In California water news today …
As work begins on the largest US dam removal project, tribes look to a future of growth
“The largest dam removal project in United States history is underway along the California-Oregon border — a process that won’t conclude until the end of next year with the help of heavy machinery and explosives. But in some ways, removing the dams is the easy part. The hard part will come over the next decade as workers, partnering with Native American tribes, plant and monitor nearly 17 billion seeds as they try to restore the Klamath River and the surrounding land to what it looked like before the dams started to go up more than a century ago. The demolition is part of a national movement to return the natural flow of the nation’s rivers and restore habitat for fish and the ecosystems that sustain other wildlife. More than 2,000 dams have been removed in the U.S. as of February, with the bulk of those having come down within the last 25 years, according to the advocacy group American Rivers. … ” Read more from the Associated Press.
New Bullards Bar Dam is using a digital twin
“The New Bullards Bar Dam, managed by the Yuba Water agency in Marysville, California, is a 645-foot-tall concrete-arch dam on the North Yuba River at the edge of Tahoe National Forest. It was built more than 50 years ago to reduce flood risk, generate clean hydropower and ensure a reliable water supply for surrounding populations. It’s the second tallest in California and the fifth tallest in the country. The New Bullards Bar Dam had a legacy system that posed safety hazards with accessing the dam site, but it also had limited survey points and could not fully monitor the dam. The condition of the dam data was manually collected, which was a time-consuming process. It exposed the survey team to challenging, remote and difficult-to-access terrain and a fall hazard that necessitated additional training in rope access and fall protection in high-risk locations. The solution to these issues was the creation of a digital twin of the dam from Bentley Systems. … ” Read more from Forbes.
Column: Calif. has averted blackout disaster. Why we owe it to hydroelectric infrastructure.
William Bourdeau writes, “Under the intense summer sun, California is experiencing a heat wave of significant proportions. However, despite these challenging conditions, we have managed to avert energy disruptions that would typically strain economy and impact our quality of life during the summer months. Our secret weapon in this struggle? Water. More precisely, the vast quantities of hydroelectricity generated by a wet winter. Heat waves, with their potential to bring our energy grid to its knees, inciting flex alerts, and even triggering rolling blackouts, are all too familiar to Californians. But this year, the story has unfolded differently. The scorching temperatures have not managed to disrupt the comfortable coolness of our homes, nor slow down our bustling economy. … ” Read more from the San Joaquin Valley Sun.
Living with extreme floods in California
“Floods and their consequences are a reality for many worldwide, including those living in California. This reality is evidenced by pictures of people stranded on roofs surrounded by water, people paddling down water-filled streets in makeshift boats, and farm fields and orchards covered in standing water. However, there is also growing acceptance that floods are natural, recurring events that have positive aspects, especially where they support migratory waterfowl, enhance fisheries, and sustain wetlands and their high diversity of organisms (Mount et al 2023). In fact, most communities on large rivers globally rely on annual flooding for soil nutrient replenishment, transportation, and maintenance of larger ecosystems that supply food resources (e.g., Amazon, Nile, Okavango, Ganges, Mekong rivers). In California much of our most productive farmland is actually former floodplain, including the once vast wetlands of the Central Valley and the bed of Lake Tulare (Moyle 2023). Most of our cities also are partially built on former floodplains. … ” Continue reading at the California Water Blog.
Wells are running dry in rural communities of color. Is a fix in sight?
“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, said Prado, who is president of the Sultana Community Services District. Only one meets state standards for safe drinking water — he’s glad they have it, but it’s not enough. “We’ve been crossing our fingers and toes that this drought [wouldn’t] dry our well up. Due to the fact that we live in an agricultural area and this is a little community, we would be devastated,” he said. Prado worries that if the town’s remaining up-to-standard well gives out, even more residents would have to boil water before using it or rely on bottled water. “We are in dire need of a new well,” he said. … ” Read more from the Daily Yonder.
Tribe fights to preserve California coastline — and its own culture
“When Violet Sage Walker stares out at the calm waters butting against the shoreline of her hometown, she sees what was once the largest northern village of the Chumash people, who fished from traditional canoes in the open water, viewed sea creatures as their ancestors and believed in a “Western Gate” farther south where their spirits went after they passed away. “All that is where we all lived,” Walker, one of the leaders of the Chumash tribe, said recently. That coastal California shoreline and the water it touches are at the center of a reclamation movement led by the Indigenous Chumash tribe to revive and restore its heritage, culture and land. There are about 10,200 people with some Chumash ancestry left, according to the Census Bureau. Their effort is part of a nationwide “land back” movement by Native Americans to reclaim sacred sites. The Biden administration has established national landmarks for Native people and appointed the first Native American to a Cabinet secretary position, Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. Haaland, as well as other members of the Biden Cabinet, has spoken in favor of a Chumash marine sanctuary proposal. … ” Read more from the Washington Post.
Dwight Hwang uses the art form of gyotaku — “fish rubbing” in Japanese — to raise awareness about fish populations in California
“After gently placing the rockfish onto the table, Dwight Hwang paints the top layer of fish with a light layer of onyx Japanese sumi ink. Next, he carefully presses a delicate sheet of washi (mulberry paper) over the fish’s scaly surface to make a print in a video for Positively Groundfish, a nonprofit educating consumers about West Coast fisheries. “It’s essentially the Japanese version of taxidermy,” says Hwang, a Korean American artist and fluent Japanese speaker, about the Japanese art form of gyotaku — “fish rubbing” in Japanese — a way that local fishermen would commemorate their catches before eating the fish. “Photography was limited, and this 19th-century practice is a faithfully recorded document.” The art form is simple but difficult to master. … ” Continue reading at the LA Times. | Read via Yahoo News.
Fire whirls and 20-foot-tall flames drive California’s largest wildfire
“The largest wildfire in California so far this year is burning out of control in the Mojave National Preserve and had torn through 70,000 acres of juniper and Joshua tree woodland as of Sunday night. The York Fire that ignited Friday near the remote Caruthers Canyon area of the vast wildland preserve crossed the state line into Nevada on Sunday and sent smoke further east into the Las Vegas Valley. Erratic winds fanned flames that reached 20 feet high over the weekend, according to the incident report. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
In commentary today …
Congress’ impulse to regulate big tech could negatively impact California farmers
Clint Olivier, chief executive officer of Central Valley BizFed, writes, “Historically, being a successful farmer in California requires multiple skills across multiple disciplines, including biology, math, engineering, chemistry, soil science and meteorology. For generations, farmers passed these skills down to the next generation who used them with a healthy mix of intuition and elbow grease to — hopefully — remain profitable. We all know that California is the world’s breadbasket. The Golden State creates more than 13% of the nation’s agricultural production value. California’s top 20 crop and livestock commodities account for more than $25 billion in value. We are America’s premier agricultural state. So when talk in Congress turns to “regulating big tech,” most Legislators think of legislation that targets Silicon Valley. As it turns out, however, efforts by Congress to “reign in” America’s technological sector would likely hurt America’s competitive edge and dampen innovation. California’s farmers would also likely suffer as well — and, with it, America and the world’s food supply. … ” Continue reading at the Fresno Bee.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
California Salmon Festival will be missing something this year: Salmon
“The Yurok Tribe has held its annual Klamath Salmon Festival in Northern California for more than half a century. But this August, salmon won’t be on the menu. Tribal leaders say that’s because the Klamath River’s forecasted fish run is one of the lowest on record. In a statement, the Yurok Tribe noted that Chinook salmon runs are in decline on the Klamath River and throughout the West Coast. They cited a combination of factors, including dams, habitat loss, disease outbreaks, excessive water diversions, water quality issues, fish passage barriers on tributaries, and environmental damage caused by past logging and mining operations. “This decision reflects our sacred responsibility to take care of the Klamath River’s fish stocks,” Joseph L. James, chairman of the Yurok Tribe, said in a statement. “In addition to not catching fish for the festival, we will not harvest any Klamath salmon this year to protect the fish population.” … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via Yahoo News.
Lady of the Lake: More on preventing invasive mussel introductions, part two
“Dear Lady of The Lake, I am an avid fisherman and moved to Lake County to enjoy my retirement fishing on Clear Lake. I recently purchased a bass boat and had to purchase a Lake County quagga mussel sticker. I don’t know much about these mussels or what would happen if they got into our lake. Can you provide some information so I can make sure we are doing all we can to protect Clear Lake? Dear Fisherman Frank: …Like in part one, this column is focused on invasive mussels, or specifically Quagga (Dreissena rostriformis bugensis) and Zebra (Dreissena polymorpha) mussels, which are both freshwater mussels in the Dreissenidae family. I will refer to these mussels as invasive dreissenid mussels. Today, in part two, I will describe our prevention program, why it’s needed, how it works and how we can all help keep invasive mussels out of Clear Lake. Lastly, we will talk about the County of Lake’s current plans for a rapid response, control, and containment plan. There is even a way for the public — you! — to be involved in the planning process. … ” Read more from the Lake County News.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Taking a deep dive into Lake Tahoe: Tahoe Environmental Research Center a fundamental resource for Lake Tahoe’s future
“The Lake Tahoe basin’s landscape is ever-changing, hosting a full four seasons year-round. From warm summer days basking in alpine sunshine, to historical snowfall during winter seasons, Lake Tahoe is coined the jewel of the Sierra Nevada Mountains for good reason. Further studying Lake Tahoe’s fluctuating environment, University of California, Davis’ Tahoe Environmental Research Center, also known as TERC, has been taking charge for years, analyzing the Lake Tahoe region overall and the impact that human development has had on the Lake Tahoe basin in the past five decades. Along with analyzing the impact of urbanization in Lake Tahoe, TERC scientists analyze Lake Tahoe’s lake clarity, aquatic invasive species, microplastics, lake mixing, forest conservation, wildfire impacts, and much more. The research center is motivated to continue their proactive research and be a resource to the public. … ” Read more from the Sierra Sun.
Smooshed by snow — conduit to be replaced
“El Dorado Irrigation District’s large diameter riveted and welded pipes hanging onto a hillside at the 7,500-foot elevation and above Highway 50 will be replaced on an emergency basis. EID engineer Jon Money said new pipeline needed to be built before winter further damages it and risks flooding Highway 50. At Monday’s meeting of EID’s Board of Directors Syblon Reid was selected to do the emergency work at a cost not to exceed $1,117,000. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Rice fields, rainfall bolster biodiversity in Sacramento Valley
“The abundance of rainfall this past winter was a welcome reprieve from the five to six drops California seemed to be getting on average the past many years. Perhaps one of the biggest impacts the winter storms had, however, was bolstering the biodiversity within the rice fields across the Sacramento Valley and Yolo County. Long ago – before state and county lines were drawn – northern California’s rice growing region was brimming with wetlands. Over time, unfortunately, those wetlands have diminished or dwindled away completely. This is why these rice fields play such an important role in California. They not only do they accumulate $5 billion of revenue and provide around 25,000 jobs (according to the California Rice Commission), but double as a surrogate wetland for a wide variety of animal species. Of course, these surrogate wetlands got some much needed “wet” this past winter which in turn helped boost the health and wellness of their ecosystem. … ” Read more from the Davis Enterprise.
BAY AREA
Ross outlines $300K in storm drain repairs
“Ross plans to tackle $300,000 worth of storm drain projects in the next five to 10 years. The Town Council voted unanimously this month to approve a storm drain master plan, which assessed the condition of 3 miles of pipes, manholes and gutters. The plan also identified another $138,000 of improvements needed for drainage infrastructure on private property. “The culverts that cross privately maintained roadways are privately maintained storm drains,” Richard Simonitch, public works director, told the council at its meeting on July 13. Simonitch said the town will not fund 4 miles of privately maintained pipes. Councilmember Julie McMillan said she would like the town to communicate that to residents. Simonitch said he would incorporate a summary in the town’s newsletter. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
CENTRAL COAST
Demolishing Diablo Canyon will have ‘significant’ impacts on environment, report says
“The eventual decommissioning of Diablo Canyon nuclear power plant in coastal San Luis Obispo County will have potentially “significant and unavoidable” environmental impacts, according to a new report. The draft environmental impact report analyzed how decommissioning and dismantling the 2,200-megawatt power plant will affect the ocean and land ecosystems around it. The plant was set to shut down its two nuclear reactors located just north of Avila Beach in 2024 and 2025. San Luis Obispo County released the draft report on Friday, following more than two years of work at a cost of nearly $2.5 million. … ” Read more from the San Luis Obispo Tribune. | Read via Yahoo News.
Cal Fire, SLO County join forces for PFAS cleanup effort
“The Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board has approved a voluntary cleanup and abatement agreement with San Luis Obispo County and the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) to address per- and polyfluoroalkyl (PFAS) contamination at the San Luis Obispo airport resulting from the use of firefighting equipment during training and operational activities. PFAS are a large group of man-made substances that persist in the environment and, at unsafe levels, can affect human health. The Environmental Protection Agency is currently considering federal contaminant levels for PFAS, but they do not exist at the federal or state level yet. This cleanup action arises from a statewide investigative order issued by the State Water Resources Control Board in 2019. Consequently, this is the first time an agreement requiring clean-up and abatement of PFAS contamination in groundwater has been ratified by a regional board in California. … ” Read more from the Paso Robles Daily News.
Swimming may be hazardous at area beaches due to high tides
“Abnormally high tides of close to 8 feet are predicted on local coasts that require extra precautions, the National Weather Service said Sunday. Affected areas are expected to include beaches facing south and west in Ventura County and Los Angeles County, including the Malibu Coast. Locally, areas of concern include Ventura Beach, the coastline around Point Mugu and the Channel Islands and Ventura harbors. The public was advised to remain out of the water due to hazardous swimming conditions or to stay near occupied lifeguard towers from Monday afternoon through late Wednesday night. Rock jetties can be deadly under such conditions and beach-goers are advised to stay off the rocks, forecasters said. … ” Read more from the Ventura County Star.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
County seeks to recover $1.8M from Chevron for 2022 Talbert Channel oil leak cleanup
“A construction crew working for Orange County’s Public Works Department was strengthening the flood control capacity of the Talbert Channel in Huntington Beach on Oct. 6, 2022, when workers noticed a sheen on the surface of the water. Just one year earlier, 25,000-gallons of crude oil spilled from a ruptured pipeline connection to an offshore platform, reaching Huntington Beach’s coastline and threatening wildlife near Talbert Marsh, just 2 miles away from the channel work site. Was this the start of another spill? County officials responded immediately to contain what was determined to be oil that had leaked from an abandoned line near Huntington Beach’s Sowers Park when a contractor struck a nonpressurized line underground. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Small sewage spill prompts closure of stretch of bay water in Newport Beach
“A small sewage spill forced the closure of a portion of the bay water in Newport Beach on Sunday, July 30, authorities said. Around 140 gallons of sewage spilled into the area near the Aloha Drive/Linda Island bridge on Sunday after a rental boat struck a sewer line, Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley said on social media. A spill report submitted by the city of Newport Beach to the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services said the boat attempted to pass under the bridge Sunday afternoon and accidentally broke a 3-inch pipe located under the bridge. The spill was stopped but the waters from 500 feet upcoast to 500 feet downcoast of the bridge were expected to remain closed to swimming, surfing and diving for at least three days. … ” Read more from the OC Register.
SAN DIEGO
La Jolla resident’s water bill leaped from $120 to $1,400. Here’s what to do if it happens to you
“Part-time Windansea resident Brad Owens recently experienced a one-two punch that some others in La Jolla can empathize with. First, his water bills skyrocketed as much as 12-fold, even in a time when he wasn’t in San Diego. Then he learned his sewer rate for the coming year will be based on the water rate from that time, so his sewer bill will be 10 times its normal amount. But perhaps more frustrating for Owens is the lack of information available about the policies and procedures of the San Diego Public Utilities Department, which handles water issues, and what can be done about unexplained rate spikes. … ” Read more from the La Jolla Light.
Along the Colorado River …
Southwest states facing tough choices about water as Colorado River diminishes
“The drought-stricken Colorado River is in critical condition. Almost two years ago, the federal government declared the first ever shortage on the river, triggering cuts to water supplies in the Southwest. Today, the river remains unsustainably low. The Colorado is the lifeblood of the region. It waters some of the country’s fastest growing cities, nourishes some of our most fertile fields, and powers $1.4 trillion dollars in annual economic activity. The river runs more than 1,400 miles, from headwaters in the Rockies to its delta in northern Mexico where it ends in a trickle. Seven states and 30 Native American tribes lie in the Colorado River Basin. As we first reported in 2021, the river has been running dry due to the historically severe drought. … ” Read more from CBS News.
Arizona has an ambitious goal to save water – if we can pull it off
Opinion columnist Joanna Allhands writes, “Five years from now, if all goes to plan, Arizona will have conserved 5 million acre-feet of water. That’s enough to fill about 2.5 million Olympic-sized swimming pools. Or about 70% of what the state is estimated to use in a year, from all sources. Or a little less than double Arizona’s annual Colorado River allotment (that is, if we were getting our full allocation, which hasn’t happened in a while). So, yeah, it’s an ambitious goal. But that’s exactly what Arizona needs to guide our next steps. Not just for the water we should be saving, but also for the new sources of water we should be securing with taxpayer investments. … ” Read more from the Arizona Republic.
Despite end to Rio Verde water battle, one donkey sanctuary is struggling: ‘It’s just the worst’
“While a long-fought battle over water in Rio Verde appears to be over for now, one nonprofit is still being forced to cut back operations because they don’t have enough. “We get about 800 gallons a week from [this well] and it really helps supplement things,” said Rosemary Carroll, who runs the Hangry Donkey Sanctuary. But it’s not easy. The water from the well at the sanctuary comes out like chocolate milk, and it takes days to clean. … ” Read more from Channel 10.
In the Utah desert, can golf justify itself?
“On a sweltering late April day, a flock of middle-aged men strolled in athleisure, practicing their backswings and rifling balls into the azure sky above the Green Springs golf community just outside St. George, a ballooning city of 100,000 in southwestern Utah. Some 2,000 homes, mostly single-family — many with RV garages — orbit the fairway, like rings around Planet Golf, and more are on their way. As in so many cities in the desert West, golf in St. George is a thirsty business, with a powerful lobby and a relationship with water painted in green on the landscape. Among its peers, however, St. George is in a league of its own. Few cities in the Southwest use more water per person: nearly 300 gallons a day. And a hefty portion of that, over half, goes to keeping ornamental grass, lawns and golf courses lush in an arid region where water supplies are dwindling every day. Within a decade, and without immediate action to conserve, local officials predict that its water shortage will become a water crisis. … ” Read more from the High Country News.
More news and commentary in the weekend edition …
In California water news this weekend …
-
An aerial view shows high water conditions at Oroville Dam located at Lake Oroville in Butte County, California. On this date, the water storage was 3,524,311 acre-feet (AF), 100 percent of the total capacity. Photo taken June 12, 2023.
Ken James / California Department of Water ResourcesWhy California is having its best wildfire season in 25 years
- California’s Delta waters, explained | Extended interview with Delta Watermaster Jay Ziegler
- California’s groundwater systems, explained | Extended Interview with Rosemary Knight
- Approved groundwater sustainability plans now totals 40
- The big problem in the Columbia River no one is talking about
- What’s it like to hike the High Sierra this year? ‘Grueling,’ say Pacific Crest Trail hikers
- Dan Walters: After decades of historic growth, California switching to a period of chronic stagnation
- AQUAPOD: Winning water independence through effective use of real-time groundwater data with Water Replenishment District
- Invasive aquatic weed project underway at Tallac and Taylor creeks at Lake Tahoe
- The historic heatwave that has hit the U.S. Southwest is set to cool a little
- And more …
Click here for the weekend digest.
