On the calendar today …
- WEBINAR: Introduction to the Public Trust Doctrine and Its Implementation by the California Coastal Commission and State Lands Commission in the Face of Sea Level Rise from 12pm to 1pm. Join staff from the California Coastal Commission and State Lands Commission for a webinar introducing the basics of the public trust doctrine and a discussion of both agencies’ roles in applying the doctrine particularly as sea levels rise. The public trust doctrine is a common law principle that requires certain lands, including tidelands, be held in trust for public use and benefit. Government agencies like the Coastal Commission and State Lands Commission must protect and manage these public trust lands for the public’s use and enjoyment, which is becoming increasingly challenging as some public trust tidelands are squeezed between development and rising seas and may ultimately drown without action. Click here to register.
- WORKSHOP: Draft Guidelines For Expedited Drinking Water Grant Funding Program – Southern California from 1pm to 3pm in Riverside. The workshops will include a presentation about the Draft Guidelines as well as the opportunity for participants to provide oral comments. Click here for the full public notice.
In California water news today …
O.C. Sanitation to demo tech that kills ‘forever chemicals,’ turning waste into water, clean energy
” … O.C. Sanitation officials have partnered with North Carolina-based cleantech company 374Water to bring a supercritical water oxidation unit, AirSCWO, capable of treating up to 6 tons of wet sludge per day, to the Fountain Valley facility as part of a demonstration project. The district’s board of directors approved the project in 2021 at a cost of $8.7 million. Together, they aim to show how a new technology might be applied in a wastewater treatment setting and eventually scaled up over time, from a unit with a 6-ton capability to 30 tons to potentially 200 tons, the point at which two units could take on the district’s entire load. “Six tons is a game-changer for the industry, because for a majority of treatment plants in America, that would be enough for them,” Thompson said during a recent tour of the Fountain Valley facility. “We’re trying to work our way to a 200-ton unit, which would turn into a game-changer for us.” … ” Read more from the Daily Pilot here: O.C. Sanitation to demo tech that kills ‘forever chemicals,’ turning waste into water, clean energy
Palo Alto: Water system malfunction caused pandemonium for fire crews
“An issue with Palo Alto’s water-pressure system set off at least 24 false fire-alarm calls in rapid succession throughout the city in late January, forcing dispatchers and emergency crews to scramble. Palo Alto Utilities and San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) puzzled over why the pressure from the SFPUC’s water system dropped and possibly triggered a sudden pressure rise as Palo Alto’s system attempted to compensate, thus setting off the alarms. The succession of rapid alerts began rolling in on Jan. 26 starting 1:47 p.m. and continued for about 30 minutes, according to police scanner calls and the online emergency alert app PulsePoint. Calls continued to come in from throughout the city in one- to two-minute intervals. … ” Read more from Palo Alto Online here: Palo Alto: Water system malfunction caused pandemonium for fire crews
Atmospheric rivers aren’t just a problem for California; They’re changing the Arctic
“The Arctic is seeing a rapid decline in sea ice even during the cold winter months when it should be recovering from the summer melt. Scientists say that one often-overlooked factor is playing a bigger role than previously thought: Atmospheric rivers. These long, narrow bands of moisture in the atmosphere transport warm air and water vapor from the tropics. They can extend for thousands of miles and dump rain and snow when they make landfall. In January, atmospheric rivers brought a parade of deadly storms that unleashed heavy rain, flooding and mudslides in California. Now they are increasingly reaching the Arctic, according to a study by a team led by Penn State University scientists and published Monday in the journal Nature Climate Change. … ” Read more from CBS San Francisco here: Atmospheric rivers aren’t just a problem for California; They’re changing the Arctic
How a new law is bringing more attention to natural carbon sequestration
“Driving through Yolo County, you’ll see the expected wide expanses of farmland. That’s nothing unusual for an agricultural area like this one, but Heather Nichols has an eye for one particularly interesting feature that others might miss: Hedgerows. These rows of California native trees and shrubs are planted strategically alongside farmland. … In the past, these rows have been used by farmers for a variety of reasons. They can offer habitat for animals and attract pollinators, for example. But while hedgerows have been around for a long time — centuries in Europe and introduced in recent decades to California — they’re now looked at through a new lens. Nichols said that they’re particularly good at sequestering carbon. All woody vegetation, trees and shrubs included, draw in and sequester carbon, even helping store that carbon in the soil around them. …” Read more from Capitol Public Radio here: How a new law is bringing more attention to natural carbon sequestration
‘The cost of trying to mitigate that is just too high’: Testing wildfire fuel management in the Sierra
“High up in the Sierra, just outside of Georgetown, lies the UC Berkeley Blodgett Experimental Forest. That’s where you’ll find researchers like Ariel Roughton, a research manager with Berkeley Forests. “It’s a really great place to come and talk about different forest structures and how they responded to wildfire,” said Roughton. Last September, the Mosquito Fire burned through a portion of Blodgett, and UC Berkeley researchers were eager to see the aftermath. I was invited at the end of October to tour portions of the Blodgett Forest with a small group of other journalists. It was led by several experts in forestry and fires, who were excited to share with us what they had learned the month prior. … ” Read more from Channel 10 here: The cost of trying to mitigate that is just too high’: Testing wildfire fuel management in the Sierra
The last thread of hope to revive California’s trees is vanishing
“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 percent, 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 percent of tree cover. Jon Wang, the study’s lead author and an Earth systems scientist at the University of Utah, said that at the current rate, “in a hundred years, we will have lost almost 20 percent of our forests. That’s like all of Southern California’s forests being gone, or all of the Southern Sierras being gone.” … ” Read more from Popular Science hree: The last thread of hope to revive California’s trees is vanishing
In regional water news and commentary today …
Storm drops 2 feet of snow at Tahoe; Sunny skies expected this week
“The weekend storm at Lake Tahoe dropped more than 2 feet of snow over a couple of days and have left behind chilly temps, icy roads and chain controls on most basin highways. Homewood Mountain Resort, Palisades Tahoe and Northstar California all reported receiving at least 2 feet of snow with lesser amounts along the South Shore, 17 inches at Kirkwood Mountain Resort and about a foot at Sierra-at-Tahoe. Following the storm will be chilly temperatures and sunny skies on Monday with highs in the upper 30s and the overnight low in the mid teens. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune here: Storm drops 2 feet of snow at Tahoe; Sunny skies expected this week
Chico: Valley’s Edge facing legal challenge
“As foreshadowed by organizers of a referendum, opponents of Valley’s Edge are suing the city and the project proponent over a plan the Chico City Council approved for the 1,448-acre site. Three environmental groups filed suit in Butte County Superior Court asserting the Valley’s Edge Specific Plan violates the California Environmental Quality Act, known as CEQA, and is “inconsistent” with city policy, notably Chico’s climate action plan, or CAP. Filed Friday (though not appearing on the court’s website Saturday), the suit claims the project’s environmental impact report, or EIR, “failed to comply with CEQA’s requirements in that it failed to adequately disclose, analyze and/or mitigate (Valley’s Edge’s) significant environmental impacts and cumulative impacts as required by law, and its conclusions … are not supported by substantial evidence.” ... ” Read more from the Oroville Mercury Register here: Chico: Valley’s Edge facing legal challenge
With nearly half the rain season to go, S.F. has already hit a critical milestone
“As of Saturday, seven months into the 2022-23 rain season, San Francisco had received a full season’s worth of rainfall, according to meteorologists. A quarter of an inch that fell in the morning and early afternoon Saturday put San Francisco over the top by 2 p.m.: It brought the total precipitation during the current rainfall season — July 1 to June 30 — up to 22.89 inches, according to meteorologist Jan Null of Golden Gate Weather Services. “This equals their full season (July-June) normal,” he tweeted. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle here: With nearly half the rain season to go, S.F. has already hit a critical milestone
Acampo neighbors see little help after flooding, raising concerns over water and soil containment
“While Northern California dealt with scattered rain and mountain snow on Sunday, a San Joaquin community is still recovering after rain and flooding hit their neighborhoods nearly three weeks ago. In Acampo, people say they have received some help through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but more is needed. The water is gone, yet the damage shows a snapshot of the toll the water took on these homes. “We, as of yesterday, we’re informed our house is sinking both sides,” said Alexis Chevalier, a resident at the Arbor Mobile Home Park. … ” Read more from CBS Sacramento here: Acampo neighbors see little help after flooding, raising concerns over water and soil containment
How LA County captures stormwater in neighborhood parks
“If you take a trip to Franklin D. Roosevelt Park near Huntington Park, you’ll see a skateboard zone, a soccer field and a few polychromatic playgrounds. You’d definitely see Angelenos everywhere, young and old, enjoying the California sunshine.But did you know that underneath all of this infrastructure, there’s a massive filtration system that just might help us through times of drought?Brian De Los Santos, your How To LA podcast host extraordinaire, visited Franklin D. Roosevelt Park along with Producer Evan Jacoby and Reporter Erin Stone to talk to experts about how all this works. ... ” Read more from the LAist here: How LA County captures stormwater in neighborhood parks
San Diego secures $3 million to help low-income families install efficient toilets, irrigation
“California has awarded the wholesaler San Diego County Water Authority $3 million to help financially strapped households install high-efficiency toilets and upgrade irrigation systems, state officials announced last week. The money comes from the Department of Water Resources as part of $46 million in grants doled out across six counties in the state. Projects include recycling efforts, flood risk and groundwater management, pipeline construction and turf rebates. The program in San Diego is expected to install about 7,000 new toilets, as well as roughly 4,000 irrigation devices that regulate flow according to weather conditions, officials said. The money is expected to last at least through 2025. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune here: San Diego secures $3 million to help low-income families install efficient toilets, irrigation
Along the Colorado River …
What the crisis on the Colorado River means for Southern California
“Call it water whiplash: As California recovers from one of its wettest months in recent history, the Colorado River is still dwindling toward dangerous lows. As a result, Southern Californians aren’t sure whether to expect shortage or surplus in the year ahead. Though the state is snow-capped and soggy from a series of atmospheric river storms, the region remains under a drought emergency declaration from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. That includes mandatory water restrictions for about 6 million people in and around Los Angeles. The early-season storms provided some drought relief, but most officials say it would be premature to loosen water restrictions. In fact, the severity of the crisis on the Colorado — and the federal mandate that California and six other states significantly reduce their use of water from that river — means more calls for conservation are likely in the months ahead, according to MWD General Manager Adel Hagekhalil. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: What the crisis on the Colorado River means for Southern California | Read via Yahoo
Radio show: Examining California’s Role in the Colorado River Water Conflict
The Colorado River, which supplies water to much of the western United States, continues to diminish under historic drought conditions. And California is under pressure to reduce the amount of water it takes. The agricultural industry in California’s Imperial Valley alone gets more water than Arizona and Nevada combined – but that’s because under law, those farmers have some of the Colorado River’s oldest water rights. Citing those rights, California rejected a proposal last week from the six other Colorado River-dependent states on how to divide the water and instead put forward its own plan. We’ll take a closer look at the impasse and the impact of the shrinking Colorado River on the Imperial Valley and beyond. Guests are Sammy Roth, energy reporter with the Los Angeles Times, and Janet Wilson, senior environment reporter for the Desert Sun and Stanford Western Media Fellow.” Show airs at 10am; audio available afterwards on this page: Radio show: Examining California’s Role in the Colorado River Water Conflict
Despite separate plans for Colorado River cuts, stakeholders continue to talk
“One proposal would bring cuts of 2 million acre-feet of water for users pulling from the drought-choked Colorado River system, mostly affecting California, Nevada and Arizona, in an attempt to conserve the region’s most valuable commodity: water. When looking at the plan released Monday by six of the seven states that rely on the Colorado River for their water supplies — and fiercely try to protect what they believe is their fair share — one water expert came to a harsh conclusion. “It’s a bandage for a gunshot wound,” said Kyle Roerink, the executive director at the Great Basin Water Network. The proposal, Roerink says, falls short because it puts the burden mostly on the three southwestern states — the so-called Lower Basin states. “I think any time we see a proposal put forth that is going to limit consumptive uses, that’s helpful,” Roerink said. “It’s promising, but when you look at who’s giving up what, it just begs the question: Why does the Upper Basin get off scot-free?” … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Sun here: Despite separate plans for Colorado River cuts, stakeholders continue to talk
Colorado River crisis so bad lakes Mead and Powell are unlikely to refill in our lifetimes
“The snowpack in the Sierra Nevada is the deepest it’s been in decades, but those storms that were a boon for Northern California won’t make much of a dent in the long-term water shortage for the Colorado River Basin — an essential source of supplies for Southern California. In fact, the recent storms haven’t changed a view shared by many Southern California water managers: Don’t expect lakes Mead and Powell, the nation’s largest reservoirs, to fill up again anytime soon. “To think that these things would ever refill requires some kind of leap of faith that I, for one, don’t have,” said Brad Udall, a water and climate scientist at Colorado State University. … ” Read more from the LA Times here: Colorado River crisis so bad lakes Mead and Powell are unlikely to refill in our lifetimes | Read via Yahoo News
As climate change and overuse shrink Lake Powell, the emergent landscape is coming back to life – and posing new challenges
“As Western states haggle over reducing water use because of declining flows in the Colorado River Basin, a more hopeful drama is playing out in Glen Canyon. Lake Powell, the second-largest U.S. reservoir, extends from northern Arizona into southern Utah. A critical water source for seven Colorado River Basin states, it has shrunk dramatically over the past 40 years. An ongoing 22-year megadrought has lowered the water level to just 22.6% of “full pool,” and that trend is expected to continue. Federal officials assert that there are no plans to drain Lake Powell, but overuse and climate change are draining it anyway. As the water drops, Glen Canyon – one of the most scenic areas in the U.S. West – is reappearing. … ” Read more from The Conversation here: As climate change and overuse shrink Lake Powell, the emergent landscape is coming back to life – and posing new challenges
The Colorado River drought crisis: How did this happen? Can it be fixed?
“The Colorado River is in crisis. The problem has been building for decades but has come to a head in recent years because the major manufactured reservoirs on the river have fallen to dangerously low levels, prompting the Biden administration to call for unprecedented cuts in water usage among the 40 million people who rely on the river. That is forcing tough decisions out West. How do you balance securing water for some of the fastest growing cities in the country with preserving water for farming regions that supply most of the country’s winter vegetables? Do you recognize that some users have a longer established right to the water than others, such as farming regions that laid legal claim to the water before urban areas? As the country starts to pay more attention to the plight of the Colorado River, we addressed some questions about the river and how its highly coveted water is distributed. … ” Read more from the Washington Post here: The Colorado River drought crisis: How did this happen? Can it be fixed?
Southern Utah water manager speaks on current water situation, gives thumbs down for California solution
“It didn’t take long for Zach Renstrom, Washington County’s top water manager, to speak about recent events involving the Colorado River and two of the associated reservoirs during this address at the 2023 What’s Up Down South Economic Summit held in St. George Wednesday. Before a large gathering at the Dixie Convention Center, Renstrom, who serves as the general manager of the Washington County Water Conservancy District, said people needed to remember that the Virgin River is a part of the overall Colorado River Basin. “The thing that’s important to remember is the Virgin River is the Colorado River – it’s a tributary,” Renstrom said. “Through the Colorado River, we are connected to cities like Cheyenne, Wyoming; Denver, Colorado; San Diego and all of the discussion on the river right now.” … ” Read more from the St. George Spectrum here: Southern Utah water manager speaks on current water situation, gives thumbs down for California solution
As fight for overtaxed Colorado River comes to boil, Wyoming looks to protect its interests
“Wyoming can’t separate itself from concerns about – and possible looming fights over – the Colorado River, an attorney told state lawmakers Thursday. As a headwaters state, Wyoming has a direct line of interest into a growing crisis that could affect millions of people, said Chris Brown, water section specialist for the Wyoming Attorney General’s Office. “The estimate is that the river serves the fifth largest economy, as it starts in Wyoming and goes all the way down to Mexico,” he told members of the House Agriculture, State and Public Lands and Water Resources Committee. He was testifying about House Bill 222, which would establish an official Colorado River advisory committee from the already-existing Colorado River Working group. … Establishing a permanent committee would help give a voice to Wyoming’s water users, particularly farmers and ranchers who use the headwaters for irrigation, said the bill’s main sponsor, House Speaker Rep. Albert Sommers, R-Pinedale. … ” Read more from Cowboy State Daily here: As fight for overtaxed Colorado River comes to boil, Wyoming looks to protect its interests
‘We will run out’: Arizona community desperate for water solution
“Politicians and other state officials say they’re working diligently toward both short- and long-term solutions for the Rio Verde Foothills, which entered its second month without a reliable water source on Wednesday. But the community can’t wait forever. “As soon as we hit 90 degrees, we’re screwed,” said Christy Jackman, a 13-year Rio Verde Foothills resident. “That’s when it’s gonna really, really be bad. You have to keep drinking water. Your horses have to keep drinking water. “We will not be able to conserve the way we do now, and we will run out.” Before Jan. 1, the more than 1,000 people living in the unincorporated area north of Scottsdale received water for over 30 years from water haulers from the city. But Scottsdale Mayor David Ortega followed through on a November warning, cutting the community off to prioritize city residents as part of Scottsdale’s drought management plan. ... ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service here: ‘We will run out’: Arizona community desperate for water solution
SEE ALSO: Who knew? There are limits to growth in the American West, from Resilience.org
Sonoran officials rebuke desalination company for ‘lack of ethics’
“Sonoran state officials are throwing cold water on a fast-moving $5.5 billion proposal to build a massive desalination plant in Puerto Peñasco, Sonora, and pipe much of the water 200 miles to Arizona. “It’s total absurdity,” Sonoran Gov. Alfonso Durazo said in a news conference last week, responding to the assertion that Sonoran officials had already given support to the project’s backers. Durazo acknowledged meeting with representatives from Israel-based IDE Technologies, the company that wants to build the plant, but not to discuss shipping water to Arizona. He said the meeting was about desalination technology generally. “I am not going to deny the interest that I have in knowing the technologies that exist for desalinating water, because eventually it will be a necessity in our state,” he said in the Jan. 31 conference. … ” Read more from the Arizona Daily Star here: Sonoran officials rebuke desalination company for ‘lack of ethics’
In national water news today …
How beavers are reviving wetlands
“We are losing wetlands three times faster than forests, according to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. When it comes to restoring them to their natural state there is one hero with remarkable powers – the beaver. Wetlands store water, act as a carbon sink, and are a source of food. The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands says they do more for humanity than all other terrestrial ecosystems – and yet they are disappearing at an alarming rate. The main problems are agricultural and urban expansion, as well as droughts and higher temperatures brought about by climate change. But if you have a river and a beaver it may be possible to halt this process. … ” Read more from the BBC here: How beavers are reviving wetlands
More news and commentary in the weekend edition …
In California water news this weekend …
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A large flock of Snow Geese takes flight from a field next to Garmier Road near Tisdale Weir in Sutter County, California. Photo taken January 12, 2023. Kenneth James / DWR Grayson wonders if restored floodplain prevented disaster
- Weekend storm to give way to pattern change in California
- California reservoir levels: Charts show water supply across the state
- Economic impacts of SGMA on dairies and beef cattle
- Central Valley groundwater sinking faster than ever
- Nearly $40 million available to help achieve groundwater sustainability through the Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program
- Recent storms flood Friant-Kern Canal construction, but project flows forward
- Using robots to fight toxic algae
- Pacific Coast Indigenous nations see a glimmer of hope for the future of salmon
- Editorial: California leaders may regret tough stand in water talks
- Resistance is futile – agriculture is key to fixing lower Colorado River water shortages
- San Francisco’s Hetch Hetchy water system is almost full for the first time in years
- Army Corps prepares fill plan for Isabella Lake as construction wraps up
- Shrinking Colorado River hands Biden his first climate brawl
- And more …
Click here for the weekend edition.
