion of water in the Colorado River Basin has water officials alarmed, and they shared the facts. “We really need to be water-supply smart. Water scarcity is reality. Climate change is affecting runoff into reservoirs, and we need to make sure our actions are reflective of that reality of reduced hydrology,” said David Palumbo, deputy commissioner of operations for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service here: Water managers sound alarm over Colorado River “The Colorado River’s largest reservoirs stand nearly three-quarters empty, and federal officials now say there is a real danger the reservoirs could drop so low that water would no longer flow past Hoover Dam in two years. That dire scenario — which would cut off water supplies to California, Arizona and Mexico — has taken center stage at the annual Colorado River conference in Las Vegas this week, where officials from seven states, water agencies, tribes and the federal government are negotiating over how to decrease usage on a scale never seen before. Outlining their latest projections for Lake Powell and Lake Mead, the nation’s two largest reservoirs, federal water managers said there is a risk Lake Mead could reach “dead pool” levels in 2025. If that were to happen, water would no longer flow downstream from Hoover Dam. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Growing fears of ‘dead pool’ on Colorado River as drought threatens Hoover Dam water “The annual conference of the Colorado River Water Users Association was founded and is held in Las Vegas, at Caesars Palace. This year, it sold out for the first time, but there’s no question why: the Colorado River is in trouble. The conference focuses on use of the river by the seven states, Mexico and tribes —all of whom take more water from the river than is refilled each year. That’s been going on for decades, but it’s more intense now because of the ongoing drought. In fact, we’re not calling it a drought anymore. The dryness we experience is the new normal — at least according to the Southern Nevada Water Authority. … ” Read/listen at KNPR here: Key water conference for Colorado River users underway in Las Vegas “The states that make up the upper half of the Colorado River Basin kicked off a plan to curb water use above Lake Mead. During a meeting held at the annual Colorado River Water Users Association in Las Vegas on Wednesday, the Upper Colorado River Commission announced that it is now accepting proposals from users as part of a $125 million program that would pay them not to use their water rights. “The real enemy here is not the other basin, not alfalfa, not golf courses. The common cause that we have to address is climate change induced lower flows,” commission Chair Anne Castle said. “That’s what we have to work on together. It’s not an enemy that we can defeat. It’s one that we have to live with.” … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Review-Journal here: States announce plan to curb water use above Lake Mead, but is it enough? “Las Vegas: As the Colorado River crisis deepens, a new federal analysis of flows into Lake Powell shows that they will continue to plummet through 2025, before beginning to recover. James Prairie, a hydrologic engineer for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, said flows are likely to be just 24% of average this year, making it unlikely under various planning scenarios that Powell will have enough water for the Upper Basin states of Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming to meet their legal commitment to deliver a minimum of 7 million acre-feet of water to the Lower Basin. That amount is already reduced from the historical delivery obligation due to low flows on the river. … ” Read more from Fresh Water News here: Confab: Feds say Colorado River flows will continue to plummet, threatening releases from Powell “Southern Nevada’s water boss is calling on other Colorado River basin states to “do the math and face reality” as they work toward finding a way to stabilize the dwindling river that supplies water to 40 million people in the Southwest. Speaking during a panel at the annual Colorado River Water Users Association in Las Vegas on Thursday, Southern Nevada Water Authority General Manager John Entsminger said California and Arizona are going to have to shoulder the brunt of the unprecedented cuts the federal government says are needed next year in order to keep the Lake Mead and Lake Powell from crashing to points that would put hydropower and water delivery operations at risk — a possibility that is far closer than previously thought. … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Review-Journal here: Las Vegas water boss urges states to take action to keep lakes from crashing “Members of the Colorado River Water Users Association are focused on the next century of water use at their annual gathering this week in Las Vegas. U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona, who is scheduled to speak at the conference Friday, says meeting the challenges of the next century is something the states can achieve. As climate change reduces Rocky Mountain snowpack and the Colorado River, states in the Upper and Lower Basins have struggled to stay ahead of the problem. Arizona has already taken cuts from its share of the water, and Kelly said the state can’t bear the burden of water conservation alone. … ” Read more from KJZZ here: Sen. Kelly says conservation and innovation will help solve water crisis “Tribal water rights are emerging as one of the biggest wild cards in resolving the water shortage in the drought-stricken Colorado River Basin, one of the West’s most pressing water supply and environmental justice challenges, water law experts say. Tribes say they want a prominent seat at the table as states come together this week at the Colorado River Water Users Association conference in Las Vegas to discuss how states can cut water use in the increasingly dry Colorado River Basin. “We are trying to be part of the decision-makers and what’s happening,” said Manuel Heart, chairman of Colorado’s Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, speaking Thursday at the conference. “We, too, have needs.” ... ” Read more from Bloomberg here: Tribal water rights to play role in Colorado River’s dry future “The San Carlos Apache Tribe has reached a preliminary, one-year agreement with Dynamite Water Company to provide water for the Rio Verde Foothills community that faces a Jan. 1 deadline to secure a new water source. The tentative agreement calls for the Tribe to lease up to 200-acre-feet (65-million gallons) of its Central Arizona Project water allocation to Dynamite Water to help meet the immediate water needs for the Rio Verde Foothills community. A final agreement will require approvals from U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs and the San Carlos Apache Tribe Council. “The Tribe is pleased to have the opportunity to provide assistance to Arizona communities in need of water and stands ready to work in a cooperative manner on complex water issues facing our Tribe and state,” said Terry Rambler, Tribe chairman. … ” Read more from the Foothills Focus here: Tribe to supply CAP water to Rio Verde “Today the Jicarilla Apache Nation (Nation), New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission (NMISC) and The Nature Conservancy (TNC) announced the next phase in their Water Supply Agreement (agreement) that was reached earlier this year. With final federal and state approvals secured, the NMISC has placed an order for all 20,000-acre feet of water and the Nation has approved and reserved the water to be released from Navajo Reservoir to the San Juan River in 2023. In January 2022, the partners signed a first-of-its-kind agreement that allows the NMISC to lease up to 20,000-acre feet of water per year (for 10 years) from the Nation to benefit threatened and endangered fish and increase water security for New Mexico. As the western US faces its driest period in 1,200 years, this agreement demonstrates how Tribal Nations and state governments can work on a sovereign-to-sovereign basis—with support from conservation organizations—to find collaborative solutions that benefit multiple interests and users of the San Juan and Colorado rivers. … ” Read more from The Nature Conservancy here: The Jicarilla Apache Nation, New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission and The Nature Conservancy enter next phase in historic water supply agreement “On December 6, 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) by a bipartisan vote of 350-80. The NDAA includes the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2022, which includes nearly $38 billion in funding for the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps). (The text of the WRDA begins on page 3160 of the NDAA.) The WRDA is biennial legislation that provides the Corps with funding to address navigation, flood control, and ecosystem restoration. This year’s bill authorizes projects in all 50 states. On the same day, a bipartisan group of Senators and Representatives announced that they reached an agreement on the WRDA, although the bill has yet to be voted on by the Senate. … ” Read more from Nossaman’s California Water Views here: House passes nearly $38 billion in funding for water projects as part of National Defense Authorization Act “A satellite built for NASA and the French space agency Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES) to observe nearly all the water on our planet’s surface lifted off on its way to low-Earth orbit at 3:46 a.m. PST on Friday. The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) spacecraft also has contributions from the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) and the UK Space Agency. The Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) spacecraft launched atop a SpaceX rocket from Space Launch Complex 4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California with a prime mission of three years. The satellite will measure the height of water in freshwater bodies and the ocean on more than 90% of Earth’s surface. This information will provide insights into how the ocean influences climate change; how a warming world affects lakes, rivers, and reservoirs; and how communities can better prepare for disasters, such as floods. … ” Read more from NASA here: NASA launches international mission to survey earth’s water 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. Pesticides from illegal cannabis are contaminating California waterways, survey says
“A newly published study confirms for the first time that heavy pesticide use on illegal cannabis grows in Northern California is contaminating local waterways. Researchers with the Humboldt County-based conservation group Integral Ecology Research Center have previously published studies showing that sensitive species such as the Pacific fisher and northern spotted owl are at risk of poisoning from chemicals used at these grow sites. Illegal cannabis growers were already known for their liberal use of sometimes banned pesticides on grows hidden deep on public lands in Northern California. Now, the IERC has completed a six-year study to confirm those pesticides were leaching into downstream waterways. … ” Read more from Jefferson Public Radio here: Pesticides from illegal cannabis are contaminating California waterways, survey saysMegaflood | California’s disaster in waiting
Should Biden administration fund more drought relief? Sen. Padilla says yes
Coalition of tribes, government agencies unite to restore California’s giant sequoia population
New wildfire risk map suggests California communities increasingly vulnerable
In commentary today …
A different kind of harvest is in store this year
Is DWR lying about the low-utilization operating plan for the Delta Conveyance Project?
Bee Editorial Board got it wrong. Oil and ag can co-exist, and lots of jobs depend on both
Column: Hydropower and water scarcity: the growing climate risks of a climate solution
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
The Klamath River Restoration Project is working to remove dams and help local tribes
Estuary restoration project on Mad River (Baduwa’t) opens acres of fish habitat, new public trail
Mendocino: Double-digit rate increases to start in February
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Tahoe Conservancy pushes forward with acquisition of Motel 6
BAY AREA
Inside the Anderson Dam Reconstruction Project in South Bay
Salmon return to Alameda Creek
Chinook salmon return to urban watershed in the Santa Clara County
With groundwater offline, Zone 7 shares plans
CENTRAL COAST
Press release: California American Water supports Pure Water Monterey expansion
4,000 pounds of rainbow trout released into Cachuma Lake for second seasonal planting
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Lodi homeowners concerned about frequent flooding in 2-year-old neighborhood
Kern Groundwater Authority responds to newly-adopted racial equity plan
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Here’s how Southern California’s drought emergency could affect you
Low on water, but high on celebrity, Las Virgenes seeks wastewater purification facility
What happened to the Ballona Wetlands Restoration Project?
Ballona Wetlands: Glimpse its future at San Dieguito
UCCE water management expert helps save water, increase supply in SoCal
Commentary: Smart water management creates a reliable supply – but you also play a role
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Several agencies coming together to restore Salton Sea
SAN DIEGO
San Diegans poised to pay skyrocketing price for Poseidon’s desalinated water
“The cost of desalinated water in San Diego is about to dramatically increase, as Poseidon scrambles to meet state environmental regulations for protecting fish and other marine life at its Carlsbad facility. An ongoing overhaul of the Claude “Bud” Lewis plant’s intake system is estimated to cost roughly $274 million, regional water officials announced Thursday. While the project will contribute to higher rates for San Diegans, officials with the wholesaler San Diego County Water Authority said the drought-proof water was worth it. “At a time when others in the state are looking to shore up supplies … we’re in good standing with our own water supply portfolio and the reliability it brings to the region,” Sandy Kurl, the agency’s general manager, told her 36-member board at a public meeting Thursday. “Reliability, as you all know too well, does come at a price,” she added. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune here: San Diegans poised to pay skyrocketing price for Poseidon’s desalinated waterCarlsbad desalination plant upgrades to protect marine life
WILDCOAST makes move closer to conservation sites
Condensing water into beer: San Diego Airport’s unusual collab with East Village Brewery
San Diego County supervisors OK multi-year program to increase native plants in region
Along the Colorado River …
More questions than answers at Colorado River water meetings
“Key questions resurfaced Thursday at a conference of Colorado River water administrators and users from seven U.S. states, Native American tribes and Mexico who are served by the shrinking river stricken by drought and climate change. Who will bear the brunt of more water supply cuts, and how quickly? What target goals need to be met for voluntary cutbacks in water use by the seven states that rely on the river before the federal government steps in? What about controlling water evaporation once snowmelt from the Rocky Mountains enters the system and begins flowing to Mexico? “I don’t have answers. I just have questions right now,” Ted Cooke, general manager of the Central Arizona Project, said during a Colorado River Water Users Association panel about the state of the river. … ” Read more from the Associated Press here: More questions than answers at Colorado River water meetingsWater managers sound alarm over Colorado River
Growing fears of ‘dead pool’ on Colorado River as drought threatens Hoover Dam water
Key water conference for Colorado River users underway in Las Vegas
States announce plan to curb water use above Lake Mead, but is it enough?
Confab: Feds say Colorado River flows will continue to plummet, threatening releases from Powell
Las Vegas water boss urges states to take action to keep lakes from crashing
Sen. Kelly says conservation and innovation will help solve water crisis
Tribal water rights to play role in Colorado River’s dry future
Tribe to supply CAP water to Rio Verde
The Jicarilla Apache Nation, New Mexico Interstate Stream Commission and The Nature Conservancy enter next phase in historic water supply agreement
In national water news today …
Congress announces negotiated WRDA 2022 legislation
“U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), Chair of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (T&I), U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Ranking Member of the EPW Committee, and Rep. Sam Graves (R-Mo.), Ranking Member of the T&I Committee, have announced a final agreement on the Water Resources Development Act of 2022 (WRDA 2022). The Water Resources Development Act is biennial legislation that authorizes flood control, navigation, and ecosystem restoration projects for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The final version comes after months of negotiations to reconcile Senate- and House-passed versions of the legislation. … ” Read more from Water Finance & Management here: Congress announces negotiated WRDA 2022 legislationHouse passes nearly $38 billion in funding for water projects as part of National Defense Authorization Act
NASA launches international mission to survey earth’s water
National water and climate update …
