In California water news today …
Northern California to see ‘brunt’ of incoming storm, with rain, winds and possible thunder early this week
“Heavy rain, strong winds and possible thunderstorms are in the forecast for the Bay Area and California this week as another atmospheric river arrives, according to meteorologists. “Northern California will definitely see the brunt of it, but Southern California won’t be left out either,” said Cindy Palmer, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Bay Area office. The storm is predicted to hit the state’s northwest region Monday, bringing torrential rainfall to southern areas of Humboldt, Trinity and Mendocino counties, as well as portions of Lake County, according to the weather service. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here (gift article): Northern California to see ‘brunt’ of incoming storm, with rain, winds and possible thunder early this week
SEE ALSO:
- Winter storms to create dangerous travel for Northern California ahead of the New Year, from ABC 10
- Post-Christmas atmospheric river storm to drench Bay Area, bring snow in Sierra Nevada, from the San Jose Mercury News
El Niño is coming—and the world isn’t prepared
“In 2023, the relentless increase in global heating will continue, bringing ever more disruptive weather that is the signature calling card of accelerating climate breakdown. According to NASA, 2022 was one of the hottest years ever recorded on Earth. This is extraordinary, because the recurrent climate pattern across the tropical Pacific—known as ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation)—was in its cool phase. During this phase, called La Niña, the waters of the equatorial Pacific are noticeably cooler than normal, which influences weather patterns around the world. One consequence of La Niña is that it helps keep a lid on global temperatures. This means that—despite the recent widespread heat waves, wildfires and droughts—we have actually been spared the worst. The scary thing is that this La Niña will end and eventually transition into the better-known El Niño, which sees the waters of the equatorial Pacific becoming much warmer. When it does, the extreme weather that has rampaged across our planet in 2021 and 2022 will pale into insignificance. … ” Read more from WIRED here: El Niño is coming—and the world isn’t prepared
Loss of wetlands has greatly harmed California salmon numbers but there is hope
“For years, the short grain rice grown on the fields managed by Jon Munger has been used to create delicious sushi around the country. His flooded fields, right now, are not growing anything humans care much for. It is food for salmon. “Doing these practices during the off season or in the winter time is a great partnership. And goes hand-in-hand with our production,” said Jon Munger, Vice President of Operations at Montna Farms. “We’re flooding our fields here in the winter to decompose our rice straw. So, if we can provide another environmental benefit such as providing fish food and enhance the overall water fowl or shore bird type of habitat we have here, it’s great.” … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Loss of wetlands has greatly harmed California salmon numbers but there is hope
California drought poses more obstacles to young Russian River coho salmon
“Drought is posing another threat to endangered native salmon in the Russian River by narrowing the window of time for young coho salmon to travel through to the ocean, which limits their feeding opportunities and threatens their chances of surviving to adulthood, new research indicates. When their native streams run low and warm during drought, the young smolts or year-old baby salmon get a signal to leave earlier than usual for their migration to the wide ocean. They may also face obstacles along the way due to lower flows of water. Those two factors shrink their window of migration by over three weeks, according a study in the journal Ecosphere led by Brian Kastl, a PhD candidate at UC Berkeley. “The reason that’s so important is because salmon risk reaching the ocean at the wrong time, when food is scarce,” said Kastl, whose field research was funded by National Geographic. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle (gift article): California drought poses more obstacles to young Russian River coho salmon
Why some salt marshes are more endangered than we thought
“On January 26, 1700, deep below the northeast Pacific, two pieces of Earth’s crust abruptly gave way, ending a centuries-long deadlock. The massive earthquake sent a wall of water rushing inland. By the time the shaking stopped and the water settled, the coastline had been transformed. In some places, the land had plummeted by more than a meter, while the flood of sediment turned coastal marshes into mudflats. “It’s probably pretty wild, right? Like, very chaotic,” says Erin Peck, a salt marsh geomorphologist who conducted the work while at the University of Delaware. For the past five years, Peck has been investigating how one of these buried salt marshes, in Netarts Bay, Oregon, recovered from the tsunami. Her work came to an unexpected conclusion: the salt marsh took way longer to rebuild atop the mudflat than expected. … ” Read more from Popular Science here: Why some salt marshes are more endangered than we thought
THE ECONEWS REPORT: Trespass Cannabis Grows Polluting Surface Water?
“Trespass cannabis grows, those rogue operations of pot production on public land and large timber holdings, often employ chemicals banned for sale in the United States. Past research has demonstrated that these chemicals have poisoned rare and endangered species like the Pacific fisher, Humboldt marten and northern spotted owl. But what are they doing to our aquatic environment? Dr. Mourad Gabriel of the Forest Service and Ivan Medel of the Integral Ecology Research Center join Gang Green to talk about their new report which found really nasty pesticides, like carbofuran, downstream from trespass grow sites.” Listen or read transcript at the Lost Coast Outpost here: THE ECONEWS REPORT: Trespass Cannabis Grows Polluting Surface Water?
California to cover canals with solar panels to combat drought, climate change
“Two things on California’s wish list — more water and more power — may come soon with a first-in-the-nation plan to cover irrigation canals with solar panels. The project, which aims to save water by reducing evaporation from canals while generating renewable energy, is small, encompassing nearly two miles of waterways in the Central Valley. The hope, though, is to showcase the simple but largely untested concept so that it catches on with agricultural and urban water suppliers across the state, and beyond. The California Department of Water Resources is funding the $20 million pilot program with the intention of learning where solar panels might be viable along the state’s 4,000 miles of canals and aqueducts. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: California to cover canals with solar panels to combat drought, climate change
New coalition plants thousands of new Sequoia trees
“After a series of devastating wildfires within the last few years, the Tule River Indian Reservation, alongside the Giant Sequoia Lands Coalition, announced their progress in rehabilitating Sequoia trees in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The coalition, which began in 2021, traveled to Calaveras Big Trees State Park on Dec. 14 to announce their progress in planting and restoring the burned areas of the Sequoia National Park. They spent all of 2022 planting more than 248,000 native conifers throughout the giant sequoia range after major wildfires, such as the 2020 Castle Fire, devastated thousands of acres. Their work has treated 4,257 acres of the Sequoias, according to the coalition’s progress report. The coalition’s work in 2022 was led by 824 members at a cost of $10.5 million. … ” Read more from the Foothills Sun-Gazette here: New coalition plants thousands of new Sequoia trees
In commentary today …
Bring new water to the Colorado River, and a national infrastructure bank to finance it
Alphecca Muttardy, a Macroeconomist with the Coalition for a National Infrastructure Bank, and Don Siefkes is an MIT-trained chemical engineer who represents the Coalition for the NIB in the San Francisco Bay Area, write, “Mike Wade, “Imperial Valley can’t sustain another water cut,” Dec. 14, is absolutely right. However, if we can’t get new water to the Colorado River, and even though conservation is important, no amount of conservation is going to fix this problem. Here’s one solution to avoid the looming disaster. The National Infrastructure Bank (NIB) set out in House Resolution 3339 would provide $5 trillion in low-cost loans for a broad range of public infrastructure projects – including massive water systems – without the need for increasing taxes or any deficit budget spending. This bill is modeled on the successful Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) started by President Herbert Hoover and used by President Franklin D. Roosevelt to build Hoover Dam and bring water and electricity to the Southwest. … ” Read more from the Desert Sun here: Bring new water to the Colorado River, and a national infrastructure bank to finance it
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Humboldt Bay gets glimpse at future sea level rise
“The National Weather Service in Eureka issued a coastal flood warning on Thursday in anticipation of anomalous high tides that hit early Friday. While there were few issues caused by the flooding, the king tides offer a preview of what future sea level rise could mean for Eureka and the rest of Humboldt Bay. “This is about one foot higher than a typical high tide,” said Jennifer Kalt, director of the nonprofit Humboldt Baykeeper. “With one foot of sea level rise, what we saw today will be the average monthly high tide.” In fact, the astronomical tide event was even higher than expected as it reached a peak of 9.28 feet in the North Spit. But other fortunate weather factors helped mitigate any risk of damage from flooding. … ” Read more from the Eureka Times-Standard here: Humboldt Bay gets glimpse at future sea level rise
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
‘ACT’ing to find the way back to deep water clarity for Lake Tahoe
“Living at Tahoe comes with a multitude of positives, ranging from beautiful views to world class slopes to unlimited lake access. But living in paradise comes with a price, and one of them is the quality of the deep water in the basin. “Lake Tahoe has experienced a decline in water clarity since the late 1960’s, starting with the region’s development boom,” said US Environmental Protection Agency Press Officer Joshua Alexander. “Between 1986 and 1997 deep water clarity declined by approximately 30% from about 97 to 64 feet. Since then clarity has stabilized somewhat, to an average of 64.4 feet between 2016-2021.” The decline of Lake Tahoe’s clarity can be largely attributed to fine sediment particles and algae. Research has found that fine sediment particles, nitrogen, and phosphorus are the main pollutants affecting the lake, and primary sources of those pollutants include urban and forests upland runoff, atmospheric deposition, and stream channel erosion. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune here: ‘ACT’ing to find the way back to deep water clarity for Lake Tahoe
Sugar Pine Foundation spends nearly 20 years restoring Tahoe forests
“The Sugar Pine Foundation is a small South Lake Tahoe-based nonprofit that has been dedicated to saving the sugar pines of the region by planting thousands of seedlings in burns scars, eroded slopes, in thinning projects and on other lands in need of restoration for nearly 20 years. Why do Tahoe’s sugar pines and forests need to be restored? The answer revolves around historical logging, decades of fire suppression and the threat of a little-known but incredibly deadly disease called white pine blister rust. … ” Read more from the Sierra Sun here: Sugar Pine Foundation spends nearly 20 years restoring Tahoe forests
BAY AREA
Marin neighborhoods get tidal flooding before storm
“King tides peaked in Marin on Friday, flooding local roads and parking lots as the county prepared for an onslaught of stormy weather. Marin received up to 0.04 inches of rain in the 24 hours leading up to 2 p.m. Friday, but the rain that fell was nothing compared to the water that was pushed onshore by the tides. Water pooled on roads in some places, including the ramps on and off Highway 101 near the Manzanita Park and Ride in Mill Valley, where Caltrans worked to divert traffic Friday. State transportation officials closed the commuter lot ahead of the predicted rising waters. The lot is expected to reopen Tuesday. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here: Marin neighborhoods get tidal flooding before storm
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Rain in the forecast for Southern California this week, and beyond
“Southern California’s run of spectacular winter weather is about to take a turn for the wet. Starting Tuesday, there is a good chance for rain to drench Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties almost every day for the next two weeks as a storm system moves in from the Pacific Northwest. “The first front is going to make its way through Southern California pretty quickly,” says KTLA 5 Weather Anchor Kaj Goldberg. “That’s the first of many fronts because we’re looking at an atmospheric river.” … ” Read more from KTLA here: Rain in the forecast for Southern California this week, and beyond
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
New bridges in Desert Hot Springs, east valley water upgrades included in omnibus package
“Two new bridges aiming at preventing road closures in Desert Hot Springs, an expansion to the DAP Health campus in Palm Springs and bolstered water infrastructure in the eastern Coachella Valley are among the items with local impact within the omnibus spending package approved by Congress on Friday. The funding largely came via targeted requests from Democratic Rep. Raul Ruiz, who has represented the entire valley for the past decade. Ruiz, a Democrat who won re-election to another term in November, will represent a new district next year that includes Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Coachella and Indio, along with all of Imperial County and a sliver of eastern San Bernardino County. … ” Read more from the Desert Sun here: New bridges in Desert Hot Springs, east valley water upgrades included in omnibus package
SAN DIEGO
Court fight averted: San Diego makes a deal with East County water project over contested pump station
“The city of San Diego and East County leaders have resolved a months-long dispute over a planned water recycling project, heading off a potentially expensive court fight over what to do with the plant’s waste. The two sides are set to sign a series of agreements early next year concerning the Advanced Water Purification Project, which is projected to help make the region less dependent on outside water sources. “I think they landed in a fair and equitable place,” said Kyle Swanson, CEO and general manager of the Padre Dam Municipal Water District, one of the plant’s main partners. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune here: Court fight averted: San Diego makes a deal with East County water project over contested pump station
Three ways Imperial Beach’s new mayor plans to tackle the Tijuana sewage crisis
“Paloma Aguirre has fought to clean up the sewage-plagued waters of Imperial Beach for the better part of the last two decades — first as an activist and most recently as the city’s first elected woman of Mexican descent. The city’s newly minted mayor says her highest priority next year will be working with officials in Baja California to stem the pollution that routinely spills over the border and floats up the coastline. “It’s not just about speaking the language,” she recently told the Union-Tribune. “It’s about understanding the culture. I can navigate that.” … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune here: Three ways Imperial Beach’s new mayor plans to tackle the Tijuana sewage crisis
Along the Colorado River …
A look back at 2022 along the Colorado River
“The Colorado River starts deep in the mountains of the state that shares its name. Nearly 60% of the river is born as snow in the Colorado Rockies. In January, under tall conifers with his feet buckled into skis, Stephen Jaouen with the Natural Resources Conservation Service trekked out into the woods to measure it. He works on the front lines of an alarming trend. “When I first started 15 years ago, you know, we’d actually measure some snow in the last, you know, in the April-May survey. And a lot of times now we just walk in and there’s no snow.” … ” Read more from Utah Public Radio here: A look back at 2022 along the Colorado River
‘It is going to take real cuts to everyone’: Leaders meet to decide the future of the Colorado River
“The Colorado River is shrinking at the hands of climate change, and the people who decide its future are caught in a standoff over how to share its water. Putting them all in the same room, then, is bound to breed some tension. The most powerful policymakers in the arid Southwest spent three days in Las Vegas earlier this month, reviewing the grim state of a river that supplies 40 million people from Wyoming to Mexico. Federal and state authorities emphasized the need for collaboration to avert catastrophe, but have been reticent to make sacrifices during negotiations over plans that would reduce demand for water. This year marked the 76th meeting of the Colorado River Water Users Association and the event’s first ever sold-out attendance. Journalists, scientists, farmers and city officials packed the conference center at Caesar’s Palace to watch water managers hash out the river’s future in the public eye. … ” Read more from Inside Climate News here: ‘It is going to take real cuts to everyone’: Leaders meet to decide the future of the Colorado River
Essay: Arizona is in a race to the bottom of its water wells, with Saudi Arabia’s help
“Arizona’s water is running worryingly low. Amid the worst drought in more than a millennium, which has left communities across the state with barren wells, the state is depleting what remains of its precious groundwater. Much of it goes to private companies nearly free, including Saudi Arabia’s largest dairy company. Thanks to fresh scrutiny this year from state politicians, water activists and journalists, the Saudi agricultural giant Almarai has emerged as an unlikely antagonist in the water crisis. The company, through its subsidiary Fondomonte, has been buying and leasing land across western Arizona since 2014. This year The Arizona Republic published a report showing that the Arizona State Land Department has been leasing 3,500 acres of public land to Almarai for a suspiciously low price. The case has prompted calls for an investigation into how a foreign company wound up taking the state’s dwindling water supplies for a fee that might be as low as one-sixth the market rate. ... ” Read more from the New York Times here (gift article): Essay: Arizona is in a race to the bottom of its water wells, with Saudi Arabia’s help
State will restrict water pumping where Mohave County farms have flourished
“Arizona will block expansion of large-scale irrigated farming in Mohave County, state water managers announced this week in the latest move to protect groundwater supplies in the state’s largely unregulated rural aquifers. A coalition of local leaders and statewide water protection advocates had for several years sought such a remedy to the Kingman area’s escalation of pumping for new pistachio groves, ultimately convincing the Arizona Department of Water Resources to act when the Arizona Legislature would not. Farmers and agricultural landowners had argued the Hualapai Basin would provide their corner of northwestern Arizona for centuries, but state officials determined that the pumping had become unsustainable. … ” Read more from Arizona Central here: State will restrict water pumping where Mohave County farms have flourished
Commentary: Arizona must work twice as hard now to prove the fix is not in to buy water
Opinion columnist Joanna Allhands writes, “Is Arizona pursuing an “all of the above” approach, as elected leaders claim, to find new sources of water for the state? Or have we already thrown most of our stock behind a proposal to buy water from a privately financed desalination plant on Mexico’s Sea of Cortez – one that, if it were built, would rank among the largest desalination plants in the world? The next few months should tell the tale, now that the state board tasked with financing water augmentation deals has agreed to discuss the possibility with a nebulous set of investors. How we got to this point is a lesson in what not to do. … ” Read more from the Arizona Republic here: Commentary: Arizona must work twice as hard now to prove the fix is not in to buy water
In national water news today …
Biden’s signature advances major projects in water bill
“President Joe Biden signed a large defense bill on Friday that includes a water bill that directs the Army Corps of Engineers on major infrastructure projects to improve navigation and protect against storms worsened by climate change. The biggest project by far this year is a $34 billion Texas coastal barrier featuring massive floodgates and other structures to protect the Houston region with its concentration of oil refineries and chemical plants, at risk during major hurricanes. The Water Resources Development Act of 2022 also includes a $3.2 billion authorization for a new Soo Lock on the St. Marys River which connects Lake Superior with Lake Huron. … ” Read more from the AP here: Biden’s signature advances major projects in water bill
