In California water news today …
‘If you unbuild it, they will come’: Scientists chart transformation of Klamath River and its salmon amid nation’s largest dam removal project
“The Klamath River Basin was once one of the world’s most ecologically magnificent regions, a watershed teeming with salmon, migratory birds and wildlife that thrived alongside Native American communities. The river flowed rapidly from its headwaters in southern Oregon’s high deserts into Upper Klamath Lake, collected snowmelt along a narrow gorge through the Cascades, then raced downhill to the California coast in a misty, redwood-lined finish. For the past century, though, the Klamath – a name derived from a Native American term for swiftness – hasn’t been free-flowing or flush with salmon. Dams block fish from the upper watershed’s spawning grounds. Reservoirs host toxic algae blooms. Parasites and pathogens that can flourish when dam-regulated flows are low have wiped out salmon by the tens of thousands. … ” Read more from Western Water.
SEE ALSO: ‘30,000 Salmon’ Art Installation Inspired by Klamath River Fish Kill of 2002 Reemerges at Morris Graves to Celebrate the Klamath Dam Removals, from the Lost Coast Outpost
Judge signs off on $1.7 million deal over Clean Water Act violations at California prison
“The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation will pay $1.7 million to offset costs in a federal suit over stormwater discharge at a prison in Amador County. The consent decree filed Wednesday stated the money will go toward defraying the costs of investigative, consultant, expert and attorneys’ fees and costs incurred by the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance and Amador County. The alliance and county filed suit in 2020 and 2021, respectively, in the Eastern District of California against Jeffrey Macomber, secretary of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, and Patrick Covello, warden of Mule Creek State Prison in Ione. Claims included violations of the Clean Water Act, as the prison collects stormwater and discharges it into Mule Creek. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
Farm groups laud Calif. LandFlex grants
“Farm groups are praising the implementation of a program in California that helps growers temporarily idle agricultural lands or do groundwater recharge projects to benefit vulnerable domestic wells. The state Department of Water Resources recently awarded a combined $17 million to three local entities created under the 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, which is phasing in restrictions on pumping in areas where aquifers are depleted. The program, called LandFlex, is used to help permanently eliminate groundwater over-pumping on each enrolled acre of land. Part of this is through enabling growers to use their lands for groundwater recharge in lieu of planting crops. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press.
Drought returns to California county for first time in months as state braces for more heat
“Meteorologists forecast that the remainder of the summer and the beginning of fall will bring above-normal temperatures to California, which could exacerbate the state’s steadily increasing drought. Del Norte County — which has been drought-free for months — now faces some moderate conditions. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, there’s between 33% and 50% chance weather in California will lean above normal for this time of year. NOAA outlooks show “equal” chances of above-normal, near-normal or below-normal rainfall for August and September. Meaning, according to the National Weather Service, there is no clear indication of how much rain the state could receive. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
After tree trimming declared ineffective, PG&E adopts new wildfire mitigation strategy
“PG&E Corp. is axing its enhanced tree-trimming program aimed at reducing wildfire risk after deeming it largely ineffective, the Wall Street Journal reported. The $2.5 billion program thinned and cleared more than one million trees near power lines across Central and Northern California since it went into effect in 2019, the newspaper said after interviews with executives. Pacific Gas & Electric, which provides electricity and gas to 16 million across the state, credited the program with reducing total fire ignitions by 7% and ignitions during the fall fire season by 13%. … PG&E’s new strategy relies on a recently introduced type of power line that automatically shuts off when branches or other objects touch them to reduce the risk of sparks. In 2022, the so-called Enhanced Powerline Safety Settings reduced ignitions by 68%, according to PG&E. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
Drought leads to more fossil fuel emissions
“Drought reduces hydroelectric power generation in the western United States, and fossil fuel–based plants in neighboring areas pick up most of the slack. According to new research, increases in the burning of fossil fuels during droughts place a greater environmental and health burden on communities near fossil fuel–based power plants, which may not be affected by the actual drought. The price of drought, the scientists said, exceeds the cost of lost hydropower. What’s more, future renewable energy scenarios might not meet electricity needs during droughts, said Minghao Qiu, lead researcher on the study and an Earth system scientist at Stanford University in California. “Maybe in a normal year, renewable energy will generate more than 80% of our electricity,” he said. “But under drought, when we need some additional source to cover our electricity gaps, those energy scenarios project that we’re going to be heavily reliant on fossil fuels.” … ” Read more from EOS.
Can gas plants be climate friendly? Yuba City carbon capture project wants to be the nation’s first
“In the fight against climate change, California is betting on the removal of millions of tons of carbon dioxide from the air by 2045. A significant development in the technology that’s needed might soon take place outside Yuba City. Calpine, one of the nation’s largest energy producers, hopes to build a $1 billion carbon capture and storage project on a gas-fired power plant about 40 miles north of Sacramento that would be the first facility of its kind in the country. To prove its feasibility, an 18-month demonstration pilot was unveiled last month at another gas plant in the East Bay Area city of Pittsburg. The project marks an early test of California’s wager on nascent carbon removal technology to cut industrial pollution. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
In commentary today …
Climate change could force California to raise its dams but the politics are brutal
Opinion columnist Tom Philp writes, “As California faces climate change and a future with bigger storms and longer droughts, the challenges before us lead to an often-asked question: Should we make some of our existing dams bigger? That is precisely what is happening now on the American River above Sacramento. Folsom Dam and its 340-foot-tall wall of concrete has been protecting the capital from flood since 1956. It is halfway through a construction project to increase its elevation by about 3.5 feet. Meanwhile, upstream on the Sacramento River, a possible project with very similar engineering is at Shasta Dam. A proposal to raise the 602-foot dam by another 18.5 feet has some fresh political support, with recent legislation in the House of Representatives. But decades of steadfast opposition has made raising Shasta by any amount one of the most controversial water ideas in California. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
The Central Valley can protect its water despite California’s uncertain climate future
Allison Febbo, the general manager of the Westlands Water District, writes, “By a unanimous vote of the landowners in 1952, the Westlands Water District was formed to secure and manage a sustainable water supply. Several of those founding families farm in Westlands to this day, continuing to invest and advocate for a water supply that will allow their grandchildren to continue the livelihoods of their family and feeding the nation. August marks the end of my first three months as the new general manager for Westlands. I have a deep respect for the more than 70 years that the district has served our communities, first advocating for the investment in our state’s water delivery system and, for the last five decades, stewarding one of the Earth’s most precious resources. At the same time, we must usher in a new era of problem-solving, collaboration, conservation and innovation to address challenges brought on by changing hydrology, climate, politics and renewed priorities. … ” Read more from the Fresno Bee.
In regional water news and commentary today …
BAY AREA
San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board: ‘Red tides’ have not brought widespread fish death
“Officials with the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board said Thursday that harmful algal blooms also known as “red tides” found recently in parts of the Bay have not so far brought widespread fish death like a similar event in the region last year. The water board and other agencies have been monitoring the algal blooms seen since last week along parts of the shoreline in areas off of Alameda, between Emeryville to Albany, and certain parts of Marin County, but have not found any significant harm to aquatic life. However, the water board is advising people in their pets to avoid swimming or otherwise coming in contact with discolored water in the Bay until further notice. … ” Continue reading at the San Mateo Daily Journal.
Reports of dead sturgeon from Heterosigma algae bloom on San Francisco Bay are coming in
“The first reports of dead sturgeon from the Heterosigma algae bloom on San Francisco Bay are now coming in. Five dead sturgeon off Point Molate in the bay were reported by naturalist Damon Tighe in a Facebook post just minutes ago. “Pt Molate today after work: 5 dead sturgeon,” according to Tighe. “This die off is way ahead of the spread of the Heterosigma algae bloom. NOT GOOD. We are still three weeks away from when the algae bloom peaked last year.  I also received a report today of a sturgeon behaving atypical at the surface near Tiburon.” He also pointed out how people can help document this tragic event. “If you have time, please walk San Francisco bay shore, lines, and photograph dead fish,” he urged. “Upload them to iNaturalist and marke them as dead. Those observations will populate this project that CDFW is monitoring.” … ” Read more from the Daily Kos.
To fight climate change, we need the Newark Baylands
“Just south of the Dumbarton Bridge, right next to the Don Edwards San Francisco Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Newark, lies one of the most important conservation opportunities for the future of San Francisco Bay—and one of the most threatened. The Newark Area 4 Baylands are a 500-acre Bay wetland complex—a mix of salt marsh, brackish and freshwater marsh, perennial aquatic habitat and uplands that support thousands of waterfowl and migratory shorebirds, along with over a dozen sensitive species. These baylands also represent one of the few remaining opportunities in the highly urbanized South San Francisco Bay to provide space for tidal wetlands to migrate inland with rising sea levels. As scientists who have both worked for decades in coastal wetlands and ecological restoration, we believe the preservation of these lands is critical for the long-term survival of tidal salt marsh habitat and resilience of the San Francisco Bay ecosystem to climate change. … ” Continue reading at Bay-Nature.
$10 million for Los Vaqueros Reservoir expansion project to improve water supply
“Los Vaqueros Reservoir Expansion Project Joint Powers Authority will receive $10 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation to further the project’s goals of improving Bay Area and Central Valley water supply and supporting wildlife refuges along the Pacific Flyway, a vital migratory route for critical bird populations. According to the National Audubon Society, each year at least one billion birds migrate along the flyway, which is only a fraction of those that used it a century ago. Wildlife refuges along the Pacific Flyway provide protection against habitat loss, water shortages, diminishing food sources and climate change. … ” Read more from The Press.
The Lafayette Reservoir is an oasis in the middle of the East Bay
“On a recent weekday summer morning, the water was glistening at the Lafayette Reservoir Recreation Area. In this natural nirvana where a bald eagle was spotted in March and a great horned owl in June, more than a hundred cars already filled up most of the parking lot built atop a steep hill. A bedroom community known for its walkability, Lafayette has a population of just 25,000— but it also has one of the East Bay’s most overlooked spots to spend a day. “It’s really peaceful,” said Shelly Fierston of Oakland, who hikes here three days a week. “I can exercise and let my mind wander and look at everything. It’s so beautiful. The wildlife! Otters. Rabbits. Deer. Snakes. Turtles. Hawks. A baby golden eagle. One day we saw them putting fish in the reservoir for fishing, and the birds waiting to eat the fish and the little boat chasing them away.” … ” Read more from SF Gate.
CENTRAL COAST
Grover Beach could fully switch from septic to sewer in two years
“Grover Beach city officials are considering changing the local municipal code to get rid of a sewage annoyance. At its July 24 meeting, the Grover Beach City Council discussed repealing an ordinance to set a citywide requirement for residences and businesses to connect to the city sewer system. Once adopted, the ordinance would require 115 properties still using septic tanks to switch to the sewer in two years. City Attorney David Hale told the City Council that case law in California references a public agency’s ability to use police power to enforce the transition from septic tanks to the sewer system because of the former’s potential for groundwater contamination. … ” Read more from New Times SLO.
Paso Robles wine collective releases study, outlines plan for sustainable future amid climate change
“It’s no secret that wine is an iconic part of Central Coast culture. But in the midst of an evolving climate, those wines are facing a new threat. “Wine is among the most sensitive and nuanced agricultural products and is highly sensitive to climate change,” Linda Sanpei said. “Variations in temperature, water for irrigation, frost, pests, and other climate implications pose a significant threat to the wine industry of Paso Robles.” Sanpei, the executive director of Paso Robles CAB (Cabernet and Bordeaux) Collective (PRCC), is looking forward to leading the way to combat climate change’s impacts with the help of a study the organization released on July 14 that aims to build a more sustainable future for the industry. … ” Read more from New Times SLO.
Rincon Beach fails state ocean water quality tests due to elevated bacteria levels
“Ocean water quality results collected this week indicated that Rincon Beach failed to meet state standards of allowable bacteria levels. Warning signs are currently posted at Rincon warning visitors that contact with ocean water should be avoided for a minimum of 50 yards on either side of each posted sign. … ” Read more from KEYT.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Westlands farmers awarded $4m through LandFlex program to minimize groundwater footprint
“Close to 2,422 acre-feet of groundwater will remain in the aquifer of the Westside Subbasin thanks to a grant from The California Department of Water Resources (DWR). Farmers in the Westlands Water District Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA), which manages the groundwater in the Westside Subbasin, and three other GSAs were eligible to receive funding through the LandFlex Program (LandFlex). During the 2-week application window for the LandFlex program, farmers in Westlands submitted over 40 million dollars worth of projects, spanning 11,100 acres. Eight applications were selected to receive a total of $3,999,523 to implement their projects. The demand for the program led to an increase in available funds, to be distributed amongst the four GSAs, from an initial $12 million to $18 million. Priority was given to projects that would have a positive benefit on drinking water wells. Awarded funds will be used to promote water conservation and climate-resilient agriculture in the San Joaquin Valley by limiting agricultural groundwater use. … ” Read more from the Valley Voice.
Kings River reopens just in time for more extra-hot weather
“Residents of the Fresno region now have a new option for staying cool when triple-digit temperatures return starting Sunday. The Kings River from Pine Flat Dam to the Tulare and Kings County lines has been reopened to recreational use, Fresno County Sheriff John Zanoni announced this week. However, Fresno County parks along the Kings and San Joaquin rivers remain closed because of hazards and the need for maintenance work. The closed parks include Avocado Lake, Choinumni, Winton, Laton Kingston, Lost Lake, and Skaggs Bridge parks. The date for reopening has not been determined. Sheriffs in Tulare and Kings counties also have reopened portions of the Kings River that runs through their counties. … ” Read more from GV Wire.
Two Kern River power plants up for new licenses – and greater scrutiny
“Boaters and anglers who’ve long complained about the impacts of two power plants on Kern River flows, want federal regulators to give more water back to the river as part of separate relicensing procedures now underway. “Our main issue is continual flows,” said Jim Ahrens, president of the Kern Fly Fishers club. “To have a fishery, you need water flow.” Ahrens noted these licenses dictate how the plants will be operated for the next 30 or more years, so it’s important for the public to have a say. Both plants are owned by Southern California Edison. One is above Kernville, called Kern River 3 (KR3). The other is about two miles inside the mouth of the Kern River Canyon, called Kern River 1 (KR1). … ” Continue reading at SJV Water.
Wet winter causes increased risk for Valley Fever in Kern County this summer
“Valley Fever season is here, but this year is different from other years. As Kern County residents continue to deal with summer heat, water from the winter has caused an increased risk of encountering Coccidioides immitis or Coccidioides posadasii – the fungal spores that cause Valley Fever. According to data from the California Department of Public Health, since 2019, Kern County has been ranked as having the highest number of cases of Valley Fever, and with the weather we’ve experienced so far, health officials say stocking up on supplies now is the best form of preventative action. … ” Read more from Channel 23.
Soggy ground from winter floods impacts Kern County’s cotton farmers
“While Kern County is known for being home to the production of corn, almonds, and pistachios, this year local farmers saw a decline in the number of acres they were able to plant in cotton. Typically, Kern farmers grow roughly 120,000 acres of cotton, but due to the wet winter we started 2023 with, that number has dropped this year to about 80,000 acres. Water, such an important resource for farmers, can also become an issue for certain crops if there’s too much of it. “It’s one of the lowest cotton acreages we’ve had in the history of California since we started planting Pima,” said 4th generation Kern County farmer Jake Cauzza. … ” Read more from Channel 23.
EASTERN SIERRA
Water District says goodbye to general manager Don Zdeba… again
“In December of 2022, Water District general manager Don Zdeba ended one of his “Notes from the General Manager” articles by saying, “In closing, I am reminded of a quote from Julie Andrews. ‘Leave everything you do, every place you go, everything you touch a little better for your having been there.’ That is what I have aspired to do throughout my career. Happy Trails!” It was supposed to be a retirement letter. And now–eight months later–perhaps it can serve that purpose. Zdeba planned to retire back on December 31, 2022. But then the Water District’s replacement dropped out and the Water District suddenly found themselves facing a very near future without a general manager. … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
LADWP crews successfully manage over 325 billion gallons of water flowing from historic Eastern Sierra snowpack
“On April 1, 2023, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) announced a record snowpack of 296% of normal for the Eastern Sierra making 2023 one of – if not the largest – snowpack year on record in California, eclipsing other big water years like 1952, 1983, 2017, and surpassing the Department’s 1969 record that measured at an estimated 270% of normal. In wet years, there is more than four times as much water along the LA Aqueduct than in dry years. This year’s record snowmelt translates into managing 1 million acre-feet of water along the LA Aqueduct which is equivalent to filling about 493,617 Olympic-sized pools with water. The peak of the runoff season—the period in which temperatures rise and the snow melts–usually lasts from May to June. This year’s impressive snowpack and the volume of water that it translates into pushed the season to August and possibly into early September. … ” Read more from LADWP.
Toxic algae is stranding sick and aggressive sea lions on OC shores
“As the heat wave reaches Southern California for summertime, more Orange County residents are heading for the beaches. But rising temperatures are also pushing other creatures onto local beaches: sick and sometimes aggressive sea lions. Off the California coast, toxic algae blooms — a rapid increase in harmful algae caused by a combination of water runoff and rising temperatures — are poisoning sea lions and dolphins, causing stranded marine animals onto local beaches. Dozens of sea lions affected by the toxic algae have been seen attacking beachgoers or washing up dead on shore due to the poisonous blooms, which produce a harmful domoic acid neurotoxin. … ” Read more from the Voice of the OC.
Santa Margarita Water District approves rate hikes for San Juan, greenlights new rate study
“San Juan Capistrano residents will see an increase in their water rates next month as the Santa Margarita Water District’s Board of Directors voted Wednesday, Aug. 2, to implement new charges for services, while also greenlighting plans to initiate a new water rate study. In a unanimous vote, the board adopted a resolution to impose the adjusted charges on San Juan’s ratepayers this month for potable water, recycled water and wastewater services, with the new rates being reflected in water bills this September. The rate increases, which are based on a Cost of Service and Rate Study, are expected to provide the water district with an overall revenue increase of 7% each year for the next three years, which officials argue is necessary to help fund overdue capital improvement costs to San Juan’s water system infrastructure. “We have about $40 million worth of capital improvements over the next few years,” SMWD General Manager Dan Ferons said Wednesday night. He added that the district has about $23 million in reserves. … ” Read more from the Capistrano Dispatch.
Along the Colorado River …
This Colorado artist is demystifying the West’s water problems
“With his eyes squinted, hand out to the horizon, painter Patrick Kikut surveyed the scene, to translate what he saw onto paper. Surrounded by forest greens and rusty, rocky reds, Kikut stood in a high mountain valley about a one-hour drive from Aspen. The outstretched arm was a measurement tool — a way to make sure those little trees in the distance were just the right size compared to the glassy water of Ruedi Reservoir before him. And Kikut, who spends a lot of time these days embedded deep in river canyons, savored the summer day under his straw hat. “I kind of come alive with more space,” Kikut said. The reservoir overlook was the site of his field drawing workshop for about a dozen people with sketchbooks. The horizon was wide, and the sky was open above him. … ” Read more from KUNC.
Getting Colorado River water from California farms will take more than just money – just ask the farmers
“Under the broiling hot sun of California’s Imperial Valley, a canal cuts the land in two. On one side, gravelly beige sand is dotted with scrub and shimmering waves of heat blur the mountains in the distance. On the other, sprawling fields of crops blanket the valley floor in a mat of bright green squares. Here, plentiful sun and high temperatures create a near year-round growing season. Farms sit atop the silty soils of an ancient river delta. And for at least the last hundred years, a steady supply of fresh water from the Colorado River has turned the valley from a baking desert into an agricultural oasis. Hawk and other farmers are reluctant to further cut back on the amount of water they use to keep their fields green, despite pressure from policymakers looking to reduce strain on the Colorado River. Growers say they want to be part of a solution, but are asking for money to incentivize water cutbacks, and hint at other cultural and legal hurdles that stand in the way of reducing their water use. … ” Read more from KUNC.
Colorado River Indian Tribes tell Sinema they need help with water infrastructure
“Leaders of the Colorado River Indian Tribes met with U.S. Sen. Kyrsten Sinema on Wednesday to discuss a list of concerns, including what leaders called their most critical issue: water and the infrastructure to deliver it. The 4,270-member tribe also used the occasion to thank Sinema, I-Ariz., for her ongoing support for tribal sovereignty and for ensuring that the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law included funding for water management and conservation, transportation, broadband and other infrastructure for tribal and rural communities. CRIT leaders said they are particularly worried that decisions on Colorado River management are being made with no tribal input, even though they have voluntarily conserved water and left parts of their nearly 720,000-acre-foot allocation in Lake Mead to forestall deeper reductions outlined in the Drought Contingency Plan. … ” Read more from Arizona Central.
EPA finalizes plan to restore contaminated drinking water at mine site on tribal land
“The Environmental Protection Agency has finalized a plan to cleanup a Superfund mine site on tribal land in southern Arizona. The EPA says it’ll use reverse osmosis treatment for groundwater contaminated with perchlorate, uranium and sulfate to restore drinking water for residents on the Tohono O’odham Nation. … ” Read more from KNAU.
The extreme heat in Phoenix is withering some of its famed saguaro cactuses, with no end in sight
“After recording the warmest monthly average temperature for any U.S. city ever in July, Phoenix climbed back up to dangerously high temperatures Wednesday. That could mean trouble not just for people but for some plants, too. Residents across the sprawling metro are finding the extended extreme heat has led to fried flora, and have shared photos and video of their damaged cactuses with the Desert Botanical Garden. Nurseries and landscapers are inundated with requests for help with saguaros or fruit trees that are losing leaves. Phones have been “ringing nonstop” about everything from a cactus to a citrus tree or ficus, said Sophia Booth, a landscape designer at Moon Valley Nursery, which has nearly a dozen locations across the Phoenix suburbs. … ” Continue reading at the Associated Press.
Why is Lake Powell so important to the Colorado River? Here’s what you need to know.
“Coloradans might know of Lake Powell from sun-filled days recreating in its waters, its expansive, rust-colored canyon walls … or the onslaught of news coverage focused on its water levels. So why is the lake — and the white ring discoloring the rock walls above it — important to the Colorado River? This 10-question guide breaks down the role of Lake Powell in the Colorado River Basin, which is experiencing one of its worst droughts in 1,200 years. As one of the continent’s largest artificial lakes, Powell plays a role in water storage and release, local economies, environmental debates and regional electricity production. After its stored water dropped to historic lows in recent years, state and federal officials began negotiating how the reservoir’s operations should change during water shortages in the future. … ” Read more from the Colorado Sun.
National water and climate update …
The Natural Resources Conservation Service produces this weekly report using data and products from the National Water and Climate Center and other agencies. The report focuses on seasonal snowpack, precipitation, temperature, and drought conditions in the U.S.
dmrpt-20230803Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
ANNOUNCEMENT: New, Online Water Resources Management Certificate from UC Davis
