On the calendar today …
- PUBLIC MEETING: Colorado River post-2026 operating guidelines from 9am to 10am. The Bureau of Reclamation is initiating the process to prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) for the development of post-2026 Colorado River reservoir operational guidelines and strategies for Lake Powell and Lake Mead. Several important reservoir and water management decisional documents and agreements that govern operation of Colorado River facilities and management of Colorado River water are currently scheduled to expire at the end of 2026. Reclamation requests that the public submit comments concerning the scope of specific operational guidelines, strategies, and any other issues that should be considered. Register here.
- MEETING: State Water Resources Control Board beginning at 9:30am. Agenda items include an informational item on the status of livestock grazing management activities by the Water Boards; Clean Water and Drinking Water revolving funds intended use plans; and
consideration of a Cease and Desist Order for BlueTriton Brands (successor to Nestle Waters)item postponed. Click here for the full agenda and remote access instructions. - WEBINAR: Mitigation: Flood After Fire Resources from NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service) from 11:30am to 12:30pm. The California Silver Jackets Team is hosting four Watershed University lunchtime webinars, focusing on post-wildfire flooding, looking at the four stages of the flood risk management life cycle: preparation, response, recovery, and mitigation. Please join us for our third webinar: Mitigation: Flood After Fire Resources from NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service). There will be an opportunity for open discussion and questions with the presenter. Web meeting link: https://usace1.webex.com/usace1/j.php?MTID=m8c4690ce7b4e9b3e54cd44dafa28cb8e
- NOAA WEBINAR: Atmospheric Rivers from 1pm to 2pm. This webinar will feature presentations and discussion about Atmospheric Rivers (ARs) in the US West. We’ll talk about the impacts from ARs in California this past winter, a variety of research projects that are building our collective understanding and predictability of ARs, and the potential connections between ARs and climate change. Sign up via go-to-webinar: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/5526618662783411805
In California water news today …
Droughts in Western states drive up emissions and threaten human health
“When drought-stricken rivers and reservoirs run low across the American West, hydropower dries up and utilities fire up hundreds of power plants that burn coal, oil, or natural gas to keep up with demand for electricity. The timing couldn’t be worse, as accompanying heat waves drive up energy use, often to power air conditioners. A new Stanford University study finds these overlooked consequences of drought dramatically increase carbon emissions, methane leakage, and local air pollution and deaths caused by poor air quality. Together, the social and economic cost of these impacts have cost 11 Western states tens of billions of dollars over the past two decades, according to the study, which was published July 6 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. … ” Read more from Stanford News.
SEE ALSO: Drought-driven shift away from hydropower is costing the US West billions of dollars: study, from The Hill
Snowmelt in CA still raging mid-July after record-breaking winter
“A winter of record snowfall in California, coupled with a triple-digit heat wave, is continuing to inundate Sierra trails and fill valley reservoirs with snowmelt run-off. In a video posted on social media by a KCRA 3 viewer, ankle-deep water could be seen rushing over the rail to Wapama Falls in Yosemite National Park last week. “Tueeulala and Wapama Falls were roaring even in July,” read the post from @drkoz23. Closer to Lake Tahoe, streams of water continue to flow down trails above 7,000 feet. … ” Read more from KCRA Channel 3.
A river runs above us
” … The storm that hit Abbotsford is known as an atmospheric river. These systems are common along the west coast of North America and midlatitudes around the world. They account for one-third to one-half of the annual precipitation in some areas and represent a major source of fresh water for many countries. But studies suggest that atmospheric rivers are becoming more volatile and are delivering water in bigger bursts. Paradoxically, recent storms, including the one in British Columbia, have occurred between some of the hottest and driest summers on record. When they deliver needed rain, it’s too much for parched soils and concrete channels to contain. This pendulum swing between deluge and drought—what meteorologists have started calling “weather whiplash”—will only grow more pronounced as the planet warms. … ” Read more from Hakai Magazine.
The final content of California’s budget-revised infrastructure and CEQA reform trailer bills
“As stated in Holland & Knight’s recent alert detailing Gov. Gavin Newsom’s package of 11 bills to amend the venerable California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), meaningful reforms to CEQA have eluded all past governors in the state. For the past five decades, CEQA has been finely tuned to protect the status quo even in the face of California’s urgent housing and infrastructure needs. CEQA lawsuits (and lawsuit threats) are the go-to tool for “NIMBYs” (not in my backyard organizations) and anyone with the resources to file a lawsuit who wants to leverage a project approved by elected and appointed officials to further their own special interests. For example, as reported in Part 3 of the “In the Name of the Environment” series authored by Holland & Knight attorneys, examining all CEQA lawsuits filed from 2019 to 2021, local and regional land use plans to allow more than 1 million new homes were targeted by CEQA lawsuits. … ” Read more from Holland Knight.
Late to Lunch: Changes in salmon migration may lead to mismatch with prey
“Anyone juggling a full schedule can relate to the stress of making sure everything gets done on time. But while for humans, a failure to be on time may mean a missed appointment, for wildlife, not being on time can be a matter of life and death. Plant and animal phenologies, or the seasonal timing of natural events, have evolved to cue in on seasonal changes to make transitions to different parts of their lifecycles. For Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus species), the timing of their migration from rivers where they were born to the ocean is influenced by environmental cues such as temperature and flow. However, climate change is causing some of these cues to occur at different times, potentially leading to shifts in the timing of smolt migration. … ” Read more from FishBio.
Ecosystems in hot water after marine heatwave surges across the Pacific
“Rising ocean temperatures are sweeping the seas, breaking records and creating problematic conditions for marine life. Unlike heatwaves on land, periods of abrupt ocean warming can surge for months or years. Around the world these “marine heatwaves” have led to mass species mortality and displacement events, economic declines and habitat loss. New research reveals that even areas of the ocean protected from fishing are still vulnerable to these extreme events fueled by climate change. A study published today in Global Change Biology, led by researchers at UC Santa Barbara, found that while California’s network of marine protected areas (MPAs) provide many social and ecological benefits , they are not resilient to the effects of ocean warming. … ” Read more from Noozhawk.
Fire danger is intensifying in California’s high mountains
“As wildfire risk rises in the West, wildland firefighters and officials are keeping a closer eye on the high mountains — regions once considered too wet to burn. The growing fire risk in these areas became startling clear in 2020, when Colorado’s East Troublesome Fire burned up and over the Continental Divide to become the state’s second-largest fire on record. The following year, California’s Dixie Fire became the first on record to burn across the Sierra Nevada’s crest and start down the other side. We study wildfire behavior as climate scientists and engineers. In a new study, we show that fire risk has intensified in every region across the West over the past four decades, but the sharpest upward trends are in the high elevations. … ” Read more from KCET.
In commentary today …
Flowing downhill to money: How corporate growers are using taxpayer funds to seize California’s water
Tom Stokely, Salmon and Water Policy Consultant for C-WIN, writes, “The Central Valley Project – the sprawling federal complex of dams, reservoirs, and canals that conveys water from the Trinity and Sacramento River watersheds through the San Francisco Bay-Delta to the corporate farmlands of the San Joaquin Valley – is employing massive taxpayer and ratepayer subsidies to support a handful of spectacularly wealthy growers. To enrich the few and the powerful, the CVP has commandeered state water supplies, destroyed California’s once-iconic salmon runs, poisoned hundreds of thousands of acres of land, and contaminated hundreds of miles of waterways, threatening public health, fish, and wildlife. The CVP grew out of the Reclamation Act of 1902, which was established to encourage settlement of the rural western United States. The project’s original subsidies helped family farmers stricken by the Great Depression. But in ensuing decades, a small number of industrial agricultural corporations established control of hundreds of thousands of acres in the San Joaquin Valley, consolidating their grip on the lion’s share of CVP water. … ” Continue reading at C-WIN.
Three bills could upend water rights
Justin Caporusso, Executive Director of the Mountain Counties Water Resources Association, writes, “If California as we know it is to continue to exist, we will need sustainable water sources. However, a trio of bills moving through the Legislature is the wrong approach. Senate Bill 389, introduced by Sen. Ben Allen, D-Santa Monica, Assembly Bill 1337, introduced by Asm. Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, and Assembly Bill 460, introduced by Asm. Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, D-San Ramon, would upend the water rights system that, while imperfect, has worked in California for more than a century. These bills would strip away due process for water-rights holders and take an aggressive approach to enforcement that is akin to nailing a painting to the wall with a jackhammer. … ” Continue reading at My Mother Lode.
Ever-increasing storms don’t have to be this catastrophic: Piecemeal approach to attacking climate change infrastructure challenges is wrongheaded
Mark Gongloff, a Bloomberg Opinion editor and columnist covering climate change, writes, “Imagine trying to build a boat while it’s already at sea and taking on water. You rush from springing leak to springing leak, haunted by a vague sense that a storm is coming but with no idea how big it will be or how long it will last. This more or less describes how the United States is approaching the growing flood threat posed by a warmer atmosphere that holds more water, subjecting the country to bouts of torrential, catastrophic rainfall. Lives are being lost and property destroyed partly because we’re moving too slowly to embrace proven solutions to bolster our infrastructure against disasters that are becoming increasingly routine. … ” Continue reading at the San Jose Mercury News.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
PG&E proposes reducing Russian River flow and transferring Potter Valley Project to subsidiary
“The Potter Valley Project has two deadlines for public comment coming up next month. One is a proposal for a flow variance, which takes into account recent developments with the embattled water diversion facility. The other is garnering statewide interest in PG&E’s request to transfer its non-nuclear generating assets to a subsidiary called Pacific Generation. That includes all its hydropower projects, some of which, like the one in Potter Valley, are running under expired licenses and are slated for decommissioning. Potter Valley has not been able to generate electricity since December of 2021, due to a broken piece of equipment in the powerhouse. Agencies and members of the public have until August fourth to comment on PG&E’s request to reduce flows into the East Fork of the Russian River from 75 cubic feet per second to 25, with flexibility to reduce the flows to 5 if water temperatures below Scott Dam exceed 60 degrees Fahrenheit or 16 degrees Celsius. This is a mitigation measure to protect salmon, which require cold water. PG&E says its request includes provisions for water temperature monitoring, which the National Marine Fisheries Service as well as the Round Valley Indian Tribes have requested. … ” Continue reading at the Redheaded Blackbelt.
Golden State Water Co. acquires Crescent Bay water system
“The California Public Utilities Commission has approved Golden State Water Co. request to acquire Crescent Bay Improvement Co. The aging water system will be consolidated into the company’s Clearlake Customer Service Area. “Golden State Water is committed to using its resources and technical experience to rebuild Crescent Bay’s failed water system,” said Paul Schubert, general manager of Golden State Water Co.’s Northern District. “By investing in the treatment and delivery of water, there will come the day when our new customers will no longer have to think twice about their water quality.” … ” Read more from the Lake County News.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Major change coming to Tahoe’s Zephyr Cove after partygoers trashed it
“Lake Tahoe officials announced major changes to how one of Tahoe’s most abused and overused beaches will be managed in response to the havoc left behind after July Fourth. After national outrage over the 6,279 pounds of trash collected from Zephyr Shoals on July 5, the League to Save Lake Tahoe and U.S. Forest Service announced that the beach will no longer be an unregulated free-for-all. Starting in the fall, the beach is slated to be managed by a third-party concessionaire with the goal of saving the beach from the impacts of “irresponsible partygoers.” “The public will continue to have access, but can expect changes like managed parking, enhanced trash management, signage, sanitation services, and staffing,” said the announcement from the League to Save Lake Tahoe and the Forest Service. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
Tuolumne Utilities District celebrates completion of water treatment consolidation project
“Tuolumne Utilities District is pleased to announce the successful completion of the Crystal Falls/Cedar Ridge Water Treatment Consolidation Project. This project interties the two crucial water systems, resulting in improved efficiency, substantial cost savings and the elimination of the Cedar Ridge Water Treatment Plant. The project also included installing a new pump station at the Crystal Falls Water Treatment plant which pumps water into the Cedar Ridge system, enhancing the reliability and efficiency of water supply and distribution within the region. … ” Continue reading at ACWA’s Water News.
Yosemite: Major damage to buildings discovered in high country from record snowfall
“Crews have finally finished clearing the massive amounts of snow that buried the Tioga Road, the famous 46-mile route through Yosemite National Park’s scenic high country that is enjoyed by tourists every summer from all over the world. But the key roadway still can’t be opened to the public, park officials said Monday, because of major damage that workers discovered to the facilities in the area. Record amounts of ice and snow damaged at least 60% of the buildings at Tuolumne Meadows, caving in roofs at employee housing there and damaging the Tuolumne Meadows Lodge, gift shop, post office and other facilities. Boulders and trees in danger of falling still need to be cleared along some portions of the road. And the roadway itself near Olmstead Point, a breathtaking overlook that is prone to avalanches in the winter, has crumbled. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News (gift article).
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
A new proposed Butte County Water District; groundwater a key concern
“The group Groundwater for Butte is a new committee going against the Butte County District in moving forward with water sustainability issues. Groundwater for Butte is concerned about water overdraft, drawing more water from wells than is flowing into the aquifer. The proposed landowner-based Tuscan Water District could be a better idea. State-regulated groundwater must have groundwater sustainability agencies to prevent water overdrafts. This is because we’re using more groundwater than is naturally recharging yearly throughout the state. Groundwater for Butte says this is taking away public control of groundwater and that they don’t have any plans to pay for it. … ” Read more from Action News Now.
BAY AREA
Why is S.F. still spending millions to clear sand from the Great Highway?
“As San Franciscans imagine potential futures for the Great Highway, mother nature is making her voice heard in the form of wind and sand. Residents of the city’s west side have long been familiar with recurring closures of the Great Highway due to sand accumulation on the roadway. In 2012, the roadway was closed 65 days due to sand accumulation. Now, however, the Department of Public Works (DPW), the entity charged with clearing sand from the Great Highway, dispatches crews to the task an average of two to three days per week, or roughly 130 weekdays per year, according to a recent report to the Board of Supervisors. A combination of rising sea levels and changes in wind patterns due to climate change is increasing erosion of the Ocean Beach dunes, leading to higher levels of sand displacement. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Report answers critical question about Martinez refinery exposure, but more remain unanswered
“Contra Costa Health declared that the dust released into nearby neighborhoods by the Martinez Refining Company last week “does not pose an increased, long-term risk to public health.” That statement, which followed several days of sampling and laboratory analysis following the release on July 11, may put an end to immediate concerns from the community about the threats to their health. But it leaves lingering questions about the cause of the release, and the refinery’s willingness to promptly inform the public. According to the county health department, coke dust is a black, powdery residue similar to charcoal that is created during the refining process. Although it could have caused “irritation of the throat, lungs and respiratory system” during the release, health officials said it was safe to wash off surfaces using soap and water. … ” Continue reading at the San Jose Mercury News.
Pleasanton considering three years of water rate increases, starting at 30% hike in November
“The Pleasanton City Council is set for an initial discussion on proposed increases to the city’s water rates, starting at 30% on Nov. 1, during a special meeting Tuesday night. The public meeting will be held at the city’s Operations Services Center on Busch Road instead of the usual council chambers at the Pleasanton Civic Center. “Recognizing that water supply and quality are of primary importance to the community, the city is proposing bold action to ensure the continued delivery of safe, reliable drinking water by immediately funding critical water system improvements,” City Manager Gerry Beaudin said in a press release last week. … ” Read more from Pleasanton Weekly.
CENTRAL COAST
State files lawsuit against Big Basin Water Co.
“State water authorities have filed a lawsuit against Big Basin Water Co. in an escalation of their efforts to bring the local water provider into compliance with regional standards. The lawsuit, filed last week by California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office on behalf of the State Water Resource Control Board Division of Drinking Water, aims to have a court-appointed authority, or receiver, assume managerial responsibility of the company in an effort to bring it back into compliance. “We have all these documented violations of Big Basin Water Co. many of which remain unaddressed – the lack of source capacity, the frequent water outages, the frequent boil water notices,” Monterey District Engineer for the Department of Drinking Water Jonathan Weininger said at a public information meeting in Ben Lomond Thursday. “That’s not acceptable.” … ” Read more from the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
No solar means Manteca sewer at mercy of PG&E
“Solar panels bought with wastewater ratepayer funds aimed at reducing their future exposure to ever increasing PG&E power costs needed to operate the treatment plant have been gathering dust in a warehouse for 27 months. The idea was to create an 11-acre solar farm to the south of the treatment plant to cover much of the annual $1.5 million plus PG&E bill required to power the treatment process. But then the city changed their mind about proceeding as they came up with another “vision” for the area. Dropping a solar power project at the treatment plant is something they had done twice before. The big difference this time around was the city actually purchased the panels. … ” Read more from the Manteca Bulletin.
Fresno contests CEMEX gravel-mine extension. County supervisors will decide Tuesday
“For almost 110 years, quarry operations along the banks of the San Joaquin River northeast of Fresno have harvested sand and gravel for the construction industry. The latest conditional permit issued by the county of Fresno for quarry operator CEMEX is set to expire later this month, but the company won county Planning Commission approval in June for a four-year extension through July 2027. The city of Fresno is challenging that decision, appealing the planning commission vote to the Fresno County Board of Supervisors. County supervisors will consider the city’s appeal at their meeting Tuesday. … ” Read more from the Fresno Bee. | Read via Yahoo News.
California ghost town disappears again as lake fills after three-year drought
“After California’s severe drought resurfaced a historic settlement from the depths of Lake Isabella, the ghost town of Whiskey Flat has once again returned to the water. Whiskey Flat, once known for gold mining and wild west movies was covered again by the previously drought-stricken lake in the state’s Central Valley, SFGate reported. Lake Isabella’s water levels had been low for years until this winter’s onslaught of rain, highlighting the toll the climate crisis has had on the reservoirs and lakes that serve crucial roles in the state’s water system. The town had most recently re-emerged in September 2022 amid a three-year drought that brought California’s lakes and reservoirs to record low levels and fueled wildfires and megablazes. Then came California’s historically wet and cold winter that left the state with a massive snowpack. … ” Read more from The Guardian.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Residents raised construction concerns decades before Rolling Hills Estates landslide
“Some residents at the Rolling Hills Estates development battered by a destructive landslide raised concerns during the neighborhood’s construction years ago about the potential for problems from water and heavy rainfall, city planning documents obtained by The Times show. Authorities are trying to determine the cause of the slide, which sent multiple homes slipping down a canyon wall. In the days since, officials have said rain and groundwater could be key to understanding what caused the land to shift. A geologist hasn’t yet analyzed the site, but officials have said such an expert should be out by Wednesday to begin that process. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Along the Colorado River …
Officials seeking public input for next 20 years of Colorado River water use
“The 2007 guidelines for the Lower Basin Water Shortage are set to soon expire. As leaders prepare for mapping out the next 20 years, public input is a top priority. Bureau of Reclamation officials have already started planning how they will operate the river and reservoirs for the next 20 years and are looking to incorporate public opinion. In addition to Monday’s virtual public meeting, there are two more coming up … ” Read more from Channel 13.
Excessive use: Nearly 60K Las Vegans hit with water district’s new fee
“One out of every six homes in the Las Vegas Valley Water District’s jurisdiction has been hit with a new fee aimed at curbing the biggest water users and conserving Southern Nevada’s small share of the Colorado River. And it’s already making a dent when it comes to saving water in the nation’s driest metropolitan area. In total, the district has levied more than 140,000 excessive use fees against nearly 60,000 customers from January through June, racking up almost $12.8 million, according to data released by the water district. … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Review Journal.
Commentary: The Saudis are enemy No. 1 in Arizona’s water wars. That’s dumb
Phil Boas, editorial columnist with The Arizona Republic, writes, “Arizona has a problem. We are an arid state with most of our population concentrated in what attorney Grady Gammage calls “oasis cities” — the two metropolises of Phoenix and Tucson. Yet, Arizona is divided into 15 counties that send lawmakers to the state Legislature. Most of those counties are rural, and thus the less populated areas of the state enjoy outsized influence on state government. In terms of water conservation, it means the metro areas, which understood long ago that we need to manage precious groundwater resources, have been willing to impose restrictions on their groundwater use. Most of rural Arizona has not. You need to understand that to understand why the Saudis have become public enemy number one in the water wars in Arizona. … ” Read more from The Arizona Republic.
Navajo president presses Congress for more time, money, for water project
“Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren asked senators Wednesday for more funding, and time, for a pipeline project that would create a reliable water supply for 250,000 people across Arizona and New Mexico. The project would deliver 37,767 acre-feet of water annually from the San Juan River basin through 300 miles of pipeline to 43 Navajo chapters, the city of Gallup, New Mexico, as well as the Teepee Junction area of the Jicarilla Apache Nation. “This project not only benefits Navajo people, but it benefits the local communities like Gallup and the areas in western New Mexico. It benefits a lot of people, and the water is highly needed,” Nygren said before a hearing of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. … ” Read more from Arizona Public Media.
Satellite images show surging water levels at Lake Powell
“With last winter’s snowpack largely gone, scientists are getting a better picture of the impact on the southwestern United States’ most critical source of fresh water: the Colorado River. Satellite images captured by the European Space Agency’s Copernicus SENTINEL-2 satellites between March 18 and July 16, 2023, show water levels surging at Lake Powell, a man-made reservoir that straddles Utah and Arizona. As of July 16, the lake’s water levels were up by 45.57 feet year over year, according to the Lake Powell Water Database, but still more than 100 feet below full capacity. … ” Read more from KTLA.
In national water news today …
Water, permitting rank high on retiring Democrats’ to-do lists
“A trio of Democrats, their Senate careers waning, are seeking to build environmental legacies on promoting clean energy, ensuring access to clean water, and combating climate change. Environment and Public Works Committee Chairman Tom Carper (Del.) and panel members Ben Cardin (Md.) and Debbie Stabenow (Mich.), with 18 months before their announced retirement, have long track records as bipartisan negotiators on clean water and infrastructure matters. “I want to make sure we do another great WRDA bill, and of course I’m very focused on the Great Lakes,” Stabenow said in a brief hallway interview. Stabenow was referring to the bipartisan, biennial Water Resources Development Act, which funds Army Corps of Engineers’ projects and drinking and wastewater programs. … ” Read more from Bloomberg Law.
CDC report: People and animals are increasingly getting sick from toxic algae
“A new federal report says more people and animals, including beloved pets, are getting sick from exposure to toxic algae that forms in natural waterbodies across the country. While there have been no human deaths, animals have died from the toxic effects, the report shows. Harmful algal blooms (HABs) seem to be becoming worse nationwide, especially during the summer. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s new report that analyzes data from 2021, 16 states reported a total of 117 human illnesses and at least 2,715 animal illnesses as a result of HAB events. … ” Read more from USA Today.
PFAS-chomping bacteria kill some ‘forever chemicals,’ scientists say
“There’s been a lot of concern recently about PFAS, pervasive “forever chemicals” that have seeped into waterways in the Mountain West and are difficult to remove. But now there’s a glimmer of hope. Some researchers are finding bacteria can help clean up the chemicals, which have been linked to cancer and kidney disease. University of California Riverside researchers identified two species of bacteria found in soil that can break down some PFAS chemicals commonly used in some electronics and medicine packaging. The findings were published in the journal Nature Water last month. … ” Read more from KUNC.
