In California water news today …
NASA SWOT mission to improve water management in California
“California has one of the most volatile hydrologic systems in the world, shifting from drought to flood in a matter of weeks. However, new tools are helping officials and water managers better control California’s waters. One of these tools relates to NASA’s SWOT (surface water and ocean topography) mission. “We built a new piece of extreme engineering to observe the world’s water. So we’ll see all of the about 90% of the water that is covering the earth. So we’re talking about surface water, oceans, rivers, lakes, reservoirs,” said Dr. Cedric David, research scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena. ... ” Read more from Channel 10 here: NASA SWOT mission to improve water management in California
California storms have farmers rushing to avoid crop shortfall
“California farmers are facing costly damages from weeks of severe storms that may trigger more expensive US fruits and vegetables in a time of massive food inflation. “The numbers are going to be somewhere in the hundreds of millions and perhaps in the billions,” Dave Puglia, head of the trade group Western Growers, said in a phone interview, adding that almost all of those damage costs will be on California’s Central Coast. Some growers on that region — known as the “Salad Bowl of America” — can’t even start cleaning up because of fields thick with mud and debris. While three weeks of unrelenting rain brought urgently needed water to drought-stricken California, the subsequent flooding will delay planting in a state where agriculture is a $50 billion industry. … ” Read more from Yahoo here: California storms have farmers rushing to avoid crop shortfall
Can we store enough extreme rainfall to break droughts?
“California is experiencing a record drought. October 2019 to October 2022 was the state’s driest three-year period on record going back to 1896. California is also experiencing record rainfall. Over the past several weeks, nine atmospheric rivers – huge columns of atmospheric water vapor that track with the weather and each contain the equivalent of a Mississippi River’s worth of water, according to NOAA – have dumped 32 trillion gallons of water on the state, bringing damaging floods and mudslides. Both of those extremes are true at the same time—and it leads to the obvious question: Is all of the rain helping to end the drought? … ” Read more from Forbes here: Can we store enough extreme rainfall to break droughts?
Metropolitan installs flexible iron pipe on siphon that passes through the fault zone
“In the San Jacinto Valley, southeast of Los Angeles, the twin threats of earthquakes and subsidence from groundwater pumping decades ago pose multiple challenges to the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which imports water from the Colorado River and Northern California to serve roughly 20 million people across a 5,200 sq mi area. To bring water into that region via the Colorado River Aqueduct, the water district maintains the Casa Loma Siphon, a 5 mi long underground pipe constructed along with the rest of the aqueduct in 1935. Over the decades, however, the 148 in. diameter cast-in-place concrete siphon experienced considerable cracking in its rigid joints that led to water leakage because of ground movement where the structure crosses the Casa Loma Fault, notes John Bednarski, P.E., the water district’s chief engineer. Consequently, a 300 ft section of the siphon was replaced in 1968 with 148 in. steel pipe that featured external sleeve couplings designed to permit a small amount of movement. ... ” Read more from Civil Engineering Source here: If the Earth moves, this flexible iron pipe moves too
‘Give them a fighting chance’: California drought threatens coho salmon populations
“When UC Berkeley doctoral candidate Brian Kastl conducted studies in the Russian River streams, he noticed something unusual: a school of young salmon in shallow waters struggling to pass downstream. Kastl noted that these young salmon belonged to the coho species, which provide an important food source for local Native American tribes and a commercial fishery. Now, he said, the coho salmon populations in the Russian River are on the verge of extinction. To identify strategies to protect these populations, Kastl conducted a study with four co-writers and discovered negative effects of the California drought on coho salmon in that region. “During severe droughts, compared to wet years, the migration window shrinks by over three weeks and is hastened by over three weeks,” Kastl said in an email. ... ” Read more from the Daily Californian here: ‘Give them a fighting chance’: California drought threatens coho salmon populations
The Great Pacific Northwest Salmon Conundrum
“In a recently published article, Dr. Robert T. Lackey, Oregon State University professor of fisheries, summarizes the nearly two-century attempt to reverse the long-term decline of wild (non-hatchery origin) Pacific salmon (and steelhead) in the Pacific Northwest. Despite the billions spent to reverse the decline, and the apparent broad public support for restoring wild salmon, the prognosis is doubtful. A policy conundrum exists. Fisheries managers and others continue to craft salmon restoration plans, but an effective, politically viable approach has yet to emerge that will restore and sustain most runs of wild salmon in the region. The political reality might be that the billions spent to recover wild salmon are “guilt money, modern-day indulgences, a tax society and individuals willingly endure to alleviate collective and individual remorse. It is money spent on activities unlikely to achieve the recovery of wild salmon, but perhaps it helps many people feel better as they continue the behaviors and choices that essentially preclude their recovery.” Click here for a written article. Click here for a video presentation.
DNA unveils new freshwater fish species in California
“No doubt you have watched a crime show where DNA analysis reveals the identity of a victim or criminal. Or, you have read accounts of how Neanderthal genes are part of our DNA. It is still astonishing to think that such uses of DNA did not exist until the Human Genome Project, finished about 20 years ago at the cost of millions of dollars. Even more astonishing is that low-cost methods of examining the genome of any animal or plant are now available. Specifically, the genomes of fishes can be examined to determine evolutionary relationships among species and to identify new ‘cryptic’ species of fishes that otherwise are hard to identify. This means that ancient fish biologists (like Moyle) can team up with geneticists steeped in new methodologies (like Campbell) to explore fish genomes. We can identify ‘new’ (to us) species and confirm (or deny) species identified by standard methods, such as counting scales and fin rays. … ” Read more from the California Water Blog here: DNA unveils new freshwater fish species in California
Feinstein to Chair Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee
“Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) released the following statement on being named chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, which has jurisdiction over funding for the Department of Energy, the Army Corp of Engineers, the Bureau of Reclamation and other federal agencies related to our nation’s energy and water infrastructure programs: “I’m again honored to chair the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water. This subcommittee is key to the future of our nation, particularly California, and I look forward to continuing its important work with my colleagues on the subcommittee. As the top Democrat on the subcommittee since 2009, I’ve prioritized fighting climate change and combatting drought. These are increasingly becoming major issues, particularly on the West Coast. It’s critical that we pay attention and adapt to accommodate a dramatic change in our weather patterns. …
Scientists are worried about a new risk to California’s snowpack: Wildfires
“A flurry of storms unloaded historic amounts of rain and snow across California over the past month. The deluges, fueled by a parade of atmospheric rivers, filled reservoirs and have improved drought conditions across large swaths of the state. But this bounty also carries risks. “It does set the stage for potentially dealing with flood issues as we move through the snowmelt season,” said Michael Anderson, state climatologist with the California Department of Water Resources, at a media briefing on Jan. 16. Rain falling on snow, in particular, can cause a rapid melt that overwhelms downstream rivers and reservoirs. But issues may also arise if the state encounters a winter dry spell, according to new research led by scientists at the Desert Research Institute. Picturesque locales where Californians ski and enjoy other snow activities are burning in wildfires more often, undergoing long-lasting changes that make snowpack melt earlier. ... ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Scientists are worried about a new risk to California’s snowpack: Wildfires
Protecting wildland communities: Forest Service works hard to reduce hazardous fuels, wildfire threats to communities
” … Increased development of wildland communities, climate change, and drought contributed to a four-fold increase in the number of residential and commercial structures destroyed by wildfire between 2014 and 2020. “Hazardous fuels treatments in forests around communities and neighborhoods has never been more important,” said Victor Lyon, a Forest Service vegetation management staff officer on the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. “And when we treat the land, we not only reduce wildfire threat to those communities but improve forest health and support wildlife habitat.” As a long-time wildlife biologist and vegetation manager, Lyon knows the risk of wildfire threat to wildland communities. Wildfire also affected Lyon personally, when the Angora Fire in 2007 destroyed a house he planned to buy in California. … ” Read more from the USFS here: Protecting wildland communities: Forest Service works hard to reduce hazardous fuels, wildfire threats to communities
In a warming world, California’s trees keep dying
“Ecosystems aren’t landscape paintings so much as mosaics, with different pieces that grow and change over time. In healthy forests, patches of recent disturbance, such as fire or logging, sit alongside patches of grasses and shrubs, fast-growing trees and centuries-old mature forests. But these ecological patterns require a climate stability that no longer exists. Due to human-caused climate change, California’s forest mosaics are vanishing. According to a study published in AGU Advances last July, the state’s forests lost almost 7%, or just over 1,700 square miles, of tree cover since 1985. That’s an area larger than Yosemite National Park. In particular, forests in California’s southwestern mountains lost 14% of tree cover. … ” Read more from High Country News here: In a warming world, California’s trees keep dying
New research finds prescribed burns may emit more carbon as trees die faster in CA forests
“More trees are dying and drying out in California’s forests due to a hotter temperatures and prolonged droughts, which is causing more severe wildfires and a mass altercation in how forests store carbon. That’s according to Cal Fire-backed researcher Marissa Goodwin at a research webinar Wednesday. Goodwin, a graduate student at the University of New Mexico, serves as project manager for the Teakettle Ecosystem Experiment, a long-standing study that tests how repeat burning and thinning affects an experimental, old-growth forest in the Sierra Nevada. Goodwin said the recent increase in size and severity of wildfires in California partially has to do with a legacy of fire suppression in forests, which has caused both an increase in fuel density and an altercation in how much carbon a forest would naturally contain with regular burning. … ” Read more from Northern California Public Media here: New research finds prescribed burns may emit more carbon as trees die faster in CA forests
In commentary today …
From the Left: Addressing the problem of drought
Lance Simmens writes, ““Water, water, everywhere, nor any a drop to drink.” Samuel Taylor Coleridge coined that phrase in his early 19th-century poem “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner,” and words could not be more apt than today’s current dilemma as mankind directly confronts climate change. While some may herald the “atmospheric rivers” that are currently dumping historic rainfall amounts onto our drought-laden shores, such revelry is premature and presents only a short-term remedy to what are long-term problems. Unless we institute far-reaching changes in our policies on water usage and retention, and the underlying infrastructure planning and implementation needed to confront systemic changes in our weather patterns as a result of climate change, there literally will be little water left to drink. … ” Read more from the Malibu Times here: From the Left: Addressing the problem of drought
From the Right: Addressing the problem of drought
Don Schmitz writes, “After years of miserable drought and prayers for rain, the “atmospheric river” delivered bountiful water to California, most of which flowed out to sea. Beyond frustrating, not just that it’s happening, but because it doesn’t have to. Ninety-eight million acre feet of water fell on California in three weeks, enough to meet the needs of 40 million people for 25 years! That is 32 trillion gallons. Ninety-five percent of that water flowed out to the Pacific. Ninety-five percent! The political leadership in Sacramento and Washington are promising action, belatedly, but whine it’s “difficult.” Some lament that it’s prohibitively expensive to build more storage capacity, and therefore unrealistic. … ” Read more from the Malibu Times here: From the Right: Addressing the problem of drought
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
A look at Mendocino County water: Rainfall gives “breathing room,” but only infrastructure, climate solutions can ease drought
“Even while power outages, flooding, and downed trees plagued Mendocino County during the first weeks of 2023, we could take comfort in the fact that on California’s drought-ridden soil, rain is good news. Lake Mendocino hit its highest amount of water storage in more than a decade, and our past month of precipitation is on track with or better than “normal” conditions over the past 30 years. For Jared Walker, who manages some of our inland water districts including the parched, indebted Redwood Valley County Water District (RVCWD), seeing that influx of rain was “nothing short of incredible.” He said the water table for wells in several districts has increased dramatically. … ” Read more from the Mendocino Voice here: A look at Mendocino County water: Rainfall gives “breathing room,” but only infrastructure, climate solutions can ease drought
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Tahoe deep freeze; Sierra braces for coldest temperatures in decade
“Across the Tahoe Basin, residents were bracing for the arrival Sunday night of some of the coldest temperatures in years as a deep freeze descends on Northern California. The National Weather Service predicted temperatures to plug to minus-9 at Truckee, minus-7 at South Lake Tahoe and minus-16 at Bridgeport overnight. And that’s not taking into account the wind chills whipped up by 50 mph winds. It will be even colder at the ski resorts across the region that are over 7,000 feet. “This afternoon will begin the temperature tumble, and the gusty northeast winds of 30-45 mph will create some unpleasant wind chills, choppy lakes and impacts to backcountry recreation,” forecasters said. … ” Read more from CBS San Francisco here: Tahoe deep freeze; Sierra braces for coldest temperatures in decade
SEE ALSO: Coldest temperatures in years forecast for Tahoe, from SF Gate
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
How DWR’s 30% water allocation affects the north valley
“Over the course of the last two months, Butte County has had one of the wettest winters on record with Northern California as a whole seeing storm after storm. Though the drought is far from over, the additional water from the rainfall has prompted the California Department of Water Resources to up the allocation of water for public agencies from 5%, which was previously announced in December, to 30%. This will mean considerably more water for local agencies to utilize. The allocation is a significant increase, though the number is still low because of the ongoing drought. The last time the State Water Project has allocated 100% was 17 years ago. … ” Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record here: How DWR’s 30% water allocation affects the north valley
These Sacramento County levees have serious damage. Why FEMA hasn’t paid for them
“A single Cosumnes River levee sustained $1.5 million in damage after recent winter storms tore out a hole the size of a football field. But the federal government’s emergency management has not yet agreed to give local officials the money to fix that embankment. The agency has refused to fund this stretch of the river for years, saying the barriers do not meet the criteria for intervention because they were not built to meet the agency’s standards. It regards them as “levee-like” structures, not levees. The policy has had lasting repercussions in this corner of south Sacramento County, where certain parts of flood infrastructure stay broken for years. ... ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: These Sacramento County levees have serious damage. Why FEMA hasn’t paid for them
NAPA/SONOMA
Recent flood forecasts missed the mark in Sonoma County. Here’s why
“The wavy, colored lines rose with each big storm and fell slightly with each break in the rain. Each time, the “forecast” and “guidance” lines in the river charts approached the somewhat arbitrary, broken red line describing Russian River’s 32-foot flood stage in Guerneville. During the seemingly endless parade of atmospheric rivers earlier this month, the colored, sinusoidal graphs — produced by the California Nevada River Forecast Center — became a go-to resource for predicting flooding along the river, advising first responders, business owners, residents and government officials. But each time, predictions were off, in some cases, by several feet. Sometimes, predictions changed dramatically throughout the same day. So why were predictions this year off by such a large margin? … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat here: Recent flood forecasts missed the mark in Sonoma County. Here’s why
BAY AREA
Podcast: Why sewage flooded the Bay
“An estimated 62 million gallons of sewage — or about 94 Olympic-sized swimming pools — spilled into the San Francisco Bay during the storms in late December and January. Those storms are now behind us, and officials say the water is now safe. But now is actually the perfect time to unpack what went wrong with our sewage system, and how we can better prepare our infrastructure for the next big storm.” Listen at KQED here: Podcast: Why sewage flooded the Bay
Editorial: Phyllis Faber leaves legacy of preservation for Marin’s rural landscape
“Phyllis Faber’s legacy is one that is credited with preserving Marin’s rural landscape from the pressures of development. Mrs. Faber, a longtime Mill Valley resident, is among Marin’s long list of environmentalists who made a difference in helping protect the natural beauty of our county. Her passing, on Jan. 15 at the age of 95, is a reminder of an activist who made a difference in helping stir community awareness and helping preserve the open rolling ranchlands of West Marin. She and West Marin rancher Ellen Straus built the Marin Agricultural Land Trust, which over its 80-plus years has acquired agricultural easements over 55,000 acres of ranchland. Those easements have kept the lands from being developed and have provided critical financial backing to support the family ranches that are the backbone of Marin’s agricultural economy. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal here: Editorial: Phyllis Faber leaves legacy of preservation for Marin’s rural landscape
California beaches were dramatically damaged by recent storms. Can they recover?
“At Stinson Beach, the usual white sandy expanse drops 6 feet to an exposed rocky surface. In Pacifica, huge boulders deposited to protect the bluffs are tumbled in disarray on steep, narrow Esplanade Beach. Tons and tons of sand moved off Bay Area beaches during recent winter storms as massive waves swept sediment out to sea and rainwater poured over crumbling cliffs. Some of the worst damage happened just to the south in Santa Cruz County, but local beach goers also saw changes, to Point Reyes and beyond. While sand typically moves on and off beaches between winter and summer, the recent dramatic damage could be an indicator of how beaches evolve in the future, when big storms are expected to happen more frequently and sea level rise will likely cause further erosion. In some cases, the preventative measures taken to protect infrastructure along the coast, such as building sea walls, can cause sandy beaches to disappear. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: California beaches were dramatically damaged by recent storms. Can they recover?
Surfers Beach sediment removal progresses in Half Moon Bay
“A proposed project on the coast to remove sediment built up inside the Pillar Point Harbor outer breakwater and move it to Surfers Beach for reuse is progressing, with a late spring to summer starting timeline proposed by staff. “There are a lot of wheels in motion, but things seem to be proceeding fairly smoothly and according to plan,” said Brad Damitz with the San Mateo County Harbor District at a Jan. 18 meeting. “It’s just going to be a lot of different sequencing of different tasks as we get closer to springtime.” … ” Read more from the Daily Journal here: Surfers Beach sediment removal progresses in Half Moon Bay
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Cold storm to produce travel-disrupting mountain snow in Southern California
“Another storm is moving into California, but AccuWeather meteorologists say it is set to play out much differently than others so far this winter. While the upcoming storm is expected to have limited moisture, it can pack enough snow at the lower elevations, as well as locally gusty showers and thunderstorms, to cause travel disruptions. Following multiple atmospheric river events from late 2022 into the start of 2023 that hacked away at the state’s long-term drought at the cost of deadly flooding and mudslides, Pacific storms over the past 10 days or so have generally tracked inland across the West but have missed California. These storms are known in the meteorological community as “inside sliders.” AccuWeather meteorologists say the upcoming inside slider will track farther to the south and west than its predecessors, which will bring more impacts to California. … ” Continue reading at AccuWeather here: Cold storm to produce travel-disrupting mountain snow in Southern California
SEE ALSO: Cold weather arrives in Southern California, bringing snow in the mountains, from the LA Times
How much rain is L.A. capturing?
“At least nine atmospheric rivers blasted California between December 20th and January 15th, causing flooding and extensive damage, while also delivering much needed precipitation to our parched state. The Los Angeles County Public Works Department announced recently that more than 33 billion gallons of stormwater have been captured in the early months of the winter storm season, which will be enough to supply 816,000 people with enough water for an entire year. These capture efforts are a part of Los Angeles’ scheme to build local water resilience and implement stormwater capture projects throughout the county. Officials are making progress, but there’s still a long way to go. This post takes stock of Los Angeles’ performance in meeting its stormwater capture goals and discusses rainwater capture as another opportunity to enhance local water supply. First, let’s settle on some definitions. … ” Continue reading at the LA Times here: How much rain is L.A. capturing?
Tracking the California drought
“Californians are living in the state’s driest period on record. Officials have urged people to conserve as reservoirs run low and demand exceeds a supply stressed by climate change. A large share of the state’s water is used for agriculture, and growers have seen water deliveries slashed during the drought. State regulators track water use in cities and towns across the state, collecting monthly data from more than 400 urban suppliers that serve about 37.2 million Californians. Use this map to find your water supplier and explore usage in your area. … ” Read miore from the LA Times here: Tracking the California drought
Palmdale Water District adopts exemption for water treatment plant
“The Palmdale Water District Board of Directors, on Monday, agreed to adopt an exemption to the state’s environmental regulations in regard to building an advanced water treatment plant demonstration facility on District property near the administrative offices. The facility will be used to prove out the processes for a full-scale treatment plant that will be used to turn recycled water into groundwater. It will be used to educate the public on the water treatment system, as well as provide data to regulators for permitting purposes. … ” Read more from the Antelope Valley Press here: Palmdale Water District adopts exemption for water treatment plant
Hyperion hit with more demands to fix sewage spill odor in El Segundo
“The Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant still isn’t doing enough to mitigate odors coming from the facility, according to the region’s air quality watchdog. Los Angeles Sanitation & Environment, which oversees the wastewater treatment facility near El Segundo, now has a longer list of rules to abide by as it works to rid the area of a regular sewage smell that has plagued residents for about a year-and-a-half — and a shorter amount of time in which to do so. That’s because the South Coast Air Quality Management District board this week added new conditions to the facility’s order of abatement after receiving an update on Hyperion’s progress. … ” Read more from the Long Beach Press Telegram here: Hyperion hit with more demands to fix sewage spill odor in El Segundo
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Commentary: The Cotino water project is using outdated water analysis: We are in a drought
Dr. Mark Wolpa, a retired podiatrist living in Rancho Mirage, writes, “Watching neighbors rip out their lawn to install faux grass, navigating the mandatory water conservation actions in effect from the Coachella Valley Water District due to the catastrophic drought and reading that the Metropolitan Water District, the nation’s largest water supplier, has declared a drought emergency for all of Southern California, I am constantly bewildered every time I drive by the Disney Cotino project in Rancho Mirage with its projected hotel, 1,700 homes and 24-acre water lagoon. What is wrong with this picture? ... ” Read more from the Desert Sun here: The Cotino water project is using outdated water analysis: We are in a drought
Commentary: I checked my property taxes: Water supply costs continue to increase
Barry Morgan, retired chemical engineer, writes, “In reading and hearing lots about how oil companies are price gouging their customers in California, I suggest that homeowners check out their property tax bills. When looking over my tax bill, as a 21-year resident of Rancho Mirage, I looked over mine and noticed a huge charge from our water supply company, Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD). There is a charge of 11 cents per $100 of your property’s assessed valuation. That may seem small, but for me, that is just about $1,000 this year. I went back a few years and the total for the last five has been about $4,100. On top of that, CVWD also adds a separate sewer service charge and this year that total adds another $300 to my bill or $1,300 to CVWD. … ” Continue reading at the Desert Sun here: I checked my property taxes: Water supply costs continue to increase
SAN DIEGO
Oceanside continues search for sand, downplays possibility of groins
“Oceanside has approved the next phase of its sand restoration and retention project at a cost of $2.6 million, though city officials downplayed the possibility of an earlier proposal to build rock groins on the beach. “We are very sensitive to the issue of groins,” City Manager Jonathan Borrego said at Wednesday’s Oceanside City Council meeting. “It is a little disheartening to hear members of the public keep portraying this as a groin project. The idea is to step back and look at more innovative solutions.” Plans to build four 600-foot-long groins, 1,000 feet apart, extending into the ocean near the end of Wisconsin Avenue were presented to the Oceanside City Council in August 2021, and the council agreed to spend $1 million on plans and permits. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune here: Oceanside continues search for sand, downplays possibility of groins
Along the Colorado River …
Emails reveal tensions in Colorado River talks
“Competing priorities, outsized demands and the federal government’s retreat from a threatened deadline stymied a deal last summer on how to drastically reduce water use from the parched Colorado River, emails obtained by The Associated Press show. The documents span the June-to-August window the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation gave states to reach consensus on water cuts for a system that supplies 40 million people annually — or have the federal government force them. They largely include communication among water officials in Arizona and California, the major users in the river’s Lower Basin. … ” Read more from US News & World Report here: Emails reveal tensions in Colorado River talks
Deal or no deal (Colorado River edition)
“California and six other drought-parched states have until Tuesday to hammer out a deal to cut their voracious thirst for Colorado River water by up to 30%. Don’t hold your breath. As the New York Times reported over the weekend, no one is volunteering to make the cuts that the federal government is now demanding, but there’s finger-pointing a-plenty. The Rocky Mountain states of Wyoming, Colorado and Utah blame users down river; Nevada says it’s done enough; and California’s mega user, the Imperial Irrigation District, said the coming water crunch is not its problem. Imperial vice president JB Hamby: “We have sound legal footing…That’s kind of a responsibility on (Arizona’s) part to plan for these risk factors.” That’s a major sticking point. … ” Read more from Cal Matters here: Deal or no deal (Colorado River edition)
Deadline on water cutback plans looms for states using Colorado River water
“The deadline is looming for seven states using Colorado River water to submit plans for water cutback plans. As water levels at Lake Mead and Lake Powell continue to drop, the Federal Bureau of Reclamation called for the submission of water cutback plans — and the deadline is Monday. Water conservation efforts are moving forward in Southern Nevada from the federal government all the way down to the local level. On Friday, Samantha Flaherty, the Client Relations Manager at Encore Landscape Management, showed KTNV what turf removal — one of the most basic water conservation efforts in the valley — looked like. … ” Read more from Channel 13 here: Deadline on water cutback plans looms for states using Colorado River water
SEE ALSO: Jan. 31 deadline: Colorado River decisions will guide future of Lake Mead, how water is used, from KLAS
Deadpool Diaries: Trapped, again, in a world we never made
“As we get spun up for the second time in six months about a capricious notion of a “deadline” to fix the Colorado River, I’m reminded of the tagline from my favorite teenage superhero comic, Marvel’s Howard the Duck: Trapped in a world he never made. Once again, we are trapped in a narrative driven by a somewhat arbitrary “deadline” that misunderstands the nature of the ongoing processes as the collective community struggles to come up with a plan to save the Colorado River. About that “deadline” ... ” Read more from the Inkstain blog here: Deadpool Diaries: Trapped, again, in a world we never made
In the West, pressure to count water lost to evaporation
“Exposed to the beating sun and hot dry air, more than 10% of the water carried by the Colorado River evaporates, leaks or spills as the 1,450-mile (2,334-kilometer) powerhouse of the West flows through the region’s dams, reservoirs and open-air canals. For decades, key stewards of the river have ignored the massive water loss, instead allocating Arizona, California, Nevada and Mexico their share of the river without subtracting what’s evaporated. But the 10% can no longer be ignored, hydrologists, state officials and other western water experts say. The West’s multi-decade drought has sent water levels in key reservoirs along the river to unprecedented lows. Officials from Nevada and Arizona say that they, together with California, now need to account for how much water is actually in the river. The challenge is in finding a method that California also agrees to. … ” Read more from The Independent here: In the West, pressure to count water lost to evaporation
Feds may alter Colorado River forecast methods slammed as too rosy
“The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation is considering altering its monthly Colorado River forecasting methods in the face of criticism from experts inside and outside the agency that predictions have been too optimistic. Changing forecast methods could have major ramifications in how the bureau manages the river, water experts say. Larger cutbacks in water deliveries to Arizona, Nevada and California could possibly be triggered, for example. The agency will consider starting to base its forecasts on the past 20 years of flows into Lake Powell, compared to the 30 years it uses now, a bureau official told the Arizona Daily Star. ... ” Read more from the Arizona Daily Star here: Feds may alter Colorado River forecast methods slammed as too rosy
‘A living spirit’: Native people push for changes to protect the Colorado River
“On a bluff overlooking the Lower Colorado River Valley, the ground bears an image of two giant figures. Known as the Twins, these ancient figures are revered by members of the Fort Mojave Indian Tribe, who say they show their people’s deep connection to the land and the river. “This is a reminder of who we are,” said Nora McDowell, an elder and former chairperson of the tribe. “This is our home. This is what the Creator gave us.” These and other geoglyphs adorn the desert along the lower reaches of the Colorado River, where Indigenous people flourished long before Europeans set foot in North America. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: ‘A living spirit’: Native people push for changes to protect the Colorado River
Recent snowfalls may slow water level decline at Lake Mead
“Hefty snowfalls that fed the Colorado River in recent weeks may slow the water level decline of Lake Mead on the Nevada-Arizona border, according to some experts. Forecasters now expect Lake Mead to finish this year around 1,027 feet elevation, about 19 feet lower than its current level. But that’s about 7 feet higher than the 2023 end-of-year elevation in the bureau’s forecast from last month, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. … “I think the big picture is that we’re dealing with some very long-term deficits along the Colorado River system,” Steph McAfee, the state climatologist and a professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, told the Review-Journal. “A good year is good news. And I don’t want to diminish that. But it’s not going to fix the problem.” ... ” Read more from Channel 15 here: Recent snowfalls may slow water level decline at Lake Mead
Commentary: Arizona’s Ponzi scheme of water laws will fail us
Matt Somers, a nearly 65-year resident of Arizona and a community activist, writes, “Just as a Ponzi scheme fails when the economy becomes sour and people want their money back, the land trade in Arizona is just the same. Except, in this case, it’s not the dollars that go missing, but the water. There are always technology “fixes” that are suggested, even planned, for future water supplies. Once it was using nuclear bombs to build a canal from the Columbia River to Nevada. Another was towing icebergs to the Pacific Coast (if there will be any icebergs left in a few hundred years). Desalinating water from the Gulf of California has been a con for over 50 years. There’s always been outlandish ideas. Unfortunately, the Republican-led Arizona business interests have always been suckers for the con. … ” Continue reading at the Arizona Daily Star here: Commentary: Arizona’s Ponzi scheme of water laws will fail us
A look at reservoir levels in California’s major reservoirs …
DWR Reservoirs 5More news and commentary in the weekend edition …
In California water news this weekend …
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
- State Water Board adopts new statewide sanitary sewer system regulations
- Adventures in Bay-Delta Data: The other smelt – what about Wakasagi?
- Sierra Nevada forests have seen ‘unprecedented’ level of high-severity wildfires, study finds
- Sustainability plans approved for major North Bay groundwater basins
- Napa Valley Grapegrowers Report: Investing in the aquifer
- Marin water district tests supply options against severe drought
- Why desert golf courses and artificial lakes remain untouched by the Colorado River crisis
- Colorado River states facing new deadline on water usage reduction
- How Las Vegas declared war on thirsty grass and set an example for the desert Southwest
- Could a river finally run through the Glen Canyon Dam?
- And more …
Click here for the weekend digest.
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
NEW TOOL: Public Release of Source Water Protection Web App
NOTICE: of 180-Day Temporary Permit Application T033347 / Permit Order 21440 – Yolo County
