DAILY DIGEST, weekend edition: Will CA keep getting hit with rains this year?; State Water Board adopts new statewide sanitary sewer system regulations; Colorado River states facing new deadline on water usage reduction; and more …

In California water news this weekend …

Will California keep getting hit with rains this year? Here’s what to expect

The new year started off with a parade of storms, leading to San Francisco and the wider Bay Area seeing one of its rainiest time frames since the Gold Rush era. This onslaught of storms seemed a bit out of place with the trend of La Niña, an outlook that traditionally brings warm, dry conditions to most of California. Instead, the first half of the 2022-23 winter season was marked by atmospheric river-enhanced storms and notable reductions in drought conditions across the state. And chances persist for some rain showers to hit California in the coming days to weeks.  For meteorologists in both the Bay Area and across the Western US, this January’s shift toward wet and stormy conditions brings with it questions over what other factors might be stomping out the typical La Niña outlook. It also raises concerns over the flip to an El Niño pattern that long-range weather models are forecasting for the second half of the year. … ”  Continue reading at the San Francisco Chronicle here (gift article):  Will California keep getting hit with rains this year? Here’s what to expect

It’s about to get extremely cold in the Bay Area and Sierra Nevada

A cold front is slamming into Northern California starting Sunday, bringing dangerous temperatures for homeless people in the Bay Area and a winter storm in the Sierra that may snarl weekend travel.  Moisture will move in before the cold, said National Weather Service meteorologist Brayden Murdock. Although the Bay Area will see little to no precipitation, a winter storm will hit the mountains starting around 4 a.m. Sunday.  The system is expected to bring three to six inches of snow and up to 60 mile-per-hour winds in northern Sierra Nevada counties, including Interstate 80 over Donner Pass and Highway 50 over Echo Summit, until 7 p.m. Sunday. … ”  Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: It’s about to get extremely cold in the Bay Area and Sierra Nevada

State Water Board adopts new statewide sanitary sewer system regulations

The State Water Resources Control Board adopted a statewide Sanitary Sewer System General Order that implements and expands policies to address statewide water infrastructure needs.  The new order replaces an existing order and expands regulatory requirements to include privately owned systems, at the discretion of the applicable California Regional Water Quality Control Board. It also requires sewer system owners to better plan for addressing repeated spills, aging or poorly maintained infrastructure, and any gaps in a system’s capacity to adapt to changing climate patterns.  Soon after the first statewide order was adopted in 2006, the number of reported spills decreased from nearly 6,500 (2008 data) to about 3,050 (2021 data), as a result of the State Water Board’s ongoing enforcement actions. Despite this significant reduction, the board noted gaps in its enforcement abilities that could be addressed through authorities granted by the California Water Code.  “The recent storms that swept through California underscore why the stronger enforcement provisions in this new order are necessary,” said Board Chair E. Joaquin Esquivel. … ”

Adventures in Bay-Delta Data:  The other smelt – what about Wakasagi?

You’ve probably heard of Delta Smelt (Hypomesus transpacificus), and you may have heard of their cousin, the Longfin Smelt (Spirinchus thaleichthys), but there is a third osmerid in the estuary. The Wakasagi (Hypomesus nipponensis), also known as Japanese Smelt, is in the same genus as Delta Smelt, and was once thought to be the same species. It is native to Japan, but was introduced to reservoirs in California by the California Department of Fish and Game in the 1950s, and now it is established throughout the watershed, including the Delta.  But what does this brother of the Delta Smelt do? Is there sibling rivalry? A group of IEP scientists was curious, so they decided to look at all of our existing data to see when, where, how big, and how many Wakasagi are in the Delta and how their environmental tolerances and diet compares to Delta Smelt. A paper about their analysis recently came out in the Journal San Francisco Estuary and Watershed Sciences. … ”  Read more from the Interagency Ecological Program here: Adventures in Bay-Delta Data:  The other smelt – what about Wakasagi?

Sierra Nevada forests have seen ‘unprecedented’ level of high-severity wildfires, study finds

Wildfires have long been a facet of California’s ecosystem, as varied forest land covers much of the state and often benefits from some types of fire. Indigenous communities were using controlled burns to manage forests long before Europeans were part of the equation.  But a new study from UC Davis researchers found Sierra Nevada forests are facing more extreme wildfires, which could be bringing changes to ecosystems.  “We’re seeing more ‘bad fire’ and less ‘good fire,’” said John Williams, the lead author of the report. “Any consolation we’d get from the idea that, ‘At least we’re burning more than we used to,’ isn’t really a consolation because it’s often coming in the form of the wrong kind of fire.” ... ”  Read more from Capital Public Radio here: Sierra Nevada forests have seen ‘unprecedented’ level of high-severity wildfires, study finds

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In commentary this weekend …

Editorial: Work now for Central Valley flood control

The Southern California News Group writes, “In the big downpours that have hit our state in December and January, most of us in Southern California got wet, and maybe had a few leaks in the attic exposed, and had to stomp through puddles in our yards.  And while there were the news photos of sinkholes, and of rockslides, and of homeless campers put into harm’s way along our normally dry riverbeds, relatively few of us had our lives endangered.  That’s in great part due to the massive flood-control infrastructure built through our cities and suburbs in the 90 years since actual floods in the 1930s did devastate, and kill, many Southern Californians when floods and mudslides swept through our growing region.  And to a little good luck. … ”  Read more from the Daily News here: Work now for Central Valley flood control

California is both extremely beautiful and dangerous

Columnist Joe Mathews writes, “In the film Chinatown, a coroner named Morty chuckles over the dead body of the city’s water department chief.  “Isn’t that something?” Morty says. “Middle of a drought and the water commissioner drowns. Only in L.A.”  Not just in Los Angeles, of course. All of California has a talent for catastrophic paradox — as this winter is reminding us. Even as we suffer under a dangerous drought, atmospheric rivers flood communities, force evacuations, and cause dozens of deaths.  Our sunny weather makes us feel alive, but it also burns, destroying precious landscapes, homes, and dreams.  The greatest paradox of all, in fact, lies in California’s beauty. One of the world’s most breathtaking places also produces extreme ugliness. … ”  Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here: California is both extremely beautiful and dangerous

California’s climate is the first to suffer in Newsom’s proposed budget cuts

Just six months ago, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and his administration were boasting a budget surplus of $97.5 billion. Today, thanks to a falling stock market and a weakened tech sector, California has an apparently unforeseen budget deficit of $22.5 billion. Cuts must be made. But Newsom’s proposed cuts seemingly come at the expense of climate-related projects, a curious decision from a governor who often speaks about how confronting climate change is one of his key priorities. Unsurprisingly, his actions do not meet the weight of his words.  Newsom’s budget proposal, ironically released on the heels of an atmospheric river that unleashed catastrophic flooding across the state, suggests slashing approximately $6 billion dollars from climate-related projects, including $40 million that had been promised to floodplain restoration projects in the San Joaquin Valley. ... ”  Continue reading at the Sacramento Bee here: California’s climate is the first to suffer in Newsom’s proposed budget cuts

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In people news this weekend …

Promotions, passings, profiles – submit people news items to maven@mavensnotebook.com.

Rosemary Knight: Strong believer in value of science and data for sustainably managing California’s groundwater

Stanford University geophysics professor Rosemary Knight had always loved math and science, but it wasn’t until she attended Queens University in Kingston, Ontario, as an undergraduate that she discovered what would become a lifelong passion: geophysics. “When I discovered all you could do by applying physics-based methods to studying Earth, I realized what I wanted to be was a geophysicist.” Later, she realized how important geophysical methods are in ensuring the sustainability of the planet. “Many of the challenges we face in terms of sustainability involve our limited understanding of how Earth works.” Among those challenges is ensuring that groundwater supplies are sustainably managed.  For the past 20 years, Knight has been a strong advocate for the use of geophysical technologies to better understand the architecture of California’s groundwater.  For the past 20 years, Knight has been a strong advocate for the use of geophysical technologies to better understand the architecture of California’s groundwater. … ”  Read more from Engineering News Record here: Rosemary Knight: Strong believer in value of science and data for sustainably managing California’s groundwater

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Podcasts …

WE GROW CALIFORNIA: When it rains, it pours …. or does it?

It’s January 2023, and California is enjoying record snowpack and rain. So, what’s the Exchange Contractor’s water supply forecast? Join us as we welcome Chris White, Executive Director for the Exchange Contractors. He’s back to discuss how the 2022 water year went and offers a 2023 water preview.
Chris will also be the featured speaker at the next Exchange Contractors Political Action Committee meeting on February 28th. This is a great preview of what he is going to cover.

LA TIMES PODCAST: Colorado River in Crisis, Part 4: The Tribe

For over a century, Native American tribes along the Colorado River have seen other entities take water that had nourished them since time immemorial. With the depletion of this vital source for the American West, Indigenous leaders see an opening to right a historical wrong.Today, we check in on one tribe doing just that.


THE CONVERSATION WEEKLY: Beavers and oysters are helping restore lost ecosystems with their engineering skills

Whether you’re looking at tropical forests in Brazil, grasslands in California or coral reefs in Australia, it’s hard to find places where humanity hasn’t left a mark. The scale of the alteration, invasion or destruction of natural ecosystems can be mindbogglingly huge. Thankfully, researchers, governments and everyday people around the world are putting more effort and money into conservation and restoration every year, but the task is large. How do you plant a billion trees? How do you restore thousands of square miles of wetlands? How do you turn a barren ocean floor back into a thriving reef? In some cases, the answer lies with certain animals – called ecosystem engineers – that can kick start the healing. We talk to three experts about how ecosystem engineers can play a key role in restoring natural places and why the human and social sides of restoration are just as important as the science.


ENGINEERING WITH NATURE: Measuring what matters

How do we measure what’s most important to us? And how do we translate those values into decisions about infrastructure projects so that they can deliver a diverse set of economic, environmental, and social benefits? That’s the focus of our discussion in Season 5, Episode 4, of the Engineering With Nature® Podcast. Host Sarah Thorne and Todd Bridges, National Lead of the Engineering With Nature (EWN) Program, are pleased to welcome back to the podcast Justin Ehrenwerth, President and CEO of The Water Institute. In this episode, we’re talking about how to measure what matters with respect to natural infrastructure.

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In regional water news this weekend …

SACRAMENTO VALLEY

USACE awards $27.5 million contract for 2023 levee improvement work along Sacramento River East Levee

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District awarded a $27.575 million construction contract on January 20, 2023, to Maloney Odin Joint Venture of Novato, for more than 2.6 miles of levee improvements at five locations along the Sacramento River East Levee between the I Street Bridge and just south of the town of Freeport.  Work is scheduled to begin this spring and is expected to be complete in December 2023. USACE is planning to host an informational meeting in March to discuss what this construction work will look like, including trail access, haul routes, and staging areas.  This is the fourth, and should be final, major construction contract to address seepage and stability concerns with the levee. Last year, construction crews completed two miles of levee improvements in the Pocket neighborhood from Surfside Way to Sump 132 at the Pocket Canal. In 2020 and 2021, nearly five miles of levee improvements were made. … ”  Read more from the Army Corps of Engineers here: USACE awards $27.5 million contract for 2023 levee improvement work along Sacramento River East Levee

NAPA/SONOMA

Sustainability plans approved for major North Bay groundwater basins

Plans for ensuring the long-term viability of four major groundwater basins in the North Bay were approved Thursday by state water regulators.  The State Department of Water Resources announced that it gave the okay to plans developed for the Napa Valley Subbasin in Napa County and the Santa Rosa Plain Subbasin, the Petaluma Valley Basin and Sonoma Valley Subbasin in Sonoma County.  The plans were developed by four different local groundwater sustainability agencies under the requirements of the 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. … ”  Read more from CBS News here: Sustainability plans approved for major North Bay groundwater basins

Napa Valley Grapegrowers Report: Investing in the aquifer

“In recent years, there has been a surge in awareness and interest around sustainability and land stewardship across California farming communities — and not only among agricultural producers.  The benefits of farmland preservation and regenerative farming practices have captured the interest of a much larger audience that sees that a farmer’s work can benefit the community as much as the farm itself. This is true in Napa County, where growers are increasingly taking action and demonstrating that returns on environmentally conscience investments in the vineyard can be land-smart, economically beneficial and provide ecosystem services to the collective community. … ”  Read more from the Napa Valley Register here: Napa Valley Grapegrowers Report: Investing in the aquifer

BAY AREA

Marin water district tests supply options against severe drought

As the Marin Municipal Water District nears the end of a yearlong study into new water supplies, its governing board took a deeper dive this month into how well different portfolios of options could help prevent severe water shortages in a worst-case scenario drought.  “We’re at the point now where it’s all starting to come together,” district official Paul Sellier told the board this week.   The study, which began in early 2022, is examining a variety of new water supplies, including interties with other water agencies, desalination, expanding conservation programs, groundwater storage, maximizing Sonoma County water imports, enlarging storage capacity of local reservoirs and recycled water expansion.  The effort was launched after the district and the 191,000 central and southern Marin residents it serves faced depleting local reservoir supplies as soon as mid-2022 after a severe two-year drought. ... ”  Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here:  Marin water district tests supply options against severe drought

Marin commentary: Increasing water storage capacity must be first step

This winter’s deluge drives home the point that we need to do a much better job capturing the water nature provides us with. The fact that Marin County currently allows most of our precious rainwater to escape is unacceptable.  As a founding member of the Marin Coalition for Water Solutions, I continue to advocate for reservoir expansion. During the height of the drought, most discussion centered on producing or importing water. But before we spend a fortune making water, why not do a better job containing it?  It’s a bit like installing an expensive heating system in your home while letting the heat out through open windows. Our creeks and storm drains are the open windows of our water supply.  Marin’s water problems are complex and deserve a portfolio of solutions. Desalination, for example, provides reliable water in places like Israel and Saudi Arabia. The technology has improved and it works, even though it has serious cost, energy and environmental issues. … ”  Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here: Marin commentary: Increasing water storage capacity must be first step

New study catalogs water pollutants released by Bay Area oil refineries

Chevron’s oil refinery in Richmond is among the U.S. petroleum producers that most regularly exceed limits aimed at keeping pollution out of local waterways, according to a nonprofit that ranked it eighth worst out of 81 oil refineries on that point after studying Environmental Protection Agency reports.  From 2019 through 2021, the EPA recorded 27 instances when the Richmond facility reported dumping unpermitted amounts of regulated substances into San Pablo Bay, researchers with national nonprofit Environmental Integrity Project found. None of those violations resulted in official enforcement actions or financial penalties, the group said. … ”  Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: New study catalogs water pollutants released by Bay Area oil refineries

CENTRAL COAST

San Benito County farmers hope for increase in allocations from federal water projects

A day after state water leaders announced they plan to increase water allocations to farmers and cities, some now hope the federal government will follow the lead and allocate more water from their reservoirs.  The decision by state leaders follows a series of atmospheric rivers that filled reservoirs and increased the Sierra snowpack. But federal leaders have yet to make a similar decision. In San Benito County, agriculture leaders hope they do because a large source of water for them comes from the San Luis reservoir, a federal water project, and water levels there have increased drastically in the last month. … ”  Read more from KSBY here: San Benito County farmers hope for increase in allocations from federal water projects

CZU fire victims try to rebuild, but sewage issues stand in the way

People who lost their homes in the CZU Lightning Complex fire in 2020 are trying to rebuild, but for many, sewer problems could stand in their way.  Without an operable sewer system connection, homes cannot be permitted by Santa Cruz County—that’s causing anxiety and frustration among those serviced by Big Basin Water Company, a private utility.  A letter from Big Basin went out to people notifying them that all 29 sewer customers will have to pay a sewer charge, regardless if they’re currently hooked up to the system.  The letter reads in part, “This charge will help us repair and run the sewer plant. If you don’t pay the charge, you will not receive sewer hookup now or in the future. If you don’t have the sewer to your parcel, you won’t be able to sell your property now or in the future.” … ”  Read more from KSBY here:  CZU fire victims try to rebuild, but sewage issues stand in the way

Oxnard: Committee reviews water policy and related litigation

The Public Works and Transportation Committee reviewed its water policy on Tuesday, January 24, and received a related litigation update.  Deputy City Manager Shiri Klima said the committee requested reports about water, recycled water, and wastewater. Committee members wanted a Water Division tour as well as an update about the City water resources and a drought update.  “They wanted information on the cost of water, the water Urban Management Plan, and recycled water,” she said. “It’s relevant to understanding the future of Oxnard’s longterm water supply.”  She said the City serves potable water to more than 43,000 service connections, and approximately 85 percent are single and multi-family residential connections.  “Approximately a third of the City’s water supply is imported water and purchased from the State Water Project and sold through the Metropolitan Water District, called the Met,” she said. “It comes to Oxnard through the Calleguas Municipal Water District.” … ”  Read more from the Tri-County Sentinel here: Oxnard: Committee reviews water policy and related litigation

Lake Casitas, the Ventura River and the Robles Diversion Canal

With last week’s downpour, the lower Ventura River was flowing higher than it has since the floods of 2005. The sheer volume of raging water in the Ventura River’s upstream watershed tore away the access road to the homes in Matilija Canyon, and damaged infrastructure at the Robles Diversion in Meiners Oaks — which was built to transfer Ventura River flows via the Robles Diversion Canal across to Lake Casitas.  Public commentary has criticized the Casitas Municipal Water District’s failure to maintain the Robles Diversion Canal, letting potentially divertible water flow instead to the ocean. The situation presents an opportunity for public education about our Southern California rivers and watersheds. … ”  Read more from the Ojai Valley News here: Lake Casitas, the Ventura River and the Robles Diversion Canal

SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY

Turlock: Storm runoff offers recharge for drought-ridden farmland

The series of storms that wreaked havoc on California for most of this month had both positive and negative impacts on the state. Property damage and loss of life were the most obvious of the negatives, while drought relief was at the top of the positive list.  Another positive? An innovative plan for potentially managing future floods.  State and local dignitaries gathered near Turlock last week at Gemperle Orchards on Faith Home Road to witness the implementation of a new project that not only redirects storm runoff across farmland, but recharges aquifers as that water soaks into the ground.  “This is a big deal,” said Christine Gemperle, who co-owns the 40-acre operation with her brother, Erich Gemperle. “This should be part of the master plan for solving California’s water woes. The state has to get creative … and this is creative.” … ”  Read more from the Turlock Journal here: Turlock: Storm runoff offers recharge for drought-ridden farmland

Porterville City Council supports the County Of Tulare and Self-Help Enterprises to use city water for emergency response

At its meeting on January 17, 2023, the Porterville City Council unanimously approved to support the County of Tulare’s request to provisionally use City water to serve homes across Tulare County on temporary household tanks. Due to a road closure caused by flooding on Avenue 368 in Visalia, contract water haulers for Self-Help Enterprises were unable to access the Bob Wiley Detention Facility well, which provides source water for 389 homes each week. With no other available water resources and the inability to access the well, the City Council agreed to the support the access to its water on an emergency provisional basis until the road is repaired and the well can again be accessed.  The water provided to the 389 homes is part of Self-Help Enterprise’s Emergency Tank Program, which has been taking place across Tulare County for residents whose water wells have run dry. The program is funded through the State of California, which funds the delivery of water on a weekly basis from the Bob Wiley Detention Facility well to residents in need. Without access to that well, there is no other water source for those residents, which prompted the Tulare County Office of Emergency Services to respond to Self-Help’s request. ... ”  Read more from Valley Voice here: Porterville City Council supports the County Of Tulare and Self-Help Enterprises to use city water for emergency response

Local conservation group wants the water given back to the Kern River

Recent rainfall has left puddles in some areas of the Kern River, but thee are far from flowing water. One local organizations says they’ve collected more than 10,000 signatures on their petition to the state water board for help in bringing the river’s flow back to healthy levels.  Tim McNeely, spokesperson for Bring Back the Kern, says the river deserves more respect.  “You look at all the great cities of the world, right? Try to imagine Egypt without the Nile. That would be insane! People would say you can’t drain the Nile dry, but we want to drain the Kern River dry. A world-class river. Dry? Somehow, that’s okay,” said McNeely. “It matters because it’s just plain wrong for a river not to have water.” … ”  Read more from Channel 23 here: Local conservation group wants the water given back to the Kern River

IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS

Why desert golf courses and artificial lakes remain untouched by the Colorado River crisis

Indian Canyon Golf Resort, 2016

Golf courses. Ponds. Acres of grass. Cascading waterfalls. Displays of water extravagance zip past each day when Sendy Hernández Orellana Barrows drives to work.  She said these views seem like landscapes that have undergone “plastic surgery,” transforming large parts of the Coachella Valley’s desert into scenes of unnatural lushness.  From La Quinta to Palm Springs, the area’s gated communities, resorts and golf courses have long been promoted with palm-studded images of green grass, swimming pools and artificial lakes. The entrepreneurs and boosters who decades ago built the Coachella Valley’s reputation as a playground destination saw the appeal of developments awash in water, made possible by wells drawing on the aquifer and a steady stream of Colorado River water.  “They wanted to basically fabricate this mirage oasis of what they thought the desert could be, with these never-ending golf courses and lagoons,” Hernández Orellana said. “But the reality is that with climate change, we need to start walking away from that.” … ”  Read more from the LA Times here: Why desert golf courses and artificial lakes remain untouched by the Colorado River crisis | Read via Yahoo News

Commentary: Coachella Valley’s golf community has done the math on the water it needs

Molly Duvall, the executive director of the Hi-Lo Chapter Golf Course Superintendents Association of America (GCSAA), and Craig Kessler, the Southern California Golf Association (SCGA) Director of Public Affairs/Coachella Valley Golf & Water Task Force, write, ” … One good year in California cannot and will not do much to raise the levels of those two mega-reservoirs known as Lake Mead and Lake Powell that supply water from the Colorado Basin. …  Today’s hotter, drier conditions that have given rise to the worst drought in the basin in 1,200 years aren’t receding anytime soon. This is why the Coachella Valley golf community corralled more than 160 of its leaders into a room at Mission Hills Country Club on Jan. 11 to hear from Coachella Valley Water District Director Peter Nelson and CVWD Assistant General Manager Robert Cheng about the facts of these matters and what they portend for a golf community that has long benefited from a generous Colorado River allocation in addition to sitting atop one of the deepest and richest aquifers in the world. The two are related in ways that many outside the golf community may not understand. … ”  Read more from the Desert Sun here: Commentary: Coachella Valley’s golf community has done the math on the water it needs

SAN DIEGO

Sweetwater Authority captures more than 1 billion gallons of rain from recent storms

The rain in December and January is still paying off for 200,000 South Bay residents.  The Sweetwater Authority, which provides water to customers in Western Chula Vista, Bonita, and National City, just opened a massive valve in the Loveland Dam Thursday to send water to the Sweetwater Reservoir for the second time in two months.  “We might be able to capture approximately 1.1 billion gallons of water,” explained Erick Del Bosque, Sweetwater Authority’s Director of Engineering and Operations.  Del Bosque said that much water will save customers roughly $5 million. … ”  Read more from NBC San Diego here: Sweetwater Authority captures more than 1 billion gallons of rain from recent storms

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Along the Colorado River …

Colorado River states facing new deadline on water usage reduction

Another deadline to establish major new cutbacks in water use in the seven-state Colorado River Basin is quickly approaching on Jan. 31, as the states continue talks, as ordered by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.  Last summer Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton ordered the states to figure out how to reduce water use by an enormous 2 million to 4 million acre-feet by August, as historic drought continued across the basin, which they failed to do.  If no consensus by the states, tribal leaders and federal authorities is reached by the end of Tuesday, it increases the possibility that the Bureau of Reclamation will unilaterally make the decisions on usage and impose them on the states.  Becky Mitchell, director of the Colorado Water Conservation Board who also represents Colorado on the Upper Colorado River Commission, said state talks were continuing but that more work and specific plans from California, Arizona and Nevada would be necessary to reach an agreement and take action. ... ”  Read more from the Colorado Springs Gazette here: Colorado River states facing new deadline on water usage reduction

Column: Colorado River and Lake Mead are rising, but don’t get your hopes up

Columnist Michael Smolens writes, “Northern California reservoirs and the Sierra snowpack were dramatically bolstered by the string of recent storms, and that’s good news for millions of people across the state.  Just not necessarily those who live in San Diego.  County residents, businesses and farmers get little water from the State Water Project, which taps state storage, rivers and deltas in the north.  The bulk of the water provided by the San Diego County Water Authority and its member agencies comes from the Colorado River. ... ”  Continue reading at the San Diego Union-Tribune here: Column: Colorado River and Lake Mead are rising, but don’t get your hopes up

The Biden administration’s brewing battle with the Western states

On the menu today: A deep dive into how the Biden administration is about to get into a messy fight with seven Western states about water usage from the Colorado River. The West’s two-decade drought is severe, and the current winter rains and snowfall are only mitigating the consequences slightly. The water level in reservoirs such as Lake Powell and Lake Mead are getting so low, hydroelectric plants may no longer be able to work normally. It all adds up to the federal government attempting to enact severe restrictions on water usage — and each state contending that it’s getting the short end of the stick. … ”  Read more from the National Review here: The Biden administration’s brewing battle with the Western states

Why desalination won’t save states dependent on Colorado River water

States dependent on the drought-stricken Colorado River are increasingly looking toward desalination as a way to fix the river’s deficit and boost water supplies across the western U.S.  The search for alternative ways to source water comes as federal officials continue to impose mandatory water cuts for states that draw from the Colorado River, which supplies water and power for more than 40 million people.  Desalination (or desalinization) is a complicated process that involves filtering out salt and bacteria content from ocean water to produce safe drinking water to the tap. While there are more than a dozen desalination plants in the U.S., mostly in California, existing plants don’t have the capacity to replace the amount of water the Colorado River is losing. ... ”  Read more from CNBC here: Why desalination won’t save states dependent on Colorado River water

How Las Vegas declared war on thirsty grass and set an example for the desert Southwest

Fountains still shimmer opulently at casinos on the Las Vegas Strip, but lush carpets of grass are gradually disappearing along the streets of Sin City.  Despite its reputation for excess, the Mojave Desert metropolis has been factoring climate change into its water plans for years, declaring war on thirsty lawns, patrolling the streets for water wasters and preparing for worst-case scenarios on the Colorado River, which supplies 90% of the area’s water.  Las Vegas has emerged as a leader in water conservation, and some of its initiatives have spread to other cities and states that rely on the shrinking river. Its drive to get rid of grass in particular could reshape the look of landscapes in public and private spaces throughout the Southwest.  So how did Las Vegas become a water-saving model to emulate? It began with an initial phase of the Colorado River crisis two decades ago. ... ”  Read more from the LA Times here: How Las Vegas declared war on thirsty grass and set an example for the desert Southwest | Read via Yahoo News

Law of the River: How the west was watered

When Americans began populating what would become Nevada, California, and Arizona the need for clean running water was there, but it wasn’t until the turn of the 20th century that people were able to convince the government to invest millions to figure out how to control and distribute Colorado River water safely and consistently.  For years people tried to control the Colorado River for irrigation, failing over and over. It wasn’t until 1906 that a historic flood in the Imperial Valley changed the nation’s mind on spending money to harness the power of the river.  The Colorado River is managed and operated by the United States Bureau of Reclamation (USBR) – an agency formed under several federal laws, compacts, court decisions and decrees, contracts, and regulatory guidelines known as the “Law of the River.” … ”  Read more from KLAS here: Law of the River: How the west was watered

‘I’m afraid our aquifers would dry up’: Why well owners are worried about Rio Verde getting new standpipe

Michael Miola uses 100,000 gallons of water every month. And no amount of conserving, recycling or reusing water can help him.  Miola owns Silver Spurs Equine. It’s 60 acres and 200 horses. He breeds horses for clients worldwide. Each horse drinks about 18 gallons of water per day. That’s where the astronomical water use comes from. And it’s also why he can’t cut back. … There is a plan making its way through the Arizona Corporation Commission that would let EPCOR, a Canadian water utility, build a new standpipe that runs off a well sunk into the ground.  It would take three years and would supply the 48 million gallons of water that Rio Verde Foothills was getting from Scottsdale. But for Miola, there’s a drawback. It would be a massive straw stuck in the groundwater that his horses drink. “If 48 million gallons of water are taken out of that standpipe,” Miola said, “I’m afraid our aquifers would dry up.” … ”  Read more full story from Channel 12 here: ‘I’m afraid our aquifers would dry up’: Why well owners are worried about Rio Verde getting new standpipe

Could a river finally run through the Glen Canyon Dam?

In the fall of 1956, President Dwight Eisenhower touched a telegraph key in the White House Cabinet Room to trigger a dynamite blast 1,900 miles to the west, marking the start of construction on the Glen Canyon Dam.  More than six decades later, conservation advocates and environmentalists are hoping the Biden administration will set an implosion in motion — albeit a metaphorical one — this time mothballing the 710-foot dam on the Colorado River in northern Arizona.  “I think the reality that Glen Canyon’s days are numbered is becoming apparent to more and more people,” former Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Dan Beard, who served in the Clinton administration, said in December.  Modern critics of the Glen Canyon Dam — which has never lacked for detractors, dating to early denunciations that the structure changed the ecology of the river and drowned canyons and Native American artifacts when the reservoir filled — see new momentum to circumvent the structure and drain Lake Powell. ... “:  Read more from E&E News here: Could a river finally run through the Glen Canyon Dam?

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Also on Maven’s Notebook this weekend …

NEW TOOL: Public Release of Source Water Protection Web App

NOTICE: of 180-Day Temporary Permit Application T033347 / Permit Order 21440 – Yolo County

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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.