On the calendar today …
- MEETING: Delta Stewardship Council beginning at 9am. Agenda items include the Delta Lead Scientist’s Report; Delta winter 2023 flood damage assessment; and the Knightsen Wetland Restoration and Flood Protection Project. Click here for the full agenda and remote access instructions.
- MEETING: Wildlife Conservation Board beginning at 10am. Agenda items include a funding status update and presentations on numerous potential restoration and environmental projects. Click here for the agenda and remote access instructions.
- EVENT: Water Leadership Development Open House beginning at 11am. This Open House will connect Emerging Leaders in WaterNow’s network with representatives from four Leadership Development programs focused on the water sector. The Leadership Development Course presenters will share their programs’ unique offerings, and showcase the benefits and opportunities they represent. The program will include chances for participants to speak directly with the Leadership Development Course representatives in small groups, providing an opportunity for network-building and the cultivation of connections that may benefit the Emerging Leaders in ways including but not limited to their participation in upcoming cohorts of the Leadership Development Courses. Click here to register.
- IN-PERSON EVENT: Sustain SoCal 8th Annual Water Solutions from 1pm to 7pm in Irvine. Sustain SoCal presents WATER SOLUTIONS 8 (WS8), focused on exploring real life strategies and innovations in reuse, desal, storm water, energy nexus, contamination, investor and policy trends and big data in Southern California and the surrounding region. Join us for presentations, networking and discussions as Sustain SoCal addresses pragmatic solutions to help assure sufficient and affordable supplies of water in our region. Keynote topic: Predicting Atmospheric Rivers Across Timescales. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
CDFW completes release of 23 million fall-run chinook salmon
“The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) has completed the release of approximately 23 million fall-run Chinook salmon raised at its four Central Valley anadromous fish hatcheries, the Feather River Fish Hatchery, the Nimbus Fish Hatchery, the Mokelumne River Fish Hatchery and the Merced River Hatchery. The 23 million salmon raised and released by CDFW in 2023 represents a 15 percent increase over the roughly 20 million fall-run Chinook salmon raised and released in 2022. This year’s production goals were increased as a coordinated effort among state and federal partnering agencies to help fall-run Chinook salmon overcome impacts from an extended drought that increased water temperatures and decreased water flow throughout the Central Valley during critical salmon spawning and rearing periods. Drought conditions coupled with Thiamine Deficiency Complex, a vitamin deficiency that impacts reproduction, have reduced in-river spawning success the past several years. … ” Read more from the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
SEE ALSO: 23 million Chinook salmon were released throughout California’s Central Valley. Here’s why, from the Sacramento Bee
Would filling a new reservoir give off lots of greenhouse gases?
“When you think about sources of planet-heating greenhouse gases, dams and reservoirs probably aren’t some of the first things that come to mind. But scientific research has shown that reservoirs emit significant amounts of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. It’s produced by decomposing plants and other organic matter collecting near the bottom of reservoirs. Methane bubbles up to the surface of reservoirs, and also passes through dams and bubbles up downstream. Scientists call these processes ebullition and degassing. And there is a growing debate about how much of these gases would be emitted by California’s planned Sites Reservoir, which is slated to be built in a valley north of Sacramento to store water for agriculture and cities. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Farm to water table: California repurposes farmland to save its water supply.
“Last winter, 31 atmospheric rivers drenched California after an extended drought, filling the state’s reservoirs to the brim for the first time in years and enabling the state’s two main surface water supply systems—which bring fresh water from the mountains to thirsty cities and farms via a complex network of reservoirs, canals, and pipes—to provide all of their promised water allocations. Massive, long-disappeared wetlands such as Tulare Lake in the southern San Joaquin Valley reemerged, and other parts of the valley were still underwater in late spring. But despite the soaking, the state continues to plan for a hotter, drier future, including ways to recharge parched aquifers. “This year was an exception to the rule,” says Andrew Schwartz, the lead scientist and manager of the Central Sierra Snow Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley. “We’re in an aridifying climate and things will just continue to get drier.” … ” Read more from Landscape Architecture Magazine.
Proposed bill would limit how California businesses water decorative lawns
“Even if California is out of its drought, brown might still be the new green. A proposed state bill, AB-1572, would try to conserve water by banning companies and industrial areas from watering decorative lawns around their properties with potable water. California put a similar rule in place in 2022, preventing commercial, industrial, and government agencies from using drinking water for upkeep of grass deemed non-functional or ornamental by regulators. The state legislature later extended that ban until June 2024. But some lawmakers now want to make that rule permanent. That would mean a ban on using fresh water to keep up right-of-ways, as well as the lawns for strip malls, office parks, corporate campuses and schools. … ” Read more from NBC News.
Why Hilary didn’t cause more damage in California
“Tropical storm Hilary drenched much of Southern California before its remnants moved on to douse several Western states. While some communities suffered severe flooding and mudslides, most got a beneficial soaking. But experts say that given the overall setup, the aftermath could have been much worse — and both luck and preparation played a role in avoiding a more dire outcome. “The fact is that this was an incredibly unusual event for Southern California,” said Greg Carbin, chief of the forecast operations branch for the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center. Thanks to California’s steep terrain, dense population and vast area burned by wildfires over the past several years, it probably takes less rain to cause serious flooding in the state than in other locations typically hit by hurricanes and tropical storms. … ” Read more from the Washington Post.
Tire additive could push California salmon to extinction, study says
“For just the third time in history, California has cancelled the Fall salmon fishing season due to alarmingly low population levels. And now, scientists have discovered that a chemical given off by automobile tires may be adding to the die-off. Every day, thousands of cars take to the highways, constantly shedding tiny particles of rubber from their tires, which, when it rains, are washed down into the Bay. That seemed normal until something caught the attention of researchers at the SF Estuary Institute. “About 5 years ago we learned of this study that was being done up in Washington State that found large quantities of salmon die off as a result of this chemical additive in tires,” said Warner Chabot, the Institute’s Executive Director. … ” Read more from CBS News.
Unlocking hydropower’s potential: Renewable Energy Discovery (REDi) Island demonstrates water power technologies at the heart of NREL research
“In 1880, a water-powered turbine generated its first spark of electricity. It powered a theater and storefront in Grand Rapids, Michigan. By 1893, the first commercial hydropower plant was operating in Redlands, California. And according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), in 2022, hydropower accounted for more than 28% of all renewable electricity generation in the United States. Needless to say, hydropower is not new. In fact, hydropower’s consistency, flexibility, and dispatchability (more on that later) have already made it essential to the grid—and to our clean energy transition. The virtual Renewable Energy Discovery (REDi) Island, an educational resource developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL’s) water power team and design agency IKM 3D and funded by DOE’s Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO), showcases all types of marine energy and hydropower technologies in action—technologies that are being developed and refined right here at NREL. … ” Read more from NREL.
El Niño and La Niña multi-year events could become more common
“The Pacific Ocean covers 32% of Earth’s surface area, more than all the land combined. Unsurprisingly, its activity affects conditions around the globe. Periodic variations in the ocean’s water temperature and winds, called the El Niño–Southern Oscillation, are a major meteorologic force. Scientists know that human activity is affecting this system, but are still determining the extent. A new study in Nature has revealed that the atmospheric component — called the “Pacific Walker Circulation” — has changed its behavior over the industrial era in ways that weren’t expected. The international team of authors also found that volcanic eruptions can cause the Walker Circulation to temporarily weaken, inducing El Niño conditions. The results provide important insights into how El Niño and La Niña events may change in the future. … ” Read more from UC Santa Barbara.
What’s machine learning? How Forest Service is reshaping Sierra Nevada in California
“California’s Sierra Nevada mountain used to have more meadows, nearly three times as many. That’s according to a report released earlier this month by the U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Southwest Research Station. Researchers used a subset of artificial intelligence known as machine learning to identify and map locations of these lost meadows, which have disappeared over 150 years due to livestock grazing, mining, road-building and wildfires. … ” Read more from the Fresno Bee.
Maui wildfires show that ‘risk is ubiquitous now’
“It’s too soon to say what — if anything — could have stopped or softened the devastation in Maui. But experts like Kimiko Barrett say there are profound lessons in the historic fires for communities across the US, where far more dollars are spent putting out flames than preventing them. More than a week after flames were first reported near Lahaina, hundreds of people are still missing, and the loss of life — now up to 111 — is expected to mount. Already, the Lahaina fire is the deadliest in the US in over a century. Much remains unknown about how this disaster occurred, including the source of ignition, the role of Hawaiian Electric Co.’s actions and the scope of the response by firefighters and other emergency services. … ” Read more from Bloomberg.
SEE ALSO: Lessons Maui can take from other states to protect against future wildfire disasters, from NPR
California is working on solutions to worsening climate change. Will they be enough?
“In the opening chapter of “The Ministry for the Future,” science-fiction author Kim Stanley Robinson details a calamitous heat wave that kills almost all the residents of a small town. In another chapter, he imagines a catastrophic flood that wipes out Los Angeles. The late Octavia Butler described a Southern California reeling from years of drought in “Parable of the Sower,” and Paolo Bacigalupi writes about a near-future Southwest that’s also been devastated by drought. Sci-fi writers have long conceived worlds in which extreme weather events upend the lives of its inhabitants, but with every passing, warming year, their scenarios feel more prophetic. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
In commentary today …
California needs to set its ‘Sites’ on off- stream reservoirs & recharging aquifers
Dennis Wyatt, editor of the Manteca Bulletin, writes, “Albert Hammond nailed it. “Seems it never rains in southern California; Seems I’ve often heard that kind of talk before. It never rains in California, But girl, don’t they warn ya? It pours, man, it pours” Tropical Storm Hilary early this week underscored that premise. While Hammond was talking about bad luck, it is certainly true of desert regions in Southern California from Death Valley to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. And while Las Vegas Review Journal editorial cartoonist Michael Ramirez has a point in his cartoon accompanying this column, it doesn’t apply to the flooding that just occurred mostly in in the Mojave — the 47,781 square mile desert that goes from 266 feet below sea level to 5,000 feet. … ” Read more from the Manteca Bulletin..
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Klamath River tributary restoration gives salmon a chance before – and after – dam removal
“By the end of 2024, four dams will be removed on the Klamath River, opening hundreds of miles of habitat to native fishes including coho salmon. But until those dams do come down, and even after as the river recovers, coho salmon in the Klamath Basin are in desperate need of places to safely grow and rear their young. On the South Fork of the Scott River, a tributary to the Klamath, CalTrout and our partners are beginning the fourth phase of a restoration project that will reconnect the stream to its natural floodplain and improve cold water rearing habitat for Klamath Basin fish. Historic mining and timber operations significantly altered the landscape, disconnecting the river from its floodplain and degrading fish habitat. In 2017, CalTrout and our partners began implementation for the South Fork Scott River Floodplain Connectivity Project. Our work thus far has included restoring and excavating floodplains, adding habitat features in side-channels and the mainstem, removing mine tailings, and monitoring these improvements. … ” Read more from Cal Trout.
Mendocino: Kelley House Calendar: Water – Our future and our past
“August 20th-24th marks this year’s World Water Week, a non-profit conference held annually by the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI). Since its inception in 1991, World Water Week has become the leading conference devoted to global water issues, featuring a variety of participating organizations, including the United Nations. Each year, the conference seeks to bring together a diverse array of people and professions to develop solutions for the world’s growing number of water challenges. This year’s theme is Seeds of Change: Innovative Solutions for a Water-Wise World. According to the SIWI, the world has entered a time of unprecedented water-related crises due to climate change and loss of biodiversity, both exacerbated by human activity. This year’s gathering aims to share innovative ideas and develop solutions for how the world can manage and counteract increasing water scarcity and inequality. … ” Read more from the Mendocino Beacon.
Marin water suppliers monitor Mendocino water diversion plan
“Marin County water agencies are expressing cautious optimism about a new proposal to transfer ownership of a controversial hydropower plant that affects one of the county’s main water suppliers. The proposal centers on the Potter Valley Project, a 110-year-old hydropower plant in Mendocino County that is operated by Pacific Gas & Electric Co. Water diverted by the plant feeds into the Russian River watershed, which is a key part of Marin’s water portfolio. After PG&E announced its intention to surrender and decommission the power facility in 2019, there has been a question of whether water diversions to the Russian River would continue. The new proposal submitted this month by Sonoma Water, the Mendocino County Inland Water and Power Commission and the Round Valley Indian Tribes would transfer parts of the facility to a new entity that would continue Russian River water diversions. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Can robots keep Tahoe’s beaches and water clean?
“When the July Fourth crowds cleared out from Tahoe’s beaches this year, visitors left thousands of pounds of trash behind — Zephyr Shoals alone had 8,500 pounds of rubbish. The next day, volunteers flocked to the beaches, picking up broken coolers and lawn chairs, plastic cups and aluminum cans. But more rubbish, unseen by the volunteers, hid just beneath the sand. Across Tahoe’s beaches, scraps like bottle caps, bits of Styrofoam and cigarette butts remained. … Roughly 15 million people visit Lake Tahoe annually. As the lake’s popularity continues to grow, so does the stress on the basin’s environment. Traditional methods for rounding up litter in the water and on the lakeshores are no longer sufficient, according to the League to Save Lake Tahoe, a nonprofit group dedicated to protecting the Tahoe Basin. Enter the BEBOT and the PixieDrone, zero-emission robots designed specifically to clean sandy beaches and the surfaces of lakes. … ” Read more from the Nevada Independent.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
SMUD, Sutter County officials grapple with the controversial possibilities of carbon-capture near Yuba City
“Using less water and natural gas than older models, the Sutter Energy Center came online in 2001, claiming to be one of the “cleanest” power plants ever built. Today, this 550-megawatt gas-fired plant is still standing southwest of Yuba City, but now lies at the heart of a heated climate clash. Calpine, the Houston-based company that owns the Sutter Energy Center, presented a proposal to the Sacramento Municipal Utility District: to decarbonize the facility using carbon capture technology to help SMUD hit its ambitious target of zero carbon emissions by 2030. The technology, developed by Colorado-based ION Clean Energy, would capture the facility’s carbon dioxide contained in the flue gas, shuttle it to an absorption tower, where it would bind with a liquid solvent before getting sent through a pipeline to be stored thousands of feet into the Earth. … ” Read more from the Sacramento News & Review.
NAPA/SONOMA
St. Helena traces discolored tap water to mineral accumulation in storage tank
“The city of St. Helena is taking “emergency actions” to address what it calls an “urgent situation” with discolored and cloudy tap water. City officials say there’s no reason to believe the water is not safe, and the situation isn’t an emergency from a health and safety standpoint, City Manager Anil Comelo told the City Council on Tuesday. However, the emergency actions ratified by the council will help the city secure professional help quickly without the delays associated with the public bidding process. The problem has been traced to the Water Treatment Plant near Bell Canyon Reservoir, where staff has noticed accumulated minerals inside Tank 1A. Quality complaints are most common in the areas of town served by the Water Treatment Plant, one of St. Helena’s three water sources. … ” Read more from the Napa Register.
BAY AREA
Marin advances baffle plan for San Anselmo Creek
“Marin County officials are moving forward with a baffle to replace a deteriorating San Anselmo bridge as part of a Ross Valley flood control project. The Board of Supervisors approved $30,000 allocation last week for MGE Engineering Inc., bringing the contract total to $150,598. The county also extended the contract for two years, setting it to expire at the end of 2025. The action was the fourth contract amendment for the removal of the San Anselmo Creek span, also known as Building Bridge Two. It will allow the consultants to finish the baffle design and provide construction assistance. A baffle is a device that controls or restricts the flow of water. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
Funding coming to elevate Highway 37
“The state received a significant boost to its efforts with State Route 37 and San Pablo Bay last week with the infusion of $155 million in federal funding. The California Transportation Commission announced on Wednesday it formally allocated the funds to elevate a key section of State Route 37 to guard against future flooding on a vital regional corridor connecting Marin, Sonoma, Napa and Solano counties and enhance habitat connectivity for San Pablo Bay. The $180 million project will raise the roadway by 30 feet over Novato Creek by 2029 — well above the projected year 2130 sea-level rise. The $155 million allocation comes from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and is lauded by environmental groups and local leaders who have been calling for investments to support the long-term viability of state route 37. … ” Read more from The Reporter.
CENTRAL COAST
Months after Pajaro flood, repair crews race against winter rain
“Nearly six months after a Pajaro River levee breach upended the lives of about 3,000 Pajaro residents, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is trying to complete repairs on three parts of the levee before anticipated winter rain. Emergency repairs are expected to finish by the end of November but it could take longer if there is rain, said Holly Costa, emergency management chief for the Army Corps of Engineers. It is “very unusual” for levees to be fully repaired in the same year they were damaged, Costa said. When the levee was damaged in the past, “we didn’t get those repaired until two or three years afterwards,” she said. Completing the levee repairs before the rainy season is crucial because wet conditions could make the work difficult, Costa said. … ” Read more from Santa Cruz Local.
Health concerns raised after sewage leaks into Carmel River
“Luxury resort Carmel Valley Ranch has had issues lately with its sewage pipes. On two separate occasions in August, sewage coming from the resort spilled into the Carmel River. The first spill was verified on Aug. 7 and the second was verified on Aug. 16. The latest spill was estimated to have sent 1,200 tons of sewage into the river. “The origin of the spill is from a buildup of fats, oils and greases into the sewage lines and those can cause blockages,” explained Marni Flagg, who’s with the Monterey County Health Department. “Sewage did come from a backup up in the line and then onto the grown, flowed into a storm drain and from the storm drain, into the system to an outfall to the river.” … ” Read more from KSBY.
Commentary: The grand jury is in, and the Paso basin is still in trouble
Andrew Christie, executive director of the Santa Lucia Chapter of the Sierra Club, writes, “The plan to save the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin is failing. In 2014, the California Legislature passed the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), requiring local communities to form groundwater sustainability plans (GSPs) to be administered by groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs). If you’ve been following the saga of the critically overdrafted Paso Robles Groundwater Basin for the last 10 years, the following news may depress you, but it probably won’t surprise you. Some things have changed over that time—the basin now has a groundwater sustainability agency and a groundwater sustainability plan—but some other things have not, including the mindset that still believes the problem can be solved by voluntary conservation, supplemental water projects, and digging deeper wells. … ” Continue reading at New Times SLO.
California’s undisturbed Gaviota coast draws a shocking range of wildlife
“California’s Gaviota Coast is a favorite seaside respite for Hollywood’s rich and famous. But the stretch just north of Santa Barbara, one of the few places along the Southern California coast free of concrete and combed beaches, also draws a dizzyingly diverse mix of wildlife—everything from birds to mountain lions to feral pigs. “In California, we have this incredible upwelling marine system that delivers a whole bunch of nutrients to the coast,” explains Zoe Zilz, a doctoral candidate at the University of California, Santa Barbara, who studies how terrestrial and marine animals bring these nutrients inland, bolstering this relatively dry coastal scrub habitat. … ” Read more from Hakai Magazine.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Tule River Tribe declares a water shortage emergency
“The Tule River Tribe has declared a water shortage emergency. The tribe has been facing a clean water shortage for almost a week. Tule River leaders say a lighting strike knocked the power out and impacted this water plant last week leaving hundreds of locals without clean water. In an already stressed system. The murky river water is making it impossible for locals to use 60% of their water supply. A little higher at about 1,400 feet in elevation, the water at Painted Rock dam is also dirty. … ” Read more from KFSN.
New administrator assigned to help with Teviston’s water woes
“The state has assigned an engineering company to take control of, and improve, the water system in the small Tulare County town of Teviston. Teviston, a rural community of about 460 people, has been hard hit by water problems for years. The town well broke down in the drought of 2021, leaving families without water and many without any way to cool themselves in soaring summer temperatures. Its water is also contaminated by 1,2,3, TCP, a dangerous carcinogen. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
EASTERN SIERRA
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Tropical Storm Hilary wallops Southern California
“Tropical Storm Hilary hit coastal Southern California and the desert interior on Sunday, after making a destructive run over Baja California. It will take weeks to know the full extent of the damage from this unusual storm in a remarkable year of unusual weather. But some key takeaways have emerged. Pacific tropical cyclones like Hilary rarely make landfall in California for a good reason. Most originate well to the south, relying on warm ocean water for their energy and moisture. If steered to the north and into California by circulation patterns, they run out of “gas” quickly as colder ocean temperatures sap their energy. That is what happened to Hilary, although it retained a lot of its moisture as it moved rapidly through California and later the Intermountain West, leading to prodigious amounts of rain. … ” Read more from the PPIC.
Orange County Water District successfully captures rainfall from tropical storm Hilary to bolster local drinking water supplies
“With the arrival of Tropical Storm Hilary, the Orange County Water District (OCWD; the District) maximized water supply operations to capture 2.56 inches of rain, ensuring not a drop was lost to the ocean, and increase its water storage behind Prado Dam to more than 3.4 billion gallons of water. OCWD was prepared to take full advantage of stormwater capture due to decades of sound planning, regional partnerships, and investments in water infrastructure. Located in the northern part of the county lies its managed aquifer recharge system where a series of rubber dams, pumps and percolation ponds work to get water into the Orange County Groundwater Basin (Basin). The Basin is a vital resource managed by OCWD which supplies 85% of the water for 2.5 million people. … ” Read more from Orange County Water District.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Yet another peculiar layer to the Salton Sea’s formation — and future
“The Salton Sea is hardly natural, and it wasn’t an accident either. Rather, it was the result of a deliberate and prohibited act, complicated by a fatal miscalculation. More on that in a moment. Salton Sea isn’t really a “sea;” we just call it that for political reasons. It’s actually an artificial sump composed almost entirely of waste – a tiny puddle compared to ancient Lake Cahuilla. And with the advent of the Hoover Dam, ancient Lake Cahuilla became ancient history and it isn’t coming back. The real Salton Sea bit the “dust,” so to speak, approximately 600 years ago. It wasn’t meant to survive long-term. It was an endorheic lake with a natural life cycle of becoming hypereutrophic and hypersaline until it ultimately died and dried up – just as nature intended. … ” Read more from The Desert Sun.
SAN DIEGO
Pine Hill Egg Ranch in Ramona faces possible cease-and-desist order over concerns about wastewater treatment
“A state water board will consider a proposed cease-and-desist order for the egg processing facility at Pine Hill Egg Ranch in Ramona over concerns that contaminated water has been getting into stormwater basins and two nearby creeks, officials said. The California State Water Resources Control Board will discuss the order at its Oct. 11 meeting. Public comment on the issue through Aug. 28 will be taken into consideration by the board, officials said. Christina Arias, representative of the prosecution team for the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board, said she is recommending that the state board approve the cease-and-desist order following a three-year investigation. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
City of San Diego to discuss possible water rate increases for customers
“San Diegans could be paying more for water by the holiday season this year. The city is considering a 10.2% rate increase to take effect on Dec. 1. Then, a second rate hike of 8.7% would take effect January 2025. City officials also want to pass along any future rate increases imposed by the San Diego County Water Authority, which is where the city buys its water. On Tuesday, city officials hosted one of several community meetings to address questions and concerns from customers. The city says 80% to 95% of our water supply is imported. … ” Read more from KPBS.
Tropical Storm Hilary made South Bay sewage woes worse
“Tropical Storm Hilary left a softer-than-anticipated mark in most parts of San Diego County, but that is not the case near the international border. The International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC), the federal agency that operates the sewage treatment plant just north of the U.S. Mexico border, said more than 2 billion gallons of contaminated water flowed across the border during and after the storm. Days after the storm, polluted water continues to flow through the Tijuana River channel and into the United States. Those stormwater flows eventually find their way to the ocean. … ” Read more from KPBS.
Along the Colorado River …
Colorado lawmakers: AZ, CA must do their part before state agrees to water cuts
“A panel of state lawmakers who lead in the water and agriculture space said any water conservation program Colorado conceives of shouldn’t go into place until after California and Arizona first take action. The bipartisan panel spoke Wednesday at Colorado Water Congress about the water policies passed in the last legislative session, and where they see Colorado water policy headed in the next year. “We’re at a place where we know that Colorado is not the reason why the Colorado River is threatened. It is Arizona and California’s overuse,” Sen. Dylan Roberts, D-Eagle, said. But it would be foolish for the state of Colorado to simply lock itself into that position of “we want the lower basin to do everything” because the political realities don’t bear that out. … ” Read more from Colorado Politics.
Nonprofit group wants Lake Powell to no longer exist in its current form
“”I understand why people love this place. I think it’s the most beautiful canyon in the world.” For 17 years, Eric Balken has sailed the choppy waters of Lake Powell along with stepping foot on the hundreds of slot canyons that have revealed themselves after being submerged for decades at Glen Canyon. In those 17 years, he’s worked for the Glen Canyon Institute, a non-profit organization with a simple, yet eye-raising mission statement: restore a free-flowing Colorado River through Glen Canyon and Grand Canyon. In other words, Lake Powell as we know it, would no longer exist. … ” Read more from Channel 15.
In national water news today …
U.S. EPA rejects calls for stronger livestock wastewater regulation
“The nation’s foremost source water protection agency has sidestepped calls for stricter rules around some of the most concerning industrial wastewater sources, vowing instead to conduct its own investigation into the problem. “President Joe Biden’s administration … rejected pleas to strengthen regulation of large livestock farms that release manure and other pollutants into waterways, promising more study instead,” the Associated Press reported. “The agency will establish a panel with representatives of agriculture, environmental groups, researchers and others to develop recommendations.” … ” Read more from Water Online.
