On the calendar today …
- WEBINAR: Leveraging Capital Markets to Accelerate Lead Service Line Replacements from 10am to 11am. The new $15 billion in federal funding for lead service line replacements, as vital and historic as it is, is dwarfed by the estimated $47 billion need to address this public health crisis, one that affects primarily the most vulnerable and needy among us, often people of color. It is possible for local water leaders to close this funding gap. WaterNow Alliance and Environmental Policy Innovation Center will host a 1-hour virtual webinar for utility and community leaders nationwide on how they can access capital markets to maximize access to federal funding and accelerate the rate of lead line replacements on private property. For more information and to register, click here.
- JOINT LEG HEARING: California’s Preparedness for and Response to Extreme Atmospheric River Incidents beginning at 10:30am. The Emergency Management; Water, Parks, and Wildlife; and Utilities and Energy Committees will hold a legislative hearing, “California’s Preparedness for and Response to Extreme Atmospheric River Incidents”. Click here for more information and the audio/video links.
- WEBINAR: The Groundwater Accounting Platform from 12:30pm to 1:30pm. Join a joint Lunch-MAR and Data for Lunch presentation to learn more about the Groundwater Accounting Platform: an open-source tool that helps California water managers, landowners, and water users track water budgets and usage more easily in near real-time. The California Water Data Consortium and Environmental Defense Fund are partnering to expand the Platform to new regions, and to provide additional features and functionalities to help more groundwater agencies and landowners track water use allocations under SGMA. Come hear more about how this tool is helping to achieve groundwater sustainability in California. Zoom Information: This event will be hosted on Lunch-MAR’s Zoom account. Please register at this link to receive the Zoom link.
California and the Colorado River …
California fires back at other Western states with its own Colorado River plan
“Dueling plans for how to save the fast-drying Colorado River have been submitted by California and six other states to federal authorities, who have made clear they may impose draconian cuts if consensus is not reached regionally on deep reductions. That agreement could be hard to come by. California swung hard at six other Western states late Tuesday, submitting its own proposal for more than 3 million acre feet in reductions — both from current and future agreements — if necessary from the river’s dwindling reservoirs, Lake Powell and Lake Mead. The plan, which includes some California cuts, mainly targets Arizona and other states with less legal rights to the water, and aims to preserve all of the Golden State’s rights, most of which stretch back more than a century. The Imperial Irrigation District, tucked in the state’s arid southeastern corner and a major producer of the nation’s winter crops and livestock feed, is entitled to more water than Arizona and Nevada combined. ... ” Read more from the Desert Sun here: California fires back at other Western states with its own Colorado River plan | Read via Yahoo News
California offers proposal on Colorado River crisis, disagreeing with six states
“California has given the federal government its own counterproposal for apportioning reductions of Colorado River water, saying a plan offered by six other states would disproportionately burden farms and cities in Southern California. Water agencies that depend on the river submitted their proposal to the Biden administration on Tuesday, the same day that federal officials had set as a deadline for the Colorado River Basin states to reach agreement on how to prevent reservoirs from dropping to dangerously low levels. The state put forward its proposal a day after Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming released their alternative. A large portion of the cuts they proposed would be made by accounting for evaporation and other water losses along the lower portion of the river — a calculation that would translate into especially large reductions for California, which uses more Colorado River water than any other state. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: California offers proposal on Colorado River crisis, disagreeing with six states | Read via Yahoo News
California water agencies submit Colorado River modeling framework to Bureau of Reclamation
“California water agencies that rely on the Colorado River today proposed a modeling framework for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to evaluate as it considers actions to help stabilize reservoir elevations and protect critical infrastructure to ensure the Colorado River system can continue to support 40 million people, nearly 6 million acres of agriculture, and Tribes across seven states and portions of Mexico. The modeling framework outlines a constructive approach to achieve additional water use reductions while protecting infrastructure, prioritizing public health and safety, and upholding the existing body of laws, compacts, decrees, and agreements that govern Colorado River operations (known collectively as the Law of the River). The approach builds on the California agencies’ commitments announced last fall to voluntarily conserve an additional 400,000 acre-feet of water each year through 2026 to protect storage in Lake Mead and help stabilize the Colorado River reservoir system. … ” Continue reading from Metropolitan Water District here: California water agencies submit Colorado River modeling framework to Bureau of Reclamation
California, other states reach impasse over Colorado River
“California and other Western states that import water from the parched Colorado River failed to reach an agreement today on how to cut their use despite a deadline from federal officials. Six states presented the federal government with a proposal to slash the lower basin’s use by 2.9 million acre-feet from their historic allotments— including more than 1 million acre-feet from California, or 25% of its entitlements. But California, the largest user of Colorado River water, refused to sign onto the proposal and, instead, hours later issued its own — which mirrors its offer last fall to cut imports by 9%, or 400,000 acre feet. The impasse is over water delivered to Imperial Valley farmers and cities in six Southern California counties. … ” Read more from Cal Matters here: California, other states reach impasse over Colorado River
California floated cutting major Southwest cities off Colorado River water before touching its agriculture supply, sources say
“In a closed-door negotiation last week over the fate of the Colorado River, representatives from California’s powerful water districts proposed modeling what the basin’s future would look like if some of the West’s biggest cities – including Phoenix and Las Vegas – were cut off from the river’s water supply, three people familiar with the talks told CNN. … California was proposing following the “law of the river,” which gives farmers in major agricultural districts first dibs on water because they have a priority claim established before other districts’ rights – including Californian cities like Los Angeles, which receives around half of its water from the Colorado River. The eye-popping suggestion was met with strong and immediate pushback from other state officials at the negotiating table, the people familiar with the discussions said. ... ” Read more from CNN here: California floated cutting major Southwest cities off Colorado River water before touching its agriculture supply, sources say
Sinema leans on California to join Colorado River water pact
“As six states wait for California to join its Colorado River Basin water use agreement, Arizona Sen. Kyrsten Sinema called on the state to be willing to seal the deal. … “The announcement of the proposed collaborative approach to reach a fair, workable, and lasting solution to our water crisis represents a positive step in the right direction, and I’m grateful for Arizona’s leadership on the drought proposal. Now, it’s time for California to help solve the water crisis and be an equal partner,” Sinema said. “Arizona – or any other state – cannot bear the full burden of water cuts. The Colorado River is all of ours and it’s up to all Basin States to work together and protect the lifeblood of all of our economies and environments – our water supply. Failure is not an option, and I hope the Bureau of Reclamation will seriously consider the proposal laid out by the six states.” … ” Read more from Center Square here: Sinema leans on California to join Colorado River water pact
Editorial: California has major stake in Colorado River water use fight
The San Jose Mercury News and East Bay Times editorial board writes, “Californians have a major stake in the seven-state fight over how reductions in Colorado River water use should be allocated. The states on Tuesday missed a federal deadline for reaching a voluntary agreement on how to reduce supplies from the drought-stricken river. It raises the prospect of the Biden administration stepping in and imposing mandatory restrictions on water use. Any cuts to Southern California’s water supply could put additional pressure on the state to send more water south from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The Delta provides about one-third of the Bay Area’s water and 65% of the fresh water that Californians drink. Protecting the health of the Delta and the quality of its drinking water should be one of the state’s highest priorities. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here: Editorial: California has major stake in Colorado River water use fight
Commentary: Officials avoid sacrificing Lake Powell sacred cow
Kyle Roerink, executive director of the Great Basin Water Network, writes, “A coalition of Colorado River activists criticized the federal government and seven states for prioritizing an agreement that fails to meaningfully reduce consumptive use across the Colorado River Basin by substantial amounts while prioritizing propping up the water-wasting Glen Canyon Dam. A letter signed by six of the seven Colorado River Basin states asks the Bureau of Reclamation to study various modeling proposals for future reservoir elevations. The letter outlines potential new cuts but avoids reducing use that would prevent the looming water delivery crisis at Glen Canyon Dam –– which would prevent providing enough water to lower basin water users through the Grand Canyon to satisfy Compact obligations. Yesterday’s deal would not stabilize the system, but it would make Upper Basin water managers happy for years to come. … ” Read more from the Sierra Nevada Ally here: Officials avoid sacrificing Lake Powell sacred cow
EXPLORE MORE COVERAGE:
- Deadpool Diaries: The numbers in the states’ two proposals, from Jon Fleck at Insktain
- California has a plan for cutting Colorado River use. It involves pretending water doesn’t evaporate, from the Associated Press via Fortune
- There’s a deal to save the Colorado River — if California doesn’t blow it up, from Grist
- As the Colorado River dries up, states can’t agree on saving water, from the Washington Post
- Nevada plays neutral role in Colorado River Basin tensions, leads others in efficiency, from Channel 2
- Six states release consensus framework for Colorado River cuts — with California absent, from the Nevada Independent
- 6 Colorado River states submit a plan to cut water use, but California says ‘no deal’, from the Arizona Republic
- Utah joins five states in plan to keep feds from making cuts in Colorado River, from the Salt Lake Tribune
- California holds out as western states agree to cut Colorado River water use, from the Guardian
- Radio: How will CA farming be affected by water cuts from Colorado River?, from KCRW
- Commentary: Desalination and conservation are the answer to drought, from the Nevada Independent
- Commentary: Unlike California, Vegas isn’t gambling with its future by squandering water, from Dennis Wyatt at the Maneca Bulletin
More Colorado River news below, after the regional section. Take me there!
In other California water news today …
Report details toll of agriculture, oil and gas sectors on California water crisis
“A new report from the nongovernmental organization Food and Water Watch details the extent to which both the agriculture and oil and gas industries impact water stability in California. Combined, the sectors use hundreds of millions of gallons of freshwater each year. Despite the deluge of rain and snow that fell on California earlier this winter, the vast majority of the state still suffers from at least a moderate drought. The past two decades marked the region’s driest period in more than 1,200 years. Although climate change is in part to blame for the water crisis in the West, growing demand also plays a role in water shortages. “Many of our headlines speak to the drought as the sole reason for our water crisis, but this report clearly shows how big oil and big agriculture are abusing and using billions of gallons of our water for their benefit — enough to meet the water needs of every Californian,” Chirag Bhakta, the California Organizing Director at Food and Water Watch, said in an interview with Changing America. … ” Read more from The Hill here: Report details toll of agriculture, oil and gas sectors on California water crisis
SEE ALSO:
- Confronting California’s water crisis: State officials should protect water as a public resource and rein in corporate water abusers to deal with its increasingly uncertain water future, a new report says, from Inside Climate News
- Environmental group urges California to limit the growing of almonds and alfalfa, from the LA Times
Sierra Nevada snowpack hits biggest level in nearly 30 years
“The statewide Sierra Nevada snowpack — the source of nearly one-third of California’s water supply — is at its highest level since 1995, boosting hopes that an end to the drought is near, but also raising concerns that a few warm spring storms could melt it too early and trigger major flooding. Not since Toy Story packed movie theaters, Steve Young led the 49ers to their fifth Super Bowl win, and gasoline cost $1.28 a gallon has there been so much snow in California’s most famous mountain range at the end of January. “It’s absolutely massive,” said Kevin “Coop” Cooper, a ski resort consultant who lives near South Lake Tahoe. “I’ve spent so much time with my snow shovel that I named it. My wife thought I was having an affair.” ... ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News here: Sierra Nevada snowpack hits biggest level in nearly 30 years
SEE ALSO: Water deliveries may climb to 30% after recent rains, from Ag Alert
How do you track an atmospheric river? Climb aboard this highflying reconnaissance jet
“The interior of the plane looked like a cross between a private luxury jet and a space mission control room. The Gulfstream IV cruised at 43,000 feet, high above a seemingly peaceful layer of thick clouds that stretched to the horizon. Crew members in blue jumpsuits stared at computer screens that revealed their hidden target miles below: a powerful atmospheric river that was churning across the Pacific Ocean toward California, bearing torrential rains and fierce winds. Soaring more than 1,000 miles northeast of Hawaii, the specially equipped hurricane-reconnaissance jet “Gonzo” was preparing to drop dozens of data-collecting devices into the heart of the storm. By capturing the equivalent of a CT scan, the crew would help to predict when and where the rains would hit. And how hard. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: How do you track an atmospheric river? Climb aboard this highflying reconnaissance jet
Federal climate scientist estimates California suffered more than $1 billion in damage from winter storms
“The frequency of natural disasters causing more than $1 billion in damages is steadily on the rise in California and across the country. The series of atmospheric rivers that marched through the Central Coast in January will likely be the first natural disaster to cross the billion-dollar threshold in 2023, according to one federal scientist who tracks these über-destructive storms.Adam Smith, an applied climatologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, has analyzed 341 billion-dollar natural disasters endured by the United States since 1980 — 45 of which have affected California. He says the sheer breadth and duration of the atmospheric river parade gives him confidence that damages will exceed $1 billion. … ” Read more from Lookout Santa Cruz here: Federal climate scientist estimates California suffered more than $1 billion in damage from winter storms
Lake Oroville one of many utilized for catching storm water
“The California Department of Water Resources, in light of recent storms, is utilizing its lakes and reservoirs throughout California to capture stormwater. This recently led to the department’s announcement that the State Water Project will likely be allocating 30% of DWR-managed water to go toward communities that use these surface water resources. DWR spokesperson Raquel Borrayo said managing the stormwater capture means monitoring inflow and outflow to the lake to avoid flooding. “DWR is managing State Water Project facilities, including Lake Oroville, to capture as much water from the recent storm systems as possible while also meeting safety and flood control needs,” Borrayo said. “Releases to the Feather River remain at a minimum of 950 cubic feet per second, while inflows are currently in the 7,900 (cubic feet per second) range, but decreasing with continued dry weather.” … ” Read more from the Oroville Mercury Register here: Lake Oroville one of many utilized for catching storm water
Drought and floods, California’s eternal battle
“California is in a constant battle with water, alternating yearly droughts with hammering rains and floods. Since the end of December, violent storms have swollen rivers, covering homes, roads and people in mud and killing around 20 people. When the storm dies down the result, almost ironically, is the same it has been for several years now: billions of liters of water, which could be stored to face droughts, end up instead into the Pacific Ocean. The state is not remaining idle, but so far the programs it has completed or begun have not been able to capture as much water as was hoped. The double emergency of drought and flooding characterizes California’s perennial contrast of highs and lows. “We anticipate that this may be one of the most challenging and impactful series of storms to touch down in California in the last five years,” Nancy Ward, newly appointed as California Office of Emergency Services Director in December 31 by Governor Gavin Newsom, said at the beginning of January. Several counties in the state have activated systems to hold as much water as possible to reuse it during the summer months, transforming an emergency into an opportunity…. ” Read more from We Build Value here: Drought and floods, California’s eternal battle
Pumping Mississippi River water west: solution or pipedream?
“Waves of torrential rainfall drenched California into the new year. Snowpacks in the Sierra Nevada Mountains have swelled to more than 200 percent their normal size, and snowfall across the rest of the Colorado River Basin is trending above average, too. While the much-needed water has improved conditions in the parched West, experts warn against claiming victory. About 60 percent of the region remains in some form of drought, continuing a decades-long spiral into water scarcity. “The drought is so critical that this recent rainfall is a little like finding a $20 bill when you’ve lost your job and you’re being evicted from your house,” said Rhett Larson, an Arizona State University professor of water law. Over the years, a proposed solution has come up again and again: large-scale river diversions, including pumping Mississippi River water to the parched west. … ” Read more from the Associated Press here: Pumping Mississippi River water west: solution or pipedream?
Tamping down on the dust
“Dust storms. Pest scourges. Diseased fungus. As a historic drought drives water scarcity throughout the Western United States, these are some of the threats looming over hundreds of thousands of acres, experts say, if California farmland is left to dry up in coming years. The drought has particularly dire implications for the San Joaquin Valley, the state’s agricultural heartland. The region is home to a $35-billion farming industry, which has had relatively unhindered access to water. But these days, with a relentless drought and a warming climate plaguing the West, the flow is looking less certain. Furthermore, decades of overdrawing groundwater to supplement surface supplies are finally catching up, leaving Central Valley aquifers depleted. Enacted in 2014, California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) aims to reverse the trend by tightening restrictions on pumping, drilling, and deepening wells in order to restore underground basins. Yet those limits, coupled with deep slashes in surface water allocation, have already dried up some 752,000 acres of farmland statewide in the past year. And the situation is only expected to get worse … ” Read more from Earth Island Journal here: Tamping down on the dust
Geneticists light up debate on salmon conservation
“To the Karuk Tribe, Ishi Pishi Falls on California’s Klamath River is the center of the world. Every spring, the holy site is the location of the first of a set of ceremonies collectively called pikyávish, meaning “fix the world” in the local language, explains Ron Reed, a dip net fisherman and tribal cultural leader who conducted the ceremony at Ishi Pishi for years before passing the mantle on to his sons. Pikyávish includes prayers for the area’s living things and is performed to help keep the world balanced, according to Reed. He says that the Karuk believe humans were put on the planet to be nature’s stewards, and it’s only through that stewardship that people can survive and flourish. “We always like to say the health of the river runs parallel to the health of the people of that river.” Reed also refers to the annual Ishi Pishi tradition as the spring salmon ceremony. The timing of the ritual is supposed to line up with the arrival of áama, the first salmon entering the Klamath to return to the waters of their birth, where they will spawn come autumn. … ” Read more from The Scientist here: Geneticists light up debate on salmon conservation
Timeline: An Extended Battle: Various concerned groups have been petitioning NOAA Fisheries to list spring-run Chinook salmon in Oregon and Northern California for over a decade
“Chinook genetic data generated in the first decade and a half of the 21st century revealed notable differences between the populations in different watersheds—but not between spring and fall runs within a watershed. Thus, the available evidence supported the geographically based Evolutionary Significant Unit (ESU) designations that were formalized in March of 1998. Still, given known biological and ecological differences between early- and late-migrating salmon, a petition was filed in 2011 asking NOAA Fisheries to split the spring run of the Upper Klamath and Trinity Rivers ESU into a separate unit or population segment, and to list that segment under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). That petition was denied the next year, though some scientists are still of the opinion that spring runs should have special protection. … ” Read more from The Scientist here: Timeline: An Extended Battle: Various concerned groups have been petitioning NOAA Fisheries to list spring-run Chinook salmon in Oregon and Northern California for over a decade
Rep. Costa will serve on ag, natural resources committees
“Even though Republicans now control the House, Fresno Democrat Jim Costa will serve on two of his preferred committees in the 118th Congress. Costa said Tuesday afternoon that he will be a member of the House Agriculture Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee. In addition, Costa was appointed to Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries, a subcommittee of the Natural Resources Committee. … ” Read more from GV Wire here: Rep. Costa will serve on ag, natural resources committees
California unveils bold plan to sustainably manage pests and eliminate high-risk pesticides by 2050
“Today, the state joined leaders from a diverse range of backgrounds to unveil a roadmap of ambitious goals and actions to accelerate California’s systemwide transition to sustainable pest management and eliminate prioritized high-risk pesticides by 2050 to better protect the health of our communities and environment, while supporting agriculture, food systems and community well-being. The Sustainable Pest Management Roadmap for California – released by the Department of Pesticide Regulation, the California Environmental Protection Agency, and the California Department of Food and Agriculture – charts a course for the state’s transition to sustainable pest management in agricultural and urban settings. The roadmap was developed over nearly two years by a diverse, cross-sector group of stakeholders representing conventional and organic agriculture, urban environments, community and environmental groups, tribes, researchers, and government. ... ” Read more from Cal EPA here: California unveils bold plan to sustainably manage pests and eliminate high-risk pesticides by 2050
In commentary today …
Sacramento leaders can build climate resilience and our economy. Here’s how
Don Howard, president and CEO of The James Irvine Foundation, and Matt Horton, the director of Accelerator for America and Senior Advisor to the Milken Institute, write, “The severe storms that battered our state in recent weeks are a stark reminder that climate change isn’t a theory but an active, urgent threat. Californians who struggle the most in our economy are the hardest hit by dramatic changes in our climate. This is no accident: Decades of systemic racism and classism have led to neglected infrastructure and economic opportunity in communities of color and low-income areas. Despite this California has an enormous opportunity to improve both climate resilience and economic opportunity. Billions of dollars of federal and state investments are available to expand clean energy, shore up our transit systems, bolster our water infrastructure and create high-quality jobs. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee here: Sacramento leaders can build climate resilience and our economy. Here’s how
Today’s featured article …
STATE WATER BOARD: Update on the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan
Best case scenario has adoption of updated Sacramento River objectives and implementation of San Joaquin River flow objectives in 2024
The San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary Water Quality Control Plan (or Bay-Delta Plan) establishes water quality objectives to protect beneficial uses of water in the Bay-Delta watershed, including fish and wildlife, municipal, and agricultural uses, and a program of implementation to achieve these objectives.The last time the Bay Delta Plan was updated was in 2006. Since then, fish in the Delta estuary have continued to decline, and water quality has worsened. Acknowledging the water quality objectives were insufficient to protect beneficial uses as required, in 2009, the State Water Board initiated the update process for the Bay Delta Plan.
Nearly 14 years later, the State Water Board is still working on the update. On January 19, staff updated the State Water Board members on the current timeline for completing the Sacramento/Delta update to the Bay-Delta Plan, including consideration of proposed voluntary agreements (VAs); implementing the 2018 Bay-Delta Plan amendments for Lower San Joaquin River flows and southern Delta salinity; and consideration of a recent voluntary agreement proposed for the Tuolumne River.
Diane Riddle, an assistant deputy director in the Division of Water Rights, and Erin Foresman, the Environmental Program Manager of the Bay Delta San Joaquin section, gave the update.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Cochran Creek restoration gives Humboldt Bay fish a place to live
“Bays and estuaries across California provide important habitat for anadromous fish to grow and nurture their young before transitioning to life in the sea. However, since European settlement, much of that crucial fish habitat has been lost due to land use conversion. In the North Coast, over 95% of Humboldt Bay’s historic footprint has been altered by anthropogenic activity, much of it for agricultural uses. CalTrout’s recently completed restoration project on Cochran Creek will restore function back to a small yet important piece of the landscape. … ” Continue reading from Cal Trout here: Cochran Creek restoration gives Humboldt Bay fish a place to live
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Success in the Sierra: French Meadows partnership completes fourth season of work
“Despite the challenges of an extremely dangerous fire season, including California’s largest wildfire in 2022 (Mosquito Fire) impeding access and limiting operations, partners of the French Meadows Forest Restoration Project (“Project”) have wrapped up their fourth season of forest treatments in the critical headwaters of Tahoe National Forest. This season, project partners safely treated over 700 acres of federal land using a combination of mastication, mechanical thinning, hand thinning, and prescribed fire. On adjacent private land, the American River Conservancy independently raised funds and treated 338 acres. Combined, this all-lands collaborative watershed management project has treated over 6,000 acres in just four seasons. … ” Read more from Yuba Net here: Success in the Sierra: French Meadows partnership completes fourth season of work
Clean up the Lake highlights efforts for 2023, including return to Tahoe
“Following on the successful 72-mile clean-up of Lake Tahoe in 2022, the dive team that coordinated the effort is expanding its underwater clean-up plans in 2023. Clean up the Lake, a nonprofit committed to fighting back against plastic and pollution both above and below the surface of local waters, will return to Lake Tahoe and nearby Fallen Leaf Lake this year and also has plans to clean up Echo Lake, Boca and Stampede Reservoirs in Truckee and four different lakes in Mono County and the Mammoth Lakes Basin. The CUTL dive team is already back in the water in Lake Tahoe, with plans to revisit 40 different dive sites around the lake in 2023. Three separate Tahoe-based projects will take place, focused on deep dive litter accumulation studies at 35 and 70 feet and also looking into “terrain traps,” or how the lake’s bathymetry, wind, currents and recreation affect litter accumulation trends throughout Lake Tahoe. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune here: Clean up the Lake highlights efforts for 2023, including return to Tahoe
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
CalTrout expands statewide restoration work into new Mt. Lassen region
“California Trout recently expanded our reach in Northern California with the opening of our new Mt. Lassen region. Projects in CalTrout’s Mt. Lassen region concentrate on east-side tributaries of the Sacramento River which drain from the Cascade mountains in Butte, Tehama, and Shasta counties. These projects strive to halt the current decline in native fish populations, recover endangered populations specifically adapted to the region’s geography, and support general ecosystem function within the Mt. Lassen region. Specifically, we will work to restore connectivity for migratory fishes, provide access to colder and less degraded habitats, and create natural segregation between fish runs. CalTrout recently received a funding recommendation for a fish passage project on Ótakim Séwi (Big Chico Creek) in Iron Canyon, which will serve as the flagship project for the new Mt. Lassen region. … ” Read more from Cal Trout here: CalTrout expands statewide restoration work into new Mt. Lassen region
New fish spawning habitat project going on under Market Street bridge in Redding
“A new project, under the Market Street bridge in Redding, is providing new spawning habitats for endangered fish populations. Up to 8,000 tons of gravel is being placed into the Sacramento River, underneath the Market street bridge, to help provide a critical spawning habitat for endangered Chinook salmon and Steelhead trout. The spokesperson for the Sacramento River settlement contractors, Rob McAllister, said the project is vital to the endangered Chinook salmon and Steelhead trout. … ” Read more from KRCR here: New fish spawning habitat project going on under Market Street bridge in Redding
Chico: Gateway Science Museum exhibit takes visitors on a water drop’s extreme journey
“The journey of a single drop of water can be daunting. Falling from the sky, it could traverse down mountains and through rivers—all the while avoiding pollutants and human impact—before it joins the ocean or reaches our bodies. “Water’s Extreme Journey,” the newest exhibit at the Gateway Science Museum, explores this idea with a hands-on, interactive maze that brings to life water quality issues that affect people and the environment. The exhibit is open now and runs through Saturday, April 29. “By delving into the story of ‘Water’s Extreme Journey,’ Gateway visitors will learn more about how the water cycle works, while asking critical questions about the choices we make in our everyday lives,” McGraw said. “This interactive exhibit is informative and fun, giving everyone something to learn and explore.” … ” Read more from CSU Chico here: Chico: Gateway Science Museum exhibit takes visitors on a water drop’s extreme journey
Woodland: Underground aquifer storage growing as more river water is pumped into wells
“After historic rains hit California over a three week period, many have been wondering if enough is being done to store the excess water. The city of Woodland has been prepared for water storage for over a decade. What started off as a treatment facility to clean water soon became a treatment and underground storage facility. Tim Busch, a utilities engineer with the city of Woodland, says they received rights to divert water from the Sacramento River in 2011 to provide water to Woodland-Davis residents. That treated water was put through their first Aquifer Storage and Recovery well, or ASR well. The project broke ground in 2014 and since then, three ASR wells now help hold hundreds of millions of gallons of water. ... ” Read more from ABC 10 here: Woodland: Underground aquifer storage growing as more river water is pumped into wells
BAY AREA
Rainy weather is headed to the Bay Area this week. Here’s a timeline of impacts
“An arctic air mass is roaring out of the West Coast today, leaving room for a weak high-pressure system that will bring mostly quiet weather on Wednesday. But just over the western sky, a low-pressure system is spinning toward California. Clouds will roll into the Peninsula this afternoon and blanket most of the Bay Area by tonight. Northwest winds will then steadily pick up on Thursday as the system curls into the Golden State, hoisting chances for rain across the wider Bay Area as early as midnight on Friday. This will mark the start of two rounds of rain, snow and winds that will impact Northern California over the weekend. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: Rainy weather is headed to the Bay Area this week. Here’s a timeline of impacts
San Francisco’s Presidio springing to life after this year’s series of storms
“Wildlife ecologist Jonathan Young is measuring the effects of our recent storms, which he says have brought the San Francisco Presidio’s often secluded watersheds roaring back to life. In the case of this marsh near Crissy Field, they’ve flushed in a mix of fresh water and salt water that’s still able to support the oysters and other coastal creatures that call the area home. “And testing the salinity just now, it was at about 27% around the depth they’re at. So it’s pretty good considering the amount of freshwater that came into the system with that storm,” says Young. … ” Read more from ABC Bay Area here: San Francisco’s Presidio springing to life after this year’s series of storms
Hundreds of Los Gatos residents lose water service for days
“Hundreds of Los Gatos residents had their water service shut off on Saturday afternoon, and it’s not clear when their taps will be flowing again. The entire mountain community of Aldercroft Heights, off of Highway 17 in Los Gatos, is impacted by what the neighborhood’s water provider, Aldercroft Heights County Water District, called a “facility water leak.” As many as 400 residents were without water as of Monday afternoon, and Eric Lacy, who works for the state Water Resources Control Board, said looking for the leak is like finding a needle in a haystack. The water provider isolated its entire system to boost storage tank levels and save as much water as they could. … ” Continue reading at the San Jose Mercury News here: Hundreds of Los Gatos residents lose water service for days
CENTRAL COAST
Santa Cruz Water 101: Why we are still in drought
“Lookout political columnist Mike Rotkin explains why the atmospheric bomb cyclones that flooded parts of Santa Cruz County at the start of January do not signal an end to the drought we are currently in. He also offers a mini primer on the city’s water-solutions history, from storage to desalination efforts and more. He also explains why water bills might eventually go up. … ” Read the story at Lookout Santa Cruz here: Santa Cruz Water 101: Why we are still in drought
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Garbage and debris pileup along Delta raises concerns for Stockton resident
“Plastic waste, hypodermic needles, and washed-up toys were just some of the items seen floating around Stockton waterways. “Really bad. A lot of junk floating in from everywhere,” resident Michelle Cunningham said. “And I don’t even know exactly where it’s coming from.” On Tuesday, boating docks appeared empty, and fishermen were nowhere to be found. Thomas Lathan is a local resident who said up until recently was frequently fishing in the waterways. Now, he and others are holding back until they are cleaned. “A lot of them stopped coming because you know, all this junk is in the water. I wouldn’t come out here on a boat until they clean it up,” Lathan said. … ” Read more from KCRA here: Garbage and debris pileup along Delta raises concerns for Stockton resident
California’s Sierra Nevada gives the Central Valley more water than we thought
“Imagine the Sierra Nevada is the world’s largest bathroom scale. The rain that falls on mountain peaks each year is like a giant foot stepping on the scale, according to Donald Argus, a researcher with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. But unlike a foot, some of that water stays in the Sierra, and seeps deep below. Argus is the lead author on a new study showing that more groundwater from below the Sierra is funneling into the Central Valley’s aquifers than previously thought. The data has potentially big implications for water managers. … ” Read more from KVPR here: California’s Sierra Nevada gives the Central Valley more water than we thought
Ceres: Council receives status of surface water project
“Starting in August, water coming from Ceres taps will be a combination of what is pumped from the ground and what is pumped and filtered from the Tuolumne River. The completion of the surface water project northeast of Hughson will a dependable and clean source of water into the future, Robert Granberg, general manager of the Stanislaus Regional Water Authority (SRWA), told the Ceres City Council last week. “We’re coming to the end of the road here on this long, many decades project that’s been in the works,” said Granberg. … ” Read more from the Ceres Courier here: Ceres: Council receives status of surface water project
Porterville extends temporary water aid to outlying areas
“After heavy rain storms hit Tulare County this month, a water well that serviced over 300 homes became inaccessible due to a destroyed road. This caused the county to reach out to Porterville for help. After the recent deluge that caused a Visalia well to be blocked off, the county found that Porterville’s water system was closest in proximity to 389 affected homes. The homes sit in areas like Strathmore, Springville and other areas within the Eastern Tule Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA). Shortly after, the Porterville City Council unanimously approved Tulare County’s request to provisionally use Porterville’s water. With the approval, the Porterville water system will fill temporary household tanks that were already in place as a part of the Self-Help Enterprise’s (SHE) Emergency Tank Program. … ” Read more from the Foothills Sun-Gazette here: Porterville extends temporary water aid to outlying areas
Kings River: Spring runoff expected to surpass previous years due to snowpack buildup
“The Kings River Water Association announced Tuesday that the snowpack in the Sierra Nevada is above what is considered “normal water” content due to the recent storms. Water officials say early measurements indicate the present Kings Basin’s snowpack could generate 130 to 140 percent of spring runoff. ... ” Read more from KMPH here: Kings River: Spring runoff expected to surpass previous years due to snowpack buildup
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
L.A.’s ‘Green Alley’ experiments are working
“For most of the three decades Rosendo Mendez has lived in his South Los Angeles bungalow, the alley behind it had been a problem. The strip of asphalt that neighbors used to access their garages was riddled with potholes that attracted all kinds of garbage and became massive puddles whenever it rained. “A lot of water and a lot of trash,” Mendez says. Then, about 15 years ago, the city came to Mendez with a proposition: Let a team of civic engineers and landscape architects tear up the asphalt and replace it with a “green alley”: A smoothly paved corridor with brightly painted murals, new greenery, and more places to stroll. These changes, beyond making the alleys beautiful, would help drain rain away from Mendez’s and his neighbor’s homes after storms, recharge the groundwater system that would keep the neighborhood cool, and could even be used as a local water source in times of drought. The project, built in collaboration with the Trust for Public Land, was part of a bigger vision for a network of similar infrastructure throughout the neighborhood. … ” Read more from Curbed here: L.A.’s ‘Green Alley’ experiments are working
Hope grows infusion of sand can arrive early after recent flooding of Pacific Coast Highway at Bolsa Chica beach
“Sea water seeped onto busy Pacific Coast Highway five times this month, prompting traffic closures and headaches, but also threatening to undermine the major thoroughfare that has utilities and sewer systems running under the road’s asphalt. Bolsa Chica State Beach, one of the busiest and most popular beaches in Southern California, has had several of its parking lots and a popular beach path, used by walkers, joggers and cyclists, shut down for weeks because of the mess and damage caused by ocean flooding. Three sections of shoulder along a service road leading into lots collapsed due to the salt water damage. “This is the worst I’ve seen it. Water was just coming over the sand berm and into the parking lot, and the wetlands were filling up, and all that water had nowhere to go except the middle of PCH,” said Angie Rivera, who until last week was operating the Caliblu Surf School from the Bolsa Chica beach. “I’ve noticed over the years, we keep losing more and more beach.” … ” Read more from the OC Register here: Hope grows infusion of sand can arrive early after recent flooding of Pacific Coast Highway at Bolsa Chica beach
SAN DIEGO
Oceanside’s landscape management balances beauty and water conservation
“Thousands of visitors descend on the beautiful city of Oceanside every week. They are in town to hit the beach, swim or surf, go boating or fishing, and visit the historic Mission San Luis Rey. They come in such numbers that Oceanside’s population can swell from just over 170,000 to nearly 200,000. All these visitors bring a huge benefit to the local economy. Beautifying the local landscape makes sense for both the well-being of local residents and the increased attractiveness for visitors. But preserving the physical environment is not just an aesthetic imperative, according to Elisa Marrone, the management analyst for water use efficiency at the city of Oceanside. It also serves a vital financial function. “The problem comes if that living landscape is replaced with concrete or asphalt, or any similar non-permeable surface,” she said. “That leaves stormwater unable to soak into the ground and leads to stormwater runoff, which then washes pollutants of all kinds into the sea because it has nowhere else to go.” … ” Read more from Western City here: Oceanside’s landscape management balances beauty and water conservation
Commentary: Our water districts want a better deal for customers. We shouldn’t be punished for seeking a new supplier.
Jack Bebee, the general manager of the Fallbrook Public Utility District, and Tom Kennedy, the general manager of the Rainbow Municipal Water District, write, “It’s certainly no secret: water bills have been rising substantially across the San Diego region. And our two districts, the Fallbrook Public Utility District and the Rainbow Municipal Water District, which serve much of our county’s important agricultural industry, continue to pay some of the highest water costs in the region. In fact, the San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) charges more for its water than just about every water agency in America. Once again, this year, the SDCWA’s rate structure imposes on our customers cost increases of 8 percent, more than any district in the county. … The inequitable way in which the SDCWA cost structure impacts our agencies, as well as the costs of maintaining large rural infrastructure systems, is why our districts are looking to part ways with the SDCWA and instead purchase water from the Eastern Municipal Water District. ... ” Read the full commentary at the Voice of San Diego here: Commentary: Our water districts want a better deal for customers. We shouldn’t be punished for seeking a new supplier.
Along the Colorado River …
“Financial speculators are buying and selling rights to the Colorado River’s dwindling water resources in a bid to profit as historic drought conditions intensified by the fossil fuel-driven climate crisis lead to worsening scarcity. Wall Street investment firms “have identified the drought as an opportunity to make money,” Andy Mueller, general manager of the Colorado River Water Conservation District, told CBS News on Tuesday. “I view these drought profiteers as vultures. They’re looking to make a lot of money off this public resource.” Matthew Diserio, the co-founder and president of a Manhattan-based hedge fund called Water Asset Management (WAM), makes no secret of his intentions, having described water in the United States as “the biggest emerging market on Earth” and “a trillion-dollar market opportunity.” The company’s website declares that “scarce clean water is the resource defining this century, much like plentiful oil defined the last.” … “ Read more from Common Dreams here:
Managing the Unmeasured – Colorado River
“It’s all hands on deck for the Colorado River Basin. Nearing a quarter-century of drought (better described as a continuing shift to an ever-hotter and ever-drier climate), the most famous and important river in the West faces an existential crisis. … One might think that because the Colorado River is one of the most tightly managed and scrutinized rivers on the planet, we would have a detailed account of how every acre-foot is used and accounted for, how many people and users rely on the river, and where those uses take place. Yet, despite the severity of the current crisis and decades of management and research and litigation, basic facts about the river and the basin remain unknown, challenging efforts to better manage the system and avert the imminent crisis. … ” Read more from the Pacific Institute here: Managing the Unmeasured – Colorado River
Arizona: Fast-growing Buckeye’s land, water rights deal still not enough to quench need
“The Buckeye City Council approved the spending of $80 million on a lot with groundwater rights for fiscal year 2023 during a special meeting on Monday. Buckeye, one of the nation’s fastest growing cities, has approved 27 master planned communities and two planning areas that would grow the city’s population by 872,000 people. The city recently made headlines after Gov. Katie Hobbs released a report by the Arizona Department of Water Resources discussing the far West Valley’s groundwater issues. The report, called the Lower Hassayampa Sub-basin Groundwater Model, shows that several development areas in Buckeye need to find alternative sources of water aside from the Lower Hassayampa Sub-basin. ... ” Read more from Arizona Central here: Arizona: Fast-growing Buckeye’s land, water rights deal still not enough to quench need
How Tucson banks water for the future
“Water is a valuable resource in the desert so the City of Tucson keeps a lot of its water in a bank. It’s not a bank in the usual sense. The Southeast Houghton Area Recharge Project takes treated wastewater and pumps it into three large basins. The basins are built to have a bottom of porous earth. That allows the water to filter down about 350 feet to an aquifer—an underground area able to hold large amounts of water. There, the water waits, protected from evaporation, until the city needs to tap it, and use it. … ” Continue reading from KGUN here: How Tucson banks water for the future
Glen Canyon revealed: What comes next for Lake Powell?
“Lake Powell, like its downstream neighbor Lake Mead, stands at a quarter of its full capacity. An increasingly arid climate, high demand from thirsty agriculture, and the bad math embedded in the century-old compact that divides the Colorado River’s water have shrunk the two reservoirs to levels not seen since they were first filling. On Lake Powell’s new shoreline, old boat propellers lie in the dust along with scads of sunglasses. Red plastic drinking cups, some bearing names scrawled in Sharpie, have yellowed to the color of piano ivory. At its low point last year, Lake Powell’s surface was only 32 feet above operating levels for Glen Canyon Dam’s hydropower intakes, reducing the dam’s power output by half. If reservoir levels fall as dramatically this year as they did last year, the hydropower system — which supplies seven states — will fail. If the reservoir can no longer release adequate amounts of water from the upper reaches of the Colorado, downstream water rights could be rendered meaningless…. ” Read more from High Country News here: Glen Canyon revealed: What comes next for Lake Powell?
In national water news today …
Why it’s so hard to make salt water drinkable
“Water covers nearly three-quarters of Earth’s surface, yet only about 2.5% of it is fresh water. And the rising demand, coupled with climate change and drought, has put an increasing strain on the freshwater supply in some areas. So why not just remove the salt from–or desalinate–ocean water for human use? Well, it’s easier said than done. Seawater is on average 140 times saltier than drinking water. To efficiently remove those salts, desalination plants use specialized techniques that largely fall into two categories: thermal desalination and reverse osmosis. … ” Read more from PBS News Hour here: Why it’s so hard to make salt water drinkable
Microplastics are filling the skies. Will they affect the climate?
“Plastic has become an obvious pollutant over recent decades, choking turtles and seabirds, clogging up our landfills and waterways. But in just the past few years, a less-obvious problem has emerged. Researchers are starting to get concerned about how tiny bits of plastic in the air, lofted into the skies from seafoam bubbles or spinning tires on the highway, might potentially change our future climate. … Clouds form when water or ice condenses on “seeds” in the air: usually tiny particles of dust, salt, sand, soot, or other material thrown up by burning fossil fuels, forest fires, cooking, or volcanoes. There are plenty of these fine particles, or aerosols, in the skies — a lot more since the Industrial Revolution — and they affect everything from the quality of the air we breath, to the color of sunsets, to the number and type of clouds in our skies. Until recently, when chemists thought of the gunk in our air, plastics did not leap to mind. Concentrations were low, they thought, and plastic is often designed to be water repellent for applications like bags or clothing, which presumably made them unlikely to seed cloud droplets. But in recent years, studies have confirmed not only that microscopic pieces of plastic can seed clouds — sometimes powerfully — but they also travel thousands of miles from their source. And there are a lot more particles in the air than scientists originally thought. … ” Read the full story at Yale e360 here: Microplastics are filling the skies. Will they affect the climate?
States brace for flood of environmental permits as funding flows
“A growing number of states are trying to take the pain out of environmental permitting, steeling themselves for the billions of dollars of new construction made possible by the infrastructure and climate bills. The new efforts don’t get as much attention as Sen. Joe Manchin’s (D-W.Va.) unsuccessful bid last year to change the federal rules. But builders say permitting bottlenecks at the state level are just as vexing as federal rules, and just as capable of delaying infrastructure projects like roads, bridges, and renewable energy facilities. State agencies issue far more environmental permits than their federal counterparts, and their workload will skyrocket as more federal funds are released. But neither the $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill (Public Law 117-58) nor the $500 billion climate law (Public Law 117-169) provides extra funding for states to do permitting work—an oversight that “could lead to permit backlogs and broken promises,” said Ben Grumbles, former head of Maryland’s Department of the Environment. … ” Read more from Bloomberg here: States brace for flood of environmental permits as funding flows
