On the calendar today …
- WEBINAR: Capturing and Managing Water from Large Storms from 12pm to 1pm. Presenter: Jay R. Lund: Vice-Director, Center for Watershed Sciences, Distinguished Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Click here to register.
- SCREENING: California’s Watershed Healing beginning at 4:15pm. The Natural Resources Agency invites you to an extraordinary event showcasing local efforts to restore and preserve California’s Watershed ecosystem. The Chronicles Group documentary “California’s Watershed Healing” will be screened at the CRNA auditorium located at 715 P Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. The event will begin with an introduction by the director and founder of The Chronicles Group, James Thebaut, followed by the screening of the documentary at 4:40 PM. The film highlights the crucial role of community engagement in the restoration and conservation of the region’s natural resources. It showcases the ongoing efforts of local organizations and individuals who are making a significant difference in preserving California’s Watershed ecosystem. After the screening, there will be an experts panel moderated by Wade Crowfoot, California’s Natural Resources Secretary.
- SATURDAY: EVENT: Earth Day Community Clean-Up at Dutch Slough from 9am to 12pm. In celebration of Earth Day, River Partners and the California Department of Water Resources are hosting a community clean-up event at Dutch Slough Tidal Marsh Restoration. This is a great opportunity to connect with nature, get your hands dirty, and learn about the beautiful freshwater tidal marsh.Click here to register.
Feds, state boost water allocations to 100% …
California’s water contractors get full supply from the state and federal systems
“Water users for both the State Water Project and Central Valley Project will get a 100% allocation, agencies announced Thursday. The string of storms that battered California over the past few months have inundated the state with water and built up a record-breaking snowpack in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The extraordinary amount of water is responsible for the rare increase to 100% allocations. The State Water Project is a network of reservoirs and canals that serve 29 water agencies, 27 million people and 750,000 acres of farmland. The state Department of Water Resources (DWR) Thursday announced an increase to a 100% allocation for water users, up from 75% in March. The last time there was a full allocation was 2006. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
California water agencies will get full allotment thanks to huge snowpack
“What a difference an (extremely wet) year makes. With a massive snowpack still blanketing the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range and major reservoirs already at or near capacity, California announced Thursday it will deliver full allocations to 29 public agencies who are part of the State Water Project. “California is taking action to maximize the capture and storage of water from recent storms and snowpack,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “California is moving and storing as much water as possible to meet the state’s needs, reduce the risk of flooding, and protecting our communities, agriculture and the environment.” … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
SEE ALSO:
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- State Water Project increases water supply allocation to 100%, press release from DWR
- Reclamation bolsters Central Valley Project 2023 water supply allocations: North of Delta, South of Delta now 100%, press release from the Bureau of Reclamation
- Feds, Calif. boost Valley water supplies to 100 percent, from the San Joaquin Valley Sun
- California to meet 100% of water requests thanks to storms, from the Associated Press
- A wet California boosts water allocations to 100% for first time in nearly 20 years, from the LA Times
Reactions
Adel Hagekhalil, Metropolitan Water District
“This year has seen a remarkable turnaround in the state’s water supply. After three years of the lowest State Water Project deliveries in history, we’re now seeing the first 100% allocation since 2006. It is now incumbent upon us to take full advantage of this extraordinary turn of events. But it is also another powerful reminder of the climate whiplash that will define our water management needs for the next century. We are not taking these improved conditions for granted. We are storing as much water as possible in every storage account we have – from Diamond Valley Lake to groundwater banking programs across the state. The reality is that dry conditions could return as early as next year. And the future of our Colorado River supplies is also uncertain. We cannot let our guard down. … ”
Federico Barajas, San Luis & Delta Mendota Water Authority:
“Given the positive snowpack and reservoir levels throughout the Central Valley Project, the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority is pleased to see another increase in water allocations for Authority member agencies,” said Federico Barajas, Executive Director of the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority. “I’d like to extend appreciation to the Bureau of Reclamation for their work in navigating the complexities of this water year, which began with preparations for a third year of drought and quickly transitioned into flood management. While this year has brought a much needed respite from the dry conditions that our members have experienced for the last three years, we know that California’s hydrology is becoming increasingly variable and dry conditions could return quickly. Capturing water in years like this for future use is a critical component of reducing the impacts of future dry years – particularly with the reduced reliance on groundwater that will result from full implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. Infrastructure and regulatory improvements to maximize the storage and movement of water when its available can create a more sustainable future for our member agencies and the communities and ecosystems they serve.”
Jennifer Pierre, General Manager of the State Water Contractors
““We are thankful to DWR for maintaining California’s water infrastructure to accommodate all of the water that we have seen through the heavy storm events earlier in the year, allowing for this much-needed increase in water supplies,” said Jennifer Pierre, General Manager of the State Water Contractors. “This is the first time since 2006 that public water agencies will receive the full allocation of contracted water supplies from the SWP. California’s climate whiplash shows how critical it is to build and maintain the water infrastructure that makes the system work. Whether we are talking about storing water above ground in reservoirs, below ground in aquifers, or the way we move and pump water through 700 miles of canals, pipelines and hydro-electric facilities to get that water to your tap – it is the infrastructure that allows DWR to divert and release water for the benefit of both people and the environment.”
Congressman David Valadao:
“Today’s long-awaited announcement is welcome news and a big relief to our family farms, local economies, and communities that have suffered from drought conditions, burdensome regulations, and below adequate water allocations for years,” said Congressman Valadao. “We must ensure these allocations are not reduced as the water year progresses. While many of us are thankful for this rainfall, we also know there is an immeasurable amount of water from these storms that we won’t be able to capture and store due to a lack of water storage infrastructure. We need to be proactive about fixing our water storage and infrastructure issues so that we are better prepared for these kinds of weather events, and resilient to periods of drought.”
Jose Gutierrez, Westlands Water District’s interim general manager:
“We are exceedingly grateful to Reclamation, and its dedicated and hard-working staff, for the increased water allocation. Following two years of 0% allocations, this announcement will provide much needed water to support the District’s communities, family-owned farms, and hard-working families in the San Joaquin Valley. This water supply will assist growers in Westlands with putting the land to work to grow the food that feeds the world. At the same time, we must recognize the need to continue preparing for the next drought and future dry years. For that reason, Westlands is investing in a sustainable water future for our farmers. Westlands is exploring and implementing creative approaches to maximize water use efficiency, recharge and storage and improve climate resilience.”
In other California water news today …
Tech and data’s outsized role in California’s water strategy
“The state of California has seen a historic amount of rain and snow this winter, and technology and data are helping the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) measure and manage this essential resource. A variety of technologies aid this work, including airborne electromagnetic surveys to monitor and map groundwater and those that help predict and prepare for future drought periods. … As explained by State Water Project water operations manager Molly White in an email to Government Technology, DWR operates the State Water Project to help manage the water supply for 27 million people and 750,000 acres of farmland. The central goals are to make sure adequate water supply is available to those who need it and to reduce flood risk. “DWR’s Water Operations team plans and monitors system conditions, such as hydrology, water quality and flows, and storage levels from Lake Oroville in the north to Lake Perris in the south and makes real-time changes in operations to comply with environmental regulations, ensure public safety with flood control releases, maximize water deliveries, and plan for future water supply uncertainties,” she explained. … ” Read more from Government Technology.
How a California dairy methane project threatens residents’ air and water
“The stench of manure and urine often hangs in the air of Pixley, a small community of 4,000 in the southern San Joaquin Valley. Inside a community center, a half dozen women describe what it’s like to be surrounded by tens of thousands of dairy cows at the large farms that dominate the region. Besides the smell, a mix of pollutants from livestock waste is filling the air and water and may be having severe impacts on their health. They blame growing dairy farms. Experts say California climate policies encourage larger herd sizes. While state-wide data aren’t available until next year, there’s anecdotal evidence that some farms are getting bigger: A couple miles from the community center, Four J Farms has seen its herd of cows increase from 1,800 to 3,500 in five years. It’s one of more than 130 dairies across the state that have essentially been transformed into biogas factories. … ” Read more from Capital & Main.
Video: Water Wasted: Evaluating Delta Tunnels construction
Bay Area Dutch Slough tidal restoration project creates powerful carbon sink, combats climate change
“When we first visited Dutch Slough in eastern Contra Costa County last year, the recently restored tidal marsh was already flourishing. But hiding among the reeds was a critical question. How effective would the marsh be at sequestering carbon? A key benefit of restoring wetlands in the age of climate change. “For doing the inhaling and exhaling, and we’re trying to inhale more carbon dioxide and then exhaling oxygen that we need,” explains University of California biometeorology professor Dennis Baldocchi, Ph.D. Prof. Baldocchi’s team placed sensitive instruments in the slough to measure greenhouse gases and other data in multiple ways. He says the results after more than a year of monitoring show that the tidal marsh is acting as a powerful carbon sink, drawing CO2 into the ground where it should remain sequestered, instead of contributing to climate change. … ” Read more from ABC 7.
Legislators urge Governor Newsom to lift drought restrictions for Siskiyou
“Two California legislators are urging Governor Newsom to lift the drought restrictions on farmers and ranchers in Siskiyou County. Senator Brian Dahle and Assemblywoman Megan Dahle sent a letter to the Governor on April 19th, stating, “There is no longer a drought in the Klamath Basin. There certainly isn’t an emergency that justifies continuing the Water Board’s strict measures and the costs they’ve imposed on agriculture in the region.” They noted that snowpack in the Scott River watershed is 163% of the historical average, and the drought designation is “likely” to be removed soon by the U.S. Drought Monitor. Yet, “emergency State Water Board regulations still threaten irrigators on the Scott and Shasta Rivers with curtailments, and put pressure on them to sign agreements for local cooperative solutions that ‘voluntarily’ reduce water use.” Scott Valley farmers are required to reduce their water use by 30% in order to avoid 100% curtailment this summer. “We urge you,” wrote Sen. Dahle and Asm. Dahle, “to lift the drought designation without further delay.” Click here to read the letter.
Compiling the snow records that have fallen this winter in California
“The Sierra picked up more snow earlier this week, adding to the already historic totals seen this winter. The most recent storm didn’t produce a ton of snow as most areas saw less than a foot of fresh snow. With no storms on the way and the warmest temperatures of the year so far expected this weekend, it’s worth taking a look back at the winter. Palisades Tahoe picked up 10″, putting their season total at 710″. This is their new record, surpassing the previous record of 707″ set in the winter of 2016/17. Heavenly is now at 570″, breaking the previous record of 564″ set in 2016/17. … ” Continue reading from Channel 10.
NOAA forecasters see a respite for California
“Weather forecasters with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on Thursday issued their latest outlook for the United States, and there’s at least one piece of hopeful news for a state that has already had a wild year, weather-wise: California. The gargantuan piles of snow that this winter’s powerful storms left in the Sierra Nevada have prompted concerns about the flooding that could result when all that frozen water starts to melt and head downhill. But according to NOAA’s latest forecasts, temperatures for May through July are highly likely to be in line with historical averages across California and Nevada. For May, much of California could even see cooler-than-normal conditions, the agency said. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
California drought update: Here’s how fast conditions improved this year
“California drought conditions have not budged in the last week, after months of drastic improvement. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor’s Thursday update, 91% of the state is free of drought conditions. About 34% is still at least “abnormally dry.” Parts of far Northern California and portions of Inyo, San Bernardino and Riverside counties make up the 8.8% of the state in “moderate drought.” No areas are in severe, extreme or exceptional drought conditions. The same was true last week, but three months it was the opposite: More than 92% of the state was in at least “moderate drought” conditions, and 43% was in “severe.” One year ago, 100% of the state was facing drought. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
SEE ALSO: California-Nevada Drought Status Update, from NIDIS
California awards $5 million in desalination project grants
“California Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration awarded $5 million Proposition 1 desalination grants on Wednesday. The grants will go to projects in Mendocino, Fresno, and Los Angeles counties. Additionally, six projects will get funding via a partnership with the National Alliance for Water Innovation; the partnership aims to advance desalination implementation and research. Desalination removes salts and minerals from seawater and brackish water to produce water safe for drinking, irrigation and other uses. California wants to expand brackish groundwater desalination production by 28,000 acre-feet per year by 2030, according to a press release from the governor’s office. … ” Read more from Center Square.
Federal fire officials visit Sacramento, warn public about California’s growing wildfire threats
“The U.S. fire administrator visited the capital region on Thursday, joined by local and state fire officials to talk about fire mitigation efforts in California as peak wildfire season approaches. The officials spoke from a Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District station in Rancho Cordova. “Fire is everyone’s fight,” said U.S. Fire Administrator Dr. Lori Moore-Merrell in her remarks. Moore-Merrell spoke on the efforts of fire agencies to inform the public about growing dangers of wildfire and residential fires. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
Reclamation releases Climate Change Adaptation Strategy
“The Bureau of Reclamation has released its Climate Change Adaptation Strategy that outlines how Reclamation will combat climate change. The strategy also affirms Reclamation will use leading science and engineering to adapt to human-caused climate change. “Climate change is impacting our communities, economies and the environment throughout the West,” said Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton. “Through this strategy, Reclamation will work collaboratively with our federal and non-federal partners and incorporate climate change into our water and power management decisions to minimize climate change’s impacts on western water into the future.” The strategy focuses on four goals … ” Read more from the Bureau of Reclamation.
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In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Record crowd at KWUA’s annual meeting gets disappointing news
“This year marking the organization’s 70th anniversary, Klamath Water Users Association (KWUA) had a record attendance for its annual meeting. Attendees heard from U.S. Representative Doug LaMalfa, as well as Klamath County Commissioner Derrick DeGroot and Modoc County Supervisor Geri Byrne. The Lost River FFA provided the catering for the event, thanks to the support of local sponsors, with guests praising the food. The big news during the meeting was the announcement from the Bureau of Reclamation that the water supply from Upper Klamath Lake and the Klamath River this year will be initially set at 215,000 acre-feet. … ” Read more from the Herald & News.
Klamath Basin winter ag roundup
“We have all heard the expression – “March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.” This year, the lion hung around a little longer than usual, and maybe he’s still lurking in the bushes. The last week of March was unusually cold, eight degrees colder than normal in Klamath Falls, with additional rain and snow falling across the Basin. March ended with 1.23 inches of precipitation recorded at the airport, approximately a quarter inch above normal. While the precipitation measured at the airport since October has been still more than an inch below normal, the snow and rain received in the mountains in the last week of March brought the Basin as a whole, for the first time this year, above normal for precipitation. … ” Read more from Herald & News.
Commentary: Department of Interior’s investment in Klamath Reclamation Project promotes national security, from the Herald & News
Gene Souza, , writes, “On April 5, 2023, the Department of the Interior announced an $8.75 million investment in the Klamath Irrigation District infrastructure. Investment in the A Canal maintains the viability of some of the richest agricultural lands in the world, maintains our regional economies, supports food security which promotes national security, allows for water to be placed back onto its natural location of reclaimed lakes and marshlands, and promotes health and public safety. … ” Continue reading from the Herald & News.
Fact check: False claim ‘toxic’ levels of aluminum found at Mt. Shasta, California
“A March 20 Instagram post (direct link, archived link) includes footage from a 2014 public meeting in Shasta County, California. “Toxic levels of aluminum are being found at elevated locations like Mt. Shasta thanks to geoengineering,” reads on-screen text in the video. The post was liked more than 2,000 times in less than a month. Another version of the post featuring the same video and text is circulating on Instagram. Our rating: False Testing of multiple water sources in the Mt. Shasta area – both in 2014 and now – found safe levels of aluminum, based on Environmental Protection Agency and California state standards. … ” Read more from USA Today.
Commentary: How will California protect Humboldt Bay from worst sea level rise on the West Coast?
Bella Tarlton, a junior at Six Rivers Charter High School and editor-in-chief at her school’s journalism program, writes, “I may not be able to get home in 20 years – not because I’ve left the area, but because the roads to my house may be underwater. I live just a mile from the edge of Humboldt Bay in Northern California, the location of the most rapid sea level rise along the West Coast. The accelerated change is due to tectonic activity, which is causing the ground around and under the bay to sink at the same rate the sea level is rising. “Furthermore, much of the land surrounding Humboldt Bay is former marshland, which is more susceptible to inundation,” Stephen Kullmann, a commissioner with the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation, and Conservation District, explained. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
Arcata: 3-year wastewater treatment plant renovation project begins
“Construction of Phase One of the Arcata Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvement Project is underway. Construction activities include, but are not limited to a new ultraviolet (UV) disinfection system to replace the current chlorine based system and reduce associated disinfection byproducts; a new electrical building, upgrades and retrofits to existing facilities, oxidation pond aerators; extensive new sewer piping and electrical duct work; a new pump station to the Enhancement Marshes, and a new treated effluent outfall located at the Brackish Marsh. … ” Read more from the Mad River Union.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Commentary: Tahoe needs to be saved from watchdog agency created to protect it
Pamela Mahoney Tsigdinos, a writer and full-time Tahoe resident, writes, “All who have the good fortune to gaze upon Lake Tahoe’s magnificent clear cobalt waters sparkling at 6,200 feet ringed by granite mountains come away awestruck. The vast majority of those who live and visit the Tahoe Basin want to ensure Lake Tahoe remains unblemished for future generations to behold its natural glory. Steep ravines and formerly healthy forests were once Tahoe’s best defense from massive development. Entrepreneurs first arrived to pillage Tahoe in the late 1800s. This was not long after the Comstock Lode discovery in nearby Virginia City, chronicled by Mark Twain. In the 1950s, developers and county officials eager to exploit Tahoe’s scenery for revenue, casino tourism and tax windfalls further harmed the lake’s shoreline and basin. Greed, first called out in a 1964 California Law Review article remains an intractable force. … ” Continue reading at the Nevada Independent.
Placer County warns visitors of fast, cold rivers ahead of warmer temperatures
“A historic snowpack is raising concerns along popular rivers in Northern California. A recent drowning in Nevada County has renewed calls to be careful during what is expected to be a longer snowmelt than usual. At the confluence of the North and Middle Forks of the American River, the water invites visitors to marvel while it rages. “It’s so clear too,” said Mimi, a hiker from Roseville. “It’s way different than last year.” … ” Read more from CBS Sacramento.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Federal agencies announce schedule for Sacramento River spring pulse flows
“The Bureau of Reclamation, NOAA Fisheries, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced the plan today for two pulse flow releases from Keswick Dam into the Sacramento River. Pulse flows are rapid increases and decreases in dam-released flows, occurring over a short time frame. The release of water helps improve survival rates for out-migrating juvenile spring-run Chinook salmon smolts through the Sacramento River in addition to the planned releases of more than 10 million fall and winter-run Chinook salmon from the Coleman National Fish Hatchery. Pulse flows releases from Keswick Dam will be targeting flows at Wilkins Slough of 11,000 cubic feet per second. The flow release for the first pulse is scheduled to begin around April 24 and reach a peak of around 9,000 cfs. … ” Continue reading this press release from the Bureau of Reclamation.
Habitat project at Ancil Hoffman provides refuge for native fishes
“A 2021 project to enhance habitat for salmon and steelhead survival in the Lower American River at Ancil Hoffman Park has produced a noticeable surge in Chinook salmon redds—underwater depressions or “nests” created by female salmon to lay their eggs—according to data collected by the Water Forum with the support of Federal grant funds. Prior to the habitat project, just 64 redds were counted at this site in fall 2020. A few months after the project, the number of redds had more than doubled to 170. “This increase is considered even more remarkable given recent drought conditions and warmer river temperatures in 2021,” said Erica Bishop, Water Forum’s Program Manager, adding that the Ancil Hoffman site also attracted 30 percent of the steelhead trout spawning in the entire Lower American River in 2021 and supported many Pacific lamprey redds. … ” Read more from the Water Forum.
Boaters urged to use caution on Folsom Lake. Here’s the danger lurking beneath the surface
“Large trees knocked down by wildfires and storms are among debris flowing into Folsom Lake and creating a potential hazard for boaters, according to California state park officials. Joshua Jaco, a state park spokesman, said that in dry years, the water does not come up high enough to take every tree that may have fallen, so the debris builds up. “Those trees normally sit along the shoreline,” Jaco said. “If the water doesn’t come up high enough to take those out, they don’t enter the water system. Now that the water is coming up, it’s picking up debris from the last several years of low water and bringing it down into the main body of the lake.” … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
NAPA/SONOMA
Sonoma County: New well permits will require add’l time and money
“Digging a new well in certain parts of Sonoma County will soon get more complicated, and likely longer and more costly too. It’s due to changes in state law and an environmental group’s lawsuit accusing the county of approving so much groundwater pumping that rivers and streams are drying up, damaging and eliminating habitat for protected species. Approved Tuesday, the new ordinance takes effect May 18th…the same day a moratorium on well permit applications expires. The new rules aren’t universal. They only affect areas near major rivers and streams and only in unincorporated areas. … ” Read more from Northern California Public Media.
Rain helps Sonoma County businesses, school that reuse rainwater
“The recent drought in California has inspired some businesses and nonprofits to find ways to conserve water. One way is reusing rainwater. And all these atmospheric rivers are having a positive impact on that. Tanks sitting outside Flowery Elementary School in Sonoma have been capturing roof rainwater during our recent storms that the school will reuse for its garden in the summer when water isn’t so plentiful. Steven Lee, of the nonprofit Sonoma Ecology Center, designed the system and helped install it in Nov. … ” Read more from ABC Bay Area.
BAY AREA
Chart: Bay Area’s drought-busting year has actually been less rainy than normal, in one way
“California’s wet and wild winter has come to a close. It certainly seemed like a way rainier than normal year in the Bay Area, but by some metrics it’s actually been just shy of average. That’s right. Rainfall totals were impressive, nearly double the annual average, but the number of rainy days is still slightly below average. Take Oakland for example. It’s just shy of its historical average of 68 days with measurable rainfall in a year, recording 62 rainy days in the rain year starting July 1, 2022, through April 20. There is no rain predicted for the near future, and just over two historically dry months before the rain year ends on June 30. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
San Anselmo initiative seeks exit from flood district
“A group of San Anselmo residents is preparing a ballot initiative seeking the town’s exit from a county flood district in protest of a Ross Valley flood control project. Signatories said they’re tired of paying fees to Flood Zone District 9 and seeing no results, and they allege mismanagement of revenues. Mounting public opposition to the county’s planned demolition of a creek bridge, previously used as a plaza, is fueling the effort. “The county has very, very narrow points of argument about how much flood benefit there will be,” said Ross Asselstine, a town resident and staunch critic of the county’s San Anselmo Flood Risk Reduction Project. “It’s at a point where the citizens should decide, not the council or county.” … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
Benicia declares temporary water line fix a success
“Benicia has successfully repaired its water transmission line using a short-term solution, returning the city to its primary drinking water source. The bypass uses two pipes, both 12 inches in diameter, to connect 700 feet of damaged water line. Benicia announced on Thursday that the bypass is pumping roughly 5 million gallons of water daily — almost 1 million gallons more than city’s average wintertime water usage — following weeks of construction and testing. A hillside collapse in Fairfield near the I-680 and Gold Hill Road — the result of oversaturated land created through winter storms — knocked a section of the city’s 14-mile water line off-course by 15 feet in late March, forcing both Benicia and Fairfield to declare local states of emergency. … ” Read more from the Times-Herald.
Effort to expand Los Vaqueros Reservoir
“Los Vaqueros Reservoir, the biggest watering hole in Contra Costa County, isn’t full despite the onslaught of rain storms that drenched the Bay Area this winter. Despite a record snowpack in the Sierra, our local reservoir gets fed only a small trickle from Marsh Creek. Besides rainfall, the Contra Costa Water District (CCWD) relies on four Delta intake pumps near Tracy to fill the 160,000 acre-feet capacity of the reservoir, which covers 1,900 acres of land in the southeast corner of the county. The reservoir’s current level is at about 105,300 acre-feet. One acre foot is about 326,000 gallons. … ” Read more from the Brentwood Press.
Pleasanton council delays debate on call for voluntary 15% water use reduction
“Pleasanton residents will have to wait another month to find out if the City Council will approve a resolution to declare a water shortage that would force the city to continue asking people to reduce their usage by 15% with city wells being shut down due to PFAS contamination. According to a supplemental memorandum that City Manager Gerry Beaudin provided to the council prior to Tuesday’s public meeting, the resolution was pulled from the agenda and moved to one of the two meetings in May because staff received additional information related to water conservation options that same day. The reason the water shortage declaration was initially going to be presented to the council — at the same meeting when drought restrictions were to be formally lifted — was because of infrastructure limitations that the city is facing, namely the lack of groundwater due to PFAS chemicals. … ” Read more from Pleasanton Weekly.
CENTRAL COAST
Ventura: Local water districts ease restrictions in the face of replenished reservoirs
“Ventura County’s water supply situation last October looked dire to Anthony Emmert, assistant general manager of the United Water Conservation District. The agency’s reservoir, Lake Piru, was reaching historically low levels and critical groundwater basins underneath the Santa Clara River Valley and Oxnard Plain were depleted. Even though customers in the UWCD service areas (including Santa Paula, East Ventura and Oxnard) had made great strides at reducing water use in recent years, the savings weren’t enough to offset years of severe drought. “It was pretty terrible in this area,” Emmert said. “All of the coastal groundwater aquifers were well below sea level. Seawater intrusion was taking place. We had been able to recharge very little in the last several years. Our reservoir, Lake Piru, was almost empty. So it was down to, I believe, 14,000 acre feet and it’s full at 82,000 acre feet. There were essentially statewide restrictions that all of the cities were putting in place.” … ” Read more from the Ventura County Reporter.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Runoff to create high flows along Merced County waterways
“The public is being advised of potential flooding along local waterways due to the extended heavy runoff from the existing Sierra snowpack by the Merced County Office of Emergency Services. The main areas of concern are along the San Joaquin and Merced river corridors and the Eastside Bypass. Areas possibly at risk can be found on the GIS map the county created. During high river flows, flooding can happen quickly, and if flows exceed the capacity of local channels, several dairy, poultry, and ag operations could be impacted. … ” Read more from Your Central Valley.
Westlands receives $1.5mil for desalination pilot program
“Westlands Water District received a state grant to support desalination and on-farm recycling. Westlands, which serves western Fresno and Kings Counties, views the grant as strengthening its ability to improve the water supply for local communities and farmers. The backstory: California voters approved 2014’s Proposition 1, the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act, which made grants available for various water projects throughout the state. … ” Read more from the San Joaquin Valley Sun.
Who’s in charge? Agencies deal with fragmented flood response in the south San Joaquin Valley
“Flood water flowing toward the small town of Allensworth from the White River had been looked over by everyone from the local stormwater manager to the very head of water resources in the state of California for more than a month. They all agreed it was a problem. The water could have been blocked from the west where it rushed under railroad tracks owned by Burlington Northern Santa Fe. If the water were turned north, instead, it would no longer be a problem for little Allensworth, according to Jack Mitchell, head of the Deer Creek Storm Water District, which includes the community. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Video: How severe flooding threatened an L.A. water lifeline
“The Los Angeles Aqueduct is no stranger to crisis. For more than a century, L.A.’s major water source has survived all manner of damage, from earthquakes to explosives. But the record storms in March caused a surge of floodwater to breach the aqueduct potentially threatening water delivery for millions of Angelenos. L.A. Times staff writer Louis Sahagún spoke with Lisa McRee.” Watch at the LA Times.
The push to reimagine LA’s streets and alleyways to fight both drought and floods
“When it rained in Alicia Gonzales’ Sunland neighborhood, it flooded. “We used to always have problems with the water coming up almost to our porch…and the porch is pretty far from the street, so that’s a lot of water,” Gonzales said. She’s lived in Sunland since she was 9 years old, with a few years away for college and career, but later moved back to care for her parents. It adds up to more than 30 years in her family’s house that has a generous front and back yard and sits at the intersection of two residential streets and an alleyway. “Back in the ’80s when it flooded, people would get on a canoe and just go down,” said Laura Gonzales Ellis, Gonzales’ older sister. “It was crazy, but it was pretty cool, but then the next morning, when it stopped raining, all the damage was out, all the sand or dirt that the water washed out into the street. It was such a pain in the butt to clean.” … ” Read more from the LAist.
Advocates fear that radioactive waste from one of Calif.’s most toxic sites could contaminate more communities
“Thirteen-year-old Gracie Bumstead, who grew up four miles from the former Santa Susana Field Lab, is a survivor: she’s now cancer-free after battling a rare form of leukemia since she was 4 years old. Gracie’s mother, Melissa, believes radioactive and chemical waste from the nearby former nuclear and rocket test site, in the hills northeast of Los Angeles, caused her daughter’s cancer and caused a cluster of other cancers among neighborhood kids, though that can’t be definitely proven. “This is the type of contamination that causes children to get sick,” Melissa Bumstead told the NBC4 I-Team. Bumstead heads a group called Parents Against Santa Susana Field Lab, which has been fighting for a full cleanup of the contamination at the lab. … ” Read more from NBC LA.
Groundwater still flooding north Claremont homes
“On Easter Sunday, Ken Larsen first noticed water collecting on his pool deck and assumed he had a burst pipe, which is never good. But the water kept pooling, literally coming straight out of the ground, and before long it was flowing into his pool and flooding the lawn. It was then that he realized the problem was much bigger than faulty plumbing. Larsen, who lives on New Hampshire Avenue, would soon learn he was far from alone. On April 6, the first reports of water emerging from the ground came from residents on Appalachian and Nashotah streets in the Stone Canyon development. All told, the mysterious flooding has affected some three dozen homes adjacent to Padua Avenue and Mt. Baldy Road in the northeastern part of Claremont. On Wednesday the water had been flowing for 10 days with no end in sight. … ” Continue reading at the Claremont Courier.
250,000-gallon sewage spill enters L.A. River in Downey, prompting beach closures in Long Beach
“About 250,000 gallons of sewage spilled into the Los Angeles River Thursday after equipment used by sanitation crews malfunctioned, officials said. According to the Los Angeles County Sanitation District, the malfunction happened around 9 a.m.. and caused temporary blockage in the sewer. Sewage then overflowed into the street at Burns Avenue and Rives Avenue in Downey, officials said. The county said sanitation crews cleared the blockage at 11:20 a.m. and have since been focusing on cleaning up the streets. Meanwhile, Long Beach City Health Officer Dr. Anissa Davis ordered all beaches to close due to the spill. … ” Continue reading at KABC.
Will you face climate change-driven disaster? An LA County task force may know
“Prolonged heat spells. Ferocious wildfires. Extended droughts. Atmospheric rivers that erode hillsides, damage roadways and flood homes. Coastal erosion from storms and rising tides. These are extreme weather incidents that many scientists attribute to climate change. The out-of-whack global climate powered by greenhouse gases, mostly from fossil fuel emissions, is making its mark on various communities in Los Angeles County. In a motion approved by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors earlier this week, L.A. County’s Department of Public Works has been given a hands-on assignment: Alert unincorporated communities subject to climate damage and begin building resiliency, such as stronger flood control and water capture systems, flood-resistant roads and online mapping dashboards to prepare residents for climate change events. … ” Read more from LA Daily News.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Senator Padilla bill to create Salton Sea Conservancy advances out of committee
“Earlier this week, the Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee passed Senate Bill 583, authored by Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego). The bill creates the Salton Sea Conservancy to unify the state’s efforts to expedite preservation project delivery, protect residents’ health, and foster ecological recovery in the area. “The Salton Sea is one of the most pressing environmental justice issues facing California,” said Senator Padilla. “The toxic dust blown off of the dry lakebed continues to choke communities surrounding the Salton Sea region, negatively impacting the health of generations of some of the most vulnerable Californians and their exposure will only worsen as climate changes expedites the sea’s evaporation. Creating this conservancy streamlines conservation efforts and ensures a heathier future for communities around the Sea.” … ” Read more from Senator Padilla’s office.
SAN DIEGO
‘The donut hole’: Port weighs what to do with 8,000 water acres of new territory in San Diego Bay
“Up against a state deadline, the Port of San Diego is embarking on a planning effort to set the parameters for the development and preservation of more than 8,000 acres of recently inherited submerged lands in San Diego Bay. The submerged lands, previously held in trust by the California State Lands Commission, were transferred to the port on Jan. 1, 2020, through California Senate Bill 507. The state bill, authored by State Sen. Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, also requires that the port produce a land-use framework, called a Trust Lands Use Plan, by Jan. 1, 2024. The port’s expanded jurisdiction could create room for longer piers, larger anchorages, new water taxi transportation points and more conservation areas, while also preserving areas for boating and other water activities. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Along the Colorado River …
Feds will release more water downstream into drought-stricken Lake Mead after wet winter
“After years of punishing drought, a historic winter snowpack is bringing a reprieve to the Colorado River Basin and the nation’s largest reservoirs. The US Bureau of Reclamation announced Thursday that this winter’s rain and the projected runoff from above-normal snowfall is expected to boost its water releases this year from Lake Powell to Lake Mead by 2.5 million acre-feet. That’s an extra 814 billion gallons water, and welcome news for the communities, farmers and tribes who rely on the reservoir. In total, Glen Canyon Dam, which forms Lake Powell, is now expected to release up to 9.5 million acre-feet of water downstream to Lake Mead and its Hoover Dam – the equivalent of nearly 4.7 million Olympic-sized swimming pools. It far exceeds the 7 million acre-feet release that was initially expected, but was boosted after the bureau analyzed annual snow runoff projections this month. … ” Read more from CNN.
Column: Lake Mead could get a lot more Colorado River water. What changed so quickly?
Columnist Joanna Allhands writes, “What a difference a month makes. The March 24-month forecast, which predicts reservoir levels along the Colorado River for the next two years, had Lake Mead on a steady trajectory downward. The lake was projected by next year to fall into a Tier 2B shortage – one that, for the first time, would require California to begin participating in mandatory cuts. And it would plummet into a Tier 3 shortage – requiring the deepest cuts to which we’ve currently agreed – the following year. But now April’s here, and everything’s different. This month’s forecast now suggests that Lake Mead could start next water year in a Tier 1 shortage, requiring far less water from Arizona than we are now mandated to give. … ” Continue reading from the Arizona Republic.
These 8 species depend on the Colorado River. What happens as it dries up?
“Wedged between two vast stretches of farmland in Southern California, the Salton Sea doesn’t seem habitable. It smells foul, like rotting eggs. The shore is crusted with salt and littered with tires and old glass bottles. And the only water flowing into it is runoff from farmland. The Salton Sea is literally fed by wastewater. Yet here in the desert, the sea is a haven for birds. Roughly 270 avian species regularly use the lake — the largest in the state — including white and brown pelicans, double-crested cormorants, and snowy plovers. In past decades, for example, winter would draw millions of eared grebes, migratory waterbirds with piercing red eyes and golden feathers that fan out from their cheeks. The lake is something of a birder’s paradise. But like many of the United States’s important wildlife habitats, the Salton Sea is shrinking. … ” Read more from Vox.
Arizona blocks plans for new deepwater wells at Saudi-owned farm
“The state of Arizona has rescinded its approval for two new deepwater wells for a controversial Saudi Arabia-owned farm in the desert west of Phoenix. The two wells would have each pumped 3,000 gallons of water per minute, according to Attorney General Kris Mayes. “The state had approved back in August two new deepwater wells for this company,” said Mayes. During her campaign last year, she criticized the Saudi farming operation and vowed to take action against it. The company Fondomonte Arizona leases thousands of acres of state land in the Butler Valley. The farm grows alfalfa and uses sprinklers to irrigate the crops. The alfalfa is exported to feed dairy cattle in Saudi Arabia. The company does not pay for the water it uses. … ” Read more from Arizona Family.
Column: Arizona beverage factories built on finite groundwater. Now they want a piecemeal fix
Columnist Joanna Allhands writes, “It should be a red flag when a bill making its way through Legislature has five times more folks lobbying against it than for it, including a who’s who of water providers, homebuilders and development associations. Yet that’s what we’ve got with Senate Bill 1660, which would allow a few manufacturers to store treated wastewater underground on site so they could later pump most of it back out. The mechanics of the bill are technical. But let’s focus on the issue driving them – which arguably is far more important. … ” Read more from Arizona Central.
Judge allows farm to transfer its Colorado River water supply to Queen Creek
“The wilting alfalfa is a sign of defeat for La Paz County Supervisor Holly Irwin, who lives just miles away from GSC farm in Cibola. “I don’t think any water should be transferred off of the Colorado River,” Irwin told ABC15 Investigators while at the farm in the rural Arizona community southwest of Quartzsite. For four years, Irwin and other western Arizona county officials have tried to prevent the farm’s corporate owner, Greenstone Acquisitions, from selling most of the farm’s Colorado River water rights to the town of Queen Creek. … ” Read more from Channel 15.
Arizona town that shares Colorado River adapting due to drought conditions
“Communities up and down the Colorado River have felt the impacts of drought conditions. That includes towns near major reservoirs like Lake Mead and Lake Powell. Places like Page, Arizona, which is about 270 miles east of Las Vegas. People who live there said Lake Powell and the Glen Canyon Dam are part of their identity and they’re keeping an tabs on them while the water level continues to drop. “[For] locals, that is our go-to spot on the weekend,” Amberly Sanchez, manager of Kelly’s Sugar House, said. “I think we were the lowest we have been for the longest. It was looking kind of scary there for a little bit.” … ” Read more from Channel 13.
How the Central Arizona Project brings billions of gallons of water to Tucson
“The Central Arizona Project is responsible for providing water to more than 700,000 Tucsonans every year. But how do billions of gallons of water make their way from the Colorado River to our homes? It’s truly an engineering marvel. The Central Arizona Project pumps water from the Colorado River, nearly 3,000 feet from Lake Havasu, that eventually ends up at 14 water pumping plants before that water then finds its way into your home. CAP was officially completed in 1993. … ” Read more from Channel 9.
Greatest flood threat in Las Vegas has shifted from summer to winter, research finds
“A research paper examining flooding trends in Las Vegas determined that winter is the most likely time for the worst flooding, and not the summer monsoon. The research found that since 1950, daily rainfall records in Las Vegas have trended up in the winter and down in the summer. Dr. Guo Yu of the Desert Research Institute led the study, published in January 2023 in the Journal of Hydrometeorology. Meteorologist Chris Outler, a Lead Forecaster at the National Weather Service office in Las Vegas, says that while flooding happens during both seasons, potent winter weather systems present a unique threat. … ” Read more from Channel 13.
In national water news today …
How PFAS are entering America’s water supply
“Synthetic chemicals are being detected in America’s water supply at a rapid rate, potentially affecting millions of people over the past two decades, according to a data analysis by ABC News. Researchers say that when people are exposed at high levels, these chemicals can increase certain health risks. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, also known as PFAS or forever chemicals, are a group of approximately 12,000 chemicals used to make a variety of industrial and consumer products such as nonstick pans, food packaging and firefighting foam. Researchers are still studying the potential health impacts, but exposure at high levels have been linked to various health problems, including kidney and testicular cancer, high cholesterol and reduced response to vaccines, according to Jamie DeWitt, a professor of pharmacology and toxicology at East Carolina University. … ” Read more from ABC 7.
Floating filtration technique may soon fight algal blooms
“Treating algal blooms and eutrophication can be a complicated and expensive undertaking, but a new method being investigated may cut down on both costs and labor in an environmentally friendly way, according to a press release from Concordia University. Writing in the journal Water, the researchers describe a system of floating geotextile filters that efficiently remove suspended solids, algae and the nutrients from a shallow lake. While the project is still in development, the researchers say they believe it has the potential to scale up. This technology could then benefit the health of larger bodies of water such as ponds, rivers, coastal areas and bays. … ” Read more from Storm Water Solutions.
