In California water news today …
5 ways California is storing water from winter storms
“California is taking urgent action to protect communities from climate-driven extremes in weather and expand the state’s capacity to capture storm runoff in wet years. “California isn’t waiting to act – we’re moving aggressively to modernize how we capture and store water to future-proof our state against more extreme cycles of wet and dry,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “We’re expediting projects across the state to maximize stormwater capture and storage above and below ground during times like these, reshaping our water systems for the 21st century and beyond.” Leveraging the more than $8.6 billion committed by Governor Newsom and the Legislature in the last two budget cycles to build water resilience, the state is taking aggressive action to prepare for the impacts of climate-driven extremes in weather on the state’s water supplies … ” Read more from the Office of the Governor here: 5 ways California is storing water from winter storms
SEE ALSO: California aiming to capture more storm runoff as reservoirs fill up, from KSBY
Groundwater recharge – capturing water from storms to replenish stressed groundwater basins
“The wet winter storms in January 2023 have brought a lot of water that has the potential to be stored underground to replenish groundwater basins and help mitigate prolonged drought effects. Extended and extreme periods of drought driven by climate change have placed a high demand on groundwater resources, and the last three consecutive years of drought have led to declining groundwater levels throughout the state. … The state is committed to expediting groundwater recharge to maximize the capture of stormwater and the potential of the natural underground water storage capacity. Groundwater basins have the ability to hold 8 to 12 times more water than the state’s surface water storage and reservoirs. This is a key action in the Governor’s “Water Supply Strategy: Adapting to a Hotter, Drier Future” that was released in August 2022, outlining the necessary strategies to secure a more reliable water supply in the face of aridification and climate change. … ” Read more from DWR News here: Groundwater recharge – capturing water from storms to replenish stressed groundwater basins
How will California’s water storage hold up in future dry-wet cycles?
“California’s recent storms have brought record amounts of precipitation but have also revived a perennial debate at the state Capitol over water storage and management. By some estimates, more than 32 trillion gallons of water have fallen on the state since the first storms hit in late December. On a levee overlooking the swollen Sacramento River last week, a group of Republican state lawmakers criticized their Democratic colleagues and Governor Gavin Newsom for not prioritizing new projects to capture the deluge. “Overwhelmingly, that’s flowing out to sea and not being captured,” said Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher, gesturing to the water, which was running high and fast. “Not being set aside and utilized for all the purposes we have in California” including farming and drinking water, he said. … ” Read more from Capital Public Radio here: How will California’s water storage hold up in future dry-wet cycles?
‘Extreme’ drought erased from California for first time in years. Will it last?
“For the first time in almost three years, California is no longer in extreme drought. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released the latest Drought Monitor on Thursday morning. One county along the northern California coast, Del Norte, isn’t even classified as in drought. That is the first time since April 2021 that any part of the Golden State is not in a drought category. Becoming drought-free won’t come as a surprise to the county just north of an area that FOX Weather estimated picked up 65.41 inches of rain between Dec. 24 and the third week in January. … ” Continue reading from Fox Weather here: ‘Extreme’ drought erased from California for first time in years. Will it last?
EXPLORE MORE COVERAGE:
- Atmospheric river recap: The last 3 weeks in Northern California, from ABC Channel 10
- California storms: When a year’s worth of rain in two weeks isn’t enough, from the Christian Science Monitor
- California sees major drought improvement as onslaught of storms ends, from the Washington Post
- Here’s how California drought improved during latest storms — but it’s far from over, from the Sacramento Bee
- First California county is fully out of drought, from the San Francisco Chronicle
- Calif. snowpack reaching record-setting levels, from the San Joaquin Valley Sun
- This map shows California’s ‘astronomical’ snowfall this year, from the San Francisco Chronicle
Environmental rules stoke anger as California lets precious stormwater wash out to sea
“Environmental rules designed to protect imperiled fish in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta have ignited anger among a group of bipartisan lawmakers, who say too much of California’s stormwater is being washed out to sea instead of being pumped to reservoirs and aqueducts. In a series of strongly worded letters, nearly a dozen legislators — many from drought-starved agriculture regions of the Central Valley —have implored state and federal officials to relax environmental pumping restrictions that are limiting the amount of water captured from the delta. “When Mother Nature blesses us with rain, we need to save the water, instead of dumping it into the ocean,” Assemblymember Vince Fong (R-Bakersfield) wrote in a letter to Gov. Gavin Newsom. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Environmental rules stoke anger as California lets precious stormwater wash out to sea
Rep. Harder calls Delta tunnel project ‘Boondoggle’ during townhall meeting
“U.S. Rep. Josh Harder didn’t have to convince an overflowing crowd in French Camp this week that the Delta Tunnel is a bad idea. Instead, the town hall served as a sort of call to arms for those who do not want to support what many called a “water grab” by Southern California in the longtime-going war of words and policies in the fight for ownership of the state’s water resources. A crowd of more than 150 Wednesday night gathered in the community room at Health Plan of San Joaquin on Manthey Road to listen to harder speak about one of the state’s most studied, talked about and debated issues — water. The hour-long meeting saw discussions on flooding, water storage and, of course, the divisive Delta Tunnel, a $16 billion project from that would divert water from the Delta down to our SoCal neighbors that is supported by both Gov. Gavin Newsom and the Department of Water Resources. … ” Read more from Stocktonia here: Rep. Harder calls Delta tunnel project ‘Boondoggle’ during townhall meeting
Feds clear Ex-Interior Sec. Bernhardt in probe of Westlands ties
“For the fourth time in five years, Federal officials cleared former U.S. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt of allegations of misconduct and impropriety levied by Capitol Hill Democrats during his time running the department. Bernhardt, appointed to the Cabinet post by former President Donald Trump following a short stint as Deputy Interior Secretary, was long a target of House Democrats due to his previous role as an advocate for Westlands Water District, the nation’s largest agricultural water district. Bernhardt’s prior role with Westlands prompted a bevy of investigation requests, largely originating from a trio of House Democrats – then-House Natural Resources Committee chair Raul Grijalva, Rep. Jared Huffman (a former advocate for the Natural Resources Defense Council), and former Rep. TJ Cox. … ” Read more from the San Joaquin Valley Sun here: Feds clear Ex-Interior Sec. Bernhardt in probe of Westlands ties
SEE ALSO: Trump’s Interior Secretary Didn’t Violate Ethics Rules, Watchdog Finds, from the New York Times
The California storms were great for wine
“For several days, Jason Haas and his employees at the Tablas Creek Vineyard couldn’t reach their vines. The January storms that pummelled California washed out the roads and burst river banks, making even the simplest commute treacherous. Their tasting room closed for four days. But even so, he was thrilled. Water has a direct impact on how much a vineyard can produce in any given year. Tablas Creek Vineyard, in the coastal foothills of Paso Robles, had been producing about a third of its typical yield since 2017 due to severe drought. “That was the last plentiful vintage we had,” Mr Haas said. But this year might be different. … ” Read more from the BBC here: The California storms were great for wine
New Stanford research shows droughts can make water unaffordable for low-income households
“Access to safe, affordable water is a necessity for human health and well-being. But when droughts strike areas that are already water-stressed, water providers are forced to enact measures to curtail water usage or invest in supplies from more expensive sources, which can increase costs for consumers. According to a recent study from the Fletcher Lab at Stanford University, published in Nature Water, these measures can disproportionately affect water bills for low-income households, making water more costly for the most vulnerable people. “A low-income household often has a different response to curtailment measures and surcharges because of how much water they used before the drought,” said Benjamin Rachunok, who conducted the work as a postdoctoral researcher at Stanford and is now an assistant professor at North Carolina State University. … ” Read more from Stanford News here: New Stanford research shows droughts can make water unaffordable for low-income households
California lawmaker introduces bill to eliminate lead from school drinking water
“California Assemblymember Chris Holden (D-Pasadena) on Wednesday introduced a bill aimed at removing all lead from drinking and cooking water used in schools, which would help protect young children from lead’s serious harms. If the Legislature approves the bill, A.B. 249, and it is signed into law, it would mandate testing for lead at all drinking water fountains and cooking faucets in TK-12 schools. The bill would also create a statutory goal of reducing lead levels in schools to zero. If lead is detected at schools above 5 parts per billion, or ppb, the problem must be addressed. Dedicated federal and state funds would pay for the tests and cleanup. … ” Read more from the Environmental Working Group here: California lawmaker introduces bill to eliminate lead from school drinking water
California’s water now less racist thanks to new racial equity action plan
“Save for the single member of the general public who spoke on the matter, the staff of, stakeholders in, and board of California’s Water Resource Control Board Wednesday heaped praise on the State Water Resources Control Board’s (SWCRB) first ever Racial Equity Action Plan. The plan, developed over the past year after the Board passed a resolution entitled “CONDEMNING RACISM, XENOPHOBIA, BIGOTRY, AND RACIAL INJUSTICE AND STRENGTHENING COMMITMENT TO RACIAL EQUITY, DIVERSITY, INCLUSION, ACCESS, AND ANTI-RACISM” in November, 2021 is meant to redress past racial inequities in water supply systems and ensure that all future actions taken by the SWRCB are considered through “a lens of racial equity.” Celia Pazos, who works with the Santa Regional sub-board and help shepherd the plan, said the plan “acknowledges the historic role in creating inequitable outcomes” of past water policy, confronts “institutional racism throughout government,” and will allow staff to “connect the dots between systemic racism and how we do our jobs every day.” … ” Read more from the California Globe here: California’s water now less racist thanks to new racial equity action plan
Foreign control over US water resources increasing amid security concerns
“While U.S. officials continue to express concern over the surge in foreign-owned farm acreage, an important question looms: Who owns America’s water? The answer is opaque, but foreign interests are expanding their hold on U.S. water in ways besides just land ownership. At the moment, the door is wide open for foreign investment in water privatization. New research suggests that increased privatization in water utilities also leads to higher prices at the tap for residents. … ” Read more from Epoch Times here: Foreign control over US water resources increasing amid security concerns
Tackling “forever chemicals” in the water supply
“Much has been made of two drinking water pollutants recently: PFAS and microplastics. We spoke with Jason Dadakis, executive director of water quality and technical resources with the Orange County Water District, to find out how worried we should be. Q: What are PFAS and microplastics, why are they in our water supply, and why should we care? A: “PFAS” is an acronym for a large family of manmade chemicals that all feature the carbon-fluorine bond, one of the strongest bonds in nature. They resist degradation in the environment, which is where they get their nickname “forever chemicals.” They’re used in firefighting foams, protective coatings and films, and consumer products like stain-resistant garments and carpets. They’re ubiquitous—they’re in things you touch, eat, and breathe. In fact, 99% of the population has detectable amounts of one or more of these substances in their blood. And they make their way into our water supplies and wastewater. … ” Read more from the PPIC here: Tackling “forever chemicals” in the water supply
Endangered salmon regain access to healthy West Coast habitat through 20 projects funded by NOAA fisheries
“The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is one of the largest funding packages for salmon and steelhead recovery in the last decade. It promises to reopen many miles of crucial spawning and rearing habitat across the West Coast as climate change increases the urgency of recovery actions. These projects will help restore access to healthy habitat for migratory fish through On-the-ground fish passage restoration, Engineering and design, Future project development, and Building the capacity of new and existing partners to design projects and manage multi-faceted restoration efforts … ” Read more from NOAA here: Endangered salmon regain access to healthy West Coast habitat through 20 projects funded by NOAA fisheries
Warming will make California downpours even wetter, study says
“As damaging as it was for more than 32 trillion gallons of rain and snow to fall on California since Christmas, a worst-case global warming scenario could juice up similar future downpours by one-third by the middle of this century, a new study says. The strongest of California’s storms from atmospheric rivers, long and wide plumes of moisture that form over an ocean and flow through the sky over land, would probably get an overall 34% increase in total precipitation, or 11 trillion gallons more than just fell. That’s because the rain and snow is likely to be 22% more concentrated at its peak in places that get really doused, and to fall over a considerably larger area if fossil fuel emissions grow uncontrolled, according to a new study in the journal Nature Climate Change on Thursday. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Warming will make California downpours even wetter, study says
In atlas of disaster, no one is safe
“Considering the present and probable future miseries of climate change, it’s tempting to take a certain comfort from the problems of Elsewhere. “At least we don’t have to worry about sea level rise,” inland dwellers may say. “At least we don’t have to worry about water supply,” Easterners may think. “Anyway we don’t have hurricanes,” Californians may imagine. “We don’t have that many heat waves,” New Englanders may remark. And a Nevadan might point out that the state ranks last among 50 in the number of federally declared disasters it has endured. Experience is teaching us, though, that the global warming banquet has a dish for just about everyone. That dawning intuition is backed up in detail by a recent report called The Atlas of Disaster. … ” Read more from Knee Deep Times here: In atlas of disaster, no one is safe
USDA forest service launches new efforts in California to address the wildfire crisis
“Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today (Jan. 19) expanded efforts to reduce wildfire risk across the western U.S., directly affecting national forests here in California. These investments, made possible through the Biden Administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), will directly benefit at-risk communities and critical infrastructure across 11 additional landscapes in Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. “It is no longer a matter of if a wildfire will threaten many western communities in these landscapes, it is a matter of when,” said Secretary Vilsack. “The need to invest more and to move quickly is apparent. This is a crisis and President Biden is treating it as one. Today’s announcement will bring more than $490 million to 11 key landscapes across the western United States, and will be used to restore our national forests, including the restoration of resilient old-growth forest conditions.” … ” Read more from USFS Region 5 here: USDA forest service launches new efforts in California to address the wildfire crisis
SEE ALSO: These overgrown California forests will be thinned with new wildfire funds from feds, from the Sacramento Bee
In commentary today …
California’s floods another reminder of failed water management policies
Steven Greenhut, western region director for the R Street Institute, writes, “The latest environmentalist fad is to ban gas stoves, with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission now doing a study on their ill effects (and a commissioner saying a ban on their import and manufacture is on the table). The agency’s rationale is that such stoves degrade indoor air quality. The pushback has been severe given that any self-respecting cook would rather heat up a frozen dinner in the microwave than pan-fry dinner on an electric burner. … What does this have to do with today’s topic of water policy? One gets a sneaking suspicion that with any resource issue the environmental up-lifters are more interested in disrupting our lifestyles than solving actual environmental issues. The real climate threat comes from developing nations—not high-end gas stoves in suburban American households. … ” Read more from Reason here: California’s floods another reminder of failed water management policies
How do you fight a drought when it’s flooding?
Opinion columnist Farhad Manjoo writes, “California is built upon the great gamble of irrigation. Left alone, much of the land in the Western United States would be inhospitable to teeming cities. But we’re Americans — we couldn’t let the desert stand in our way. More than a century ago, the United States Bureau of Land Reclamation began taming the water in the West. It’s been a remarkably successful project. In California, where I live, irrigation has turned largely barren regions into some the country’s most fertile farmland and most prosperous metropolises. We’ve built “the most ambitious desert civilization the world has seen,” Marc Reisner put it in “Cadillac Desert,” his 1986 history of Western irrigation. I’ve been thinking a lot about “Cadillac Desert” in the past few weeks, as the rains fell and fell and kept falling over California, much of which, despite the pouring heavens, seems likely to remain in the grip of a severe drought. … ” Continue reading at the New York Times here: How do you fight a drought when it’s flooding?
Location, location, location: It’s driving four new dam projects on valley’s edge
Dennis Wyatt, editor of the Manteca Bulletin, writes, “paradox / par a doks/ noun Something (such as a situation) that is made up of two opposite things and that seems impossible but is actually true or possible. The Golden State is in the midst of recovering from a flood emergency while in the middle of a drought emergency. It’s the definition of a true paradox, California-style. We act surprised. We pin it on manmade climate change, the boogeyman — or is that bogeyperson — of the 21st century. And we do so at our collective risk. … Virtually every model being offered up for climate change impacts in California comes to the same conclusion. There are years ahead of us with below normal precipitation, drought. And that includes periods that could go dozens of years with little relief. There are also periods ahead of us just like we have just experienced. The go-to solution is creating more storage. ... ” Read more from the Manteca Bulletin here: Location, location, location: It’s driving four new dam projects on valley’s edge
Op-ed: Some regenerative farms are weathering California’s unprecedented rainfall
Ryan Peterson, an instructor for Climate Farm School at Terra.do and a regenerative agriculture advocate, writes, “As California experiences a historic succession of winter storms, most of us will see extensive reporting on power outages, flooding, and mudslides. But amidst the destruction, there is a story of resilience and preparedness that will get less attention. A small but growing contingent of farmers is poised to not only rebound from the deluge of water, but to benefit from it. These farmers have a valuable lesson to share: ecologically-minded, regenerative organic agriculture that prioritizes soil health is critical to our future. … ” Read more from Civil Eats here: Op-ed: Some regenerative farms are weathering California’s unprecedented rainfall
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
State holds first listening session on effort to save Clear Lake hitch
“California hasn’t lost a species in 50 years, but that could soon change if efforts to save the Clear Lake hitch fail. The population of the hitch, a large minnow native to Clear Lake and its tributaries, is crashing, local tribes are asking state and federal agencies for immediate intervention and on Thursday the state held a virtual meeting with Lake County residents and officials to discuss the emergency. The hitch’s troubles began decades ago. Once reported to number in the millions, over the last decade, the hitch population has plummeted. … ” Read more from the Lake County News here: State holds first listening session on effort to save Clear Lake hitch
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Snowfall records falling but not yet a ‘historic’ season at Tahoe
“The Lake Tahoe Basin has experienced, what has felt like, nonstop snow in January, leading people to call this a historic winter. While snowfall records have fallen this season at Truckee-Tahoe, the region still needs quite a bit more snow to match the best January on record and also winter as a whole. Snowfall measurements vary around the basin, depending the path of the storms and the location the measurement was taken. The National Weather Service in Reno has an average snowfall in the Tahoe Area for the first 19 days of January at 84 inches. The Natural Resource Conservation Service, which collects measurements from several SNOTEL sites around the basin show a snow depth of 96 inches at the Palisades site, 104 inches at the Ebbetts Pass site and 105 inches at the Mt. Rose site. ... ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune here: Snowfall records falling but not yet a ‘historic’ season at Tahoe
Commentary: Lake Tahoe’s conservation continues
Julie Regan, executive director of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, writes, “The recent glimpses of clear skies, frosted forests, and Lake Tahoe’s mesmerizing blue hues have a way of perfectly framing nature’s power and beauty. Amidst a series of no less than nine extreme storm systems, we find ourselves simultaneously grateful for the abundance of snow and belittled by the size of the berms. The need to double down on the Tahoe region’s climate action strategies could not be more urgent. Increasingly extreme weather events will continue to hit the Sierra – from mega droughts to atmospheric rivers. These and other impacts of climate change may have you questioning what strategies are in place to conserve Tahoe’s beloved communities and environment into the future? From modernizing land use policies to improving water quality and treating our overstocked forests, many of the solutions for tomorrow are built on Tahoe’s complicated legacy. ... ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune here: Commentary: Lake Tahoe’s conservation continues
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Shasta Lake level rise thrills local recreation business operators
“At California’s largest reservoir, January’s storms have delivered a blockbuster surge of water. The lake has been rising fast, and locals there are hoping for a whole lot more. Back in October, lodge owner Harold Jones gave KPIX a look at lake levels at his spot near Lakehead. While the water was actually up a bit from the previous year, the lake was just around 30 percent of capacity. Still, Jones was hopeful that a change of fortune could pay off quickly. “One good winter and the water will be pretty much back up to where these trees here are,” Jones said at the time, standing on the edge of his Sugarloaf Cottages property. … ” Read more from CBS Bay Area here: Shasta Lake level rise thrills local recreation business operators
New analysis projects capabilities of Sites Reservoir during heavy river flows
“The Sites Project Authority released findings Wednesday from a new analysis that projected Sites Reservoir could have diverted and captured 120,000 acre-feet of water in just two weeks if the reservoir had been operational from Jan. 3 through Jan. 15 and would continue to capture water over the next few weeks as flows continue to run high. “This is exactly the type of scenario that Sites is being built for – short windows of extremely high flows. There is an untapped opportunity to capture and store a portion of the significant amount of flow from the Sacramento River that occurs during these rare but major storms without impacting the value of these high flows for our environment,” said Jerry Brown, executive director of the Sites Project Authority. … ” Read more from the Appeal-Democrat here: New analysis projects capabilities of Sites Reservoir during heavy river flows
SEE ALSO: Analysis: Sites Reservoir could have save hundreds of thousands of acre-feet of water, from the Porterville Recorder
Rain isn’t in capital’s forecast for another week. How did storms affect Folsom Lake?
“Folsom Lake levels have increased since the storms that started around the beginning of the new year. The lake sat at 420 feet as of Tuesday, which is about 35 feet higher than the reservoir level before the storms, according to Richard Preston-LeMay, the Folsom sector superintendent for California State Parks. He said the storms increased the American River inflow from both the north and south forks. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation began flood management operations and increased outflows after Jan. 1, Preston-LeMay said. However, the lake elevation slightly rose last week, since releases have been reduced again. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: Rain isn’t in capital’s forecast for another week. How did storms affect Folsom Lake?
NAPA/SONOMA
Abundant rainfall finds North Coast region wet with little idea of the future
“Thirty-six inches in 23 days in the remote community of Venado, west of Healdsburg. That’s just one of the whopping rainfall totals — though likely the most impressive — to result from the recent storms that bombarded California over a three-week period. The rains caused wide-scale flooding and mudslides that proved distressing and, in many cases, disastrous, as years of drought gave way to an onslaught of atmospheric rivers. Cazadero, another typical wet spot in the rural hills of Sonoma County, got more than 33 inches of rain over the same 23-day period from Dec. 26 to Jan. 17. While Oakland, San Francisco airport and Stockton just experienced the wettest 23-day periods since rainfall records have been kept, the North Bay’s higher historic precipitation levels set too high a bar for records to be broken in most areas, meteorologists said. … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here: Abundant rainfall finds North Coast region wet with little idea of the future
Holding back the water
“For now, federal officials are planning to hold back releases from the rapidly filling Lake Mendocino because of continuing high waterflow downstream on the Russian River. High river flows are still threatening to flood areas at Hopland, and the historically vulnerable Guerneville area in western Sonoma County. “We are going to hold back the storm water for now,” said Nick Malasavage. He is chief of the Operations and Readiness Division of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers district headquarters in San Francisco. Malasavage said Lake Mendocino, while it has reached its annual capacity for water storage, is capable of holding back significantly more runoff if needed. … ” Read more from the Anderson Valley Advertiser here: Holding back the water
BAY AREA
How long will Bay Area storm repairs take? Maybe months … or longer
“The worst of this season’s storms is behind us, but the repair work across the Bay Area — estimated to take weeks, months or even longer — is just beginning. A destructive vortex of flooding, mudslides and high winds cracked asphalt, shook bridge foundations and damaged other critical infrastructure. The initial tally for repairs and reconstruction? A whopping $1 billion if both public infrastructure and private property repairs are included. Perhaps more. Ultimately, this year’s storms could near or eclipse $2 billion in damage during the 1997-98 El Niño, when adjusted for inflation. Municipal and county repair costs across the region are likely to total hundreds of millions of dollars. … ” Read more from Silicon Valley here: How long will Bay Area storm repairs take? Maybe months … or longer
New maps reveal Bay Area flood threat from below
“As Bay Area residents kayaked through flooded streets and bailed out buildings during California’s recent storms, they faced not only bursting creeks and pouring rain but also rising groundwater. “During a big storm, there’s just water everywhere,” says Ellen Plane, an environmental scientist at the San Francisco Estuary Institute. “We have it from basically all directions.” With climate change, water from below is poised to get worse. As sea levels rise, so will Bay Area water tables. A new mapping project aims to give planners the data they need to act. The Shallow Groundwater Response to Sea-Level Rise report, released this week from Pathways Climate Institute and San Francisco Estuary Institute, provides current groundwater maps and comprehensive projections for Alameda, Marin, San Francisco, and San Mateo counties. It models scenarios from one foot to nine feet of sea level rise. … ” Read more from Knee Deep Times here: New maps reveal Bay Area flood threat from below
This weekend’s king tides offer a glimpse into the future of sea level rise
“It will be a weekend of coastal extremes. At low tide, look out for sparkling feather boa kelp or flamboyant sea slugs, a menagerie of intertidal or even subtidal critters. Seven hours later, the tides will surge up over seven feet—about two feet higher than regular high tide—submerging Marin County’s Mill Valley section of the Bay Trail and lapping up onto parts of the Embarcadero, San Francisco’s Bay-facing esplanade. Such is the king tide—the greatest tidal range of the year. The California coast will see its highest highs and lowest lows this weekend, January 21 and 22. In San Francisco Bay, typical new moon tides range between 5 and 8 feet, but king tides expand the range to as much as 7 to 10 feet. This year’s king tides are predicted to reach lows at nearly -2 feet and highs over 7 feet. We might need to get used to it. … ” Read more from Bay Nature here: This weekend’s king tides offer a glimpse into the future of sea level rise
SEE ALSO: ‘King tides’ will inundate Marin shores this weekend, from the San Jose Mercury News
How far can metro harbors go on nature-based shore protection?
“When Hurricane Sandy hit New York City a decade ago, powerful winds pushed the water in the harbor 14 feet higher. This storm surge crested seawalls and flooded parts of the city to depths of nine feet. Dozens of people drowned, and water poured into subways, tunnels and the homes of more than 443,000 people. Economic damages were estimated at $19 billion. Now, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has a plan to keep disasters like this from happening again. Across the country, San Franciscans watched news footage of the destruction from Sandy and were horrified at the thought of something similar happening here. Storm surges are much smaller in California than on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. But much of the Bay Area is built on fill and former marshes, and these low-lying areas are increasingly vulnerable to flooding as storms intensify and sea levels rise. ... ” Read more from Knee Deep Times here: How far can metro harbors go on nature-based shore protection?
CENTRAL COAST
San Benito drought update: Long-term supplies uncertain
“The rainy winter has been good for reservoir levels and surface water supplies, but a number of important factors remain unknown before authorities are willing to declare an end to the statewide drought. These factors include San Benito County’s pending allocation of imported water from the Central Valley Project; groundwater levels; and the Sierra snowpack, according to San Benito County Water District Water Conservation Program Manager Shawn O. Novack. Local authorities should have a better understanding of how these factors will affect water supplies after the rainy season is over. As of Jan. 17, Hernandez Reservoir in southern San Benito County was completely full—at 18,000 acre feet of capacity—and flowing over its spillway, Novack noted. … ” Read more from the San Benito Free Lance here: San Benito drought update: Long-term supplies uncertain
Santa Cruz Editorial: Drought? Why it still lingers after rains
The Santa Cruz Sentinel editorial board writes, “You might, like us, wonder why water officials and climate-change experts continue to say our ongoing drought is not over. Consider that the rainfall totals for the city of San Francisco, which has the oldest rainfall records of any area in California, are greater over the past three weeks than any three-week period since 1862. In our county, where the Santa Cruz Mountains act as a sponge collecting rain from coastal storms, Santa Cruz’s water reservoir at Loch Lomond is 100% full and many areas have already surpassed last year’s total rainfall amounts. In addition, one of the state’s most important water sources, the Sierra Nevada snowpack, sat at 227% of normal late last week and was at 104% of its April 1 average. … ” Read more from the Santa Cruz Sentinel here: Editorial: Drought? Why it still lingers after rains
Collaboration prevents ag wastewater from overflowing during storm
“Foresight the city of Salinas and Monterey One Water shared years ago likely staved off a discharge of wastewater from roughly a dozen agricultural processing facilities during the height of the Salinas River flooding.Last weekend floodwater overtopped a pond at the city’s Industrial Wastewater Treatment facility that is tasked with cleaning water discharged from agricultural processing. To prevent an environmental disaster by releasing untreated wastewater into the flooding river, the city took two actions. First, it shut down the processors and second, it began to divert wastewater into Monterey One Water’s system that pumps it out to its Marina plant that cleans the water. Six years ago that would not have been feasible. … ” Read more from the Monterey Herald here: Collaboration prevents ag wastewater from overflowing during storm
Preparing for the worst: Planning for the future is essential when it comes to California’s wild weather events
“When I heard a few weeks back that atmospheric river storms were headed straight for the Monterey Bay area, I began having flashbacks to February 2017, when a relentless series of systems knocked out our power for an entire week. … It was astonishing to turn to the daily forecast and see days and days of rain ahead. We have just come through our eighth atmospheric river storm since Christmas. Drying out and cleanup is now under way. We are adapting and evolving to the new weather reality, and we’ll continue to evolve to meet the challenges. But here’s the unspoken question: How much adaptation is enough? And what will be the future consequences of such actions? … ” Read more from Voices of Monterey here: Preparing for the worst: Planning for the future is essential when it comes to California’s wild weather events
Jameson, Gibraltar, and Cachuma reservoirs reach capacity
“Cachuma, Gibraltar, and Jameson reservoirs hitting their capacity levels for the first time in years is a silver lining amid the damage from recent storms, Santa Barbara County Water Agency Manager Matt Young told the Sun. “Having most of our major surface waters full is an incredible benefit to the agencies and people that rely on them,” Young said. “Now that we’re full, it takes a lot of strain off those agencies and homeowners to conserve water. Although we do encourage water conservation, you may see some of those agencies begin to step back on some of those measures.” As of Jan. 17, Cachuma’s capacity was at 91.8 percent, with water levels at 747 feet of its 753-foot capacity, according to county rainfall data. Jameson went over its capacity, with levels at 101 percent, after it received almost 14 inches of rain and filled the reservoir’s 2,224-foot capacity. Almost 35 inches of rain hit the Gibraltar Reservoir and filled it to 1,400 feet, with its capacity at 1,402 feet. … ” Read more from the Santa Maria Sun here: Jameson, Gibraltar, and Cachuma reservoirs reach capacity
Carpinteria warns beachgoers to beware of rattlesnakes among storm debris
“The City of Carpinteria is advising people visiting its beaches to watch out for rattlesnakes and dangerous debris that may have been swept downstream during the recent rainstorms. On its social media pages, the city posted an image of a rattlesnake spotted among driftwood at an unidentified location, warning that “rattlesnakes, poison oak branches, and other hazardous materials are likely to be found along the shoreline” after last week’s deluge. There have been no reports of snake bites at the beaches at this time. ... ” Read more from the Independent here: Carpinteria warns beachgoers to beware of rattlesnakes among storm debris
Some beaches still closed because of massive sewage spill caused by heavy rainfall in Ventura County
“A massive sewage spill caused when last week’s big storm damaged some sewage lines continues to affect some Tri-County beaches. Ojai Valley Sanitary District officials estimate that as a result of the problems with two of its lines, about 14 million gallons of sewage flowed into the Ventura River, and the ocean. … ” Read more from KCRW here: Some beaches still closed because of massive sewage spill caused by heavy rainfall in Ventura County
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
SSJID working to clear canal storm damage
“South San Joaquin Irrigation District is assessing storm damage to its water delivery system from rockslides in the High Sierra to key canals above Knights Ferry and on the valley floor. SSJID Public and Government Relations Manager Katie Patterson on Thursday said engineers and crews are determining strategies to repair the issues. They run the gamut from unstable canyon walls above supply canals, destroyed sections of canal lining spots in the joint supply and main canals, as well as rock slides. It is too early to determine if the repairs will require a delay of the start of SSJID irrigation season that is typically in mid-March. … ” Read more from the Manteca Bulletin here: SSJID working to clear canal storm damage
What’s TID doing with storm runoff? Two of Newsom’s Cabinet members visit to see
“Top state officials gathered on a canal bank near Keyes to witness the possible future of flood management. The Turlock Irrigation District is testing the idea of spreading city storm runoff across farm fields. The water could help build back Central Valley aquifers as it seeps far beneath the soil. TID hosted the demonstration Wednesday at an almond orchard owned by Christine Gemperle and her brother, Erich Gemperle. Two members of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Cabinet were on hand, as were other state and local leaders. They agreed that managing floods should involve not just dams and levees but letting excess flows recharge groundwater on farms and other lands. Over-pumping and drought have shrunk aquifers in many parts of the Valley. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: What’s TID doing with storm runoff? Two of Newsom’s Cabinet members visit to see
SEE ALSO: New project trying to save California’s storm water from being flushed out to ocean, from Channel 10
Friant Dam has more water than it can handle. Fresno wants it before it’s lost to ocean
“After a month of more-than-abundant rainfall and years of drought in Fresno and the central San Joaquin Valley, the city of Fresno hopes to have an opportunity to buy discounted water from Millerton Lake that would otherwise flow down the San Joaquin River and be lost to the Pacific Ocean. Fresno City Council members unanimously voted Thursday to authorize a contract with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to purchase a share of “non-storable flood flows” — excess water that would be released to make room for more rainfall and snowmelt runoff behind Friant Dam — at a discount compared with the city’s normal water allotment from the San Joaquin River. … ” Read more from the Fresno Bee here: Friant Dam has more water than it can handle. Fresno wants it before it’s lost to ocean
Friant Water Authority welcomes new leaders
“The Friant Water Authority will see three members move into leadership positions on its board of directors. Three members of the Friant Water Authority (FWA) will assume new leadership roles on the board of directors during a Jan. 30 board meeting. Jim Erickson of Madera Irrigation District was elected as the new chairman. He will serve alongside Rick Borges of Tulare Irrigation District as vice chair and Josh Pitigliano of the Lower Tule River Irrigation District as secretary treasurer. All three additions to the board bring knowledge and personal history of operating their own family farms to their new positions. … ” Read more from the Foothills Sun-Gazette here: Friant Water Authority welcomes new leaders
City of Bakersfield looking to drought-resistant streetscaping in long-range effort to save water
“California may be flooding, but the multiyear drought is far from over. It only makes sense that the city of Bakersfield has its eye on reducing water use over the long term on city-owned properties and streetscaping along Bakersfield’s busy avenues and major traffic arteries. It’s why the city has begun taking advantage of incentives offered by California Water Service Co. that have the potential to return thousands of dollars to city coffers, while saving millions of gallons of water annually. ... ” Read more from the Bakersfield Californian here: City of Bakersfield looking to drought-resistant streetscaping in long-range effort to save water
City didn’t get CalWater’s xeriscape rebate after all, but will get one from … itself
“When The Californian asked earlier this week for the story behind the city of Bakersfield’s replacement of grassy turf with drought-resistant plants on a section of Rosedale Highway recently, the city said, naturally, that it wants to save water — and save on water costs. All true. Unfortunately, the city’s Recreation & Parks Department was under the mistaken impression that the project was eligible for incentives offered by California Water Service Co. that had the potential to return thousands of dollars to city coffers in rebates, even as the conversion to xeriscape saved millions of gallons of water annually. Indeed, CalWater has established a program for customers that incentivizes turf replacement with drought-tolerant landscaping, sometimes called xeriscape. The program reimburses CalWater accountholders up to $3 for each square foot of turf removed, within limits, of course. … ” Read more from the Bakersfield Californian here: City didn’t get CalWater’s xeriscape rebate after all, but will get one from … itself
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Price tag to repair damage caused by storms in L.A. County? $100 million and counting
“Repairs in Los Angeles County after a string of storms battered the state for weeks could cost more than $100 million, according to county officials. A preliminary assessment estimated the cost to be $100 million for repairs for public property, but county spokesperson Emily Montanez said that number has already gone up and is likely to continue climbing. “This is a big-time crunch in the beginning because local counties and cities have to make a proclamation to make sure they’re eligible for reimbursement down the line,” said Montanez, the associate director for the county’s Office of Emergency Management. “This is a starting phase and over the next few months and years, the number will be more accurate. This was a large enough rain event, where yes, that $100-million figure will only continue to grow.” ... ” Read more from the LA Times here: Price tag to repair damage caused by storms in L.A. County? $100 million and counting
Recent flooding leaves Southern California beaches, wetlands littered with trash
“The recent series of winter storms that dumped heavy rainfall across the region left a trail of damage in their wake, and now floods have pushed large amounts of trash into the ocean and onto Southern California beaches. Public works crews in Seal Beach used heavy machinery to pull massive piles of trash and debris off the beach after it ran into the ocean from nearby flood channels and then washed ashore. Some of the trash that flows into the ocean is caught up in flood channels in cities that are miles away from the beach. While Orange County officials say that littering is part of the problem, carelessness by those not meaning to litter is another. … ” Read more from KTLA here: Recent flooding leaves Southern California beaches, wetlands littered with trash
How capturing more stormwater can also make city parks better
“The recent storms have helped a lot to face water scarcity, but it’s not enough to end three years of historic drought. And as the climate crisis makes California’s drought-to-deluge cycles more extreme and less predictable, capturing rainfall when it comes will be a necessity. In recent storms, L.A. County said it captured some 33 billion gallons of water, enough to support about 800,000 households for a whole year. Most of that water was caught in dams in the San Gabriel Mountains, according to Steve Frasher, public information officer with L.A. County Public Works. But dozens of smaller projects across the county will help add to that—and can improve park space along the way. … ” Read more from the LAist here: How capturing more stormwater can also make city parks better
Did the recent winter storms bring Big Bear Lake back to full capacity?
“In just the last few days, Big Bear Lake’s water level rose by more than 2 feet after almost three weeks of winter storms that dumped record rainfall and significant snow across the state. Big Bear Lake rose to almost 58 feet this week, up from 55.6 feet Jan. 9 — a welcome change for a body of water that has struggled for years to keep from dropping, according to data from the Big Bear Municipal Water District. Michael Perry, chief executive of Visit Big Bear, pointed out that the lake has already risen 3 feet since the end of December. “And it’s still going up — from streams [and] snowmelt,” Perry said. “We’re hoping if winter continues like this, we will continue to get significant increases in the water level in Big Bear Lake.” … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Did the recent winter storms bring Big Bear Lake back to full capacity?
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Imperial Valley farmers planting solar panels instead of crops
“In many ways, the Salton Sea represents the current dilemma of the Imperial Valley. Originally created with water from the Colorado River, the Salton Sea has for years been contaminated with agricultural run-off, and is currently in the process of an environmental clean-up and restoration. But that farm water run-off may stop flowing, meaning the Salton Sea itself may cease to exist. “You’ve got farmers using less water, and then less water going into the Salton Sea, [so] the sea shrinks,” says Sammy Roth, LA Times energy reporter. The Imperial Valley finds itself at an inflection point. Farmers there are the biggest user of water from the Colorado River. But with less water available from the increasingly dry river, and seven other states with competing water rights, some farmers are pulling out their crops, and planting something else — solar panels. … ” Read more from KRCW here: Imperial Valley farmers planting solar panels instead of crops
SAN DIEGO
Where San Diego gets its water
“If you live in San Diego, chances are a large portion of the water pouring from the tap, refilling the toilet tank and sprinkling the lawn comes from the Colorado River. Fed by melting snowcaps in Colorado’s Rocky Mountains, today that river provides about 72 percent of San Diego’s water after it travels through an aqueduct from Los Angeles and another pair of pipes managed by the San Diego County Water Authority. In the 1940s, the San Diego Water Authority bought almost all the water the growing city needed from the Los Angeles Metropolitan Water District, which maintains Southern California’s direct connection to the river. But a severe drought in the 1990s forced drastic water cuts statewide and convinced San Diego to diversify its sources. ... ” Read more from the Voice of San Diego here: Where San Diego gets its water
Tijuana is again buying emergency water from California after aqueduct outage
“There’s a problem with Tijuana’s lifeline to its single water source – the Colorado River– which forced it make more, costly emergency water purchases from California. The San Diego County Water Authority recently learned that problems emerged with Tijuana’s aqueduct in December, according to a press release this week. Tijuana requested emergency water from San Diego on Jan. 2, which the Water Authority expedited through a typical months-long approval process involving water agencies that also have to sign-off on emergency orders from Mexico. … ” Read more from the Voice of San Diego here: Tijuana is again buying emergency water from California after aqueduct outage
Along the Colorado River …
Lake Mead forecast to drop nearly 20 feet by September while other reservoirs rise
“By the end of September, Lake Mead is expected to be nearly 20 feet below its current level, according to projections released Thursday by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Lake Mead, which ended the year at 1,044.82 feet, will be down to 1,025.71 feet — a drop of 19.11 feet — according to the operational plan for Hoover Dam, contained in the January 2023 24-Month Study. By the end of December next year, projections indicate the lake will rise to 1,026.91 feet. The projections are used to guide the management of dams along the Colorado River. A priority to maintain or increase Lake Powell’s level is clearly a priority laid out in the plan. The federal government plans to keep an additional 0.523 million acre-feet — about 170 billion gallons — in Lake Powell between now and April. ... ” Read more from Channel 8 here: Lake Mead forecast to drop nearly 20 feet by September while other reservoirs rise
10th Circuit probes Trump-era deal with Utah to ‘exchange’ Green River water
“The Trump administration failed to consider the strain of climate change and drought on the Colorado River and tributaries when it agreed to give Utah 52,000 acre-feet of water from a reservoir annually, environmental groups argued Thursday and asked a 10th Circuit panel to order an environmental impact statement for the plan. … One of the Colorado River’s tributaries is the Green River, which winds through Utah and sustains ecosystems in the Browns Park National Wildlife Refuge, Dinosaur National Monument, Ouray National Wildlife Refuge and Canyonlands National Park. Endangered fish in the area include the Colorado pikeminnow, razorback sucker, bonytail, and humpback chub. … Utah wants the federal government to allocate water for two projects: the Green River Block and the Lake Powell Pipeline Project, including the release of 58,957 acre-feet of water from the Flaming Gorge Reservoir each year for the next 50 years. The Bureau of Reclamation approved the plan in 2019, relying on a localized analysis from 2012. ... ” Read more from the Missoula Current here: 10th Circuit probes Trump-era deal with Utah to ‘exchange’ Green River water
This winter’s rain and snow won’t be enough to pull the West out of drought
“This winter, the West has been slammed by wet weather. An “atmospheric river” has pummeled California with weeks of heavy rain, and the Rocky Mountains are getting buried with snow. That’s good news for the Colorado River, where all that moisture hints at a possible springtime boost for massive reservoirs that have been crippled by drought. Climate scientists, though, say the 40 million people who use the river’s water should take the good news with a grain of salt. The flakes that pile up high in the Rockies are crucial for the Colorado River — a water lifeline for people from Wyoming to Mexico in an area commonly referred to as the Colorado River basin. … ” Read more from KUNC here: This winter’s rain and snow won’t be enough to pull the West out of drought
SEE ALSO:
- Recent heavy snow is crucial to the Colorado River but it’s not a drought ender, from NPR
- Snowpack improves as atmospheric river pours on Rocky Mountains, from KLAS
In national water news today …
With environmental equity in question, should utilities change their rate models?
“As the Biden administration continues to invest in environmental equity around the country, significant funding is being allocated for the water and wastewater treatment industries. “The EPA said about $100 million would be available for projects around the country that are aimed at advancing equitable environmental outcomes for communities that are underserved or face disproportionate amounts of pollution,” The Hill reported. “EPA Administrator Michael Regan told reporters … that the grants it will dole out can address a range of issues including those related to drinking water, climate change impacts and pollution discharges from nearby facilities.” But large government grants might not be the only way to address the fundamental disparities in drinking water and wastewater services around the country. In a recent report, the US Water Alliance, a national nonprofit comprised of water utilities, public officials, and other members, argued that the prevailing drinking water and wastewater utility funding models should be updated. ... ” Read more from Water Online here: With environmental equity in question, should utilities change their rate models?
What’s in a Name?: Biden administration publishes final WOTUS rule
“Yesterday, the Biden Administration published a final rule (Final Rule) revising the definition of “waters of the United States” (WOTUS), which will go into effect on March 20, 2023. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) return to the pre-2015 regulatory definition of WOTUS, with amendments to reflect relevant Supreme Court decisions. With this rulemaking, the Biden administration seeks to provide a “durable definition” by returning to the pre-2015 framework and theoretically end the definitional uncertainty that has plagued industry (and the courts) for years. However, the U.S. Supreme Court’s pending decision in Sackett v. EPA may impact the durability of the Final Rule. ... ” Read more from Brownstein Hyatt here: What’s in a Name?: Biden administration publishes final WOTUS rule
How NEPA guidance could favor climate projects over ecosystems
“The White House interim greenhouse gas guidance could amplify climate considerations in a way that overshadows other environmental benefits, like preserving forests and wetlands. The draft document, which directs agencies on how to treat climate change when reviewing projects under the National Environmental Policy Act, could show that things like solar arrays and transmission lines are more beneficial than protecting trees or marshes because of their potential for large-scale carbon reductions. That’s because the guidance includes for the first time a monetary test to measure the costs and benefits of a project. And it’s weighted toward lowering emissions, due in part to the Biden administration’s soaring damage estimates from carbon dioxide. … ” Read more from E&E News here: How NEPA guidance could favor climate projects over ecosystems
10 Interior staffers to watch on natural resources
“This new year stacks up to be a big one for the people making key natural resource decisions across multiple Interior Department agencies. Scarce Western water is on tap to be allocated, iconic national parks are in need of rehabilitation, key energy decisions must be made, and lands will be conserved, or not. The developments will shape President Joe Biden’s environmental legacy and test the political and bureaucratic wiles of individuals who often operate outside of the public spotlight that typically falls on Cabinet secretaries. This mix of (mostly) political and (a few) career personnel will be working in the engine room of the boat captained by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. This year could put the Interior team in the spotlight, caught between congressional Republicans and industry forces that seek greater fossil fuel development opportunities on the one hand and Democrats and environmentalists on the other who seek more aggressive efforts to contain climate change and ameliorate its consequences. … ” Read more from E&E News here: 10 Interior staffers to watch on natural resources
National water and climate update …
The Natural Resources Conservation Service produces this weekly report using data and products from the National Water and Climate Center and other agencies. The report focuses on seasonal snowpack, precipitation, temperature, and drought conditions in the U.S.
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