DAILY DIGEST, 1/3: Forecasters warn of ‘brutal’ storm arriving Wednesday; Failed Consumnes River levee traced to private land owner; Fight to end Los Angeles water imports from Mono Lake; Rehearing request, new lawsuit in Monterey desal saga; and more …

California storms continue …

San Francisco, Los Angeles to receive more heavy rain

More moisture-packed storms are expected to pay a visit to California during the first week of 2023 following an atmospheric river that dropped a historic amount of rain on the San Francisco Bay area as well as heavy snow in higher elevations on New Year’s Eve.  Because of the saturated state of the ground, another atmospheric river during the middle and latter part of the week will lead to more flooding and mudslides in the Golden State, AccuWeather meteorologists warn.  Meteorologists describe an atmospheric river as a plume of rich moisture that extends from the tropical part of the ocean to land and can produce copious amounts of rain and mountain snow should the firehose effect linger. … ”  Read more from AccuWeather here: San Francisco, Los Angeles to receive more heavy rain

Major NorCal storm Wed; potentially high impact storm/flood pattern to continue for 10+ days

Dr. Daniel Swain writes, “A strong storm on New Year’s eve brought very heavy 24-hr precipitation accumulations to a relatively narrow but highly populated swath of NorCal, from around San Francisco in the central Bay Area eastward to the Central Sierra foothills. Here, some locations actually came close to (or even exceeded) all-time 24 hour precipitation records. This was pretty unexpected–while heavy rain was predicted, the combination of modest stalling of the initial atmospheric river, and then later unusually strong frontogenesis in combination with the unexpectedly slow movement of a surface low directly onto the San Mateo County coast produce a much longer and more intense precipitation event across these areas than had been in the forecast. … [T]he next major storm in the series, due in later Wednesday into early Thursday, will be a high-impact storm in Northern California, with widespread heavy rain and strong winds. It’ll bring some pretty respectable precipitation to much of Southern California, as well, but impacts will be dramatically lower down south so I’m going to focus most of the rest of this discussion on NorCal. ... ” Read more from Weather West here: Major NorCal storm Wed; potentially high impact storm/flood pattern to continue for 10+ days

SEE ALSO:

Why the Cosumnes River is unlike most in California

California is known for its big droughts, but the most recent storm has reminded us flooding is also part of the Golden State’s weather history. The New Year’s Eve storm actually started Friday with a moderately wet but warm storm. Initial snow levels were lower — around 5,000 feet — but would move up the Sierra to above 8,000 feet by Friday night. This created a “rain on snow” scenario with some lower elevation snow melting and adding additional water to the runoff. ... ”  Read more from Channel 10 here: Why the Cosumnes River is unlike most in California

Two breaks along Consumes River that flooded Highway 99 traced to private land owner, county has no jurisdiction to repair

No government agency is taking the lead to repair two breaks along the Cosumnes River that flooded Highway 99 and Dillard Road over the weekend in the Wilton area, CBS13 learned Monday.  Flooding there led to dozens of water rescues through Monday morning, 20 stranded cars on Highway 99 Saturday night, and one reported death on Dillard Road after a car was swept away in rushing floodwater.  “This is unfortunately a situation where we had a fatality that is out of our control,” said Sacramento County spokesperson Matt Robinson on Monday.  Our team reached out to multiple agencies, including Sacramento County, to ask why, as another strong storm is expected to move in Wednesday, the two breaks that leaders say caused the flooding are not being fixed. … ”  Continue reading at CBS Sacramento here: Two breaks along Consumes River that flooded Highway 99 traced to private land owner, county has no jurisdiction to repair

In California water news today …

California’s snowpack near decade high. What’s it mean for the drought?

As the New Year begins, California’s Sierra is closing in on the second-largest snowpack we’ve seen at this time of year in the last two decades, with more snow expected to pummel the mountain range in the coming days.  But here’s why it’s far too soon to declare an end to the drought: Last year, we started 2022 with a similar bounty — and then ended the snow season way, way, way below normal.  “We’ve come out hot … but at the same time, it’s really early,” said Sean de Guzman, manager of the California Department of Water Resources’ monthly snow surveys.  On Tuesday, state water officials plan to tromp through the snow at Echo Summit, south of Lake Tahoe, for the winter’s first snowpack survey, a monthly ritual that is now mostly for show thanks to more than 100 sensors throughout the Sierra that measure accumulation every day. … ”  Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here:  California’s snowpack near decade high. What’s it mean for the drought?

SEE ALSO:  Recent rain, snow leaves experts cautiously optimistic about drought relief, from CBS LA

La Niña expected to serve up a hat trick

She’s baaaack! For the past two years, La Niña, the cooling of ocean temperatures in the equatorial Pacific, has wreaked havoc on weather around the globe. Now the World Meteorological Organization expects the phenomenon to return for a third consecutive year, a rare occurrence that forecasters predict could bring wackier-than-usual winter weather to the West, once again. … A study published this summer by University of Washington researchers suggests global warming could be to blame for this year’s La Niña encore. The two weather phenomena have different effects: El Niño tends to bring wetter conditions to the Southwestern U.S., while La Niña usually brings moist, cool weather to the Northwest and hot, drier conditions to the Southwest. Still, you might not want to plan your winter around these predictions. … ”  Read more from the High Country News here: La Niña expected to serve up a hat trick

Scientists dig deep and find a way to accurately predict snowmelt after droughts

Where does your water supply come from?  If you live near mountains, for instance in British Columbia, a lot of your water probably comes from mountain snowpack. Accurate predictions of this annual trend is critical for water supply planning. And forecasting models often rely on the historical relationship between mountain snowpack and the subsequent water supply.  However, in times of unprecedented drought and a changing climate, these forecasting models seem to no longer be reliable. Following an intense drought in California in 2021, snowmelt from mountain snowpack delivered significantly less water than historical models predicted, meaning that reservoirs remained drier than anticipated. For the first time in 100 years, water supply models were wrong.  In an attempt to address the gaps in the traditional model, we recently developed an updated water supply forecasting model that considers additional factors, like water storage deficits in the soil and bedrock. This new model significantly improves the accuracy of water supply forecasts following drought. … ”  Read more from the Lake County News here: Scientists dig deep and find a way to accurately predict snowmelt after droughts

California’s endangered salmon population plummets amid new threat

They’ve been pushed to the brink of extinction by dams, drought, extreme heat and even the flare of wildfires, but now California’s endangered winter-run Chinook salmon appear to be facing an entirely new threat — their own ravenous hunger for anchovies.  After the worst spawning season ever in 2022, scientists now suspect the species’ precipitous decline is being driven by its ocean diet.  Researchers hypothesize that the salmon are feasting too heavily on anchovies, a fish that is now swarming the California coast in record numbers. Unfortunately for the salmon, anchovies carry an enzyme called thiaminase, which breaks down thiamine — a vitamin that is essential to cell function in all living things. “These are fish that returned to the river early this year and then spawned in the spring and early summer. They had really low thiamine,” said Nate Mantua, a fisheries researcher with the National Marine Fisheries Service in Santa Cruz. Concentrations were “worse than last year.” … ”  Read more from the LA Times here: California’s endangered salmon population plummets amid new threat | Read via Yahoo News

Conservationists fight to end Los Angeles water imports from Eastern Sierra’s Mono Lake

Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash

As California enters what is expected to be a fourth year of drought, the State Water Resources Control Board is reviewing a request from environmentalists to suspend Los Angeles Department of Water and Power diversions from Mono Lake in the Eastern Sierra Nevada.  In its request, the nonprofit Mono Lake Committee argues that the combination of drought and diversions from streams that feed the lake are exposing the lake bottom near islands that host one of the world’s largest nesting gull populations. Unless this is addressed, they say coyotes will be able to access the islands and feast on the eggs of 50,000 California gulls.  “We do not submit this request lightly,” said Geoffrey McQuilkin, executive director of the committee. “The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power can help by contributing something only it can: water.” … ”  Read more from the LA Times here: Conservationists fight to end Los Angeles water imports from Eastern Sierra’s Mono Lake | Read via UK News

WATER IS A MANY SPLENDOR’ED THING PODCAST: Butterflies, Toads and Fish w/Bill Jennings

Steve Baker writes, “I had the honor interviewing Bill Jennings in 2010 for a Water is a Many Splendor’ed Thing segment during a controversial time when the California Delta was a national topic in the United States media. Central Valley farmers versus the Delta Smelt was pitched by radio and television stations across the country. My intent was to find someone who could give me an honest opinion of the vulnerabilities that the California Delta faced and damages that it has endured. Well, Bill has a way of communicating; poetic, concise, focused and quite entertaining. He made quite an impression on me. In recognition of his passing, I have chosen Bill Jenning as today’s water relationship. I am sure he will be missed by family, friends of the Delta and so many others living across California’s watery landscapes.   The value of our estuaries and other inland water bodies are usually recognized while fishing, boating, swimming, or viewing nature from a great vantage point. The California Delta is one of these treasured areas.  It is one ecosystem that reveals mankind’s impact and an intrinsic value that can hit us close to home.”  Water is a Many Splendor ’ed Thing brings you another water relationship that has a personally significant impact to your life. Produced by Steven Baker, Bringing People Together to Solve Water Problems, water@operationunite.co 530-205-6388

California’s latest climate solution could save water while creating renewable energy

A new pilot program could solve two climate-related issues in the Golden State.  The California Department of Water Resources is funding a $20 million pilot program to install solar panels over water supply canals in the state. The project aims to decrease the amount of water evaporated, worsening the state’s historic drought, while the solar panels generate renewable energy, a news release said.  “This is a really exciting project,” Wade Crowfoot, California Natural Resources Secretary, said in a statement. “It connects our efforts in California to improve water conservation and build drought resilience with the clean energy transition we’re driving across California.” … ”  Read more from KTLA here: California’s latest climate solution could save water while creating renewable energy

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In commentary today …

Delta tunnel EIS: California water wars now are framed by ‘situational environmentalism’

Dennis Wyatt, editor of the Manteca Bulletin, writes, “There is a sound alternative to building the controversial Delta Tunnel, the latest reincarnation of the Peripheral Canal.  It accomplishes the same objectives the tunnel will do for the massive Metropolitan Water District in Southern California and big corporate farmers including a Beverly Hills billionaire in the extreme southwest portion of the San Joaquin Valley.  The objective is clear, reliable water supply to address concerns about rising sea levels, drought, and even earthquakes. And it can even address subsidence that has drastically reduced the capacity of the California Aqueduct in a number of locations.  Ironically, the latest just released Environmental Impact Study for the Delta tunnel lists the solution it in the “no project alternative.” … ”  Read more from the Manteca Bulletin here: Delta tunnel EIS: California water wars now are framed by ‘situational environmentalism’

Dan Walters: What California can learn from wave of storms

California, particularly Northern California, was walloped by a major winter rain and snow storm last week and meteorologists expect that high levels of precipitation will continue for at least another week.  Despite some damage and at least one death from local flooding and tree-toppling high winds, the storm and the predictions of more to come are welcome relief from what had appeared to be a prolonged drought.  There are lessons to be learned from this watery wave, if Californians and the politicians they have elected pay attention, to wit ... ”  Read more from Cal Matters here: Dan Walters: What California can learn from wave of storms

From years of drought in the west to water, water, everywhere? We can do it — with interstate pipelines.

Joseph D. Schulman, M.D., a scientist, former professor, and Chairman of Genetics & IVF Institute; John P. Schaefer, Ph.D, a chemist, former President of the University of Arizona, and a director of Research Corporation Technologies; and Henry I. Miller, a physician, molecular biologist, and the Glenn Swogger Distinguished Fellow at the American Council on Science and Health, write, “The situation in California — with its outsized population, massive agriculture, and recurrent droughts over much of the past decade — is particularly tenuous because of a severe deficit of groundwater. …  As described by the EPA, stress on water supplies and the nation’s aging water treatment systems can lead to a variety of consequences for communities, including astronomical water prices, increased watering restrictions to manage shortages, seasonal loss of aquatic recreational areas, and expensive water treatment projects when local demand overcomes available capacity.  With wise public policy, all these needs for water could be accommodated because America does not have a water supply problem; it has a water distribution problem.  There is plenty of water, but not where it’s needed.  We suggest a remedy for the maldistribution that dovetails nicely with congressional and White House initiatives to improve and expand the nation’s infrastructure. … ”  Read more from the American Council on Science and Health here: From years of drought in the west to water, water, everywhere? We can do it — with interstate pipelines.

The Bay Area’s natural habitats have vanished. We’re a microcosm of a global die-off

Rebecca Shaw, chief scientist at World Wildlife Fund, writes, “When my son was younger, we often visited San Francisco’s Baylands Preserve to bike, hike and pull up invasive weed species that were crowding out native plants and animals — our small way of helping to restore a massive wetland system in California that only 150 years ago rivaled the splendor of Africa’s world-famous Okavango Delta.  Not anymore.  More than 90% of California’s coastal and inland wetlands have vanished, replaced by cropland, airports, housing, highways and industrial parks. Our state has reaped a great many short-term economic benefits from this activity, but we’ve also undermined long-term growth and security through the concomitant destruction of nature. … ”  Continue reading at the San Francisco Chronicle here: The Bay Area’s natural habitats have vanished. We’re a microcosm of a global die-off

Missing an opportunity downstream of Shasta Lake

Tom Cannon writes, “Juvenile winter-run, spring-run, fall-run, and late-fall-run salmon need a flow boost in the fall and winter to help them emigrate 300 miles down the Sacramento River from their spawning area below Shasta Lake to and through the Bay-Delta.1 Yet while winter storms have now caused massive runoff downstream, the spawning reach of Sacramento River remains at its minimum flow. Even small pulse releases from Shasta and Keswick reservoirs during storms would start hundreds of thousands of juvenile salmon on their way to the ocean. … ”  Read more from the California Fisheries blog here: Missing an opportunity downstream of Shasta Lake

Lisa Beutler Opines: ‘Connecting the dots – humans and the water cycle’

AWRA Past President and Stantec Executive Facilitator Lisa Beutler writes, “Educators around the Nation now have access to a new tool to explain the Earth’s water cycle. Developed by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in consultation with more than 100 educators and more than 30 hydrologic experts, a new water cycle diagram replaces the one in use since 2000. Released in October 2022, the revised depiction brings humans into the picture and shows the water cycle as a complex interplay of small, interconnected cycles that people interact with and influence. Importantly it also shows how multiple ecosystems—including a coastal plain, dry basin, wet basin, and agricultural basin—are connected across watersheds and at continental scales.  The earlier water cycle diagram, developed by Howard Pearlman and John Evans, introduced more than two decades of students, as well as readers of thousands of water publications, to the natural aspects of the water cycle. The 2022 version depicts how the Earth’s water moves and is stored, both naturally and because of human actions. … ”  Continue reading at Water Wired here: Lisa Beutler Opines: ‘Connecting the dots – humans and the water cycle’

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Today’s featured article …

WATER CONDITIONS: A look at reservoirs and snowpack

Winter storms boosting reservoir levels. Lake Mendocino approaching average level for this time of year. More storms in the forecast.

Click here to view article.

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In regional water news and commentary today …

NORTH COAST

Strong wind and rain storm headed to North Coast this week

This week, residents of Northern California can expect to be hit by a very strong storm system, according to the National Weather Service in Eureka.  The storm will bring high winds to the region on Wednesday and possibly Thursday. Valley regions may see winds above 40 miles per hour, while coastal areas will likely see winds blowing up to 60 miles per hour. Gusts of greater than 70 miles per hour will be possible on ridgetops, especially those in northern Mendocino, Humboldt and Del Norte counties. … ”  Read more from KRCR here: Strong wind and rain storm headed to North Coast this week

SACRAMENTO VALLEY

Why are dams releasing water in a drought?

Folsom Lake is letting the water flow while rains pick up across the valley. December has provided higher-than-average precipitation for the capital region giving way to cautious optimism about just how much longer the state will be in a drought.   But the rainfall also prompted questions about why, in a drought, dams and reservoirs are letting water out instead of holding it in.  “The operator has to draw it down to a certain level in the winter time and then hold it in that level until the spring snowmelt season starts,” says Jeanine Jones of the California Department of Water Resources.  In short, the department has rules regarding how much water reservoirs can hold at a given time. If there’s too much for that given time, they may have to drain some of their stores. That’s based on the idea that seasonal precipitation will continue at a certain rate. ... ”  Read more from CBS Sacramento here: Why are dams releasing water in a drought?

BAY AREA

S.F. Bay Area weather forecast: Dry Tuesday will give way to another huge storm

The Bay Area started off the week with wet weather and will see dry conditions Tuesday only to be followed by a dynamic storm in the mid-week. This procession of storms will hit the Bay Area with more rain and gusty winds into the weekend.  The next powerful storm is strengthening in the Pacific Ocean. The American weather model, GFS (Global Forecast System), shows a system with the potential makings to become a “bombogenesis cyclone” — a low pressure system that quickly strengthens due to a sudden drop in pressure. This low will aid in the transport of a band of saturated moisture — an atmospheric river. ... ”  Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: S.F. Bay Area weather forecast: Dry Tuesday will give way to another huge storm

Where to see native salmon splash, jump during their peak season in Bay Area creeks

The big winter storms that have pummeled the Bay Area with rain have another benefit besides adding water to depleted reservoirs. They also fill up local waterways, giving coho salmon an extra push during their annual migration from the ocean up into their native creeks to spawn.  Wet weather or not, this is the peak time of year to see native coho salmon courting, spawning and leaping in Marin County’s Lagunitas Creek and the surrounding watershed. During a good year, about 500 of the endangered fish migrate from the ocean and arrive in their native streams from December to January. They make up the southernmost remaining healthy population of native coho on the West Coast. … ”  Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Where to see native salmon splash, jump during their peak season in Bay Area creeks

Hetch Hetchy pipeline scheduled for maintenance in San Mateo County

Beginning early January, the Hetch Hetchy watershed will close its pipelines for maintenance, leaving the county to consume what water is currently stored in the Crystal Springs and San Andreas reservoirs.  “Residents may notice a change in their water quality, or they may not, but nobody should have concerns,” Nicole Sandkulla, chief executive officer for Bay Area Water Supply and Conservation Agency, said.  The Hetch Hetchy pipeline, which provides water to more than 2.8 million Bay Area residents, will shut from Jan. 3 to March 8 to allow for annual maintenance improvements. … ”  Read more from the Daily Journal here: Hetch Hetchy pipeline scheduled for maintenance in San Mateo County

Santa Clara County looks to amend, revoke Cupertino cement plant’s use permit

A month after Lehigh Hanson cement plant announced its intention to shut down, the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors is moving forward with a public hearing to consider revoking or amending the Cupertino plant’s use permit.  Lehigh announced in November that it would not restart production at the cement plant. Supervisor Joe Simitian, who has long championed efforts by the county to purchase and rehabilitate the area, said in a statement that he expected the county planning commission to consider permit revocation or modification “sometime in 2023, unless we can get a negotiated agreement with Lehigh.”  The revocation or amendment of Lehigh’s use permit would ensure that the plant’s shutdown is long term and legally binding, he added. ... ”  Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here: Santa Clara County looks to amend, revoke Cupertino cement plant’s use permit

CENTRAL COAST

California American Water files an application for rehearing with the CPUC

On Friday, December 30, California American Water filed with the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) its application for rehearing of the recent decision regarding the Pure Water Monterey Expansion agreement. California American Water is requesting recovery of infrastructure costs needed to extract, distribute, and deliver water from the expansion of the Pure Water Monterey project. California American Water supports the project as a critical component of the future water supply portfolio for its Monterey Peninsula customers and urges the CPUC to approve the funds for the infrastructure needed for the project.  “California American Water has built new infrastructure and advanced funding to our partner agency because we support the expansion of the Pure Water Monterey project. This project is needed to reduce pumping from the Carmel River, and this infrastructure is needed for the project,” said Kevin Tilden, president of California American Water. “We encourage the CPUC to grant a rapid rehearing to address the problems and allow us to move forward with the water purchase agreement.” … ”  Read more from Yahoo Finance here: California American Water files an application for rehearing with the CPUC

Legal brief: Marina files lawsuit against Monterey Desal Project

The Monterey Bay city of Marina claims the California Coastal Commission’s approval of a desalination plant will actually harm the environment and take water from an already critically overdrafted watershed.  Read the complaint via Courthouse News Service here.

Sewage released into creek in San Luis Obispo

On Saturday, approximately 4,250 gallons of sewage was released into a creek in San Luis Obispo due to a sewage line blockage. The sewage release impacted a storm drain leading to San Luis Obispo Creek. The spill started at about 5 p.m. on Saturday and was stopped at 6:25 p.m. on the same day.The County of San Luis Obispo Public Health Department advises the public to avoid ocean water contact during, and at least three days following, significant rainstorms—such as the recent storm. … ”  Read more from the Paso Robles Daily News here: Sewage released into creek in San Luis Obispo

SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY

Multiple rain records washed away in December as storms hit Stockton

Stockton broke multiple rain records last month as Northern California ended the year with a holiday storm system that pummeled the San Joaquin and Sacramento valleys with high levels of precipitation and caused widespread flooding.  In 1955, Stockton saw just over 8 inches (8.05 inches, to be exact) of rain in December, according to the National Weather Service. It was a record that stood for nearly 70 years.  The city washed that December record away by an almost half inch (8.50 inches) as of midnight on Sunday. But that wasn’t the only record broken last month. … ”  Read more from Stocktonia here: Multiple rain records washed away in December as storms hit Stockton

Manteca, rest of Valley, at risk from mega flood

Mike Barkley believes the City of Manteca has an obligation to lay all of the cards on the table when it comes to the general plan update.  The card is one that Mother Nature played in 1862. It is one that hydrologists and climatologists believe will be played again.  It involves the well-documented 43 consecutive days of rain that took place between November 1861 and February 1862 that flooded almost the entire Central Valley with many spots in then developed Stockton and Sacramento reported with as much as 10 feet of water.  On top of that, the eventual Sierra snowpack runoff meant many parts of the valley remained flooded well into spring.  It is why Barkley — a longtime Manteca resident who unsuccessfully ran against Tim McClintock in the Nov. 8 election for the Fifth District Congressional seat representing much of Modesto and Turlock as well as a vast swath of the Sierra — wants specific language inserted into the city’s general plan update. … ”  Read more from the Manteca Bulletin here: Manteca, rest of Valley, at risk from mega flood

Farmers go to court to challenge groundwater sustainability fees

The first fees to cover projects associated with Madera County’s Groundwater Sustainability Plan were supposed to be due this week from farmers pumping water outside of irrigation districts. But a temporary injunction was granted by a Madera County judge on the fees attorneys call unconstitutional, leaving up in the air the ability of the government to impose charges to fund state-mandated projects.  Attorneys for the Valley Groundwater Coalition argue that by calling these charges a fee rather than a tax, Madera County was able to avoid a general vote. The matter will come down to an interpretation of a 1996 law and whether a fee set on only farmers provides enough of a service to them to justify being levied. … ”  Read more from The Business Journal here:  Farmers go to court to challenge groundwater sustainability fees

Porterville Irrigation District receives $461,000 drought resiliency grant

While major storms are bringing significant rainfall in the area this week and through the upcoming weekend as well, the federal government is still providing millions of dollars to South Valley agencies to deal with lingering effects of the drought.  Last week the Department of Interior announced $84.7 million in drought resiliency grants to be awarded to 36 agencies throughout the West to help deal with the drought. Among the agencies that received a grant was the Porterville Irrigation District that received a $461,000 grant.  The grants come from the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill that was passed by Congress and signed by President Biden late this past summer. The selected projects are designed to provide for innovation resilience efforts such as groundwater storage, the capturing of rainwater, underground aquifer recharge, water reuse and other methods to stretch existing water supplies. … ”  Read more from the Porterville Recorder here: Porterville Irrigation District receives $461,000 drought resiliency grant

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

Another major storm expected to hit waterlogged Northern California and the Southland, raising fears

After a powerful New Year’s Eve storm slammed the state, forecasters are warning Californians to prepare for another “brutal” weather system that could bring widespread flooding starting midweek.  After a weaker storm that moved in Monday, forecasters are focused on an atmospheric river that’s expected to bring heavy rain and strong winds Wednesday and Thursday.  In the Sacramento Valley and northern San Joaquin Valley, forecasters are expecting at least 2 inches of rain, with upward of 3 inches in some places. The foothills could get anywhere from 2 to 5 inches of rain, said Scott Rowe, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Sacramento. … ”  Read more from the LA Times here: Another major storm expected to hit waterlogged Northern California and the Southland, raising fears

SAN DIEGO

San Diego County faces second straight week of back-to-back Pacific storms

For a second consecutive week, San Diego County will get hit by a pair of back-to-back storms that are part of larger systems that will bring badly needed rain to California’s reservoirs and minimize the risk of wildfires.  The polar jet stream has slumped to the south and is guiding storms to the West Coast like a conveyor belt, says the National Weather Service.  The next storm will arrive late Monday night and will last well into Tuesday, dropping about a half-inch of rain in San Diego and a bit more across inland valleys and foothills. The system also will produce snow above the 5,000-foot level, helping Southern California’s ski resorts. … ”  Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune here: San Diego County faces second straight week of back-to-back Pacific storms

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Along the Colorado River …

Water reductions for the new year may be just the beginning, experts say

Experts say few Arizona residents will notice any immediate change to the availability of water in their daily lives after Jan. 1, when steep cuts will be imposed on the amount of water the state can draw from the Colorado River.  But that does not mean they can relax. State and federal water officials expect more cuts will be required in 2023, as they struggle to keep drought-ravaged Lake Powell and Lake Mead from falling to critically low levels.  And it’s anybody’s guess as to when and how those additional cuts will take effect, they say.  “If there’s one thing water managers really like, it’s certainty,” said Tom Buschatzke, director of the Arizona Department of Water Resources. “And 2023 seems to be anything but.” ... ”  Read more from Cronkite News here: Water reductions for the new year may be just the beginning, experts say

70-foot drop at Lake Mead among urgent concerns in 2023 on Colorado River

Will 2022 be remembered as the year the West woke up to the realities of the historic drought affecting the Colorado River?  One thing’s for sure: the alarm clock is going off, and it’s time to get moving.  That sense of urgency has grown in Nevada, where water officials have forwarded a framework seeking big water use cuts for Colorado, Utah, Wyoming and New Mexico — the “Upper Basin states” of the Colorado River Basin. The states would be responsible for saving 500,000 acre-feet of water each year. … ”  Read more from Channel 8 here: 70-foot drop at Lake Mead among urgent concerns in 2023 on Colorado River

SEE ALSO:  Evaporation, power, priorities: Nevada’s water plan could guide federal course, from Channel 8

Living with less: Farmers in Arizona are no longer in a “what if” scenario

Brian Wong has a lot on his shoulders. A third-generation farmer, Wong grows crops — including nearly extinct heritage grains like white Sonora wheat — on 4,500 acres in the heart of the parched Sonoran Desert, about 25 minutes northwest of Tucson, Arizona. Bakeries, restaurants, breweries, and flour mills as far away as Minnesota and Florida rely on his grain to sustain their own businesses. Wong’s BKW Farms is among the 80 percent of the state’s agricultural producers that rely on the Colorado River to irrigate their crops. And with the Colorado at precariously low levels, his family business faces its largest challenge in nearly 85 years. “We have a great understanding of and place great importance on water,” Wong says. “Water is something you need in almost every aspect of agriculture. Everything we grow is irrigated. We need to have a water source to put on the crops so we can continue growing food.” … ”  Continue reading at American Rivers here: Living with less: Farmers in Arizona are no longer in a “what if” scenario

Critics: Desalination proposal being rushed through Arizona gov’t

It seemed to come out of nowhere.  A proposal for a $5.5 billion desalination plant on the Sonoran coast that few non-insiders had even heard of a month ago is now moving through Arizona government at a pace many find too rushed but others welcome.  A state water board gave its staff approval to start discussing the proposal with the project’s main Israeli proponent, even though the new board lacks criteria for how it will judge such ideas. The proposal is stirring accusations of backroom dealing, while its backers are pushing it as a major fix for the state’s water crisis. From a public standpoint, it all started the evening of Dec. 11, when David Beckham, chairman of the Water Infrastructure Financing Authority of Arizona governing board, received an email from Jordan Rose.  … ”  Read more from the Arizona Daily Star here:  Critics: Desalination proposal being rushed through Arizona gov’t

City of Scottsdale cuts off Rio Verde Foothills residents from water supply

It’s not a happy new year for over 1,000 Rio Verde Foothills residents who are now cut off from the City of Scottsdale’s water supply.  A new year’s resolution at the Nabity household is to be “ultra conservative” with their water. It’s why Karen Nabity was thankful for Sunday’s rain. She placed at least seven containers around her house to collect rainwater to use inside her home.  “I’m using rain water in here to wash my hands with, to rinse dishes with before they go in my dishwasher. I’m using rainwater for flushing the toilets and I’m even capturing the water in the shower. The minimal water we use to take a very quick short shower,” she said.  Nabity said it might be how things are done for a couple of years since there’s still no solution to a new water source. … ”  Read more from Arizona Family here: City of Scottsdale cuts off Rio Verde Foothills residents from water supply

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In national water news today …

2022 was the year of drought

It was a year characterized by extreme drought.  From North America to Africa to Europe to Asia, huge swaths of the planet were parched in 2022. Lakes and rivers in several countries shrank to extreme lows and dry conditions threatened crops and fueled destructive wildfires across the globe.  As the world warms, climate change will exacerbate drought conditions on the planet. Research has shown that global warming worsens drought by enhancing evaporation, depleting reservoirs and drying out soils and other vegetation.  Here’s what drought this year looked like on four of the hardest-hit continents. … ”  Read more from NBC News here: 2022 was the year of drought

Too much and not enough: The battle of drought and deluge across the US

The year 2022 has been one full of bitter irony as some regions across the U.S. experienced record-shattering rainfall totals while others faced stark water shortages amid an intense drought.  By Dec. 20, about 74% of the contiguous U.S. was abnormally dry or in drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. While not ideal, the percentage is down from 85.3% during the week of Nov. 1 — the largest swath of the U.S. to be affected since the launch of Drought Monitor in 2000.  Drought conditions kept a particularly tight grip on the West, with California, Utah and Nevada seeing at least 40 consecutive weeks of moderate to exceptional drought statewide throughout the year 2022, all while straining the lifeline of river systems that wind through the region such as the Bear and Colorado rivers. ... ”  Read more from AccuWeather here: Too much and not enough: The battle of drought and deluge across the US

EPA finalizes water rule that repeals Trump-era changes

President Joe Biden’s administration on Friday finalized regulations that protect hundreds of thousands of small streams, wetlands and other waterways, repealing a Trump-era rule that federal courts had thrown out and that environmentalists said left waterways vulnerable to pollution.  The rule defines which “waters of the United States” are protected by the Clean Water Act. For decades, the term has been a flashpoint between environmental groups that want to broaden limits on pollution entering the nation’s waters and farmers, builders and industry groups that say extending regulations too far is onerous for business.  The Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Army said the reworked rule is based on definitions that were in place prior to 2015. Federal officials said they wrote a “durable definition” of waterways to reduce uncertainty.  In recent years, however, there has been a lot of uncertainty. … ”  Read more from the Associated Press here:  EPA finalizes water rule that repeals Trump-era changes

SEE ALSO: EPA Issues Revised Federal Waters Rule as Court Ruling Looms, from Bloomberg Law

Ag leaders skeptical of new WOTUS rule

EPA announced a new definition for “waters of the United States” strikingly similar to the WOTUS designation in place before 2015.  “For too long farmers have had to navigate inconsistency and uncertainty in complying with the Clean Water Act,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says. “Today’s announcement by the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers clarifying the definition of ‘Waters of the United States’ provides American farmers with the clarity and consistency needed to effectively manage their operations and be stewards of their natural resources. USDA will be a partner to EPA in sharing information with farmers and ranchers around this important issue and has a suite of conservation programs that can provide producers with the resources they need to implement conservation practices that contribute to clean water and healthy waterways.” … ”  Read more from the Western Farm Press here: Ag leaders skeptical of new WOTUS rule

Farm groups react to new WOTUS rule

” …The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Army said the reworked rule, based on the pre-2015 definition, provides a “durable definition” of waterways to reduce uncertainty. Farm groups, however, said the definition will create even more uncertainty. Mary-Thomas Hart, chief counsel for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, said the new rule “creates new uncertainty for farmers, ranchers and landowners across the nation.” Hart said the rule fails to clearly exempt from federal jurisdiction “isolated and ephemeral” water features — such as small, lone and temporary streams or bodies of water on farms and ranches. … ”  Read more from the Capital Press here: Farm groups react to new WOTUS rule

5 climate questions for 2023

All good stories start with a question. So here are five questions for journalists to consider as the record-breaking accumulation of greenhouse gases continues into the opening days of 2023.  Climate change, of course, can’t be divided into parts. The answers to these questions, however you devise them, may start small and specific and then, like climate change itself, to borrow the title of a popular 2022 film, illustrate how it is “everything everywhere all at once.” … 3) Who will get water in the West?  Residents of southern Arizona and California are discovering amid plummeting Colorado River reservoir levels what scientists told us long ago: You can’t grow water. The inconvenient truth about water is that the amount of moisture in the atmosphere doesn’t change; it just moves or stays longer in the atmosphere, but it does not expand in quantity. … ”  Read more from Capitol and Main here: 5 climate questions for 2023

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Also on Maven’s Notebook today …

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: CDFW’s Endangered Species Conservation and Recovery Program: Proposal Solicitation Notice

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About the Daily Digest: The Daily Digest is a collection of selected news articles, commentaries and editorials appearing in the mainstream press. Items are generally selected to follow the focus of the Notebook blog. The Daily Digest is published every weekday with a weekend edition posting on Sundays.

 

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