On the calendar today …
- PUBLIC WEBINAR: Draft Seawater Desalination Siting and Streamlining Report from 11am to 12pm. The State Water Board developed the draft Seawater Desalination Siting and Streamlining Report to Expedite Permitting in response to direction in California’s Water Supply Strategy: Adapting to a Hotter, Drier Future. The Draft Report has no regulatory force or effect, and solely serves to identify potential streamlining pathways and actions consistent with existing laws and regulations. State Water Board staff is seeking public comments on the Draft Report and will consider all comments prior to finalizing the report and submitting it to the Governor’s Office. For those who only wish to watch the meeting, the webcast is available at https://video.calepa.ca.gov/ (closed captioning available) and should be used UNLESS you intend to ask questions. For members of the public who wish to ask questions during the webinar, please join via Zoom at https://waterboards.zoom.us/j/93018124414 Click here for the full meeting notice.
In California water news today …
Environmentalists push feds to add solar panels over US canals
“Making the push for an unprecedented investment in renewable energy, more than 100 environmentalists sent a letter Thursday urging U.S. officials to consider installing solar panels above nearly 8,000 miles of federally owned and operated open-air canals and aqueducts. “This could potentially generate over 25 gigawatts of renewable energy — enough to power nearly 20 million homes — and reduce water evaporation by tens of billions of gallons,” the letter sent to the Interior Department and Bureau of Reclamation said. The collective, which includes Greenpeace and the Endangered Species Coalition, emphasized that this kind of renewable energy initiative is unique in that it could be done without destroying wildlife habitats, since it would use existing structures. Strapping solar panels on top would not only generate power, the groups said, but reduce evaporative water loss due to droughts caused by climate change. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
Why aren’t solar panels on California canals more widespread?
“Back in 2015, California’s dry earth was crunching under a fourth year of drought. Then-Governor Jerry Brown ordered an unprecedented 25% reduction in home water use. Farmers, who use the most water, volunteered too to avoid deeper, mandatory cuts. Brown also set a goal for the state to get half its energy from renewable sources, with climate change bearing down. Yet when Jordan Harris and Robin Raj went knocking on doors with an idea that addresses both water loss and climate pollution — installing solar panels over irrigation canals — they couldn’t get anyone to commit. … ” Read more from CBS News.
SGMA inadequate subbasins update
“There is intense activity going on right now in the Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) whose plans were deemed “inadequate” by the Department of Water Resources (DWR) this past spring. Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) enforcement for the six inadequate subbasins was transferred to the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). A SWRCB staff report to the State Board last month had this summary: “the six basins with inadequate GSPs, from north to south, are the Chowchilla, Delta-Mendota, Kaweah, Tulare Lake, Tule, and Kern County subbasins. Deficiencies DWR noted include, but are not limited to, insufficient sustainable management criteria, the potential for dewatering of drinking water wells, impacts of subsidence, and lack of coordination amongst GSAs.” Here is what I am learning from the public meetings I attend about where these subbasins are in addressing the items identified by DWR. … ” Read more from the Milk Producers Council.
Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley
“The Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley is a non-profit organization formed in 2019 with the goal of bringing together all the interests impacted by surface and groundwater supplies available to the San Joaquin Valley. It’s a coalition of the willing with participation from the agricultural, labor and agency communities. That community includes anyone who eats food. The Harrison Company’s 100 Mile Circle study shows the Valley is, “. . . less than one percent of the total landmass in the U.S. Yet, it produces 60 percent of the country’s fruits and nuts and over 30 percent of its vegetables.” … ” Continue reading at Water Wrights.
Running dry: Can the farm bill help fix the racial water gap?
“For years, Michael Prado has provided bottled water to his neighbors in Sultana, a town of about 785 people in California’s Central Valley. That’s because most wells in town have been contaminated by runoff from agriculture, says Prado, who is president of the Sultana Community Services District. Only one well meets state standards for safe drinking water—he’s glad the town has it, but it’s not enough. … Prado’s neighbors are far from alone. Millions of people in the United States lack access to safe drinking water. Rural communities of color like Sultana, which is majority Hispanic, are disproportionately affected by this crisis. There, some families spend up to 10% of their monthly income on water. And yet the federal government underfunds communities of color when it comes to water infrastructure, according to a recent report from the Community Water Center, a California advocacy group. … ” Read more from Yes! Magazine.
Punjabi American Growers Group calls for regulatory and policy reforms at the Almond Board of California
“The Punjabi American Growers Group (PAGG), representing hundreds of Almond Growers across California, is fervently urging the Almond Board of California (ABC) to uphold the law and prioritize the almond industry’s future. In a letter dated July 16, 2023, addressed to the ABC, Ameet Sharma, on behalf of the 235 signatories, emphasizes the need for strict adherence to statutory and administrative law to safeguard the interests of almond growers and ensure the industry’s prosperity. He noted, “There is asymmetrical information in our market- the supply side shows its hands while the demand side keeps on a poker face. As outlined in our letter the Federal Marketing Order gives ABC the legal authority to fix this issue and we look forward to working together to bringing necessary regulatory reforms.” … ” Continue reading at Water Wrights.
E. coli hammers a California town, sending patients to ER and shutting down restaurants
“Maria McCloud’s 1-year-old granddaughter got sick first — vomiting and diarrhea and a fever. A few days later, McCloud began to feel ill, as did several other children in the home. Probably the stomach flu, the family figured. And then they got a notice from the water district in this Northern California mountain town: E. coli had been found in the water supply. It was at that point that McCloud — still feeling nauseated —piled the vomiting baby and several other sick children into the car and made the 20-mile drive to the hospital in the nearby town of Fall River Mills. Once there, a test soon confirmed that she and her baby granddaughter had E. coli too. And, McCloud said, a doctor told her that numerous patients from her small town had shown up with stomach ailments. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Skiing in August? Yes, it’s happening in California this year
“Mammoth Mountain, the Eastern Sierra skiing destination, will extend its open season until Aug. 6 due to record-breaking snowfall, area officials announced Thursday. The mountain’s Main Lodge received an astounding 715 inches of snow — nearly 60 feet — this season, with “much more up top,” according to a press release. It was the highest recorded snowfall in the mountain’s history, the release said. The area was initially expected to close to skiers and snowboarders a week earlier. The new closing date is the third-latest in the mountain’s history, according to Lizzy Latenser, a spokesperson. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Here’s how California’s electric cars can feed the grid and help avoid brownouts
“As a historic 10-day heat wave threatened brownouts across California last summer, a small San Diego County school district did its part to help: It captured excess power from its electric school buses and sent it back to the state’s overwhelmed grid. The seven school buses provided enough power for 452 homes each day of the heat wave, and the buses were recharged only during off hours when the grid was not strained. California energy officials have high hopes that this new power source, called bidirectional charging, will boost California’s power supply as it ramps up its ambitious agenda of electrifying its cars, trucks and buses while switching to 100% clean energy. … ” Continue reading at Jefferson Public Radio.
These areas of California could be underwater by 2050
“Residents of the northeastern U.S. saw firsthand this summer the devastation flooding can cause in a community. Unfortunately, scientists predict flooding will only become more common as the years go on. A map created by Climate Central, an organization of scientists and journalists focused on studying the impacts of climate change, shows what the future may hold for coastal communities as sea level rises. In the first map (below), we set the projections to include sea level rise and typical annual flooding (weather that can be expected every year). We set the map to include what would happen with “unchecked pollution” between now and 2050. That setting most closely matches the current path we’re on, Climate Central said. … ” Read more from KTLA.
Climate change is hitting menus, from disappearing salmon to dying chickens and smoky wines
“Food Network favorite Viet Pham knows what rising temperatures do to chickens. The birds are smaller, their feed is more expensive, they’re more susceptible to avian flu and more of them die. As the owner of Salt Lake City’s Pretty Bird Hot Chicken, home to a Nashville-style hot chicken, he needs a steady supply of birds throughout the year. The thighs he buys for around $2.25 a pound in the winter can cost $4.50 a pound in the summer and he has no choice but to pay the difference. Climate change has a spot on his menu along with the fried chicken, crinkle-cut fries and Mexican street corn salad. “It’s something that all of us should be concerned about,” he said. “It’s scary.” … ” Read more from NBC 7.
’We can’t escape’: climate crisis is driving up cost of living in the US west
“Minerva Contreras can’t keep up with the bills. Recently, after a series of extreme heatwaves in California forced her family to run the AC, her monthly electricity costs rose to about $500. Her water bill averages around $100, but because the water is contaminated with pesticides from nearby agricultural fields, her family spends an additional $140 each month to purchase jugs of drinking water. Her grocery bills have gone up as well, after a spate of winter storms disrupted harvests across the state. “Practically, about one week’s paycheck goes toward rent, the next week’s toward the electrical bill, and the third week’s toward the gas and water bills and the remaining for everything else,” said Contreras, a farm worker who lives with her husband and two sons in small, agricultural town of Lamont. “We just can’t keep up.” … ” Continue reading at The Guardian.
In commentary today …
The grass has never been greener in California & that’s not a good thing
Dennis Wyatt, editor of the Manteca Bulletin, writes, “It was north of 100 degrees in Manteca last Saturday at 3 p.m. There were at least two homeowners that were having sod installed. You could find a few that were watering lawns in violation of common sense and city rules prohibiting such wanton inefficient use of water between noon and 6 p.m. regardless of the day. And there were many more with dry, brown and dusty front yards that looked like movie sets for a modern remake of “The Grapes of Wrath”. Welcome to the delusional state of water use in not just Manteca, but most of California. … ” Read more from the Manteca Bulletin.
Hoping fossil fuel giants will see the light on climate hasn’t worked. Change only comes with mandates and force
The LA Times editorial board writes, “One of the most demoralizing things about the world’s response to the climate crisis is the fossil fuel industry’s continued success in blocking the pollution-cutting actions that are in the interest of all of humanity. The solution to our predicament couldn’t be clearer: We need to stop burning fossil fuels and pumping pollution into the atmosphere. So much needless human suffering and ecological destruction could be avoided if oil, coal and gas companies saw the existential threat their business model poses and moved quickly to transition into selling safer, less expensive and more reliable renewable energy. Too many powerful people in government, business and civic organizations have clung to the fantasy that some of the most powerful and destructive companies in history would eventually face reality and transform on their own initiative into clean and sustainable operations. … ” Continue reading at the LA Times.
In regional water news and commentary today …
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Lake Tahoe report says clarity improving, but microplastic pollution remains an issue
“A recent report by a research center at the University of California, Davis states that microplastic pollution is an issue in Lake Tahoe. In its 2023 Tahoe: State of the Lake Report, UC Davis’s Tahoe Environmental Research Center (TERC) found that Lake Tahoe’s levels of microplastic pollution are similar to the San Francisco Bay. Another point made in the report dealt with the lake’s improved clarity. According to the report, Lake Tahoe’s clarity is at the best-measured levels since the 1980s. Geoffrey Schladow, TERC director and a professor of civil and environmental engineering, said about microplastics, “What goes into Tahoe, stays in Tahoe.” “It’s a worry for every aquatic system,” he added. … ” Read more from Fox 40.
Lake Tahoe officials tackle overtourism with focus on management, not marketing; new fees may loom
“Lake Tahoe tourism officials were surprised, and a bit miffed, when a respected international travel guide put the iconic alpine lake straddling the California-Nevada line on its list of places to stay away from this year because of the harmful ecological effects of overtourism. But with an influx of visitors and new full-time residents due to the COVID-19 pandemic already forcing local leaders to revisit the decades-old conversation about overcrowding, “Fodor’s No List 2023” may have served as a wake-up call that some sort of change is necessary. “I can’t go to my own beaches anymore,” said Susan Daniels, 70, a lifelong resident of Kings Beach, California, whose parents met at a Tahoe-area ski resort in 1952. That includes her favorite, Sand Harbor, which lies just across the Nevada border and is known for its turquoise water and rock formations. “I cannot go to Sand Harbor, where I grew up, unless I get in line at 7 in the morning.” … ” Read more from the Associated Press.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Butte County: Why you’re paying new fees to protect groundwater
“Demand for water is outgrowing California’s groundwater supply. In 2014 the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) mandated the formation of Groundwater Sustainability Agencies, or GSAs. Butte County is split between the Vina and Wyandotte GSA. Vina also includes the Durham Irrigation District and the city of Chico. Wyandotte GSA includes the city of Oroville and the Thermalito Water and Sewer District. Every landowner has to pay a yearly fee just to run these GSAs, even those who don’t use any groundwater at all. … ” Read more from Action News Now.
Rural residents, farmers bring groundwater-sustainability issues to Yolo County supervisors
“The Yolo County Board of Supervisors showed themselves to be — as one individual referred to himself in the public comments — “ag-vocates” in the board meeting on Tuesday, July 11. Not only did they approve the acceptance of a sizeable grant from the California Department of Parks and Recreation, but the supervisors also addressed the seriousness of groundwater-sustainability issues raised by small farmers and rural residents in Yolo County’s areas of special concern. The board received an update on the drought and current groundwater conditions spearheaded by the Yolo County manager of natural resources, Elissa Sabatini. She delved into reports of the dry wells popping up around Yolo County, which include 49 confirmed since 2021, 21 of those remaining dry; and the fact that there have been no reports since March of 2023. Sabatini also mentioned a current petition making the rounds on change.org to stop drilling new wells on historically non-irrigated land of Yolo County. … ” Read more from the Winters Express.
CENTRAL COAST
Part of Salinas River dried up. Now SLO County is releasing water from this key reservoir
“After a series of record-breaking rainstorms pelted San Luis Obispo County, the sunshine is finally back — but this means parts of the Salinas River are drying up. On Tuesday, the San Luis Obispo County Public Works Department confirmed a dry section of the Salinas River in Atascadero upstream of Graves Creek, the agency announced in a news release. Without a free-flowing river, the county will resume releasing water from the Salinas Reservoir Dam at Santa Margarita Lake back into the Salinas River, the agency said. The reservoir is a key water provider for the city of San Luis Obispo, according to the agency. … ” Read more from the San Luis Obispo Tribune. | Read via Yahoo News.
County ends Salinas River ‘live stream’
“On Tuesday, the San Luis Obispo County Public Works Department confirmed a dry section of the Salinas River, immediately upstream of Graves Creek. The Salinas River flows from the Salinas Reservoir Dam (Santa Margarita Lake). In accordance with the 1973 State Water Resources Control Board “Live Stream” ruling, Tuesday’s discovery of the dry section of the Salinas River ends the “live stream” discovered on Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2022, and Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023. All inflow into the lake is now being released at the dam. … ” Read more from the Paso Robles Daily News.
Frustration flares at town hall meeting over slow fixes in wake of Guadalupe flooding
“Drones will fly over the Santa Maria River near Guadalupe next week in a key first step toward short-term solutions to stop flooding in the Pioneer Street neighborhood, but the slow fixes have frustrated and angered residents. Santa Barbara County Fifth District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino held a town hall meeting Wednesday night at the Guadalupe City Hall auditorium, where approximately 100 residents showed up along with county public works, flood control and roads staff. The meeting took place six months after the wayward Santa Maria River flooded about 10 homes and a church in a Guadalupe neighborhood plus nearby farmland amid heavy rains that boosted the flow to 30,000 cubic feet per second. … ” Read more from Noozhawk.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Chemical plant poisoned soil on 45-acre site in Modesto. Decades later, new uses may be close
“New businesses finally could rise at the former FMC Corp. chemical plant in Modesto, the site of a massive soil cleanup. From 1945 to 1984, FMC made television tubes and safety flares at the site, along Highway 99 near Kansas Avenue. It left behind unsafe levels of barium, strontium, arsenic and fuel, state officials said. The cleanup on the 45 acres was completed in 2007, but the site remains bare. FMC is working with Buzz Oates Inc., a Sacramento-based developer, on possible new uses. This could involve three or four buildings for industrial or warehouse use, according to an email Tuesday from Katelyn Moore, development project manager for Oates. … ” Read more from the Modesto Bee.
With hefty sum pouring in for infrastructure, Fresno launches new department to handle work
“The City of Fresno is creating a new department to handle the wide variety of infrastructure projects in the works throughout the city. Thursday’s unanimous vote by the Fresno City Council to create the Capital Projects Department will result in dozens of new hires at City Hall. The big picture: The new Capital Projects Department will take over much of the city’s infrastructure needs from the Public Works Department and the Department of Public Utilities. … ” Read more from the San Joaquin Valley Sun.’
USACE lowers Isabella Dam risk rating, lifts operating restrictions
“Operators at Isabella Dam can once again allow the lake to reach full capacity after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers updated the dam’s risk level from “highest urgency and risk” to “low urgency” following the completion of dam safety improvements in 2022. Dam Safety Action Classification ratings identify the risk each dam in the USACE inventory poses. When the risk rating system was initially developed in 2005, Isabella Dam received the highest risk rating—DSAC 1. With the completion of work to construct a new labyrinth weir and emergency spillway, raise the main and auxiliary dams by 16 feet, and improve the dam’s filtering and drainage systems, the dam’s risk rating is now a DSAC 4, signifying a low risk. … ” Read more from the Army Corps of Engineers.
Isabella Dam officially off the No. 1 “at risk” dam list, what will that mean for downstream users?
“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers officially lowered the risk level of Isabella Dam from “highest urgency and risk” to “low urgency” on Thursday. Though an Army Corps spokesman said this means Isabella has returned to “normal operations,” it’s unclear what exactly that will mean for downstream Kern River irrigators as we grind through summer and approach a new water year. The Army Corps would still like the lake to hit its maximum capacity of 568,000 acre feet, according to Kern River Watermaster Mark Mulkay. As of Thursday afternoon, the lake stood at 543,255 acre feet. “We’re kind of in a weird situation where we’re trying to get the reservoir as full as possible now, but have to turn right back around and take a bunch of water out,” Mulkay said. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
EASTERN SIERRA
Groundwater Authority working on improving communication and engagement with the community, potentially
“At their board meeting on July 12, the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority discussed their communication and engagement plan. The plan’s goal is to get the IWVGA to do a better job of communicating its important mission of ensuring sustainability of the IWV’s critically overdrafted water source. The IWVGA has a policy advisory committee that drafted the plan. This committee is made up of community members representing various stakeholders in IWV’s groundwater source, such as residents and commercial interests and so on. At the meeting, IWVGA acting general manager Carol Thomas-Keefer described the committee’s plan, and then also described which parts the IWVGA sees as a priority and which it doesn’t. … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
LA County beachgoers warned to avoid water contact due to high bacteria levels
“The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has issued warnings cautioning residents and visitors to avoid swimming, surfing and playing in ocean waters due to high bacteria counts. This includes Topanga Canyon beach in Malibu, Malibu Lagoon at Surfrider Beach, Mother’s Beach in Marina Del Rey, and Santa Monica Pier. The warnings were issued due to bacterial levels exceeding health standards when last tested. … ” Read more from ABC 7.
Long Beach brings first new water well since 2003 online
“City officials cut the ribbon on Long Beach’s first new ground water well since 2003 on Thursday, July 20, marking a first step in the town’s long-term strategy to strengthen the local water supply. Though large groundwater basins beneath Los Angeles County have served as natural water reservoirs for millions of years, according to the Long Beach Utilities Department’s website, the city currently only has rights to supply about 60% of its water needs that way. The rest of Long Beach’s water supply, about 40%, is imported by the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California — mainly from the Colorado River and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta. … ” Read more from the Long Beach Press Telegram.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
The IID’s water rights – a balancing act of responsibility and sustainability
Wally Leimgruber, a former Imperial County Board of Supervisor, writes, “Water is the lifeblood of civilizations, and the management of this precious resource has always been a challenging task. The Imperial Irrigation District (IID) holds a significant stake in water rights, playing a vital role in water distribution and agriculture. This essay delves into the history, challenges, and strategies employed by IID to manage water rights responsibly and sustainably.The Imperial Irrigation District was formed in 1911 in the wake of the California Development Company’s collapse, which caused widespread damage to agricultural lands due to the mismanagement of water from the Colorado River. The IID’s primary objective was to regulate and control the distribution of water to farmers and residents in the Imperial Valley. To achieve this, the district relied heavily on its senior water rights, granted through the 1902 Reclamation Act, making it one of the most influential water entities in California. … ” Read more from the Desert Review.
Along the Colorado River …
The case of the Colorado River’s missing water
“High winds tore at Gothic Mountain as the sleeping giant watched over the cabins nestled in Gothic, Colorado, a remote outpost accessible only by skis during the valley’s harsh alpine winters. The plumes of snow that lifted from the peak briefly appeared to form a cloud and then disappeared. To many, the snow that seemed to vanish into thin air would go unnoticed. But in a region where water availability has slowly begun to diminish, every snowflake counts. Each winter, an unknown percentage of the Rocky Mountain West’s snowpack disappears into the atmosphere, as it was doing on Gothic Mountain, just outside the ski resort town of Crested Butte. In the East River watershed, located at the highest reaches of the Colorado River Basin, a group of researchers at Gothic’s Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL) are trying to solve the mystery by focusing on a process called sublimation. … ” Read more from the High Country News.
How the heat wave is changing Lake Mead’s water levels
“An ongoing heat wave has increased evaporation rates at Lake Mead. After years of drought, Lake Mead, which is located in Nevada and Arizona, reached drastically low levels last summer, but the water levels have started to recover after a wet winter. Levels continue to rise as snowpacks melted throughout the summer. Now, an ongoing heat wave in the southwest United States is slowing the lake’s recovery. As of Thursday, Lake Mead water levels were at 1,059 feet, nearly 19 feet higher than they were in July 2022. The lake is still approximately 8 feet below 2021 levels. … ” Read more from Newsweek.
Lake Mead projected to rise 6 feet as Lake Powell levels off
“Lake Mead is still filling up, rising about 3 feet since the beginning of July and on track to increase another 6 feet over the next two months. The lake, which supplies 90% of the water used in the Las Vegas valley, is currently at 1,059.49 feet. It’s expected to hit 1,065.59 feet by the end of September, according to a forecast released this week by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Those are numbers few would have predicted last year, when Lake Mead — the largest reservoir in the United States — was feeling the effects of the 23-year megadrought and causing alarm as it dropped rapidly in consecutive years. A federal water shortage that was declared in August 2021, alerted people to the problem, and the lake level kept dropping. It dropped as low as 1,041.71 on July 27, 2022. … ” Read more from KLAS.
Colorado Drought Summit highlights water challenges, solutions
“Colorado, like much of the Mountain and Southwestern regions of the United States, has endured prolonged drought conditions throughout much of the past two decades, increasing the strain on the state’s water resources. Ensuring adequate water supplies for agricultural, municipal, industrial, and environmental uses is expected to become more challenging over time in Colorado as climate change disrupts typical weather patterns and complicates efforts to predict future water availability. Against this backdrop, in January, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis called for a conference focused on drought in the state. The resulting Colorado Drought Summit, which was held May 31-June 1 at the History Colorado Center in Denver, highlighted approaches for maintaining a sustainable future water supply that balances the needs and concerns of different interests across the Centennial State. … ” Read more from Civil Engineering Source.
How Arizona is quenching animals’ thirst during historic heat wave
“Summer is on full blast in Arizona. In cities like Phoenix and Tucson, where record-high temperatures have been the unsettling norm for days, people are doing their best to avoid the heat and stay as hydrated as possible. It’s a different story for the state’s wildlife. When it’s hot and there’s no rain — which is the case so far this season — the Arizona Game and Fish Department keeps animals of all sizes and shapes alive by bringing water directly to them. Using heavy-duty water trucks and helicopters, they replenish a network of man-made watering holes, or catchments, across the state to help protect Arizona’s 800 species of wildlife, from 500-pound elk to wee kangaroo rats. … ” Read more from the Washington Post.
In national water news today …
We are living through Earth’s hottest month on record, scientists say
“It’s not just a record-hot day or two, unprecedented heat waves or abnormally warm ocean waters: All indications are that this will be the hottest single month on Earth on record, and possibly in more than 100,000 years. Every day this month has set records for average global annual temperatures, and already, 17 days in July have been hotter than any others in more than 40 years of global observations, climate scientists said. Not even three weeks into the month, scientists’ declarations of an already assured monthly global record serve to punctuate what has been an onslaught of recent weather extremes. Record heat has been observed from Arizona to Rome to China. An unprecedented wildfire season continues in Canada. Flooding — juiced by the fact that warmer air holds more moisture — has devastated Vermont, northern India and South Korea. … ” Read more from the Washington Post.
Climate science is catching up to climate change with predictions that could improve proactive response
“In Africa, climate change impacts are experienced as extreme events like drought and floods. Through the Famine Early Warning Systems Network (which leverages expertise from USG science agencies, universities, and the private sector) and the IGAD Climate Prediction and Applications Center, it has been possible to predict and monitor these climatic events, providing early warning of their impacts on agriculture to support humanitarian and resilience programming in the most food insecure countries of the world. Science is beginning to catch up with and even get ahead of climate change. In a commentary for the journal Earth’s Future, UC Santa Barbara climate scientist Chris Funk and co-authors assert that predicting the droughts that cause severe food insecurity in the Eastern Horn of Africa (Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia) is now possible, with months-long lead times that allow for measures to be taken that can help millions of the region’s farmers and pastoralists prepare for and adapt to the lean seasons. … ” Read more from The Current.
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
NOTICE OF PROPOSED RULEMAKING: Direct Potable Reuse Regulations (SBDDW-23-001)
