In California water news today …
How extreme weather could threaten California’s dams
“California is home to the tallest dam in America, located 60 miles north of Sacramento in Oroville. A failure of that dam would be catastrophic; in one particularly alarming scenario, it would send a wave more than 185 feet tall sweeping into the valley below, inundating several towns. When the St. Francis Dam in northern Los Angeles County failed in 1928, the disaster was one of the deadliest in state history. But in a state threatened so regularly by Mother Nature, the risk of flooding from a dam failure doesn’t tend to get much attention. And that’s despite the fact that just six years ago, as Christopher reported, the Oroville Dam nearly failed. “Fires happen more frequently, and drought years are more common than wet ones,” he told me. “But the biggest disasters in the state’s history have been floods.” California’s dams are unprepared for extreme weather, experts told Christopher. … ” Read more from the New York Times (gift article).
How will California’s budget deal help speed up $180B worth of infrastructure projects?
“Gov. Gavin Newsom is poised to sign a package of five bills in the coming days that he says will make it easier to build $180 billion worth of clean energy, water, transportation and broadband internet projects across California over the next decade. But what projects would benefit and how quickly they could be completed remains to be seen. The governor fought hard for his infrastructure plan, taking deliberations over the state’s $310 billion 2023-24 budget down to the wire last month. He threatened to veto the legislature’s budget priorities if they failed to approve his proposals. In the end, he agreed to drop a provision that could have fast-tracked the Delta Conveyance project, a 45-mile tunnel that would pull water from the Sacramento River and pipe it underneath the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee. | Read via Yahoo News.
SEE ALSO: Not so fast: Assembly rejects delta tunnel fast track plan, from the Manteca Bulletin
California considers climate resiliency bond for 2024 ballot
“California is increasingly experiencing the impacts of climate change, including sea level rise, increased severity and frequency of wildfires, changes in precipitation that increase the risk of both drought and flooding, and increases in temperatures that can adversely impact air quality, public health, and habitats. State legislators are now considering issuing a general obligation bond to address the need to protect communities and natural resources from the impacts of climate change. If approved by both houses and signed by the Governor, California voters would see the $15.5 billion bond measure on a 2024 statewide ballot in either March or November. … ” Read more from Planetizen.
Can we desalinate water without all the mess?
“In May 2022, California officials unanimously rejected a plan to build a US $1.4-billion desalination plant in Huntington Beach. The plant, the officials said, would produce costly water and possibly harm the marine environment. The decision wasn’t an outright rejection of desalination, but it did highlight some of the problems that have made desalination an impractical solution to California’s water problems. Dragan Tutic, founder and CEO of Oneka Technologies, says large desalination plants powered by fossil fuels aren’t the only way to get fresh water out of the ocean. His company is getting ready to bring what it says is sustainable, practical desalination to the small city of Fort Bragg on California’s North Coast. … ” Read more from Hakai Magazine.
Toxic algae outbreaks off West Coast set to worsen with El Nino
“Sea lions and dolphins have been washing up sick or dead on Southern California beaches, poisoned by eating fish containing a dangerous neurotoxin. It’s the result of a harmful algae bloom, a natural phenomenon that turns water blue, bright green, brown or red, and occurs mostly in the summer and fall. Algae blooms have been supercharged in recent years by agricultural pollution and global warming (the algae prefer warmer water). The returning climate pattern known as El Niño raises the likelihood of toxic algae outbreaks on the US West Coast and may do the same in Florida, though its influence there is not as clear cut. … El Niño is set to cause more weather turmoil, test power grids and disrupt the global supply chain. Experts say its effects on algae outbreaks will vary considerably from place to place and species by species. It “depends on where and which harmful algae blooms,” says Richard Stumpf, an oceanographer at NOAA, which provides toxic algae forecasts across the US. … ” Read more from Bloomberg.
Catch this land-walking fish in California? Don’t toss it back; do this instead
“A new sighting of the so-called “Frankenfish” has prompted renewed warnings from wildlife officials that you shouldn’t just throw it back. While Frankenfish can conjure nightmarish images, it’s really a northern snakehead fish, or Channa argus. It may appear like a normal fish, but it has a special ability: it can breathe air, allowing it to slither onto land to find better water to swim in. If they are able to stay moist, the snakehead can survive for up to four days out of the water, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife says. The freshwater fish is originally from East Asia and is considered invasive because it preys on and competes with native species, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Invasive Species Information Center. … ” Read more from KTLA.
Nature-inspired fish passage
“For millennia, humans have been dramatically altering the natural environment, particularly through the modification of waterways. The damming of rivers for water storage, flood control, power supply, and recreation has greatly modified the hydrology of many basins to fit human needs, and this is particularly true of California’s Central Valley. Although these massive waterworks have allowed for rapid development of cities and agriculture, they have at the same time considerably altered life for migratory fish by fragmenting available habitat and reducing access to cooler waters upstream. In fact, scientists have demonstrated that habitat fragmentation and limited migration corridors have directly contributed to declining fish populations around the world. With a growing understanding of these impacts, managers and scientists have made numerous attempts to address the challenges that dams pose to fish populations, including installing fish ladders, conducting downstream restoration, and trapping and trucking fish over dams. Fish ladders have been the standard approach for years to improve fish passage at dams and other man-made structures, however, they have had varying degrees of success. … ” Continue reading from FishBio.
Could cannabis help the American West solve its thorniest environmental issues?
Phoebe Parker-Shames writes, “The study of cannabis is a personal one for me. Outdoor cannabis production in the rural Western U.S. has its roots in back-to-the-land movements of the 1960s. That’s when counterculture groups began growing cannabis surreptitiously as a source of income, a political statement, and a spiritual practice. I grew up in rural Southern Oregon, the child of hippies from that era. The communities where we lived were, at least in part, founded on and funded by cannabis. In 2015, the year Oregon legalized recreational cannabis, I was home applying to graduate school. I was surprised to see that legalization was already starting to transform the landscapes I had grown up in—both ecologically and socially. … ” Read more from Zocalo Public Square.
As California fire season begins, debate over wildfire retardant heats up
“As the first heat wave of summer plunges California into yet another wildfire season, some environmental groups are taking aim at a commercial fire retardant that most residents have grown all too familiar with during recent, devastating fire years. Phos-Chek, that neon-pink goo that airplanes dump over wildfires, is a sticky slurry of ammonium phosphate designed to coat vegetation and other fuels to deprive advancing flames of oxygen. Fire authorities swear by the product, calling it indispensable. But critics argue that officials are overlooking the product’s ecological risks. Studies have shown the retardant can harm plants, fish and other species, including steelhead trout and Chinook salmon. It can also act as a fertilizer that grows more vegetation, which can later act as fuel for fires. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
SEE ALSO: California fire officials are dropping more retardant as environmental advocates fume, newsletter from the LA Times
Fire retardant options grow as California wildfire season start and heatwave coincide
“The heat is back in California and with it, the risk of wildfire has returned, too. A new tool to fight fires before they occur is available to homeowners. It’s considered a fire retardant that is sprayed before a fire occurs. It’s called Phos-Chek Fortify, and is marketed to be sprayed ahead of fire season or even during an oncoming fire threat. The spray coats and stays in place, according to the manufacturer Perimeter Solutions, and provides protection until the first significant rain event. Fire authorities in California believe it could be best used to treat high-risk fire areas, like near utility poles or along highways and roadways. … ” Read more from CBS News.
U.S. wildfire season has been eerily quiet. That could soon change.
“After a very slow start, fire season may be heating up in the United States. Meteorologists are warning of a potential jump in fire activity as heat waves combine with increased ignitions during the July Fourth holiday. While Canada’s record-shattering fire season continues to pour smoke across borders, there has been little contribution from blazes in the Lower 48. About 675,000 acres have burned so far nationwide — the lowest number for this point in the season of the last 10 years. Wet and cool weather has kept fire danger unusually low out West. … ” Read more from the Washington Post.
In commentary today …
We’ve got it all wrong about sequoias and wildfire
Chad Hanson, an ecologist and the director of the John Muir Project, writes, “As my colleagues and I hiked through the Nelder giant sequoia grove south of Yosemite National Park recently, we could barely believe our eyes. In 2017, the Railroad fire swept through nearly all of the Nelder Grove, burning lightly in most areas but very intensely in the portion where we walked, about six years after the fire. The naturally regenerating giant sequoia forest was so vigorous and lush that, in many places, we had to pull the stems of young sequoias apart just so we could walk between them. There were hundreds of them on almost every acre — many of them already 8 or 9 feet tall. It was a remarkable sight because, in that particular location, the Railroad fire burned hot, killing trees, including about three dozen mature sequoias. This high-intensity fire patch is isolated; it’s nearly half a mile from the grove’s nearest remaining live, mature sequoias. How was the extraordinary rejuvenation of giant sequoias possible there? … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Who has a right to water?
Del Norte County resident Kevin Hendrick writes, “I think safe drinking water should be a basic human right, but this is not reality. One in ten people on the planet lack access to clean water. Overuse, water pollution, lack of infrastructure, and changing weather patterns due to climate change are some of the drivers of water scarcity. Droughts are causing regional famines because there is not enough water to grow crops. Who has a right to the water that’s left? Basically, the state of California and the federal government own all the water in California. Individuals and entities are allowed to “use” the water through licenses, permits, contracts, and government approval. Therefore, a water right is not an ownership right, but rather a use right. It is within the power and responsibility of the state and federal governments to regulate the right to use water in California. Before I discuss proposed changes to water rights, I want to provide additional information about water delivery in California. … ” Read more from Del Norte County.
How the Navajo Nation has been shafted by U.S. presidents, including Joe Biden
Tom Philp, opinion writer for the Sacramento Bee, writes, “If any American water rights system truly respected seniority, the Navajo Nation would get its full share. The tribe was here first. Instead, our system leaves roughly a third of those on a reservation the size of West Virginia without running water. The Supreme Court recently ruled 5-4 against a claim by the Navajo seeking a federal plan to someday receive more water. The decision has set back for generations the Navajo’s quest for more water. This did not have to happen. President Joe Biden could have reversed the position of every president since Dwight D. Eisenhower and agreed to develop a water plan for the Navajo Nation. He could have legitimized his selection of Interior Secretary, Deb Haaland, who is the first Native American to hold the office. … ” Continue reading from the Sacramento Bee.
Court of Appeals decision strikes the precautionary principle in determinations under the Endangered Species Act
Paul S. Weiland writes, “The directive from Congress that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) must base their decisions on the “best scientific and commercial data available” under section 7 of the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA) has inarguably contributed to the conservation of imperiled species. The California condor, the gray wolf, and the bald eagle are all examples of this. Unfortunately, the federal wildlife agencies predictably drift from value-neutral assessment of the status of species and the effects of human activity on those species to assumptions in line with the precautionary principle, when confronted with substantive uncertainties regarding the ecologies of listed species and the environments that they inhabit. The essence of that principle as applied to listed species in the context of section 7 consultation is the notion that one should draw all inferences in a manner that tends to underestimate the distribution and abundance of a species, overestimate the effects of proposed federal actions on a species, and, even, underestimate the effects of measures intended to yield benefits for the species. … ” Read more from the Center for California Water Resources Policy & Management.
Today’s featured article …
DELTA WATERMASTER: Delta Alternative Compliance Plan, Delta Drought Response Pilot Program
At the June meeting of the Delta Stewardship Council, Delta Watermaster Jay Ziegler updated the Council on the implementation of the Delta Alternative Compliance Plan for compliance with SB 88 and the Delta Dry Year Response Plan.
Click here to read this article.
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In regional water news and commentary today …
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Fourth of July trash at Lake Tahoe beaches to be cleaned up by robots
“There’s a new tool in town in the effort to reduce litter on Lake Tahoe’s famous beaches this Fourth of July weekend. Think of it as kind of like R2D2 with a trash bag. Or the Mars Rover with a “Keep Tahoe Blue” bumper sticker. On Wednesday morning, after Independence Day crowds have gone home from the famous Sierra Nevada lake that Mark Twain once called “the fairest picture the whole earth affords,” a remote-controlled robot will sift through the sands at Kings Beach, Zephyr Cove and other popular Tahoe beaches to pick up bottle caps, cigarette butts and other trash left behind. The computerized custodian moves about 2 miles an hour, and is roughly the size of a riding lawn mower. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
Tahoe stewardship plan released
“A group of Lake Tahoe destination management, land management and nonprofit organizations launched the Lake Tahoe Destination Stewardship Plan by signing an agreement to create the first, destination stewardship council for the greater Tahoe region. The plan outlines a comprehensive framework and sets in motion action priorities to better manage outdoor recreation and tourism and ensure the sustainability and preservation of a natural treasure and its local community, according to a press release. The plan is available on the website. … ” Read more from Tahoe Weekly.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Redding land trust joins with California agency to preserve 702-acre ranch in Shingletown
“At the west end of Shingletown, motorists traveling along Highway 44 can look off to the north of the roadway and see a green meadow with a pond and a big, green barn that says “Miller Ranch” written in large letters on the front. That rural, agricultural setting has been preserved for generations to come, following a recently completed complex legal transaction involving the landowner and the Shasta Land Trust of Redding. The owners of the 702-acre Miller Ranch have placed a conservation easement on the property, which forbids the owners from developing the land in perpetuity. … ” Read more from the Redding Record-Searchlight.
Solano County: Grand jury: Alternative uses for treated wastewater should be explored
“The treated wastewater coming out of sewer plants in Solano County is “quite good,” the 2022-23 Solano County civil grand jury reported. The jury, in a June 23 report, suggested in its comments that the treated water be made available for other uses “rather than releasing it into the ground or local waterways.” “Overall, the quality of the effluent water from the treatment plants in Solano County is quite good. The plants should be encouraged to work with federal and state Environmental Protection Agencies to develop ways to make this water available to county residents and businesses, rather than releasing it into the ground or local waterways,” the jury said in its comment section. … ” Read more from the Daily Republic.
NAPA/SONOMA
Upper York Creek Dam removal: A milestone in environmental restoration
“After a challenging journey spanning 28 years, a significant milestone has been achieved in the City of St. Helena’s commitment to environmental stewardship with the completion of the Upper York Creek Ecosystem and Aquatic Habitat Restoration project. Government officials, environmental advocates and the community gathered June 27 to commemorate the removal of the Upper York Creek Dam and honor the people and organizations that played a vital role in this transformative endeavor. After an event that took place at St. Helena’s City Hall, elected officials, project partners, and City staff went to the Upper York Creek restoration site to unveil new informational signage marking the completion of the project. … ” Read more from The Patch.
Inside the legal battle over elk and fences at Point Reyes
“For years, environmental and animal rights activists have been battling Point Reyes National Seashore over cattle ranching. And an eight foot tall fence built to separate cows from elk. From ten tule elk released in 1976, the population reached around 500 until recent, severe drought took a toll on the hemmed in herd. While tearing at the heartstrings of some, the dispute also involves federal land, commercial leases and the primary mission of the national park service. Recently, KRCB’s Marc Albert spoke to Rebecca Garverman, clinical fellow at the Harvard Law School’s Animal Law and Policy Clinic, which is leading a legal charge against the park service, but using an entirely different tack. … ” Read more from Northern California Public Radio.
BAY AREA
San Francisco’s infamous Forbes Island has been resurrected
“When whispers got out a few years ago that San Francisco’s infamous floating island was bound for the market, a Bay Area man gathered a group of nautical radicals to inherit its legacy. Sean Faul caught wind of the sale through a Delta marina owner who helped broker the deal. Faul was certain that he could assemble his friends for the purchase. “I told them it’s not going to be easy, it’ll be weird, but it’s right up our alley,” Faul told SFGATE. He enlisted his friends, including a landowner in the Delta, and formed a holding company. Together, they were going to buy a manmade island that was once a residence in the middle of the San Francisco Bay. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
Water toxins and rattlers: Why some East Bay outdoor fun comes with a warning
“Toxic algae blooms and rattlesnakes are prompting cautionary warnings for outdoor recreation in some parts of the East Bay as summer temperatures rise. Park officials shut down the swimming beach at Lake Temescal in the Oakland hills and the Niles swim area at Horseshoe Lake in Fremont last week due to blue-green algae contamination, a bacterial bloom in which the waterborne plants release toxins that can cause rashes, infections and gastrointestinal problems. While the duration of each bloom differs due to environmental factors such as daily temperatures and average rainfall, officials said summertime closures in previous years lasted up to nine weeks. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
CENTRAL COAST
Water suit enters a crucial phase
“Structured mediation in the Santa Barbara ChannelKeeper case continues to progress toward possible resolution, according to parties involved in the talks. On June 28, a further status conference in the litigation took place in Los Angeles County Superior Court, with Judge William F. Highberger getting an update from major parties taking part in sessions with mediator David Ceppos. Parties included defendant and cross-complainant the city of Ventura, along with cross-defendants Casitas Municipal Water District, the city of Ojai, the East Ojai Group, Ventura River Water District, Meiners Oaks Water District, the Wood-Claeyssens Foundation, Rancho Matilija Mutual Water Company and the Ventura County Watershed Protection District. … ” Read more from the Ojai Valley News.
Roughly 89,000 in Oxnard and Camarillo areas get notices about water adjudication case
“Tens of thousands of Ventura County residents recently received notices about a lawsuit over groundwater rights in parts of Ventura County. The roughly 89,000 legal documents were sent to property owners alerting them that a groundwater adjudication case is starting. Any of them wanting to participate must file a response by Aug. 30. If they don’t, they may be unable to do so later and their rights to groundwater from the Oxnard and Pleasant Valley basins could be affected. A group of agricultural property owners called the OPV Coalition filed the lawsuit in 2021. Pending in Santa Barbara County Superior Court, it seeks to determine groundwater rights in the two basins that include areas in Oxnard, Camarillo, Port Hueneme, Ventura and nearby unincorporated communities. … ” Read more from the Ventura County Star.
Ventura: UWCD general manager says scandal is root cause of drought
“In delivering his presentation, titled “The Great Water Heist,” Mauricio Guardado, general manager of the United Water Conservation District, told the audience of mostly ranchers and business owners: “It’s not really about drought, or climate change. If you follow the money … you’ll see there’s some scandal going on, have a better understanding of where the water is actually going.” Speaking June 29 at the “Circle the Wagons” event in Camarillo, hosted by the nonprofit Ventura County Coalition of Labor, Agriculture and Business (VC CoLAB), Guardado said activists and lawyers stymie development projects and target water purveyors as a means of generating income. Speaking at the Las Posas Country Club, Guardado cited “litigation, regulations and mitigation requirements” as the primary roadblocks to replenishing the county’s water supply. … ” Read more from the Ojai Valley News.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
State-funded stormwater-capture, recharge project breaks ground in Stanislaus County
“The State Water Resources Control Board joined the Central California Irrigation District (CCID) and Del Puerto Water District (DPWD) in Newman last Thursday to celebrate the launch of the Orestimba Creek Recharge and Recovery project, which is expected to capture up to 3,500 acre-feet per year of stormwater flows for irrigation while reducing flooding risks to nearby disadvantaged communities. The project is scheduled for completion in June 2024. The State Water Board committed $5.6 million from its Prop 1 Stormwater Grant Program to fully fund construction of the project’s recharge ponds and diversion and conveyance structures. To provide needed flexibility to plan for and maximize stormwater capture over successive wet seasons, the board issued its second‑ever five‑year temporary permit to the water districts in May. … ” Continue reading this press release from the State Water Resources Control Board.
SEE ALSO: State-funded stormwater-capture, recharge project breaks ground in Stanislaus County, from the Manteca Bulletin
‘Stay out of the water’: what lurks below California’s zombie lake?
“There are portions of California’s Tulare Lake, with its blue water that stretches for miles and birds bobbing around the shoreline, where it can be easy to forget that a few months ago, none of this was here at all. But then an irrigation hose or a fence post or a power line pokes through the surface, reminding passersby and authorities tasked with patrolling the lake what lies under the water. The vast lake, once the largest freshwater body west of the Mississippi before it was drained by agricultural canals, reappeared this year amid a barrage of intense storms and flooding that swallowed up farmland in rural Kings county. Hundreds of acres of cotton, tomato and pistachio fields, workers’ homes, roads and power infrastructure are submerged within the lake, much of it beyond the sight of the visitors who have flocked to the shoreline. They have stopped by new viewing points and trudged to road closure signs with drones in hopes of seeing the historic lake first-hand. … ” Read more from The Guardian.
Tides turning at Tulare Lake, but water to remain for some time
“After months of concerted efforts to mitigate flooding in the Tulare Lake region, state officials announced that the lake’s water levels have begun to recede. The positive results come as good news to communities that have been struggling with standing water since March. The Newsom Administration notes that state actions taken to curb flooding impacts have resulted in 66,692 acre-feet of water diverted away from Tulare Lake. Actions included executive orders and pre-emptive water management strategies. Favorable weather conditions up until now have helped keep floodwaters manageable. State, local, and federal officials moved nearly 22 billion gallons of water as part of the flood mitigation efforts. Despite the flooding beginning to turn around, reports indicate that it could take years for the waters to completely recede. As of now, the lake is approximately the size of Lake Tahoe, measuring nearly 170 square miles. … ” Read more from Ag Net West.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
L.A. mayor ousts Native American DWP commissioner; Indigenous groups outraged
“Cynthia Ruiz, the first Native American ever to serve on the Los Angeles Board of Water and Power Commissioners, got some bad news from City Hall recently. Ruiz said a deputy mayor called her on May 26 to say she was being removed after serving just one year on the panel that oversees the Department of Water and Power. “It’s not about you,” Ruiz said she was told. “If you want to go on to a different commission, let me know and I can make it happen.” What followed was a moment of shock and uncomfortable silence, Ruiz said. The former head of the city’s multibillion-dollar retirement fund system believed she was making progress in easing 122 years of tension between the DWP and Owens Valley tribes over water rights and land use in the eastern Sierra Nevada watershed. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Orange County now using drone technology to fight mosquitoes
“Orange County has a new tool in the fight against mosquitoes following winter’s heavy rains. Orange County Mosquito and Vector Control District is now using a drone to attack mosquito development in marshes, large ponds and parks. Mosquitoes grow into larvae from eggs laid in water, making proliferation of the biting bugs a major concern after the state’s recent rain. “There’s quite a bit more mosquitoes due to the rain,” said John Savage, who recently operated the drone at San Joaquin Marsh Reserve near the University of California, Irvine. “You can see out here almost every single marsh pond is full of water.” … ” Read more from KABC.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Scientists warned of a Salton Sea disaster. No one listened.
On the afternoon of Oct. 6, 2022, a massive dust storm rose in the drought-parched Sonoran Desert just southeast of California’s Salton Sea. Wind, gusting at more than 60 miles per hour, whipped the desert floor into a vaulting curtain of sediment that swept north across the Imperial Valley, engulfing low-slung agricultural towns like El Centro and Brawley in a mantle of suffocating dust. The storm knocked out power, downed trees, and shrouded the region in an eerie amber haze. The Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality Index, which considers scores above 150 unhealthy, and those above 300 hazardous, spiked to 659 at a monitoring station on the western shore of the Salton Sea. And as the avalanche of dust bore down, Trianna Morales, a 31-year-old baker at the local Vons supermarket in Brawley, looked on with dread. “Oh my God,” Morales thought. “We’re gonna get sick.” … Morales attributes their family’s breathing problems to the Salton Sea, a strange and troubled body of water 17 miles by car to the north. … ” Read the full story from Undark via Maven’s Notebook.
SAN DIEGO
LAFCO decision could raise region’s water bills by nearly $200 million
“Updated figures released today show that disadvantaged communities, working families, farmers, and others across San Diego County will be forced to pay nearly $200 million more over the next decade for water service unless agencies seeking to leave the Water Authority are required to fully cover their costs. On July 10, the San Diego Local Agency Formation Commission’s board is expected to vote on a plan for the Fallbrook and Rainbow water agencies to leave the San Diego County Water Authority, possibly with the inclusion of an “exit fee.” However, LAFCO’s figures are based on years-old data and flawed projections that understate the annual costs of detachment by at least 50%. Like everything else, costs related to water supplies have inflated significantly over the past three years. … ” Continue reading at the Water News Network.
Tijuana, reliant on the Colorado River, faces a water crisis
“Luis Ramirez leapt onto the roof of his bright blue water truck to fill the plastic tank that by day’s end would empty into an assortment of buckets, barrels and cisterns in 100 homes. It was barely 11 a.m. and Ramirez had many more stops to make on the hilly, grey fringes of Tijuana, a sprawling, industrial border city in northwestern Mexico where trucks or “pipas” like Ramirez’s provide the only drinking water for many people. “Each time, it gets farther and farther where we have to go,” he said, blaming the city’s water problems on drought and population growth, before jumping into the driver’s seat next to 16-year-old assistant Daniel Alvarez. … ” Read more from the Associated Press.
Along the Colorado River …
Agriculture 3.0: Preparing for a drier future in the Colorado River basin
“Lowell King plunged his hands into the frosty soil and scooped up a radish framed in a knot of earth, roots, and the odd worm. This, King stated proudly, is healthy soil. “When we have healthy soils, we have healthy plants, healthy animals, and healthy people,” said King, who started practicing the regenerative agricultural techniques of his Mennonite ancestors on his farm in Fruita, Colo., several years ago. Healthy soil also retains water: Since King started focusing on soil health practices, he has reduced the water he needs for irrigation while almost doubling his net profit per acre. … ” Read more from EOS.
Who gets a say in the Colorado River’s water supply
‘The podcast Parched from Colorado Public Radio looks at the Colorado River – a lifeline for communities across the western U.S. – and the people who have ideas to save it. Indigenous tribes have lived within the water’s flow for thousands of years, but they’ve been shut out of decision-making about the Colorado River. In today’s episode, we traveled to the Jicarilla Apache Reservation to learn what’s meant for tribes. You’re going to hear from both the host of Parched, Michael Elizabeth Sakas, and Taylar Dawn Stagner, an Indigenous affairs reporter from Wyoming. Taylar picks up the story. … ” Read transcript or listen from NPR via Capitol Public Radio.
Date palm irrigation research provides benefits
“Historically, date palms are grown along riverbeds or in areas with groundwater because they require an abundance of water to produce a good crop. Unlike lettuce or table grapes, date palms are deceptive in that they do not immediately wilt if underwatered. Eventually, however, the lack of water hurts yields and fruit quality. The default for date growers is to apply excessive water, but doing so is neither economically nor environmentally sound. To help growers, Ali Montazar, UC Cooperative Extension irrigation and water management advisor for Imperial, Riverside and San Diego counties, has developed knowledge that enables growers in the region to establish irrigation guidelines they can use with confidence. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press.
Months of wet weather erase drought across the Southwest
“A stretch of unusually wet months has erased drought across much of the Southwest, according to climate experts, who spelled out how a snowy winter and rainy spring brought relief to a particularly parched region. “Unlike some past presentations I’ve given for the Southwest,” said Brian Fuchs, a climatologist with the National Drought Mitigation Center, at a recent briefing. “This one actually has some good news in it.” In June 2022, 99% of the Southwest was under some degree of drought. Just a year later, only 28% of the region is experiencing drought, according to the U.S. Drought monitor, which defines the Southwest as Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, Arizona, California and Nevada. … ” Read more from the Cronkite News.
Colorado tribes fear the effects of U.S. Supreme Court ruling against Navajo Nation in water rights case
“Colorado tribes are worried that a U.S. Supreme Court ruling last month against the Navajo Nation in a Colorado River water rights case may narrow the federal government’s broad, historic responsibility to provide them with aid. In Navajo Nation vs. Arizona Dept. of the Interior, the tribe was seeking to sue the federal government to require it to assess the tribe’s water rights along the Colorado River and help to create a plan to develop them for the 170,000 tribal members who live there. Instead, in a 5-4 decision released June 22, the court ruled the federal government isn’t responsible for such actions, saying the treaties between the U.S. and the tribe didn’t explicitly require it. … ” Read more from the Colorado Sun.
In national water news today …
USGS: Tap water study detects PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ across the US
“At least 45% of the nation’s tap water is estimated to have one or more types of the chemicals known as per- and polyfluorinated alkyl substances, or PFAS, according to a new study by the U.S. Geological Survey. There are more than 12,000 types of PFAS, not all of which can be detected with current tests; the USGS study tested for the presence of 32 types. This USGS research marks the first time anyone has tested for and compared PFAS in tap water from both private and government-regulated public water supplies on a broad scale throughout the country. Those data were used to model and estimate PFAS contamination nationwide. This USGS study can help members of the public to understand their risk of exposure and inform policy and management decisions regarding testing and treatment options for drinking water. … ” Continue reading this press release from the USGS.
Insight: Biden’s green hydrogen plan hits climate obstacle: Water shortage
“The Biden administration’s climate agenda is facing an unexpected challenge in drought-prone Corpus Christi, Texas, where a proposed clean hydrogen hub would require the installation of energy-intensive, expensive and potentially environmentally damaging seawater desalination plants. The Gulf Coast port is in the running for up to $1 billion available under President Joe Biden’s 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to create a regional hub to produce hydrogen, a low-emissions fuel made by electrolyzing water that can help decarbonize heavy-emitting industries and transportation. A hydrogen hub would require access to millions of gallons of water – a challenge in Corpus Christi which is experiencing a multi-year drought. While local officials say they can provide that water by constructing a seawater desalination plant, environmental groups and some local residents and lawmakers are lining up to oppose desalination sites. … ” Read more from Reuters News.
What’s next for Biden’s WOTUS rule?
“Questions linger as federal officials try to rework the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) Rule. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has indicated that it will update the WOTUS rule by September. At the same time, industry groups are taking legal action in an attempt to withdraw the rule altogether. The Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett v. EPA decision significantly limited EPA authority under the Clean Water Act. Now ag groups including the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), American Farm Bureau Federation, and more than a dozen others are asking the courts to completely vacate the current rule. … ” Read more from Ag Net West.
Feds move forward on introducing imperiled species outside historic habitat
“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will launch its plan to introduce experimental populations of endangered and threatened species in suitable habitats outside their historic range to help them survive as climate change and invasive species make their original territories unlivable. The service said Friday it has finalized a revision, proposed a year ago, to its regulations for introducing experimental populations, which will give it more flexibility to help with the recovery of imperiled species. “The impacts of climate change on species habitat are forcing some wildlife to new areas to survive, while squeezing other species closer to extinction,” Interior Secretary Deb Haaland said in a statement. “The Interior Department is committed to using all of the tools available to help halt declines and stabilize populations of the species most at-risk.” … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
Wanted: Investors prepared to take the plunge into water tech
“In 2018, when Cape Town residents stared into the abyss of the taps running dry, there was talk of towing an iceberg from Antarctica to provide much-needed water. Thankfully, entrepreneurs are coming up with less outlandish ideas to help tackle the global crisis of shrinking supplies of freshwater, which deprives more than 2 billion people of access to safe drinking water and threatens our planet’s life-support system. But entrepreneurs need both investment capital and supportive regulations to turn their ideas into viable solutions. The United Nation’s water conference in March in New York attempted to put the water crisis squarely on the map. Investors with $3 trillion in assets urged governments to develop policies to deliver water security through ambitious targets to incentivise private investment. “Water use for agricultural, industrial and energy generation activities must be transformed, to reduce demand and ensure that productive activities do not exacerbate water scarcity conditions,” they said. … ” Continue reading from Reuters.
