On the calendar today …
- VIRTUAL FORUM: 2023 Spring Groundwater Sustainability Agency Forum from 9am to 12pm. The Groundwater Sustainability Agency Forum (GSA Forum) series was established by DWR to help GSAs engage and exchange ideas related to SGMA implementation. The virtual Spring 2023 GSA Forum will include a panel discussion spotlighting progress that GSAs are making towards implementation of their Groundwater Sustainability Plans (GSPs). The panelists will showcase their implementation of GSP Projects and Management Actions and highlight the benefits of water accounting. Panelist presentations will be followed by a Q&A session with the audience. The Forum will also feature breakout sessions for participants to discuss what their respective GSAs are doing to support GSP implementation, providing an opportunity to share resources. Click here to register.
- MEETING: California Water Commission beginning at 9:30am. Agenda items include consideration and possible adoption of the California Native American Tribal Leadership Comment Policy, Long term drought working group report out, Expert Panel on wildfire and forest management, California Water Plan update 2023, and a Panel on Groundwater Recharge Activities. Click here for the agenda and remote access instructions.
- SIMULCAST: West Basin’s Innovative Custom-Engineered Filtration System from 12:30pm to 1:00pm. Our April presentation will cover the conception, design, and construction of a new 6MGD custom-engineered membrane filtration system at West Basin Municipal Water District’s JMM Carson Facility. Click here to register.
- WEBINAR: Generation NOW – California’s Young Environmental Leaders Drive Change from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. Celebrate Earth Week in conversation with young environmental leaders who are combating climate change, confronting environmental justice, and building equitable access to nature. Each of us has a why: the reason we pursue our work and passions. We’ll learn how these leaders became engaged, what motivates them, and their vision for the future. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
Lake Shasta reaches 4-year high. What it means for Shasta Dam water flows
“Lake Shasta has reached water levels not seen since 2019, according to California officials. That abundance means more water will pour out of Shasta Dam this spring as the power plant begins running at full capacity. The reservoir got a big influx after winter storms dumped enough rain and snow on western Shasta County to surpass historic averages, according to the National Weather Service. It’s a refreshing change after three years of drought. As of Tuesday morning, Shasta Dam Reservoir is at 93% of its capacity, said Donald Bader, area manager for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which operates the dam. That’s 13% higher than its 30-year historic average. … ” Read more from the Redding Record Searchlight.
After the deluge: Floods may taint more drinking water in California
“When Kelli and Tim Hutten made an offer for a house in the quiet Monterey County town of Moss Landing last summer, they looked forward to mild weather, coastal views, trails along nearby wetlands and being a bit closer to family. Unfortunately, the Huttons also knew that something wasn’t right with the neighborhood’s groundwater. The Huttons’ community in the Salinas Valley, one of the nation’s most productive farm areas, is just one of many towns in California plagued by nitrate contamination of drinking water. For decades, high levels have contaminated groundwater basins throughout the state — especially in disadvantaged farm communities in the San Joaquin and Salinas valleys — as well as much of the world. Now this year’s heavy rains may worsen this widespread contamination as fertilizer from crops and orchards and manure from ranches and dairy farms are flushed into underground water supplies. … ” Continue reading at Cal Matters.
How do rain and snowmelt feed wells?
“Rain and snow are vital sources of freshwater. While most precipitation ends up in surface water supplies, such as rivers and lakes, the rest trickles deep beneath the surface to become groundwater. In many homes, this groundwater is pumped up through the ground by a well – a system that depends on how much or little precipitation falls. To understand how rain and snowmelt can impact wells, it’s helpful to understand how the precipitation reaches the groundwater supply. … ” Continue reading at Fox Weather.
Historic snowmelt could resurrect ‘ghost lake’ for as long as two years
Josh Baar / DWR
“After the latest atmospheric river event contributed to the resurrection of a “ghost lake,” flooding nearby towns, residents in the path of snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada are waiting for the other shoe to drop. The train of storms that slammed the West Coast over the winter into March filled parched reservoirs and revived the depleted snowpack. However, while the surplus of water provided an oasis amid a historic megadrought, snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada could contribute to more long-lasting concerns for flood-prone towns. Experts have pointed to the southern Sierra Nevada snowpack, which drains into the San Joaquin Valley, as a particular area of concern. Gauges have already started to show some runoff, but it’s just the start of what will likely play out as intense spring flooding, Jeffrey Mount, a senior fellow at the Water Policy Center at the Public Policy Institute of California, told AccuWeather National Reporter Bill Wadell. … ” Read more from AccuWeather.
Striking before-and-after satellite photos show the start of the great California snowmelt
“As California’s wet winter has given way to warmer spring weather, the state’s record snowpack has begun to melt. Though the accumulated snow still measures 249% of normal as of April 18, new satellite photos show that the white blankets enveloping mountains across the state have started to recede. The Southern Sierra continues to be the standout region, with snow levels on slopes there at more than 300% of normal. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Storms deal double blow to small farmers
“Storms that battered farms across California took an especially harsh toll on small organic farmers who rely on farmers markets to sell their produce. In addition to damaging crops, the atmospheric rivers shuttered outdoor markets and discouraged customers, resulting in reduced sales. “I lost a lot of crops,” said Federico Toledo of Toledo Farms in San Joaquin County. “The heavy rains just flooded everywhere.” The floods killed some of Toledo’s younger persimmon, apricot and nectarine trees and drowned 4 acres of lettuce, broccoli, cauliflower and spring onions. “It was incredible,” he said, pulling up photos of a field of leafy greens resembling a pond. Parts of Toledo’s 30-acre organic farm are still underwater. “There’s 8 acres where we can’t do anything because it’s still wet,” he said. “We tried a couple times, but my tractor got stuck.” Toledo isn’t alone…. ” Read more from Ag Alert.
Late-season storm brings more snow to the Sierra Nevada
“The winter that wouldn’t quit showed up again in the Sierra Nevada region of California and Nevada on Tuesday. The fast-moving, blustery storm wasn’t expected to last long, but it was enough to require chain controls on some trans-Sierra highways and add to staggering snowfall totals left by an exceptional series of winter storms. “A blast back to some wintry weather today with wind and snowfall,” the Mammoth Mountain ski resort wrote on its web page. The early morning temperature was just 18 degrees (-8 Celsius). Like most Sierra resorts, Mammoth doesn’t need anymore snow after recording 705 inches (17.9 meters) at its main lodge and 885 inches (22.5 meters) at its summit. … ” Read more from the Associated Press
Could California’s next dam removal take place on this endangered river?
“This summer crews will break ground on the first of four dam removals along the Klamath River in California and Oregon. The dam-removal and river-restoration effort over the next two years is the largest of its kind, and river advocates hope more will follow. They may not have to wait long. Up next in the region could be two dams on the mainstem of Northern California’s Eel River. … The Eel River is the third-largest river basin in the state and once had the largest runs of salmon and steelhead on the North Coast. Both Chinook and steelhead are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.
The removal of Scott Dam and Cape Horn Dam could help boost populations of Chinook and steelhead by providing access to hundreds of miles of prime, cold-water spawning and rearing habitat, acutely needed because climate change can push water temperatures above what’s tolerable for salmonids. … ” Read more from The Revelator.
California in water storage crisis despite leaving drought, expert says
“Many people in California are wondering what is happening to all the water streaming down valley rivers. Does the state have enough capacity to hold it all? The simple answer: no. California currently has three times the normal amount of snow, according to the National Weather Service. In the last few weeks, flooding concerns have been a hot topic in the Central Valley. Now that the region has made it out of the drought, many are concerned flooding will come right back because California is not holding onto the water properly. … ” Read more from KMPH.
Running dry: groundwater depletion expert says California water crisis urgently needs state action
“Speaking at Napa Green’s Napa Rise climate action workshop on energy on April 5, 2023, Jay Famiglietti, global futures professor in the Arizona State University School of Sustainability and former senior water scientist at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), told the audience of wine industry professionals that California needs to take more aggressive steps to preserve the state’s water and energy resources. … Best known for his pioneering use of satellites at JPL to monitor groundwater depletion, primarily in Central Valley aquifers, Famiglietti’s most recent research, “Groundwater depletion in Central Valley accelerates during megadrought” published in Nature Communications, found that the groundwater depletion is accelerating significantly; he’s documented a 31% higher rate of groundwater depletion since 2019 in two years of California’s drought. … ” Read more from Wine Industry Advisor.
Water supply beneath the surface: why groundwater matters
“When we talk about California’s water, we often think of what we can see: a snowpack, reservoirs to hold water, and aqueducts to deliver water to communities throughout the state. There is another source of water for California, and it sits deep under our feet. It’s called groundwater. Most groundwater exists within cracks and spaces within rocks and soil (think wet sand at the beach). We call a layer of saturated material an aquifer. The water is kept in place by a layer, such as bedrock, that doesn’t allow water to pass through it. The California Department of Water Resources estimates that the state has roughly 850 million – 1.3 billion acre-feet of groundwater, but not all of it is usable. In comparison, the major reservoirs in California can hold a combined 50 million acre-feet of water. Groundwater makes up roughly 40% of the state’s water supply, with that number fluctuating based on wet or dry years. … ” Read more from NBC LA.
SEE ALSO:
- California got a lot of rain this year and groundwater is the key to storing it, from KABC 7
- Farmers Used California’s “Atmospheric River” to Recharge Aquifers, from Reasons to be Cheerful
- ‘Interesting to See’ How Wet Season Impacts Groundwater Basins, from Ag Net West
Cold water, diverse survival strategies may be key to Chinook salmon success in a changing climate
“A study published today in Fish & Fisheries offers a comprehensive look at the state of North American wild Chinook salmon. Its findings hold new insights for fisheries managers looking to address wide-ranging declines among Chinook stocks. The study, led by Wild Salmon Center Watershed Scientist Dr. Will Atlas with a team of leading salmon researchers from NOAA Fisheries, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Simon Fraser University, analyzed abundance trends for more than 80 Chinook populations extending from California’s Sacramento River north to the Fraser River in Canada. … ” Read more from EurekAlert.
CSPA legal victory: Supreme Court denies appeal of state regulation of Tuolumne River
“The United States Supreme Court will not hear an appeal regarding California’s authority to add mandatory conditions in the new licenses for two hydroelectric projects on the Tuolumne River. The appeal was filed by Turlock Irrigation District and Modesto Irrigation District (Districts), owners of the Don Pedro and La Grange projects. The Districts sought to overturn a June 2022 ruling by the D.C. Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals. That ruling found that the California State Water Resources Control Board had not “waived” its opportunity under Section 401 of the Clean Water Act to issue a “water quality certification” for the two projects. The Districts had alleged that the Board’s denials of certification were part of a “scheme” to delay action. A panel of D.C. Circuit judges found that the State Board had “acted” by denying the Districts certification. … ” Read more from the CSPA.
SB 687 would require State Water Board to finish Bay-Delta Plan before Delta Tunnel diversions
“On Wednesday, 4/19/23 at 9:00 am, the California Senate Environmental Quality Committee will hear Senator Eggman’s bill SB 687 (Water Quality Control Plan: Delta Conveyance Project), that would ensure that the State Water Resources Control Board updates the Bay-Delta Plan before considering a change in point of diversion permit associated with the Delta Conveyance Project. This bill does four things … ” Continue reading at the Daily Kos.
NorCal Water Association supports relief for families and fishing communities in California
Bryce Lundberg, Fritz Durst and Nicole Van Vleck write, “This week [the Northern California Water Association] sent a letter to Secretary of Commerce Secretary Gina Raimundo supporting the April 6 request by Governor Newsom and Lieutenant Governor Kounalakis for a Federal Fishery Disaster Declaration for the California salmon industry with the anticipated closure of the 2023 salmon season. The recent dry years in California have been challenging for every part of our water system. In the Sacramento Valley, we have felt the impacts of the dry years in various ways and we fully understand and empathize with the families and fishing communities financially impacted by a closure of the 2023 salmon season. Our Dry Year Task Force is committed to address these issues; thus, we support the Federal Fishery Disaster Declaration and any relief that can help these communities. … ” Read more from the Northern California Water Association.
Climate change is killing California trees. Texas trees may be the answer.
“Texas Hill Country is a far cry from urban California, with spicy barbecue, worn dance floors, pin-dot towns and ranches that stretch to the horizon. But Texan trees could become the urban forests of the Golden State’s hotter and drier future — succeeding, rather than struggling, in an era of climate change. A 20-year UC Davis research study called “Climate-Ready Trees” is exploring whether species native to our red-state rival can replace more familiar trees ill-suited to California’s coming reality. “How a tree grew in the past is no longer a good predictor of its future success,” especially in California’s inner valleys, said project leader Emily Griswold, who is overseeing the living lab, a young campus forest of more than 200 tiny saplings, representing 40 different species, native to the undulating plateau of central west Texas. Most of those have rarely been grown here before. The project comes at a time when cities seek not only to save but also to expand their urban forests. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
Wildfires may spur animal biodiversity
“Wildfires. Many see them as purely destructive forces, disasters that blaze through a landscape, charring everything in their paths. But a study published in the journal Ecology Letters reminds us that wildfires are also generative forces, spurring biodiversity in their wakes. “There’s a fair amount of biodiversity research on fire and plants,” said Max Moritz, a UC Cooperative Extension wildfire specialist who is based at UC Santa Barbara’s Bren School of Environmental Science & Management and the study’s lead author. Research has shown that in ecosystems where fire is a natural and regular occurrence, there can be more species of plants — a greater “species richness” — due to a variety of factors, including fire-related adaptations. But, he said, there hasn’t been nearly as much research in the way of animal biodiversity and fire. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press.
In commentary today …
Dan Walters: Imperial Valley nears day of reckoning for use of distressed Colorado River
“When white settlers forayed into what came to be known as the Imperial Valley at the dawn of the 20th century, they found a barren desert in California’s southeastern corner, unpopulated except for a few members of the Kamia clan of the Kumeyaay tribe. The harsh conditions, however, had a potential upside. With water, the desert could bloom with crops and the water was potentially available from the Colorado River, which flowed to the sea a few dozen miles to the east, on the other side of a massive stretch of Sahara-like sand dunes. The settlement of the valley was romantically portrayed in “The Winning of Barbara Worth,” a best-selling novel by Harold Bell Wright that later became a silent movie. A canal was dug, routed through Mexico to skirt the sand dunes, and the Imperial Valley, named for the Imperial Land Co., blossomed. It became a 500,000-acre provider of vegetables, alfalfa and other crops watered at very little cost from the Colorado and nurtured by year-round sunshine. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
How to not close salmon fisheries
Tom Cannon writes, “California salmon fisheries do not have to close. Hatcheries in California are still releasing thirty million hatchery smolts each year. This means that three to five hundred thousand adult hatchery salmon are still out there for potential harvest. About a quarter of the fish released from hatcheries are marked. Selectively harvesting the marked hatchery fish, while returning to the water all unmarked fish that are caught, is reasonable. Marking all the hatchery smolts would quadruple the number of harvestable fish. Do not let anyone tell you this is not reasonable. The state and federal governments have mismanaged California’s natural salmon production nearly into oblivion. They can spend the money to partially mitigate the consequences by marking all hatchery fish. … ” Read more from the California Fisheries blog.
Why turning sewage into tap water won’t solve our water woes
Food & Water Watch writes, “Maybe you’ve seen a video that goes something like this: someone drinks a glass of clear water and announces that it tastes great. “Get this,” a second person says, “That came from the sewers!” The first person who sipped is shocked. “But it tastes just like tap water!” they might exclaim. What some may know as an internet novelty is heading for our municipal water systems. Amid historic drought in the American West, several states are looking to turn sewage into drinking water. But this is not the direction we need to go. “Toilet-to-tap” projects are very risky and expensive. Moreover, they distract from the true solutions to our water crisis: conserving the water we do have and tackling corporate water abusers. … ” Read more from Food & Water Watch.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Klamath Project gets fraction of needed supply; massive river flows anticipated
“The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) announced the initial 2023 irrigation supply from Upper Klamath Lake and the Klamath River for farms and wildlife refuges within the Klamath Project at Klamath Water Users Association’s (KWUA) annual meeting on April 13, 2023. Reclamation’s initial allocation is 215,000 acre-feet of water, which represents approximately 60 percent of the water needed this year for farms and wildlife refuges served by the Klamath Project. “KWUA is very disappointed that Reclamation chose not to follow its own operational plans,” Tracey Liskey, President of KWUA. “In a year that is in the top ten percent in terms of snowpack, with over 180 percent of average currently, and when Reclamation expects to release more than 590,000 acre-feet of water to the Pacific Ocean, we have 60,000 acres of farmland along with two national wildlife that are likely to go dry this year.” … ” Read more from Klamath Falls News.
Scott Valley: Despite storms, farmers still face water supply cuts
“Farmers with water rights along the Scott River and Shasta River watersheds in Siskiyou County have faced curtailments of surface and groundwater supplies since 2021, as a result of state actions spurred by a drought emergency declaration by Gov. Gavin Newsom. After atmospheric rainstorms and heavy snowfall dramatically increased snowpack and reservoir levels this year, a March 23 executive order by the governor temporarily suspended drought curtailment orders for some watersheds. But the regulation remains for the Scott River and Shasta River watershed, frustrating some water users in the Northern California agricultural region. … Staff from the board’s Division of Water Rights provided a statement in response to questions from Ag Alert®: “While this winter has been above average for the area,” the statement said, “it is not record-setting, and these are flashy systems that behave differently from the Russian River and Delta systems.” … ” Read the full story at Ag Alert.
Eel River named one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers of 2023
“Restoring fish passage in the Eel River watershed will facilitate salmon recovery, restore cultural connections , and create California’s longest free flowing river. What does it mean to be one of America’s Most Endangered Rivers? “From dams and outdated water management to toxic pollution and development projects that would devastate river habitats, this report spotlights ten rivers in the U.S. that are at a crossroads and whose fates will be decided in the coming year. This year’s list underscores how essential rivers are for human health, public safety, and community wellness.” – American Rivers … ” Read more from Cal Trout.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Snow to record low temps to above average highs, Tahoe seeing it all this week
“From a few inches of snow to record-breaking lows to above seasonal average high temperatures, Lake Tahoe is seeing a wide range of weather this week. The low temperature dipped into the mid teens at about 6:30 a.m. Wednesday morning in both South Lake Tahoe (14) and Tahoe City (13) which unofficially set records according to data from the National Weather Service in Reno. The previous low in South Tahoe, measured at Lake Tahoe Airport, was 15 set in 2007 and the previous low in Tahoe City, at the Truckee River, was 14 set almost 70 years ago, in 1955. After a cool day with breezy winds on Wednesday, the thermometer will rise through the weekend. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
PG&E: Flows on South Yuba River to increase soon
“PG&E wants to remind outdoor recreationists to be wary of increased, cold river flows along the South Yuba River, which will increase significantly once the dam at Lake Spaulding begins to spill as early as this week. Due to the largest snowpack in 40 years, higher than usual runoff is expected to continue into mid-summer. Flows on the South Yuba River below Lake Spaulding at Langs Crossing are currently about 30 cubic feet per second (cfs). With Spaulding Dam expected to spill as soon as this week, flow will increase to approximately 1,000 cfs. Typical flows in this part of the river for this time of year range from about 10 to 325 cfs. … ” Read more from The Union.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Despite recent rain, Colusa County has been upended by devastating drought conditions
Daurice Kalfsbeek Smith, a Colusa County supervisor and a delegate to the Rural Counties Representatives of California, writes, “The recent rains have brought needed relief to communities throughout California, reviving depleted reservoirs and rebuilding the Sierra snowpack. While we celebrate this reprieve from the worst drought conditions, we know that increased frequency and severity of drought will continue to hinder farming communities if key policy actions are not taken. Prior to the most recent drought, Colusa County farmed 457,000 acres of crops in 2020, bringing in almost $927 million in revenues. This local farming industry supplied an increasingly permanent workforce on farms and highly technical value-added jobs in the drying, milling, processing, and export sectors. However, the onset of drought has brought severe and long-lasting effects to Colusa County and the region. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
Snow melt will lead to colder, faster flows in the Feather River
“Nearly all of that mountain snow will make its way down into the valley – filling rivers, creeks and reservoirs. Flows to the Feather River are being increased gradually to help Lake Oroville accommodate snowmelt over the next few months. With the statewide snowpack at 237% of the average, the DWR and other agencies are urging people to be extra cautious and aware of cold-water dangers this spring. The DWR said winter storms have rivers and streams flowing at levels not seen in years. … ” Read more from Action News Now.
NAPA/SONOMA
Sonoma County Board of Supervisors ends drought emergency
“The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors has ended the local drought emergency it declared two years ago, but officials are encouraging residents to continue conserving water. The board’s unanimous vote came Tuesday and accompanied a series of measures to continue the county’s water conservation and drought preparation efforts. “The watershed is in a healthy place where we’re not seeing that immediate threat from the drought right now,” said Jeff DuVall, interim director of the county’s Department of Emergency Management. “But also knowing this could change depending on weather and climate change.” … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
Vegetation management efforts continue in Napa County
“Wildfires have been a reality for generations across California. As the intensity, duration, and impacts of wildfires have increased — damaging and destroying millions of acres across our state — so too have federal, state and local resources dedicated to wildfire preparedness and mitigation. Since 2007, the nonprofit Napa Communities Firewise Foundation, also known as Napa Firewise, has been reducing the risk and impacts of destructive wildfires throughout Napa County via hazardous fuel reduction and community education. Napa Firewise relies on the participation of residents and permission of private property owners to complete life-saving hazardous fuel reduction projects. … ” Read more from the Napa Register.
CENTRAL COAST
Examining the aftermath of the heavy rainfalls in Santa Cruz County
“Pajaro/Sunny Mesa Community Services District, the agency providing water to the Pajaro area, lifted a do-not-drink order issued on April 7. That order came nearly a month after the Pajaro River Levee broke on March 11 and released torrents of water into the town of Pajaro and surrounding farmland, damaging and destroying hundreds of homes and businesses. The event rendered the water system unusable. When water began flowing to residences and businesses, the agency feared that contaminants from nearby farm fields and other sources leached into the water. No such contaminants were ever found, says Operations Manager Judy Vazquez-Varela. The order, she says, came out of an abundance of caution. … ” Read more from Good Times Santa Cruz
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Column: Huge snowpack looms above San Joaquin Valley. So far, the weather gods are cooperating
Columnist writes, “Coming off a nasty winter, California in general, and the San Joaquin Valley in particular, needed the weather gods to play nice this early spring. So far (as we continue to cross our collective fingers) they have. More than halfway through April, Fresno has seen average highs of 71 degrees and average lows of 47.6. The city’s average temperature of 59.3 is 1.4 degrees below normal for the month, according to the National Weather Service. Which has been somewhat of a relief to anyone keeping a wary eye on the absurdly huge snowpack in the southern Sierra Nevada measured at 300% of average. Because the slower all that snow melts — with cooler temperatures being the key to that — the better chance officials have of controlling where the water goes and minimizing the flood damage. … ” Read more from the Fresno Bee. | Read via AOL News.
What the huge Sierra snowpack means for Yosemite’s waterfalls
“The massive snowpack in the Sierra Nevada this year has transformed California’s most famous park, Yosemite. And the impacts are likely to last all summer, and perhaps even longer. The park’s world-famous waterfalls are thundering now as billions of gallons of melted snow cascade 1,000 feet or more down sheer granite cliffs. Park officials say there is so much snow at higher elevations from the winter’s parade of atmospheric river storms that flooding in Yosemite Valley is likely between late April and early July, which could close the park at times. “All of the water is a huge change from the previous few years,” said Cory Goehring, lead naturalist for the Yosemite Conservancy, a San Francisco nonprofit group that runs outdoor programs in the park. “The meadows are wet and lush. The Merced River is rising. It’s raging. And the waterfalls? They are so loud, they sound like an airplane taking off with how loud they are.” … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
Peters: ‘Thanks to the tremendous efforts that have gone into’ the Lake Isabella Dam Safety Project
“Kern County District 1 Supervisor Phillip Peters was on hand to celebrate the completion of Phase II of the Lake Isabella Dam Safety Project. The project was a decade in the making. “We’re seeing the lake and the river at levels that we haven’t seen in a long time,” Peters said at the project’s completion ceremony on April 4. “And we’re finally going to get to capitalize on that. And that’s thanks to the tremendous efforts that have gone into this project.” … ” Read more from the Kern Valley Sun.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Water treatment plant will be first in the Antelope Valley
“The Palmdale Water District’s proposed advanced water treatment plant that would turn recycled water into groundwater will be notable not only as the first of its kind in the Antelope Valley, but also for partnering with a firm to use brine discarded in the treatment process for its carbon-capture technology. The District has partnered with Capture6 in an agreement to install the company’s carbon-capture technology in the Pure Water Antelope Valley demonstration facility to be built on PWD property. The demonstration facility will be the proving ground for a future large-scale advanced water treatment plant that will treat recycled water provided by the Palmdale Recycled Water Authority to a very high level, then inject it into the underground aquifer to bolster local water supplies. … ” Read more from the Antelope Valley Press.
Along the Colorado River …
Stakes are high for farmers in Colorado water options
“The federal government is considering two options to prevent the Colorado River from running dry. Both plans announced last week would require water users in the river’s Lower Basin to dramatically cut their use. Under one option, the cuts would be determined according to the longstanding water-rights system, honoring the senior rights of many California farmers and requiring junior rights holders in Arizona and Nevada to give up water first. Under the other option, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation would toss out the century-old “Law of the River” and enforce cuts evenly across the three states. … “To some extent, California agriculture hangs in the balance—and California agriculture feeds the nation,” said Chris Scheuring, senior counsel for the California Farm Bureau. … ” Read more from Ag Alert.
Upper and lower basin fight over Colorado River continues after federal proposals
“Tension continues to rise after the federal government proposed further water cuts along the Colorado River in the lower basin. Not only are officials wrangling with how to divide those cuts among California, Arizona, and Nevada, others are asking why the other states in the upper basin don’t also face reductions. “Well, I say lets the upper basin have its cake and eat it, too,” said Kyle Roerink, executive director of the Great Basin Water Network in Nevada, “because no cuts are being proposed for the upper basin, and it really goes out of its way to protect elevations at Lake Powell.” Alternatives published last week explored slashing a quarter to a third of water allocation only from the three states. … ” Read more from Channel 3.
Let’s talk about the biggest cause of the West’s water crisis
“Along with Lake Powell 300 miles away, Lake Mead stores water for the lower states along the Colorado River: California, Arizona, and Nevada as well as Mexico and around 20 Indigenous reservations. But a climate change-induced “megadrought” has led to higher rates of water evaporation in recent decades and a drastic reduction in water supply, with Lake Mead currently at just 29 percent capacity. The streamflow on the northern part of the river, which supplies Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, and five Indigenous reservations, has fallen 20 percent over the last century.But despite news stories about drought-stricken Americans in the West taking shorter showers and ditching lawns to conserve their water supply, those efforts are unlikely to amount to much — residential water use accounts for just 13 percent of water drawn from the Colorado River. According to research published in Nature Sustainability, the vast majority of water is used by farmers to irrigate crops. … ” Read more from Vox.
Healthy snowpack provides water for long-delayed Grand Canyon environmental flood
“Grand Canyon advocates are celebrating a decision by federal water managers to unleash a three-day pulse of high water from Glen Canyon Dam to rebuild beaches and improve environmental conditions on the Colorado River. The high-flow experience is scheduled to start Monday. Environmentalists, river runners and others had sought such a flood release, outlined under the dam’s adaptive management program, for years. Healthy monsoon rains had pushed tons of sand into the river, but had also gouged the beaches and sandbars that create natural backwaters and campsites for river trips. Opening the dam’s floodgates before the fresh sediment gradually washed downstream could push the sand up to form new beaches. … ” Read more from Arizona Central.
Drought drastically reduced in Utah, much of the West after winter storms
“As of Oct. 1 last year, 73% of land in the Southwest was in some sort of drought. Flash forward to April and only 27% of that same region was impacted by drought. That is according to a Tuesday briefing coordinated by the National Integrated Drought Information System and in conjunction with other entities that include the Colorado River Basin Forecast Center and the National Weather Service. Utah sat at 100% of its land in some sort of drought, while only a few troublesome spots remain according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Utah now sits at 35% of its land in some sort of drought, but none in the exceptional or extreme categories — the worst of the worst. … ” Read more from Deseret News.
Water attorney says tribes should have seat at table in Colorado River discussions
“A prominent water expert believes it’s past time for the federal government to bring Native American tribes into the discussion on shaping the response to the Colorado River crisis. Troy Eid, who served as Colorado’s 40th United States attorney, said the tribes have historically been left out of the discussions. That situation, he said, perpetuates today. “The tribes are not present (at the table), and I don’t know how else to say it,” said Eid, who also represents the Southern Ute Indian Tribe and Ute Mountain Ute Tribe. The 30 tribes in the basin need to be able to represent themselves — and not just be represented by the federal government — in discussions that will define the response to dwindling water supply from the Colorado River, Eid told Colorado Politics. … ” Read more from Colorado Politics.
Snowmelt has started – with some of Colorado’s rivers and streams nearing record flow
“What’s set to be a strong season of snowmelt is underway in Colorado, as water levels around the state start to swell. Statewide, snowpack officially seems to be on the decline from a near record-breaking April 7 high. With the National Weather Service calling for a likelihood of above-normal temperatures in Colorado through the end of the month and normal to below-normal precipitation through April 27, its ever-growing less likely that snowpack will start peaking upward significantly throughout the rest of spring. Consider the chart below, with the black line depicting snowpack throughout the current snow season. In recent days, the snowpack has started a relatively steep downward decline despite a slight lift as a relatively normal spring snowstorm rolled through. … ” Read more from Out There Colorado.
Clouding seeding catches on amid Rocky Mountain drought
“Garrett Cammans and his brothers sometimes don’t talk about their toughest moments on the job in the cloud seeding business, like the time when one of them got stuck in deep mountain snow and had to hike out alone in the dark. “They’re going out into some pretty remote and rural areas,” Cammans said. “And there have been a few close encounters with wildlife we don’t like to discuss at the family dinner table.” But snow — as much as possible — is at the heart of the Cammans family business, Utah-based North American Weather Consultants, which holds cloud seeding contracts throughout the U.S. West, centered in the Rocky Mountains. Lately, business is up. Amid two decades of drought, cloud seeding — using airplanes or ground equipment to waft rain-and-snow-making particles into clouds — is on the rise in the Rockies. … ” Read more from the Associated Press.
In national water news today …
Biden prevails in override vote on water and wetlands rule
“A Republican-led attempt to overrule President Biden on clean water regulation failed in the House on Tuesday on a 227-196 roll call that fell well short of the two-thirds majority needed for passage. As a result, the administration’s waters of the United States rule remains on the books, although under challenge in federal court. In addition, the Supreme Court was expected to rule soon on an Idaho case that would reduce wetlands protection to territory with a direct surface connection to waterways. The Biden administration rule, issued in late 2022, uses the “significant nexus” test to identify wetlands that was created by the Supreme Court in 2006. … ” Read more from Successful Farming.
SEE ALSO: House GOP fail to stop Biden’s new water rule – but the courts might, from the Washington Post
As states replace lead pipes, plastic alternatives could bring new risks
“Across the country, states and cities are replacing lead pipes to address concerns over lead-contaminated drinking water, an urgent health threat. But environmental advocates are concerned that a popular alternative piping material could pose its own dangers. A new report released Tuesday by the advocacy group Beyond Plastics warns that pipes made from polyvinyl chloride, or PVC — a kind of rigid plastic commonly used in construction — can leach hazardous chemicals into drinking water, making them a “regrettable substitution” for lead pipes. The authors urge state and local policymakers to consider non-plastic alternatives like copper and stainless steel. … ” Read more from Grist.
How do you tackle microplastics? Start with your washing machine.
“As environmental challenges go, microfiber pollution has come from practically out of nowhere. It was only a decade or so ago that scientists first suspected our clothing, increasingly made of synthetic materials like polyester and nylon, might be major contributors to the global plastic problem. … Late last month a California State Assembly committee held a hearing on Assembly Bill 1628, which would require new washing machines to include devices that trap particles down to 100 micrometers — roughly the width of human hair — by 2029. The Golden State isn’t alone here, or even first. France already approved such a requirement, effective 2025. Lawmakers in Oregon and Ontario, Canada have considered similar bills. The European Commission says it’ll do the same in 2025. … ” Read the full story at Grist.
NASA-led project tracking changes to water, ecosystems, land surface
“Where are flood waters flowing after major storms? Where are the changes in tree and plant cover after droughts, wildfires, deforestation, or mining? How much did the land move during an earthquake or volcanic eruption? Scientists routinely rely on data-intensive analysis and visualization of satellite observations to track Earth’s ever-changing surface. A new project will make it possible for anyone with an internet connection to begin to answer these questions and more about changes to our dynamic planet. The OPERA (Observational Products for End-Users from Remote Sensing Analysis) project is managed by NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, with partners from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the University of Maryland, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and Southern Methodist University. Scientists conceived OPERA in 2020 to address satellite data needs across different federal agencies and to enable better access to information on everything from water management to wildfire monitoring. The goal is to make specific satellite-based observations free and timely for users. The first offerings will be available in April 2023, with more to follow. … ” Read more from NASA JPL.
