On the calendar today …
- WEBINAR: After the Storm – A Timely Update on California’s Water Supply from 12pm to 1:30pm. Join State water leaders as they share an update on the status of drought and water supply after the recent set of fierce winter storms. How has our water supply improved? What are we doing to capture large volumes of snowmelt this spring? How are fish and wildlife faring? When will the drought be over? This dialogue will provide a timely understanding of California’s water situation, with an opportunity to get your questions answered. Click here to register.
- WEBINAR: Getting the Lead Out with the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law from 12pm to 1pm. This webinar will focus on NRDC’s work on the implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law particularly around lead service line replacement, drinking water in California, and touch on NRDC’s drinking water work in Michigan and Illinois. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a once in a generation investment into our country’s infrastructure and an opportunity to help states finance lead service line replacement. Contaminated drinking water disproportionately impacts low-income communities and communities of color and so the equitable distribution of these federal funds will be paramount to ensuring that the health and safety of these communities are prioritized. Click here to register.
- WEBINAR: NOAA’s West Watch from 2pm to 3pm. West Watch is a monthly webinar series that brings together NOAA staff and partners from across the agency and region to share information about climate observations and impacts across the West. It’s a great forum to learn more about recent events and conditions, and to hear from individuals and organizations that provide climate services to the region. This month will feature the “original” format, with discussion of the atmospheric, hydrologic, and marine conditions we’ve experienced in the last several months. We’ll also cover the available outlooks for what’s coming. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
Frigid air, snowstorm in store for the western US this week
“AccuWeather meteorologists say an active weather pattern across the Western U.S. this week can pull in brisk, Arctic air and help produce areas of heavy mountain snow. In the upper levels of the atmosphere, the jet stream will begin to plunge southward during the first half of the week, which will help usher in a large storm to the Northwest. Winter storm warnings are in place across the West, extending from the Washington Cascades to the Laguna and Cuyamaca Mountains east of San Diego. Conditions across the West started off somewhat mild for many locations on Monday compared to the harsh cold that will arrive by midweek. … ” Read more from AccuWeather.
SEE ALSO: Wild week of extreme weather ahead in the Lower 48: 5 things to know, from Washington Post
Substantial (very) low elevation snowfall possible later this week in CA as cold and active weather pattern develops
Dr. Daniel Swain writes, “In unusually dramatic fashion, there will be a sudden shift from mild, dry, and quiescent weather conditions essentially statewide for the past 7-10 days to a much colder and more active weather pattern on Tuesday. A very strong cold front (by California standards) will sweep from northwest to southeast across the entire state later on Tuesday, bringing widespread strong and gusty winds and rapidly colder temperatures. Despite its dynamic strength (in terms of the sharpness of temperature and pressure gradients), this initial cold frontal passage will be quite moisture-starved and will only produce patchy light precip (mainly in the form of mountain snow, although a few rain showers are possible at lower elevations). Some spots, however, may remain entirely dry with howling/locally damaging winds and lowering windchills. Winds Tue into Wed will be notably and locally damaging almost statewide with the passage of this (dry-ish) cold front. The front, however, will be just the beginning of a very active and interesting weather period to come for all of California. … ” Continue reading at Weather West.
Video: How California’s snowpack is measured
California water mismanagement called out by lawmakers
“Several lawmakers point to California’s water mismanagement as being one of the biggest hurdles that growers are dealing with. The issue was highlighted during a press conference at the World Ag Expo. Several members of the House Ag Committee joined Speaker Kevin McCarthy to address the challenges facing American producers. Water availability and management were focal points brought up by multiple congressmen. McCarthy specifically spoke to water regulations in California as putting a particular strain on agriculture. “It’s not the struggles of human nature, it’s actually the struggles of government from Sacramento and Washington that won’t make the investment in storage but talk a big game. Where Gavin Newsom will pick fish over people in the allowing of the pumping of the water to come down,” McCarthy noted. … ” Read more from Ag Net West.
Fracking wastewater causes lasting harm to key freshwater species
“Extracting fossil fuels from underground reservoirs requires so much water a Chevron scientist once referred to its operations in California’s Kern River Oilfield “as a water company that skims oil.” Fracking operations use roughly 1.5 million to 16 million gallons per well to release oil and gas from shale, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. All that water returns to the surface as wastewater called flowback and produced water, or PFW, contaminated by a complex jumble of hazardous substances in fluids injected to enhance production, salts, metals and other harmful elements once sequestered deep underground, along with their toxic breakdown products. … ” Read more from Inside Climate News.
California city officials say Shasta Lake water level may be down, but not out due to climate change
“Since 2020, Lake Shasta has been in what many locals consider a cyclical dry spell with no consistent sign of ending, even with the torrential rains in January raising the lake’s water level by 68 feet. According to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the lake stood at just under 993 feet elevation and 59 percent capacity as of Feb. 18. “We go in and out of droughts all the time,” Braz told The Epoch Times. “Sometimes, when the lake’s down, the out-of-towners will get on the computer. “If they see the lake is down so far, many will cancel and go to Disneyland [instead], or whatever.” Braz believes the media clamor over climate change is “just a big hoax” regarding Shasta Lake, given what he considers a historical circular drought pattern. “I’ve lived here all my life. It’s got nothing to do with the heat,” Braz said. … ” Read the full story at the Epoch Times (free registration required).
Climate in crisis: Wildfire impact on Sierra snowmelt
“Scientists are finding that snow in some parts of the Sierra Nevada is melting faster than ever – and warmer temperatures are not the cause. In a study by the Desert Research Institute in Reno, scientists analyzed satellite data from past seasons, most recently 2021-2022 when the Caldor Fire burned near South Lake Tahoe. They found that during mid-winter dry spells, burn scar areas in the Sierra had significantly high snowmelt. … ” Read more from NBC Bay Area.
Will California’s excess snow become usable water this year?
“Amid concerns about rain runoff being wasted, the state potentially has a large cache of usable water lying in the snow. It just comes down to timing.” View picture story from the Wall Street Journal.
California tree deaths spike, drought and beetles are to blame, USFS says
“Millions of trees in California’s forests are dying, and the U.S. Forest Service says that drought, disease and a destructive beetle are to blame. The U.S. Forest Service found that 36.3 million trees died, nearly four times the amount in 2021, with 9.5 million dead trees. More than three-quarters of the dead trees were true fir, which are species of the pine family. And an increased number of dead trees and dry vegetation could mean an increased risk of wildfires. … ” Read more from Fox Weather.
Climate change is making winter weather warmer and “weirder”
“It’s been a weird winter. Record snow in Buffalo. Ice in Texas. A parade of atmospheric river storms in California. In parts of the Northeast and New England, January was one of the warmest months ever, followed by an historic cold snap in February. That news is one thing on my mind as I begin a journey to understand what role climate change is playing in unreliable winter weather. The other thing is how Americans of all political stripes work hard to live inside a perfectly controlled bubble of year-round, 72-degree air. Extremes are not our thing. … ” Read more from CBS News.
In commentary today …
Water quality, fish and wildlife protection: It’s all voluntary
Chris Shutes writes, “The future is now. Governor Newsom’s February 13, 2023 Executive Order ordering the State Water Board to consider modifying flow and storage requirements for the State Water Project (SWP) and the Central Valley Project (CVP) is his blueprint for the Bay-Delta estuary and every river that feeds it. When requirements to protect water quality, fish, and wildlife are inconvenient, water managers can ignore them. It’s all voluntary. For ten-odd years, California’s water managers have promised “Voluntary Agreements” to replace the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan. They could never figure out the details of what to propose. … ” Read more from the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance.
Calif.’s drought cure starts with adapting to changing circumstances
William Bourdeau, executive vice president of Harris Farms, director of the Westlands Water District, and chairman of the Valley Future Foundation, writes, “Following a downbeat 2022, with sparse rainfall, soaring demand for water, and a need to continue to put food on the nation’s table, California kicked off 2023 blessed with an abundance of precipitation. For the past six weeks, however, that blessing, to some extent, has been squandered. The rules governing the flow of water through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta forced millions of acre feet of water – enough to meet the water needs of Los Angeles multiple times over – to be flushed out to the Pacific Ocean to meet rigid, calendar-based environmental standards. … ” Read more from the San Joaquin Valley Sun.
Water, water everywhere—if we get serious about storing it
Columnist George Boardman writes, “The massive rainstorms that inundated California is early January are starting to fill up the state’s reservoirs, but it is just a drop in the bucket of what might have been. The state Department of Water Resources estimated in late January that it will provide 30% of the water requested by municipal and agricultural water agencies this year, up from 5% projected in early December. It may not seem like a lot, but it is the most provided by the state since 2019. More is on the way, depending on how the rainy season plays out. But little has happened since January, the snow is melting faster than usual, and after three years of drought, we can’t assume our current bounty will last for long. We could relax if we did a better job of saving the water we get. … ” Read more from The Union.
Column: Shrinking water supply will mean more fallow fields in the San Joaquin Valley
Columnist George Skelton writes, “Downpours or drought, California’s farm belt will need to tighten up in the next two decades and grow fewer crops. There simply won’t be enough water to sustain present irrigation in the San Joaquin Valley. Groundwater is dangerously depleted. Wells are drying up and the land is sinking in many places, cracking canals. Surface water supplies have been cut back because of drought, and future deliveries are uncertain due to climate change and environmental regulations. We’ve known all this for years, but long-term projections have become even more grim, according to a new study by the Public Policy Institute of California. … ” Continue reading at the LA Times.
Smelt status – Winter 2023: How low can you go?
Tom Cannon writes, “In prior posts in December 2022 and November 2021, I described the status of listed delta smelt and of longfin smelt. More recent information shows little change in the dire outlook for these two native Bay-Delta fish. Delta smelt and longfin smelt populations have declined severely over the past few decades due to poor water management. In the Bay-Delta, where the smelt spend most of their lives, south Delta water exports and warming of the Bay and Delta from reduced inflow and outflow has limited their production. Temporary urgency change petitions (TUCPs) during multiyear droughts and subsequent orders by the State Water Board have allowed reduced Delta outflow, leading to higher water temperatures and increased Delta salinity. The State Board is again considering yet another TUCP in winter 2023 that would reduce Delta outflow to allow higher exports. … ” Read more from the California Fisheries blog.
DWP’s “new water war” even bigger than LA Times suggests
The Mono Lake Committee writes, “Yesterday’s Los Angeles Times article, “LA’s new water war: Keeping supply from Mono Lake flowing as critics want it cut off,” on the State Water Board’s Mono Lake workshop left readers and workshop attendees, well … wondering. Print space and attention spans are always tight, but the article missed information key to understanding the issue at Mono Lake, the diversity of voices calling Mono Lake protection, and the water supply solutions that are right at hand for Los Angeles. The State Water Board’s five-hour workshop was attended by 365 people, and 49 of the 53 public commenters spoke in support of raising Mono Lake. At the time the workshop started the Board had already received more than 800 comment letters in support of suspending water diversions until the lake rises enough to protect wildlife and the ecosystem—as already required by the Board—and to quickly schedule a hearing to implement long-term stream diversion changes to ensure Mono Lake can rise to the healthy level mandated by the Board in 1994. … ” Read more from the Mono Lake Committee.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Are the feds risking endangered salmon for fries and potato chips?
“Last fall, following a 20-year campaign led by tribal organizers, the federal government ordered the removal of four dams on the Klamath River, which flows from Oregon to California. For almost a century, these dams have prevented the river’s salmon from swimming upstream to spawn. The dams will be gone by next year, but now the salmon, including endangered coho, are facing a renewed threat from farther upstream. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which controls another set of dams on the Klamath, announced last week that it will cut flows on the river to historic lows, drying out the river and likely killing salmon farther downstream. “The bureau’s proposal will kill salmon, and there’s no question about it,” said Amy Cordalis, general counsel for and citizen of the Yurok Tribe. “These are some of the lowest flows the Klamath River has ever seen.” … ” Read more from High Country News.
Restoring first foods by removing dams
“The Klamath River spans two states and is one of the West Coast’s most important rivers for fish. Historically, the river provided a generous abundance of salmon, trout, and other fish species to Indigenous populations, who have inhabited the basin for thousands of years. Today, it remains critical to numerous Native communities, including the Hoopa, Karuk, Klamath, and Yurok tribes, who rely on it for food, weaving materials, and spiritual connection. But for the past century, a series of dams have blocked the migration of salmon and steelhead to their historical spawning grounds, with ripple effects to the entire ecosystem. Normally, after salmon return to a river to spawn and die, their bodies provide key nutrients to other organisms in the river. This includes the trees that grow along the riverbanks whose roots help prevent erosion. Near Upper Klamath Lake, wetlands once served a vital role in filtering toxins from upper basin lakes and rivers, but they have been drained for agriculture. … ” Read more from Yes Magazine.
State officials consider water restrictions in Klamath, Harney basins
“Two Oregon regions grappling with water shortages could soon have new groundwater restrictions as a mega-drought continues to parch the U.S. West. The Oregon Water Resources Department may create new critical groundwater areas in Harney Basin in eastern Oregon and the Klamath Basin in southern Oregon, according to agency spokesperson Alyssa Rash. The decision would give the agency wide latitude to mandate cuts in groundwater use by setting pumping limits or by denying new permits to pump from underground aquifers. The state water department can declare an area’s groundwater “critical” if underground water levels dwindle too quickly to recharge. … ” Read more from the Oregon Capital Chronicle.
Water managers could withhold Klamath County drought permits this year
“Not issuing the drought permits could have a significant impact on agriculture in the region if farmers don’t have access to irrigation water. “In the event that an emergency drought is declared for Klamath County, it’s very unlikely that the agency is going to be issuing many, if any, drought permits at all,” said Ivan Gall, the Interim Deputy Director for Water Management at the Oregon Water Resources Department. He said issuing the permits will depend on precipitation levels in the coming months. The department usually issues 40 to 50 drought permits per year. … ” Read more from KLCC.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
After historically bad drought in 2022, here’s how North State’s water year is shaping up
“Six months ago, private water wells in Shasta County were going dry and farmers and ranchers were enduring some of the worst drought conditions in more than 100 years. But that could be changing. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which supplies water to numerous agencies in the region, including the city of Redding, sent out a letter last week indicating that so far 2023 is not a critically dry year. That means agencies with senior water rights, such as Redding and the Anderson-Cottonwood Irrigation District, could see their water allotments increased over what they received in 2022. That means Redding could receive 100% of its senior water right allocation this year, said Josh Watkins, the city’s water utility manager. … ” Continue reading at the Redding Record Searchlight.
Chico council to consider sewer intertie compact with Paradise
“Councilors will decide about Paradise sewer lines connecting to Chico’s wastewater plant, along with a handful of other notable items, during Tuesday’s Chico City Council meeting. The agenda also features appointments to three commissions, an update on broadband, consideration of library funding and a request to discuss easing requirements for the Community Fridge and similar projects. Officials from Chico and Paradise have met since April 2021 to develop a regionalization plan to allow the city’s Wastewater Pollution Control Plant to process flows from the town’s new sewer system. The project’s advisory committee, with the mayors and vice mayors of both jurisdictions, issued a proposed agreement reviewed last Tuesday by the Paradise Town Council. Chico councilors get their say this week. … ” Read more from the Paradise Post.
Oroville council to weigh input on dam relicensing, levee improvements
“The Oroville City Council will consider a letter to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) with specific terms to support relicensing of the Oroville Dam at its next meeting Tuesday. Councilors will discuss asking FERC to “require the renegotiation or addendums be added to the original agreement prior to relicensing” the dam. The council’s agenda also contains a report from Sutter Butte Flood Control about improvements to levees in Oroville, information reviewing city fees and consideration of a $10 million purchase of certificates of deposits. In addition, the council will hold a public meeting for comments regarding a change to the city’s homebuyer assistance programs that will require applicants to have a minimum credit score of 620 and demonstrate the ability to receive an interest rate no more than 1% of the Fannie Mae 90-day rate. … ” Read more from the Oroville Mercury-Register.
20 rock, tree structures going into Sacramento River for fish habitat
“A coalition of farmers, water managers and local, state and federal agencies will be installing 20 unique, natural structures known as ‘rockwads’ in the Sacramento River to increase the likelihood that young salmon will be able to grow in size and strength to prepare for their journey to the Pacific Ocean. The effort, led by the Sacramento River Settlement Contractors and the Sacramento Valley Ecological Restoration Foundation (SAVER), includes the installation of 20 structures, made of large tree roots and canopies bolted to boulders, near the South Bonnyview Bridge and boat ramp in Redding. … ” Read more from Fox 26.
Salmon surveys happening now in Sacramento will help future generations of fish survive
“On a winter’s morning, three biologists wade into the American River, leaving their motorboat docked along an embankment. Their directive is straightforward: Keep your eyes peeled for steelhead redds. “A redd is essentially a nest that a salmon builds to lay their eggs,” explains Mollie Ogaz, a biologist with Cramer Fish Sciences. “Then, they’re fertilizing there in the gravel and they incubate, and then they hatch.” Right now, it’s survey season for steelheads. These surveys typically begin in January and go until April, lining up with the species’ spawning season. This year, these efforts faced some delays; the river is more turbid than usual after January’s succession of intense storms. It’s taken weeks for the water to settle enough that researchers can conduct their search – sometimes on foot, scanning the river floor as they stand hip-deep in it, or by peeking over the side of their boat. … ” Read more from Capital Public Radio.
Excitement builds in foothills with chance of low snow in Northern California
“In Auburn, the week is off to a bright start, but that sunshine could turn into snow as the week ends. ABC10’s meteorologists say snow levels are predicted to drop throughout Thursday and Friday morning, potentially as low as 500 feet in elevation. That could mean snow for areas like Auburn. “We’ve lived here since 2012, and it has snowed a couple times. The one time… it stuck around for at least a week cause it was cold enough. So we’re looking forward to the event coming up. I hope it’s a couple inches,” said Richard Bright, who lives in Auburn. … ” Read more from ABC 10.
BAY AREA
Bay Area to see coldest temperatures of the season as region braces for back-to-back winter storms
“The first of two winter storms is slated to impact Northern California today, streaming powerful northwest winds into San Francisco and the wider Bay Area. This afternoon’s winds will flip the switch on the region’s weather pattern, quickly plummeting daytime temperatures by 5 to 10 degrees and sending nighttime temperatures down to freezing in most of the inland valleys. This winter storm will then be followed up by a second winter storm starting on Wednesday and lasting through Friday, ushering in the weather ingredients needed for rain (and snow) showers. It’s looking very likely that by Thursday and Friday mornings, residents in the foothills of the region will be waking up to a wintry mix of ice pellets and even some snow. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Editorial: This time, Marin Municipal Water District must assure that rate hike will help secure reliable supply
“Some Marin Municipal Water District ratepayers may feel they are caught in a predictable cycle. It has happened more than once: They dramatically cut back their use of water, most recently due to a drought, and, soon after, their rates rise because the district needs to make up for the loss of income caused by that reduction. In recent years, orders to reduce water use have been in response to dire conditions caused by drought conditions, including 2021 when MMWD officials worried they might run out of water. MMWD ratepayers stepped up and significantly reduced their water use. The quandary is whether we get a lot of drought-relieving rain or perilously little, MMWD’s cost of delivering that water to its customers doesn’t fluctuate. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal..
This Bay Area county wants to put low-income housing next to a toxic dump
“In 2007 there were high hopes for Bay Point’s marinas and the 250 acres that lie east of the railroad tracks in hardscrabble Contra Costa County. A redevelopment plan for this land that lies along Suisun Bay called for an expanded and upgraded harbor with housing, restaurants and a new boardwalk along the waterfront. PG&E, which owns the property, had plans to clean up the metals and toxic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons that Shell Oil Products Co. had dumped there decades earlier. That portion would be restored as wetlands. An adjacent parcel, which doesn’t require environmental remediation, would be developed into apartment buildings and restaurants and ball fields. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Pleasanton council to review update on water supply alternatives
“Pleasanton city staff will be presenting an update to the City Council on different water supply alternatives to address the contaminated water inside city-owned wells during Tuesday’s regular meeting. Over the last couple of years, staff have been discovering PFAS, technically known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, in the city’s groundwater supply facilities — specifically in three city-maintained wells. These wells supply approximately 20% of the city’s annual water supply. The remaining annual water supply is purchased from the Zone 7 Water Agency. In order to address the widely used and long-lasting chemicals, which break down very slowly over time, staff had previously recommended approving a PFAS treatment and wells rehabilitation project. But on Sept. 6, the City Council pushed pause on the project and asked staff to evaluate other alternatives due to a $46 million pricetag on the original project. … ” Read more from Pleasanton Weekly.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
L.A. vowed to stop wasting so much stormwater. But progress has been slow
“Only weeks ago, Angelenos watched as trillions of gallons of precious stormwater poured into the region’s concrete waterways, slid down slick pavement and washed out to sea. After so many months of drought-related water restrictions, it seemed to many like a missed opportunity. While officials say they’re making progress when it comes to capturing more of the county’s stormwater, a new report from watchdog group Los Angeles Waterkeeper has focused on the plan’s sluggish progress so far, and calls for improved metrics and a more proactive approach, among other recommendations. The Safe Clean Water Program — passed by Los Angeles County voters in 2018 as Measure W — allocates $280 million annually to projects aimed at capturing and cleaning stormwater when it falls. That includes reducing the amount of asphalt and hardscape that now prevents water from percolating into the earth. … ” Read more from LA Times.
Letting go of our love of lawns
“Lynetta McElroy stands outside her home on a tree-lined street in the south L.A. neighborhood of Leimert Park, where she’s lived since the 1980s. “Leimert Park was known for its beautiful lawns,” McElroy said. “No fences, and you could go to one corner and you could see just about to the next corner. It gave a community feeling. I’ve always loved this area. And it took a while to get a home in this area, needless to say.” Leimert Park has long been a center of Black Los Angeles — and a testament to the possibility of the American Dream. … ” Read more from the LAist.
State agency forfeited cleanup funds for lead-contaminated parkways in Los Angeles County
“As congressional representatives urge federal officials to assist California’s struggling, $750-million effort to remove brain-damaging lead from neighborhoods surrounding the shuttered Exide battery recycling plant, The Times has learned that the agency in charge of the project has forfeited millions of dollars earmarked for the cleanup of heavily contaminated parkways. Although officials with the state Department of Toxic Substances Control have long insisted they lacked the funding to clean the publicly owned strips of turf between streets and sidewalks, state lawmakers had set aside $6.5 million for the testing and cleaning of parkways, according to the state finance department. However, more than half of that money reverted back to the general fund after the agency missed a spending deadline, the office said. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Wild weather on the way: Whipping winds, rain, low-level snow, extreme cold
“Hope you enjoyed the stint of recent sunshine, because the weather is about to get wet and wild. Secure your patio furniture, dig out your warm coats and get ready for another shot of rain and snow that will persist through the weekend, with potentially another storm brewing next week. “Winter is definitely not over,” National Weather Service meteorologist Elizabeth Schenk said. She’s in the office that covers Orange County and the Inland Empire. “We are looking at a pretty highly impactful week, weather-wise.” Southern California is about to get wind-whipped and soaked with two systems on the horizon this week, though major flooding like that seen during January’s bomb cyclone storms isn’t expected. Much of the nation is expecting wintry weather this week. … ” Read more from the OC Register.
SAN DIEGO
San Luis Rey River federal flood-control project gets $1.6 million in Oceanside matching funds
“Oceanside has approved a payment of almost $1.5 million for its share of the next phase in a federal effort to protect homes and businesses along the San Luis Rey River from flooding, reduce insurance costs and supply sand for the city’s beaches. The matching contribution approved Wednesday by the Oceanside City Council secures a $5.2 million federal grant announced in June for the decades-old U.S. Army Corps of Engineers project. Along with about $4 million already set aside for the work, the Corps of Engineers now has more than $10 million to pay for the design work, hydrology studies, environmental assessments and geotechnical investigations needed before any excavation can be done. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union Tribune.
Along the Colorado River …
Former Calif. water official warns Wyoming: ‘Don’t let them buffalo you’ over Colorado River
“Wyoming will continue to feel pressure from California’s increasing demands on the Colorado River and needs to get ahead of the curve now, warns a former longtime Golden State water commissioner. It would probably be best for Wyoming and the other six “interior states” that rely on the Colorado to secure their water rights now while pressing California to become more independent, Michael Matteson told Cowboy State Daily. Matteson served for about 30 years as a commissioner for the water conservation district of Murrieta, California. He said that over the course of his career, he watched as Los Angeles increasingly put demands on his district. He said it’s a microcosm of how things could play out across the West with ever-increasing demand on the Colorado River’s shrinking supply. … ” Read more from Cowboy State Daily.
‘In many ways, it’s everybody against California’: Inside the battle to divvy up the Colorado River
“Western state water officials will spend the next few months trying to agree on how to divvy up water from the Colorado River, which sustains a region of 40 million people across seven states but has been devastated by the worst drought in more than a thousand years. Reaching a deal, however, has thus far proved challenging. Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming have jointly made a proposal to the federal government over how to decrease consumption of Colorado River water. California, however, has a different plan. If the seven states can’t agree, federal officials will step in and unilaterally impose cuts later this year. At issue is how much water California is entitled to and the time by which broad cuts will be implemented. … ” Read more from Fast Company.
Lake Mead vs. California’s water needs
Jon Bishop, resident of Sparks, Nevada, writes, “The near-total depletion of Lake Mead demands a serious consideration of alternatives. For too many years, California’s constant demand for the lion’s share of Colorado River water has largely accounted for the near-depletion of Lake Mead. California currently gets more than 58% of Lake Mead’s lower basin water. California must be weaned off of Colorado River water. Why? The landlocked states that draw from Lake Mead (Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming) are also experiencing increased demands and have no alternative source. California does. … ” Continue reading at the Reno Gazette Journal. … ” Continue reading from the Reno Gazette Journal.
Critics say big businesses are taking advantage of Arizona’s outdated water law
“As western states brace for cuts to their allocation of Colorado River water, some corporate farms in rural Arizona are pumping millions of gallons of water out of the ground, turning a dry desert into green farmland. Critics of the current system say big farms are taking advantage of an outdated water law that allows landowners outside of active management areas to pump virtually as much water as they want to with little to no regulation. Arizona’s main active management areas are in Maricopa, Pinal, Pima, and Santa Cruz counties, leaving much of rural Arizona water use unregulated. “If you just let anybody pump what they want, then whoever can drill deep wells can do exactly that, and they can pump as much water as they want and undercut everybody else in the area,” said Natalie Koch, a professor at Syracuse University. … ” Read more from Channel 5.
Proposed deal would restore water service to Arizona homeowners cut off by Scottsdale. Here’s what we know.
“Rio Verde Foothills’ loss of water service has become a national symbol of Arizona’s failure to deal with the megadrought. Now the unincorporated desert subdivision north of Scottsdale could become a symbol of something else: Rare cooperation among four levels of government to restore water service. Almost eight weeks after Scottsdale cut off a decades-old water supply that served about 300 homes, the City Council is expected to vote at a 5 p.m. meeting Tuesday on a draft agreement with Maricopa County that would revive water service for at least two years. … ” Read more from Channel 12.
St. George: Our water crisis is solvable without the Lake Powell Pipeline
Andrew Kramer, a Vietnam veteran and retired architect, writes, “Recently, Ivins conducted a comprehensive citywide survey in which residents expressed their priorities and concerns. In response, City officials are holding four Talkabout town halls to discuss specific subjects. Water is the topic for the Talkabout on Feb. 22. Panelists will include Zachary Renstrom, General Manager of the Washington County Water Conservancy District. While Ivins has implemented several initiatives to alleviate our impending water crisis, effective water management requires a coordinated county-wide effort. We need to solve our water challenges with pragmatic workable solutions based on reliable data and well-reasoned evaluation of problems and solutions. … ” Continue reading from The Spectrum.
And lastly … “Western Water Girl” raising awareness on water issues through social media
“Over the course of nearly a year, Teal Lehto, or Western Water Girl on TikTok, has gained more than 50,000 followers while talking about all things water in the west. “People ask me what the goal of my account is and it is really genuinely just talking about these issues,” Lehto explained. Water has influenced Lehto’s life in a big way. She grew up along the banks of the Animas River in southwestern Colorado and even worked for a rafting company at a young age. … ” Read more from Channel 15.
In national water news today …
EPA: $2 billion in grants available to combat emerging contaminants
“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced the availability of $2 billion from President Joe Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to address emerging contaminants like Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in drinking water across the country. The investment, which is allocated to states and territories, will be made available to communities as grants through EPA’s Emerging Contaminants in Small or Disadvantaged Communities (EC-SDC) Grant Program and will promote access to safe and clean water in small, rural, and disadvantaged communities while supporting local economies. EPA Administrator Michael Regan announced the water infrastructure investments in Maysville, North Carolina while holding a community roundtable with North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Secretary Elizabeth S. Biser and other state and local leaders on Feb. 13. … ” Read more from Water Finance & Management.
More news and commentary in the weekend edition …
In California water news this weekend …
Did winter storms replenish California’s depleted groundwater supplies? Here’s what data shows- Before and after: New photos show remarkable recovery at California’s most beleaguered reservoir
- Mudslides, threat of ‘wet vintage’ won’t dampen winemakers’ delight in record rainfall
- Threats from ticks, fleas and mosquitoes on the rise after historic rainfall, California officials warn
- Los Angeles DWP battles to keep spigot open at Mono Lake
- Report from the Congressional Farm Bill Hearing
- Tracking microplastic ‘fingerprints’
- A guide for new California water wonks
- Here’s how one beach in Ventura County is trying an innovative strategy to combat erosion
- Wildlife Conservation Board funds Environmental Improvement and Acquisition Projects
- U.S. Senate Bill aimed at aiding drought in the Klamath Basin
- This spawning season could save the Clear Lake hitch from extinction, but not everyone agrees on how to help
- Just because North Bay reservoirs are full, it doesn’t mean the drought is over, experts say
- Changes needed to save second-largest U.S. reservoir, experts say
- And more …
Click here for the weekend digest.
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
NOTICE of Petitions for Temporary Urgency Change – U.S. Bureau of Reclamation
NOTICE of Certification of consistency with Delta Plan filed for McCormack-Williamson Tract Levee Modification And Habitat Restoration Project – Phase B (C20231)
NOTICE for Water Quality Certification Application for Battle Creek Salmon and Steelhead Restoration Project – Phase 2 No Regrets
