WEEKLY WATER NEWS DIGEST for Dec 11-16: Metropolitan declares drought emergency; Water providers still predict shortages next year; Lawsuit filed to halt removal of Klamath River hydroelectric dams; and more …

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

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This week’s featured articles …

METROPOLITAN IMPORTED WATER COMMITTEE: Challenges ahead for Southern California’s water supplies

A region-wide water allocation will be required should conditions remain dry

Southern California’s water supply news remains dismal, with little good news for Metropolitan’s Imported Water Committee members at Monday’s meeting.  Demetri Polyzos, Team Manager of Resource Planning, gave the update, which included where water supplies are currently at, as well as a look forward to what supplies might be in 2023 and 2024.  The next day, the Metropolitan Board voted on a declaration of drought emergency for Southern California.

Click here to read this article.

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In California water news this week …

Nation’s largest water supplier declares drought emergency

The nation’s largest water supplier has declared a drought emergency for all of Southern California, clearing the way for potential mandatory water restrictions early next year that could impact 19 million people.  The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California provides water to 26 different agencies that supply major population centers like Los Angeles and San Diego counties.  It’s been so dry the past three years that those water deliveries have hit record lows. Earlier this year, the district declared a drought emergency for the agencies that mostly depend on the State Water Project, which covers about 7 million people.  On Tuesday, the board voted to extended that declaration to cover all Southern California water agencies. … ”  Read the full story at SF Gate here: Nation’s largest water supplier declares drought emergency

Is California’s drought over? Water providers still predict shortages next year

December has delivered a powerful punch of storms to California. But the wet weather comes with a dry dose of reality: The state’s largest reservoirs remain badly depleted, projected water deliveries are low, wells are drying up, and the Colorado River’s water, already diminished by a megadrought, is severely overallocated.  Throughout California, urban water managers are bracing for a fourth consecutive drought year. Nearly one out of every five water agencies — 76 out of 414 — in a recent state survey predict that they won’t have enough water to meet demand next year. That means they are likely to impose more severe restrictions on customers, with some Southern California providers considering a ban on all outdoor watering.  While December’s rain and snow show promise, water managers remember the same thing happened last year — epic early storms followed by the driest January through March in California’s recorded history. ... ”  Read more from Cal Matters here: Is California’s drought over? Water providers still predict shortages next year

High tech snow flights to cover most of California’s watersheds this year

You probably didn’t notice a twin-engine prop plane loaded with high-tech equipment circling 23,000 feet over the San Joaquin Valley’s upper watersheds this fall. But it was there, gathering information about those watersheds in their “snow off” condition.  That detailed information will be vital to multiple follow up flights of Airborne Snow Observatories, Inc. (ASO) this winter as snow accumulates in the highest reaches of the Sierra Nevada.  This is the first year the Department of Water Resources (DWR) has funded flights for nearly all the state’s watersheds, 12,  at a cost of about $10 million to $11 million.  And this is the first year the Kern River watershed will be examined using ASO’s mix of LIDAR and imaging spectrometry that can measure snow depth to within two inches, according to ASO information. ... ”  Read more from SJV Water here: High tech snow flights to cover most of California’s watersheds this year

Planning for dry times: The West considers more reservoirs and aquifers

Bidwell Bar Bridge at Lake Oroville in Butte County at 34% of total capacity Photo taken October 5, 2022. Andrew Innerarity / DWR

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

Report: Sharing the cost: Accelerating water resilience through infrastructure finance in California

Beyond the intensifying drought and widening infrastructure inefficiencies, there are billions of dollars worth of unmet operation and maintenance costs and system improvements currently to be found in the State Water Project and Central Valley Project, and throughout California. Accelerating water resilience throughout the state will require the state to gather better information regarding gaps in local water infrastructure project funding, operations and maintenance, and delivery systems. Additionally, the state will need to work with regions to facilitate the coordination, governance, and capacity-building capabilities necessary to harness innovative financing mechanisms that enhance economic growth and improve the quality of life for the residents in urban, rural, and agricultural communities. … ”  Read more and download report from the Milken Institute here: Report: Sharing the cost: Accelerating water resilience through infrastructure finance in California

Water wells go dry as California feels warming impacts

A record number of water wells in California have gone dry as climate change amplifies heat and drought in the parched state.  Residents reported having 1,394 dry wells statewide from January through last month, an increase of nearly 40 percent from the same time last year. It’s the highest number since the start of record keeping in 2013.  “You have this increasing severity of climate change” with increased temperatures, said Paul Gosselin, deputy director of the California Department of Water Resources Sustainable Groundwater Management Office. That combined with a historic drought “reduces the real availability of surface water.” … ”  Read more from Scientific American here: Water wells go dry as California feels warming impacts

A simmering revolt against groundwater cutbacks in California

In 2014, California legislators, focused on groundwater’s accelerating decline during a prolonged drought, passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. Its imperatives: keeping groundwater levels sustainable by 2040 and keeping control of groundwater in local hands. Both goals are now in limbo.  As the state endures yet another prolonged drought and state water managers have balked at approving plans covering the basins at greatest risk – the vast majority in the San Joaquin Valley – more growers in a few of the new local groundwater agencies are in revolt at the new rules that will curtail access to the water they once took for granted. … ”  Read more from … & the West here: A simmering revolt against groundwater cutbacks in California

Lawsuit filed to halt removal of Klamath River hydroelectric dams

Last week California Governor Gavin Newsom announced final approval of a plan to remove four dams on the Klamath River in Northern California, along with Oregon Governor Kate Brown, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, Congressman Jared Huffman and leaders of the Yurok and Karuk tribes. Newsom refers to the dam removal project as “transformative” and says “it will revitalize nearly 400 miles of the Klamath River and tributaries.  This has been a long time coming and and has been fought over by many groups as well as by members of Congress. In 2020, the Globe reported, “The plan calls for the demolition of the dams and management of the watershed lands by the non-profit Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC). Rep. Doug La Malfa (R-CA) calls the KRRC a ‘shell corporation’ for the Karuk and Yurok Indian tribes who have no experience or capacity to handle the immense legal liabilities of such a project.” … ”  Read more from the California Globe here: Lawsuit filed to halt removal of Klamath River hydroelectric dams

Are abandoned boats on the Sacramento River allowed to sink? Your question answered

While on his usual bike ride on a path near Old Sacramento, Harry Starkey noticed something strange afloat the Sacramento River. A large, capsized aluminum boat was sitting on the bank. It’s been there for several years now, and Starkey wondered why someone doesn’t try to retrieve it. “There’s got to be value in it,” he thought. He took to Bee Curious, The Sacramento Bee’s community-driven series, asking: “Are the boats ever retrieved or are they allowed to just simply sink to the bottom eventually? Is there any record keeping of the amount of boats that are at the bottom of the Sacramento River?” Bee Curious spoke with Sgt. Darron Epperson of the Marine Enforcement Detail at the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office Central Division and researched previous reporting to answer the following: Why boats get abandoned, how many are out there, who removes them, the cost, process and what to do if you discover one. Here’s what we found … ”  Continue reading at the Sacramento Bee here: Are abandoned boats on the Sacramento River allowed to sink? Your question answered

Six-year study shows downstream contamination from illegal cannabis grow sites in national forests

A study recently published in the Water Quality Research Journal by Forest Service Law Enforcement and Investigations ecologists and partners discovered surface water contamination below illegal cannabis grow sites.  Previously, Forest Service ecologists documented the environmental threat illegal grow sites posed to terrestrial wildlife, including the federally protected northern spotted owl and Pacific fisher. However, little was known about the threats illegal cannabis grow sites pose to nearby surface waters and its wildlife. After six years of monitoring, illegal and banned pesticides have been unexpectedly detected in surface waters below these sites.  National forest lands support over 50% of California’s freshwater, 75% of California’s fish and wildlife and 62% of native plants. The surface water in national forests provides critical aquatic and riparian habitat for many species, plus clean water to rural communities, agriculture, municipalities and Indigenous tribes. … ”  Read more from the US Forest Service here: Six-year study shows downstream contamination from illegal cannabis grow sites in national forests

State Water Board reups ban on wasteful water uses amid drought

As drought conditions continue throughout the state, the State Water Resources Control Board readopted an emergency regulation this week that bolsters California’s conservation efforts by prohibiting wasteful water practices like watering lawns when it rainsThe regulation was originally adopted in January 2022 and is now extended until January 2024. It applies to all water users including individuals, businesses and public agencies, and can be enforced through warning letters, water audits or fines. Reducing water waste helps the state’s overall conservation efforts, a pillar of Governor Gavin Newsom’s Water Supply Strategy to replace supplies the state is anticipated to lose by 2040 due to hotter, drier conditions.  “Extending the ban on these wasteful practices helps all of us make water conservation a daily habit,” said E. Joaquin Esquivel, chair of the State Water Board. And, as we can see from the state’s recent doubledigit conservation percentages during some of the driest months of the year, our emergency conservation regulations and actions by local suppliers are having a cumulative impact.” … ”  Read more from the State Water Board here: State Water Board reups ban on wasteful water uses amid drought

State Water Board adopts new sanitary sewer systems waste discharge requirements

After nearly four years of negotiations, the California State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) considered and unanimously adopted the Statewide Sanitary Sewer Systems General Waste Discharge Requirements Order Reissuance (SSS WDR) with late changes on December 6, 2022. The SSS WDR regulates sanitary sewer systems designed to convey sewage longer than one mile in length, and addresses reporting and other requirements in response to sanitary sewer overflows (SSOs). This renewed version of the SSS WDR will serve as the new regulatory mandate for operation and maintenance for those systems, superseding the State Water Board’s previous 2006 order, State Water Board Order No. 2006-0003-DWQ.  The SSS WDR represents the culmination of years of collaborative development between State Water Board staff, the public, and stakeholders. The State Water Board began public outreach for the reissuance process in 2018, and issued an informal draft Order in February 2021, delineating more prescriptive requirements than appeared in the prior permit. … ”  Read more from Downey Brand here: State Water Board adopts new sanitary sewer systems waste discharge requirements

California almond acreage shrinks for first time in 25 years

California’s tight water restrictions and low precipitation continues to challenge even the most creative farmers and ranchers. A recent report by Land IQ, commissioned by the Almond Board of California, confirms that even the resourceful almond industry has felt the sting of drought conditions.  For the first time in a quarter of a century, California’s almond acreage has decreased instead of grown, according to Land IQ, an agricultural and environmental research and consulting firm. In an August crop report, total almond tree acreage was estimated at 1.64 million acres, down from 1.66 million acres in August 2021, according to a news release. … ”  Read more from The Packer here: California almond acreage shrinks for first time in 25 years

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 meetings

Growing fears of ‘dead pool’ on Colorado River as drought threatens Hoover Dam water

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

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Delta Conveyance Project …

How will the Delta Conveyance Project help adapt to climate change?

Photo by Kelly M. Grow/ DWR

The proposed Delta Conveyance Project would help ensure water supply reliability for the State Water Project in light of projected future changes in precipitation and seasonal flow patterns due to climate change.  Global climate models forecast a range of future scenarios, which show a variety of projected changes in annual runoff in the Central Valley (from -32% to +47%).  These climate models project more precipitation will fall as rain instead of snow in the winter months, more extreme climate events such as extreme drought and flood cycles, and flashier storms, meaning pockets of intense precipitation scattered within dry stretches.  These climate changes will directly affect water management in California. Existing water management facilities were designed to capture water in upstream reservoirs and in the Delta based on historic climate patterns. However, these climate patterns are changing. … ”  Read more from DWR News here: How will the Delta Conveyance Project help adapt to climate change?

Hood, CA meeting attracts many protesters against the Delta Tunnel Draft Environmental Impact Report

The Tuesday, Dec 6, 2022 4 p.m. meeting at the River Road Exchange building in Hood, California attracted about 100 people who are all against Governor Gavin Newsom’s plan to build a giant 40′ diameter tunnel going 150 feet underground from Hood to Tracy and connect with the California Aquaduct to send water southward to places like the Los Angeles Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Katherine Miller, a member of the San Joaquin Board of Supervisors and moderator for the Hood event, said the Department of Water Resources was invited to give their side but they refused to attend. However, many prominent politicians in the state legislature and from county board of supervisors were there to show they are against the tunnel, too.  Governor Newsom cut the tunnel project from two tunnels the former Governor Jerry Brown proposed to one tunnel. However, Delta residents and other Delta lovers say they don’t want any tunnel and that the water contractors have already done far too much damage to the California Delta. One speaker pointed out how the Clifton Forebay connection to the California Aquaduct has long been a slaughterhouse for fish.”  Watch the video here: Hood, CA meeting attracts many protesters against the Delta Tunnel Draft Environmental Impact Report

As state preps, residents make their case that the Delta Tunnel is an environmental crime story in full-view

For Mark Massoni, it was hard to put words to what he was seeing and hearing as a crowd gathered in the Delta town of Hood on December 6.  Massoni grew up on Clifton Court, a section of the estuary that’s south of Discovery Bay. His father and uncle were known as the Massoni Brothers, an industrious pair who were farming 1,200 acres of wheat, safflower and barely along San Joaquin River’s tributaries. The family bought the property in 1952 and then spent 15 years turning it into an agricultural success story. Massoni’s father was feeling so confident about the crops that he was planning to build a new house.  In 1967, everything changed. The Massonis learned the meaning of the term ‘eminent domain.’ … ”  Read more from the Sacramento News & Review here: As state preps, residents make their case that the Delta Tunnel is an environmental crime story in full-view

Trinity County votes to oppose Delta Tunnel, citing impacts to already stressed Trinity River

On Dec. 7, the Trinity County Board of Supervisors in Northern California voted to oppose the Newsom administration’s Delta Tunnel project. The county joins Sacramento, San Joaquin, Yolo, Solano and Contra counties and a wide array of recreational fishing groups, Tribes, environmental organizations, family farmers, Delta residents, Southern California water ratepayers and numerous elected officials in opposition to the project.  The Board officially endorsed the letter opposing the tunnel that was adopted by the Trinity County Fish and Game Advisory Commission.  In the letter, Don Frasier, Chair of the Trinity County Board of Supervisors, said the Commission is “particularly concerned about the draw-downs to the Sacramento River and their potential impact on the already stressed Trinity River.” … ”  Read more from the Daily Kos here: Trinity County votes to oppose Delta Tunnel, citing impacts to already stressed Trinity River

Restore the Delta Files comments on Delta Conveyance DEIR;  Lack of climate planning “embarrassing” for DWR

Today, Restore the Delta submitted detailed comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Report on the Delta Conveyance Project (Delta Tunnel) to the California Department of Water Resources. “The California Department of Water Resources should be embarrassed by the lack of climate change planning in the DEIR for the proposed Delta Tunnel. The DEIR was out of date for climate change science when it was released in July 2022. If completed in 2040 it will be obsolete then. Meanwhile, California will have spent big money on a project the state will be unable to use as Delta water levels rise. Instead, we should invest in the resilience of Delta environmental justice communities and the rest of the state for flood and water supplies, reducing the big projects’ reliance on the Delta for future water needs, using water use efficiency and water recycling, and increasing local and regional water supply self-sufficiency to ward off drought and megafloods.” … ”  Read more from Restore the Delta here: Restore the Delta Files comments on Delta Conveyance DEIR;  Lack of climate planning “embarrassing” for DWR

The Southern California Water Coalition and Californians for Water Security submit comments in support of Delta Conveyance Project

Photo by Kelly M. Grow/ DWR

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.”  … ”

Click here to read the comment letter.

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

Is DWR lying about the low-utilization operating plan for the Delta Conveyance Project?

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?

In commentary this week …

DWR’s unsustainable initial water supply allocation for 2023

Doug Obegi, Director of California River Restoration, NRDC’s Water Division, “While the California Department of Water Resources’ initial water supply allocation for the State Water Project is ostensibly only 5%, this allocation is a lot more water than it initially appears (more than 1.4 million acre feet of water) – and almost certainly more water than DWR can sustainably deliver if 2023 remains dry.   Last year, for the first time in its history, DWR announced that the State Water Project allocation would deliver water only to meet human health and safety needs.  While this was described in news stories as an initial allocation of “zero percent,” this initial allocation actually amounted to more than 800,000 acre feet of water for its contractors, because … ”  Continue reading at the NRDC here: DWR’s unsustainable initial water supply allocation for 2023

Dan Walters:  Could the Pacific Ocean be California’s savior?

Columnist Dan Walters writes, “From the earliest exploration by European explorers of what became California, its position on the western coast of the North American continent has been its most important attribute.  Its coastline allowed that exploration and the development of outposts while most of the continent was still a mysterious wilderness. It fostered the 1849 gold rush that hastened California statehood. Its beaches drew millions of visitors. It made California the arsenal and staging point for World War II’s Pacific Theater and, finally, it became a focal point of global oceanic trade.  Could California’s coastal waters now become its savior, ending ever-increasing shortages of water and electrical energy that threaten the state’s economic and societal future?  Yes it could, but only if California’s political and civic leaders overcome their tendency to muff big public works — as symbolized by the bullet train’s history of over-spending and under-performing, decades of foot-dragging on much-needed water storage projects, and crippling bottlenecks at the state’s ports. … ”  Read more from Cal Matters here: Dan Walters:  Could the Pacific Ocean be California’s savior?

Las Vegas’ water situation should stress California

Columnist Victor Joecks writes, “There’s no reason for Las Vegas to panic about falling water levels in Lake Mead. Instead, California and Arizona are the ones that should be worried.  The Colorado River Water Users Association conference starts Wednesday. Officials from Western states probably will meet to discuss reducing water allocations from the Colorado River. In all, seven states and Mexico use that water. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton wants a plan to reduce water usage by 2 million to 4 million acre-feet a year.  That’s a massive amount.  It would be easy to worry that Nevada is in the worst shape. It has the smallest allocation of the seven states. But Las Vegas has something California and Arizona don’t — access to water directly from Lake Mead. … ”  Read the full commentary at the Las Vegas Review Journal here: Las Vegas’ water situation should stress California

Southern California facing devastating water shortage? Not everywhere.

Kara McKittrick, an environmentalist from Irvine, writes, “The rapidly growing Los Angeles population threatens to deny the irrigation water California farmlands are dependent on and has reduced the Colorado River Aqueduct to historically low levels. There is plenty of blame to go around as city planners and politicians battle for the supply of water to meet the ever-growing population’s demand. … An hour south of Los Angeles the City of Irvine appears to be on the right track to eliminate dependency on imported water through innovative visionary programs involving the tapping of deep well aquifers, conservation of groundwater, and the recycling of run-off for irrigation. In fact, under this enlightened program, Irvine, a city located in an arid region, has been designated in the top 5 green area communities in the USA due to high-quality planned parks and open spaces. It was pointed out that the City of Irvine maintains low-cost water availability even during drought seasons. … ”  Read more from the Voice of the OC here: Southern California facing devastating water shortage? Not everywhere.

Editorial: California’s water future mirrors housing disaster

The Mercury News and East Bay Times editorial board writes, “Scholars began identifying California’s affordable-housing crisis in the 1970s. The state’s failure to address the issue eventually led to young, middle-class families locked out of the housing market and the current, devastating homelessness crisis.  It begs the question of how long California’s governor will fail to address the state’s water challenges before an even worse disaster strikes.  Yes, after three years of drought, recent storms have left the Sierra snowpack at more than 200% of average for this time of year. But heavy snowfall a year ago led to a series of dry months that only exacerbated the drought.  Climate-change forecasts project that the state’s water supply will be cut by an additional 10% by 2040. Despite that warning, California continues to overpromise its ability to deliver water to Central Valley farmers while doing far too little to identify new sources of water or conserve its available supply. ... ”  Read more from the Mercury News here: Editorial: California’s water future mirrors housing disaster

These projects can solve water crisis, protect farms

Edward Ring, senior fellow at the California Policy Center, writes, “Despite seasonal rainfall at normal levels so far this year, the California Department of Water Resources on Dec. 1 announced an initial State Water Project allocation of 5% of requested supplies for 2023. Unless heavy rains or new policies change this decision, it will mark the third consecutive year that the State Water Project delivered only 5% to its customers.  This is an avoidable problem. By the end of December 2021, for example, only three months into the water year, two massive storm systems had already dumped more than 104 million acre-feet onto California’s watersheds. Almost none of it was captured by reservoirs or diverted into aquifers. … ”  Read more from Ag Alert here: These projects can solve water crisis, protect farms

Commentary: Imperial Valley can’t sustain another water cut

Mike Wade, Executive Director of the California Farm Water Coalition, writes, “As we head into winter, and growing season is over in most of the country, it is California’s Imperial Valley that supplies many of the winter vegetables you count on to keep your family eating healthy. It supplies much of the country’s winter vegetables including lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower and other healthy produce.  The Imperial Valley also provides a critical food source that consumers never see, but greatly impacts what we eat. Whether you prefer hamburgers or yogurt, it all starts with alfalfa. This crop is the base of the food chain for much of our nutrition. Its high levels of protein and calcium are what allow cows to produce the variety of dairy and beef products we look for at the grocery store.   And now more than ever, we need a safe, reliable, affordable, domestic food supply. Between problems overseas, ongoing supply chain disruptions and record inflation, we can’t afford to put our food supply at risk, and the Imperial Valley is a crucial part of that equation. … ”  Continue reading at the Desert Sun here: Commentary: Imperial Valley can’t sustain another water cut

A different kind of harvest is in store this year

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

Bee Editorial Board got it wrong. Oil and ag can co-exist, and lots of jobs depend on both

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

Column: Hydropower and water scarcity: the growing climate risks of a climate solution

Central Valley hatchery salmon production is being wasted

Tom Cannon writes, “There are two common strategies for releasing juvenile salmon from state and federal salmon hatcheries in the Central Valley. One strategy is the release of hatchery salmon smolts at or near the hatchery where they are produced. The other strategy is trucking the smolts from the hatchery and releasing them into the Bay. There is much controversy and argument over the relative merits of the strategies. There can be little argument that release into the Bay generates far more adult salmon than release near the hatcheries.  Consider what occurred with two American River release groups after their release in May 2018 and return as adults in 2020. … ”  Read more from the California Fisheries Blog here: Central Valley hatchery salmon production is being wasted

Congress must act quickly to pass these five conservation bills to protect California

The Sacramento Bee editorial board writes, “Before Republicans seize a slim majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congress should expedite a slate of bills written to protect important wildlife habitats, public lands and help California combat climate change. These five bills, if passed before the end of the 2022 session, would safeguard Californians’ access to their state’s natural landscape and biodiversity, and provide nature-based solutions to climate change. The bills include Senate Bill 1459, authored by California senators Alex Padilla and Dianne Feinstein — as well as its House companions, HR 693 and HR 878 — which would establish the PUBLIC Lands Act to protect over one million acres of public lands and conserve important wildlife habitats in northwest California, the central coast region and the Los Angeles area. ... ”  Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: Congress must act quickly to pass these five conservation bills to protect California

California is embracing the wrong strategy for carbon sequestration. Why not algae?

Eyal Harel, a clean water advocate and the CEO of BlueGreen Water Technologies, writes, “California’s new climate strategy for slashing greenhouse gas emissions and meeting ambitious carbon neutrality goals is bold and transformative at best and an aspirational pipedream at worst.  The California Air Resource Board’s revised climate change blueprint, called its scoping plan, reflects the urgency of the moment, yet overlooks the power of the planet’s greatest natural carbon sink – water – as a means for achieving carbon neutrality.  2022 has undoubtedly been a year of aggressive climate action in California, with dozens of new laws on the books and major investments on the way. But the new climate roadmap’s reliance on carbon capture technology does not align with the moral imperative of ending dependence on fossil fuels. To meet its goals and remove carbon dioxide at scale, California must harness the power of blue carbon – atmospheric CO2 captured and stored in water. … ”  Read more from Cal Matters here: California is embracing the wrong strategy for carbon sequestration. Why not algae?

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In regional water news this week …

Public trust values in peril: Friends of the Eel River file lawsuit against Humboldt County

On Thursday, October 27, Friends of the Eel River (FOER) filed a lawsuit against Humboldt County seeking to protect public trust flows in the lower Eel River. In a recent press release from FOER, they explained their requests as well as their reasons behind bringing the issue to Court. They are asking the County to create a comprehensive program to regulate groundwater pumping in the lower Eel River as well as to stop issuing permits for new and expanded well-drilling until such a program is in place. This program would ideally protect the natural resources and beneficial uses of surface water flows as established under public trust values. … ”  Continue reading at the North Coast Environmental Center here: Public trust values in peril: Friends of the Eel River file lawsuit against Humboldt County

Cal Am refuses to sign deal for Pure Water Monterey expansion

Just days after state regulators gave the go-ahead for California American Water Co. to finalize an agreement to purchase water from the Pure Water Monterey Expansion recycling project, Cal Am is saying it won’t sign the contract unless regulators allow for the company to recoup additional money through rate increases for the costs it would incur to build out the infrastructure needed to distribute the water.  In a Dec. 6 letter to the California Public Utilities Commission, Cal Am President Kevin Tilden on several occasions lauded the expansion project as a critical component of meeting the Monterey Peninsula’s water shortage and said Cal Am is “a long-time supporter” of the expansion project, which would be operated by Monterey One Water.  … ”  Read more from the Monterey Herald here: Cal Am refuses to sign deal for Pure Water Monterey expansion

Court pauses groundwater fees in Madera County; throws regional plans into question

Farmers in Madera County successfully blocked a key groundwater fee that could upend plans to bring that region’s aquifer into balance per a state mandate.  A Madera County Superior Court judge issued a temporary injunction on the county’s fee of $246 per farm unit acre on Dec. 7. That fee was the underpinning for a number of projects to curb groundwater pumping outlined in a plan by the Madera County Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA). The GSA was formed under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), which requires aquifers in overpumped subbasins be brought into balance by 2040. … ”  Read more from SJV Water here: Court pauses groundwater fees in Madera County; throws regional plans into question

Friant-Kern Canal fix on schedule; water quality guidelines discussed

The Friant-Kern Canal fix is underway and on schedule to be completed before Sept. 1, 2024, according to an update at a recent Friant Water Authority (FWA) Board of Directors meeting.  “They’re on track, they’re on schedule,” Stantec Engineering’s Janet Atkinson told the board at its Dec. 9 meeting. ‘We don’t see anything right now that’s going to prevent that from happening.”  It’s a big job.  The canal, which brings water from Millerton Lake north of Fresno to farms and cities all the way south to Arvin in Kern County, had sunk along a 33-mile section because of excessive groundwater pumping. … ”  Read more from SJV Water here: Friant-Kern Canal fix on schedule; water quality guidelines discussed

Kern Groundwater Authority responds to newly-adopted racial equity plan

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

Drought-ravaged L.A. seeks surprising source of water: A contaminated Superfund site

As drought and climate change ravage California’s once-reliable supply of drinking water, officials in Los Angeles are setting their sights on a relatively new, almost untapped resource for the city’s 4 million residents: the Superfund site in their own backyard.  Nearly 70% of the city’s 115 wells in the San Fernando Valley groundwater basin — the largest such basin under the purview of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power — have been sitting unused for decades after dangerous contaminants seeped into the aquifer.  Now, the city is nearing the completion of a massive, $600-million plan to bring that resource back online. … ”  Read more from the LA Times here: Drought-ravaged L.A. seeks surprising source of water: A contaminated Superfund site

Doheny desalination plant in Dana Point clears final regulatory hurdle

State officials on Friday cleared the final major regulatory hurdle for the Doheny desalination plant, which aims to use the ocean to help shore up drinking water supplies for drought-ridden Southern California.  The California State Lands Commission unanimously granted South Coast Water District a 20-year lease for land off Doheny State Beach, in Dana Point. The water district plans to build a $140 million plant there that will turn 5 million gallons of ocean water into drinking water each day.  Before voting to advance the project, outgoing State Controller Betty Yee, who serves as chair of the commission, said she believes it can serve as a model to help desalination become part of California’s “water toolkit” going forward. … ” Read more from the OC Register here: Doheny desalination plant in Dana Point clears final regulatory hurdle

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 water

Carlsbad desalination plant upgrades to protect marine life

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

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Announcements, notices, and funding opportunities …

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: DWR Launches Public Comment Period for LandFlex Program to Protect Drinking Water Supplies

NOTICE of Public Hearing and Public Comment Period – Proposed Changes to Sacramento River Watershed General Order

NOTICE: Grassland Bypass Project Stakeholder Meeting

EXTENDED! 2022 CA Water Data Challenge Project Submission Deadline

NOTICE of Water Right Petition in Monterey County

NOTICE of 180-Day Temporary Permit Application T033338 – Fresno County

NOTICE: December 13 Weekly Update – All Curtailments in the Delta Watershed Remain Temporarily Suspended

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