On the calendar today …
- WORKSHOP: FIRO-MAR from 9am to 12pm. The workshop will address FIRO decision support tools, studies, and concepts as well as Winter 2022/23 AR activities and FIRO test sites. Please register to join the workshop: https://csus.zoom.us/meeting/
register/ tZwsfuysqDMvGNHvJmC9gyZTmZkhaE wOiZAl - WEBINAR: From Forests to Faucets: Resilient Forests and Water Supplies from 10am to 11am. Christina Burri will share about Denver Water’s proactive investments in watershed health, and the lessons learned from past fires. Denver Water is experiencing a return on investment through forest and watershed health commitments, and Christina will explain why investing in forest and watershed health is a smart business decision for Denver Water. Christina will provide a summary of the long-term costs of being reactive after catastrophic wildfires, and what Denver Water is doing to recover after past fires. The participants will learn why it matters to invest in forest and watershed health, and how connections can be made across all levels of government to leverage resources for watershed investments. Click here for more information and to register.
- PUBLIC MEETING: Drought Resilience Interagency and Partners (DRIP) Collaborative from 10:30am to 4:30pm. Join the Department of Water Resources for the second Drought Resilience Interagency & Partners (DRIP) Collaborative meeting. Members of the public will be able to observe the meeting and provide public comments in-person at the meeting location or remotely. The meeting will be viewable as a webcast live event. Individuals who only want to watch or listen should use this option as it preserves interactive meeting resources for those who are commenting on items. In person at: Sac State Downtown, 304 S Street, Training Room DTN 104 and 105, Sacramento, CA
- MEETING: Delta Protection Commission from 5pm to 7pm. Agenda items include consideration of appointments to the Delta Protection Advisory Committee; Delta Watermaster presentation by Jay Ziegler, Delta Protection Advisory Committee (DPAC) Report, and a presentation on the Gateway monument and interpretive sign project – Steve White and Henry Yasui, Sacramento County Department of Transportation. Click here for the full agenda.
- WEBINAR: From Snow To Flow – When Snow Falls On A Mountain, Where Does It Go? from 6pm to 7pm. Presentation by Andrea Creighton, USGS Hydrologist. Learn about USGS science seeking to understand the effects of climate change and future of snowpack. Most of the water in the western U.S. comes from the snowpack of the high-elevation mountains. Changes in timing, magnitude, and duration of snowmelt may substantially alter downstream water availability. Click here to enter webinar.
- HYBRID: Exploring the Dutch Slough Restoration Project from 7pm to 8:30pm. At this hybrid speaker event, Katie Bandy, Dutch Slough Project Manager with the Department of Water Resources (DWR) will present an overview of this impressive restoration project that is restoring the natural estuary formed by Marsh Creek’s outlet into the San Joaquin Delta. This event will be a hybrid lecture/speaker event where you are welcome to attend either in person or via Zoom. The Zoom link will be sent to registered attendees prior to the event. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
Enough water for 11 million households went into California aquifers this year. Why it’s only a start
“State water authorities estimated that 3.8 million acre-feet of water went into depleted underground reservoirs this year after a record winter of rain and snow. That’s about how much water more than 11 million California households will use annually. The figure released Wednesday was praised by officials as a boon to depleted groundwater basins after decades of overpumping during drought. But it’s going to take years of rain and effort from local water agencies to reach sustainability, said experts and advocates. “We took a pretty creative approach on how to deal with atmospheric rivers,” said Paul Gosselin, deputy director of the Department of Water Resources’ sustainable groundwater management office. “This one year is going to improve conditions but it’s also not the end of the story, and it may only scratch the surface.” … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
DWR captures and stores water from record-breaking snowpack
“2023 has demonstrated how quickly California can move from one extreme to another — as severe drought conditions gave way to flooding and one of the largest snowpacks in 70 years. Because of this extreme variability, and in an effort to always be climate ready, DWR and partners proactively worked to take advantage of this year’s record-breaking precipitation and prepare for the next drought. Governor Newsom’s Executive Orders this year allowed DWR to quickly manage snowmelt runoff and leverage it for increased storage in reservoirs, groundwater recharge, and water transfers. … ” Read more from DWR News.
How is demand management developing in SGMA groundwater sustainability plans?
“Demand management will play a critical role in both reaching groundwater sustainability under SGMA and determining the economic costs of groundwater regulation. Here, we provide an update on the approval process of 116 submitted groundwater sustainability plans. We detail demand management proposals and compare how these differ between plans that have been approved and those deemed incomplete or inadequate.” Click here to read article from the Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics.
From drought to deluge: designing groundwater pricing policies to cope with California’s water woes
“Groundwater pricing presents a promising tool for managing groundwater demand under California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act. We use data from an agricultural region on the Central Coast to examine how farmers respond to an increase in price over a five-year period. We find that farmers are increasingly responsive to price over time.” Read article from Agricultural and Resource Economics Update.
Funding for water projects takes $200 million bite
“The state’s money problems are taking a $200 million bite out of funding for drinking and wastewater projects. The state Water Resources Control Board voted Tuesday to approve the cuts as part of a statewide belt tightening effort. The state was flush with surplus cash back in 2021 which led to $1.3 billion allocated to drinking water and wastewater. But this year, revenues fell short and the state is in deficit by about $32 billion. That means some of the original money allocated in 2021 needs to be scaled back. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Cal Cities Board adopts positions on water rights bills; vows to keep fighting for homelessness and affordable housing funding
“Proposed changes to California’s water rights system and new leadership in the state Assembly were front and center at the League of California Cities Board of Directors meeting last week in Newport Beach. The Board also approved recommendations from the Nominating Committee for the 2023-24 Board of Directors. The Board voted to take a watch position on two key water bills, AB 460 (Bauer-Kahan) and AB 1337 (Wicks). Both measures faltered in the Legislature amidst fierce opposition from water utilities, agricultural interests, and business groups. Shortly before lawmakers went on recess last week, the two bills were pulled, essentially ending — for now — what would have been significant changes to the way water is allocated and regulated in the state. … ” Read more from the League of California Cities.
Historic Sierra runoff will make for a fantastic fly fishing season on California’s rivers
“It’s not just whitewater rafters and kayakers who are enjoying the historic snowmelt runoff tumbling down Sierra Nevada rivers this summer. Anglers are benefiting from nature’s generosity thanks to the high water flows. The influx of water flushes out streams large and small, creating fresh habitats and uncovering cobble and gravel beds trout use to build their spawning nests. The season is somewhat delayed as the snowpack continues to melt, and authorities are advising caution around rivers and lakes as numerous drownings have been reported this year. These circumstances indicate that the fishing season in the Sierra Nevada will extend later than usual this year, said Peter Tira, a spokesman for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
Fox Rothschild LLP secures novel IRS ruling on water rights as ‘real property’
“A Fox Rothschild team secured a favorable private letter ruling, PLR 202309007, from the Internal Revenue Service, which held that certain water rights are “real property,” and therefore qualify for a tax-deferred exchange under Internal Revenue Code Section 1031. Gregory A. Novotny, Co-Chair of the Taxation and Wealth Planning Department, who with Chantal C. Renta, requested the private letter ruling, said the recently released ruling was the first of its kind and could provide greater comfort and clarity to other taxpayers seeking to enter into similar water rights transactions. “This provides some critical guidance in an area where there’s not very much guidance. It could help people who want to exchange all or a portion of their water rights for real property and gives them some comfort that they have the option to utilize a Section 1031 exchange,” Novotny said. … ” Read more from the Northern California Record.
What to expect from wildfire season in California this year
“Compared with recent years, the 2023 fire season in California is off to a slow start. Roughly 22,000 acres have burned in the state so far this year, compared with an average of 120,000 acres by this point in each of the previous five years, according to CalFire, the state’s fire agency. An extraordinarily wet winter and an unusually cool spring and early summer are to thank. But that picture is starting to shift. Several wildfires have recently erupted in California amid a heat wave, including the Rabbit fire, which has consumed more than 8,000 acres and prompted evacuations in Riverside County last weekend. As of last night, it was 55 percent contained. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
In commentary today …
Delta Lead Scientist creates unprecedented conflicts of interest with multi-million dollar UC research grants
Deirdre Des Jardins with California Water Research writes, “The Delta Lead Scientist, Dr. Laurel Larsen, is a hydroecologist at the University of California’s Berkeley campus. She is the first mid-career scientist to hold the position of Delta Lead Scientist, having received tenure in 2018. The Lead Scientist position and the Delta Science Program were first created under the 2000 CALFED Record of Decision, and were continued under the Delta Reform Act of 2009. The Lead Scientist is responsible for “leading, overseeing, and guiding” the state and federally funded Delta Science Program. Dr. Larsen applied for the Delta Lead Scientist position in 2019, when a $1.85 million, five year grant to her UC Berkeley research group was ending. … ” Read more from California Water Research.
Today’s featured article …
SoCAL WATER DIALOG: SGMA implementation in the San Joaquin Valley
Groundwater is a critical resource, supplying nearly 40% of the state with water to support cities and farms. With droughts increasing in severity and frequency and climate change putting stress on local communities across the state, it has become increasingly clear that California can no longer manage groundwater resources as we have in the past. This recognition led to the passage of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) in 2014 – a law designed to provide statewide guidance for managing California’s precious groundwater resources sustainably. Eight years in, how is the implementation of SGMA going?
In a presentation to the Southern California Water Dialog, Ellen Hanak, vice president and director of the Water Policy Center and a senior fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC), gave a status check on SGMA implementation with a focus on the San Joaquin Valley, which is ground zero for SGMA implementation.
In the San Joaquin Valley, bringing groundwater basins in to balance will necessitate significant amount of irrigated lands to come out of production. Ann Hayden, Interim Vice President of Climate Resilient Water Systems for the Environmental Defense Fund, discussed how the state’s Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program hopes to help with the transition.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Grasshoppers infest lower Klamath area
“A high number of grasshoppers are infesting the lower Klamath area. Some are even calling it a ‘grasshopper plague.’ The Klamath Water Users association have been receiving reports of lost crops. And the organization said grasshoppers are to blame. Roads and farmland are covered in these grasshoppers. … ” Read more from KOBI 5.
McKinleyville new water storage tank set to be critical in firefighting use for the city
“The town of McKinleyville is breaking ground on a new water storage tank on Wednesday, July 19. The new 4.5-million-gallon tank is planned to be a critical hazard mitigation tool for the town and around Humboldt County. The extra water storage is dedicated for consumption and firefighting on a daily basis, as well as in the event of a large earthquake or wildfire. Coordination between Humboldt Bay Municipal water district and the City of Arcata will additionally allow this tank to back feed the City of Arcata water system if needed. … ” Read more from KRCR.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Clarity, changing food web detailed in annual Lake Tahoe report
“The Tahoe Environmental Research Center, or TERC, at the University of California, Davis, released its annual Tahoe: State of the Lake Report, describing the past year as one of rapid biological change. The 2023 report presents data collected during 2022 and puts it in context with historical records. It also serves as an important resource for restoration, management and monitoring decisions. UC Davis researchers have been monitoring the second deepest lake in the United States continuously since 1968, and the report provides an update for nonscientists on a variety of factors affecting the health of Lake Tahoe. The report details changes in lake clarity and the possible links to a sudden decline in the Mysis shrimp population. Extensive algal blooms in the nearshore of the lake and new data on microplastics are also detailed. Other topics include new monitoring and modeling efforts, lowered nitrogen and phosphorus levels and research into the efficacy of no-wake zones. … ” Continue reading at UC Davis.
High levels of toxic lead found in Lake Tahoe’s Emerald Bay
“A recent investigation by The Wall Street Journal has revealed concerning findings regarding high levels of lead in Lake Tahoe, specifically near areas where AT&T buried underwater lead cables. The testing conducted in Emerald Bay, a popular location within the lake, unveiled a sample containing lead levels that exceeded the Environmental Protection Agency’s limit for drinking water by a staggering 2,533 times. Despite these findings, AT&T has no immediate plans to remove lead cables from Lake Tahoe, as mentioned in a court filing this week. In the filing, the company argued that the testing conducted by the Wall Street Journal was funded by the Environmental Defense Fund and targeted specific sites to obtain the desired result of high lead levels. … ” Read more from Active NorCal.
SEE ALSO: AT&T hits back at lead cabling report, does not intend to remove soon, from Data Center Dynamics
Man behind plan to reopen Grass Valley gold mine faced charges. Here are the verdicts
“Ben Mossman, the man behind a controversial plan to reopen a shuttered gold mine in Grass Valley, has been found guilty of 13 environmental crimes but was exonerated on another 10 counts in connection with another mine project in British Columbia. The court ruling involves a failed gold mine on an island off the coast of British Columbia that turned into a toxic site due to mine waste leaks. Ben Mossman is due to be sentenced on Sept. 26 in Prince Rupert Laws Court, said Ann Seymour, a spokeswoman for the Ministry of Attorney General, British Columbia Prosecution Services in an email. Under the environmental statues, he was found guilty of penalties including fines and jail time or a combination of both. British Columbia law enforcement officials have not discussed what penalties they would seek. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Groundwater political group protests Tuscan Water District
“A proposed special district in Butte County that would carry out groundwater recharge projects, known as the Tuscan Water District, has met controversy in its formation process. Political group Groundwater for Butte began a public campaign Tuesday in a ballot-ripping protest at Durham Community Park held in opposition to the district’s formation for many reasons, one being a lack of public information and input on the matter. The district has gone through Butte County’s agency formation process, and it is said county supervisors are set to vote as soon as Tuesday on whether or not to place the district’s formation on an official election ballot. According to its website, the formation of the Tuscan Water District attempts to fill a water-management void in the area of the Vina subbasin and a portion of the Butte subbasin. … ” Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record.
Council OKs contract for well project: Yuba City water tower improvements underway
“In order to provide additional water resources and store available surface water, the Yuba City City Council unanimously approved a professional services agreement on Tuesday to develop an environmental analysis, bid service and permitting documents for the Aquifer Storage and Recovery Well Project. This project originally came to fruition after the city was awarded a $6.3 million grant from the California Department of Water Resources in 2022 for the construction of a new municipal well with aquifer storage and recovery capabilities, which would allow for both groundwater extraction and insertion for future use. The city previously said that this well will “allow the city to treat and store surplus water from existing water rights in an underground aquifer, especially during normal or wet years, and allow recovery of that water when needed.” … ” Read more from the Appeal Democrat.
Marysville council approves plan for Ellis Lake solutions
“Considered one of the jewels of the city, Marysville’s Ellis Lake has seen better days. The idea of improving the water quality of the lake has come up several times over the years with various plans discussed and attempted – including recently when the city removed large amounts of carp and added a phosphorous agent that temporarily brought renewed life to the murky waters. However, because those solutions were not permanent and city leaders now have grandiose ideas for a revitalization of Ellis Lake, a proper fix is being considered once again: moving water from the Yuba River into the lake. … ” Read more from the Appeal Democrat.
BAY AREA
Why a mouse matters: A reporter tags along on an ‘epic slog’ to survey the salt marsh harvest mouse
“It was late August, and a briny breeze tugged at my hair and notebook. I stepped out onto an expanse of pickleweed at San Pablo Bay’s American Canyon. This was the salt marsh, the buffer between land and sea. The salt-tolerant pickleweed, a succulent, was like a cross between coral and a leftover Christmas tree that formed a thick, springy, porous carpet under my boots. Black-necked stilts called over the wind. Raccoon prints dotted the mud. Rats, deer mice, house mice, mink, river otters, beavers, black rails, and Ridgway’s rails lived here, too. We were there for the salt marsh harvest mice. But the mice had hidden themselves well. That morning, some 60 biologists and volunteers were sloshing their way across a handful of sites around the San Francisco Bay Area, all hoping to find these mice in the live traps they’d set. … ” Read more from Bay Nature.
‘Stop the bleeding’: Pleasanton proposes big rate increases to keep water program afloat
“Water rates in Pleasanton could go up 30% this year under a proposed plan that would also raise rates and additional 20% in 2025 and another 12% in 2026. The proposed increases — the first of which would be effective Nov. 1 — address what officials have described as the dire state of the city’s water enterprise fund, which is meant to be sustained by ratepayers but hasn’t kept up with water delivery and maintenance costs. The fund is at risk of becoming insolvent by 2025 as reserves are drawn down, according to the city. “It really is designed to stop the bleeding,” Pleasanton City Manager Gerry Beaudin told the City Council at its meeting Tuesday. “We have a systemic issue that we need to address.” … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
CENTRAL COAST
Local and state agencies are wrestling with how to make Highway 1 in Moss Landing resilient to sea level rise.
“When the sea rises due to climate change, what does that look like on the ground? At Moss Landing and Elkhorn Slough, we can now look into the future – or rather, different choices for the future. In 2021, Caltrans, in partnership with the Association of Monterey Bay Area Governments and The Nature Conservancy, issued a press release announcing its first-ever use of a virtual reality app, Sea Level Rise Explorer, in order to better understand how sea level rise will impact eight miles of Highway 1 west of Elkhorn Slough and five miles of railroad track that cuts across it. The simulation, which is viewable online, shows seawater lapping on the shoulder of the highway and the rail line inundated. That is with two feet of sea level rise, a projection expected to be reached around 2050. With five feet of sea level rise – projected to happen around 2100 – the entire stretch is underwater, as is the Moss Landing State Wildlife Area, a vital salt marsh wildlife habitat. … ” Read more from Monterey Weekly.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Officials investigate after dead fish turn up in Stockton lake
“The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is stepping in to investigate after dozens of dead fish turned up in the waters of a lake in Stockton’s Brookside neighborhood. According to a spokesperson for the agency, the Department of Fish and Wildlife is part of an interagency Harmful Algal Bloom illness tracking team. On July 10, officials with the department responded to the lake, along March Lane and Riverbrook Drive, to collect data and determine if the fish died because of causes related to a harmful algal bloom. Findings from the data will be reported to the CDC’s One Health Harmful Algal Bloom System. … ” Read more from Channel 10.
Huge decision on Fresno’s future: County extends mining operation
“Saying the mining company should have started its environmental process earlier, Fresno County supervisors gave CEMEX three years to finish its EIR instead of four. Supervisor Brian Pacheco said at Tuesday’s packed board meeting that given the multi-billion-dollar company’s size and resources, CEMEX should have known to start the process sooner for securing an extension for its quarry along the San Joaquin River. Rocks, gravel, and sand from the site go into homes and roads throughout Fresno and Madera counties. Reducing the deadline by a year was intended to “hold them to the fire,” Pacheco said of CEMEX. … ” Read more from GV Wire.
Two dams near Fresno are spilling as designed. No reason to get freaked out
Columnist Marek writes, “When dam operators of the foothill reservoirs outside Fresno have no choice but to release water through their spillways, some folks get a little nervous. No reason to, really. As long as those spillways are structurally sound — which admittedly in California is no longer a given — everything is operating as designed. Last week, water spilled from the top of 319-foot tall Friant Dam for the first time since July 2017 and second since 2011 as the state endured two multiyear droughts. The man-made waterfall is visible for miles whether you drive north from Fresno along Friant Road or climb atop a bluff with a clear view of the dam. Watching the waters of Millerton Lake cascade down its concrete face is an unusual sight, but no reason for alarm. … ” Read more from the Fresno Bee. | Read via Yahoo News.
SEE ALSO:
Months after floods, Kern River still causing problems on county roads
“A road to nowhere. That’s what Sierra Way in the Kern River Valley has become. The road, which connects Weldon to Kernville, has been closed for months due to damage from flooding, and that damage has only gotten worse. Now, a portion of the road has collapsed entirely. “Why don’t they just build the bridge back real quick?” asked Kern River Valley resident Dion Agnew, adding, “Though yeah, this is worse than I’ve ever seen it here.” The answer to Agnew’s question is that Kern County is looking for ways to fix it, but those fixes could cost around $40 million dollars. … ” Read more from Channel 23.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
State presents $80 million check to advance development of Pure Water Southern California
“State officials presented an $80 million check today to help advance Pure Water Southern California, a large-scale, regional water recycling program that will create a new source of water to benefit 19 million people amid a changing climate and weather whiplash. State Assemblymember Lisa Calderon (D-Whittier), E. Joaquin Esquivel, State Water Resources Control Board chair, and Carson Mayor Pro Tem Jawane Hilton joined representatives from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts during the event at the Pure Water demonstration facility. Metropolitan and the Sanitation Districts are partnering on work to accelerate the project’s design and construction, with the potential to begin construction as early as 2025 and water deliveries to start in 2032. … ” Read more from the Metropolitan Water District.
SAN DIEGO
Valley Center has grown with its water district
“Making the desert bloom. That’s what our local water district has accomplished in the nearly 70 years of its existence. Although settlers first came to Valley Center in the 1860s, the town’s population stayed at just a few hundred people throughout the first part of the 20th Century. On the eve of the formation of the district, the population was about 900, according to the Valley Center History Museum. But in 1954 the voters of the community voted overwhelmingly to create the Valley Center Municipal Water District (VCMWD). From then on, the town has grown with the water district, which made it possible to grow to the population it is today, around 22,000 (VCMWD’s total service area population is 29,700.) What made that all possible was the creation of the San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA) in 1944 and the completion of the 1st San Diego Aqueduct in the later 1940s’s. … ” Read more from Valley Center.
Along the Colorado River …
Hellish heat leaves Southwest in misery: Fainting, broken cars, sizzling sidewalks
“An unrelenting heat wave that has blanketed the the Southwestern U.S. continued to break records Wednesday, inflicting misery in major cities and offering what experts described as a disturbing glimpse into the future as human-caused climate change increases the frequency and duration of extreme heat events. Places such as Las Vegas and Phoenix have always endured broiling summers. But the scale and duration of this heat wave has brought new levels of suffering, from sizzling sidewalks to broken-down cars and passed-out airline passengers. Here in Phoenix, the mercury inched to 119 degrees Wednesday, a daily record. It was the 20th consecutive day that the temperature topped 110 degrees — two days more than the city’s previous record, 18 consecutive days over 110 degrees, set in 1974. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Countless dead trees, plants seen in Las Vegas neighborhood amid new water fees
“Take a short walk through the historic Artesian Heights Neighborhood near W. Oakey Boulevard and Hinson Street, and you’ll notice countless dead trees and plants. … The Las Vegas Valley Water District states that a surcharge of $9 is added to every thousand gallons of water used beyond the set water threshold. The fee, implemented in January, aims to curtail the biggest water users and conserve Southern Nevada’s small share of the Colorado River. “I reduced my consumption by about 30% from last year, and I still have a bill that is over $800,” said Yvette Williams, a resident. … ” Read more from Channel 3.
Arizona cities offering money incentives to residents in bid to reduce water use: Here’s what to know
“From $800 to $1,000, and even $5,000, some Valley cities are dangling money incentives to residents, in the hope they will cut their water use amid the state’s ongoing crisis. The programs are a direct result of cities grappling with a future of less water from the Colorado River. According to the Arizona Department of Water Resources, the Colorado River provides water to over 40 million people and more than four million acres of farmland in seven so-called “basin states,” which includes Arizona. However, the Associated Press has noted that the Colorado River cannot provide the water they were promised a century ago because of less snow, warmer temperatures and water lost to evaporation. … ” Read more from Fox 10.
Column: Queen Creek got the Colorado River water it wanted. What’s next?
Columnist Joanna Allhands writes, “Queen Creek has begun receiving fourth-priority Colorado River water, the product of a bitter, five-year battle over whether cities hundreds of miles away could lay claim to it. It’s not a lot of water — only 2,033 acre-feet a year. Enough to serve just a portion of the Phoenix suburb’s homes. But Queen Creek desperately wanted the water to help wean itself off groundwater — which if you ask the town, is nothing less than a bid for its future sustainability. Queen Creek also has purchased land in the Harquahala Valley, one of three groundwater transportation basins the state set aside for cities to pump, as part of this effort. … ” Read more from the Arizona Republic.
Queen Creek to receive Colorado River water from Cibola farm in controversial transfer
“For the first time, Queen Creek is getting water from a property owner in the small town of Cibola, Arizona, in La Paz County. In some ways, experts say it’s a first-of-its-kind transaction in Arizona, and the sale did not come without controversy. After years of court proceedings and getting approval from state and federal officials, the Queen Creek mayor, councilmembers and other city leaders met on Wednesday morning to celebrate the deal. For the first time, it was publicly used to water the grass at Desert Mountain Park. For Queen Creek officials, this was the right move to ensure renewable water for their community’s future. After a groundwater model was released in June, the town says it needs to find a water supply for about 10,000 lots that have yet to be built. … ” Read more from Arizona Family.
In national water news today …
Michael Brain Named Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science with the Department of Interior
“The Department of the Interior today announced that Deputy Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation Michael Brain has been named Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science. Michael succeeds Tanya Trujillo who was sworn in as Assistant Secretary for Water and Science on June 25, 2021, and announced her resignation, effective July 17, 2023. “We welcome Michael, who brings more than a decade of experience in water resource development and management issues, as Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Water and Science,” said Chief of Staff Rachael Taylor. “Michael will play a key role as Interior continues to implement President Biden’s Investing in America agenda that is delivering historic resources to communities, helping advance drought resilience and strengthening local economies.” … ” Read more from the Department of Interior.
Detections of ‘forever chemicals’ in water coast to coast strengthen call for stringent EPA regulations
“New laboratory tests commissioned by the Environmental Working Group have found the toxic “forever chemicals” known as PFAS in the drinking water of dozens of U.S. cities, including major metropolitan areas. This new round of test results – based on samples of water from the homes of residents in 18 states, from California to Connecticut – shows the widespread presence of PFAS in our tap water. “For decades, Americans have unknowingly consumed water tainted with PFAS,” said Sydney Evans, a senior science analyst at EWG. “PFAS have been used and discharged all across the country for years.” … ” Read more from the Environmental Working Group.
Workers needed to fulfill America’s infrastructure goals
“Down the hole a new connection is muscled into place. Bright-vested workers join pipe to pipe, one of many such couplings that will result in a new 8-inch water line for Traverse City. The construction scene in northern Michigan is being repeated across the Great Lakes region and throughout the country as public works begin to reap the benefits of a federal spending splurge to enhance the nation’s water, energy, communications, and transportation systems while also boosting manufacturing capacity. Local and corporate dollars will pay for some of these projects. But the infrastructure push is catalyzed by federal action. In the last two years Congress passed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, and the CHIPS Act. Combined, the three bills offer about $1.3 trillion in infrastructure loans, grants, subsidies, and tax credits over the next five to 10 years. … ” Read more from the Circle of Blue.
