On the calendar today …
- USGS WEBINAR: Indigenous communities in the US: Leaders in climate adaptation from 6pm to 7pm. Learn about the effects of climate change on Indigenous communities, how Indigenous communities are adapting to climate change, and the benefits of including Indigenous Knowledges into USGS science. Click here to enter Teams meeting.
Today’s featured articles …
CAL MATTERS: The world’s largest dam demolition has begun. Can the dammed Klamath River finally find salvation?
By Rachel Becker, Cal Matters
Oshun O’Rourke waded into the dark green water, splashing toward a net that her colleagues gently closed around a cluster of finger-length fish.
The Klamath River is wide and still here, making its final turn north to the coast as it winds through the Yurok reservation in Humboldt County. About 150 baby chinook salmon, on their long journey to the Pacific, were resting in cool waters that poured down from the forest.
O’Rourke’s colleagues hoisted the net into a mesh-sided bin in the shallows to sort through their catch, in search of young chinook to test for a parasite that can rot fish from the inside.
Two years ago, during a deepening drought, most salmon captured for testing during peak migration were infected with the lethal parasite. One tribal leader called it “an absolute worst-case scenario” for the Yurok, who rely on salmon for their food, culture and economy.
O’Rourke and fisheries biologist Leanne Knutson laid out 20 small dead fish on paper towels, then wrapped them in plastic to send to a lab that will check for the parasite. The rest were released back into the river, where they will swim for days to reach the ocean.
A few years from now, when these fish return as adults ready to spawn, it will be to a Klamath remade.
Click here to read this article.
USFWS: New challenges in the struggle to save Pacific Salmon
By the US Fish & Wildlife Service
Over the last 150 years, the effects of human activities such as agriculture, mining, damming, logging, and overfishing have led to declines in Pacific salmon species. For decades, efforts have been made to help salmon persist through the challenges they faced. Now climate change is adding to the suite of challenges threatening the long-term viability of salmon and the cultures, traditions and economies of the communities that depend on them.
In the Pacific Northwest, the populations of many salmon species have declined significantly, with some protected under the Endangered Species Act. In Alaska, a place with historically healthy salmon runs, the decline of some runs has caused tremendous hardship and concern.
In other California water news today …
Feds’ discrimination claim over California salinity standards deemed premature
“A federal judge agreed with California that the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation can’t claim yet that an amendment to salinity standards for parts of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta discriminates against the U.S. government. U.S. District Judge Jennifer Thurston in Sacramento on Wednesday dismissed the bureau’s claim under the federal constitutional intergovernmental immunity doctrine, which prohibits state or local laws that discriminate against the U.S. government, because until the amendment is implemented, it won’t be possible to evaluate whether the bureau is treated differently than similarly situated parties. “To evaluate the IGI claim, the court must be able to compare the impacts of the amended plan on Reclamation to the impacts upon some comparator entity,” Thurston said. “At this time, it is unclear how the court could do so.” … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
Mapping farms by size in the San Joaquin Valley
“As implementation of the 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) proceeds, it’s no secret that the San Joaquin Valley will have to adapt to a future with less water for irrigation. Our research shows that overall irrigation supplies may decline by as much as 20% by 2040. Land uses will have to change, and some have raised concerns that SGMA’s implementation could put smaller farms at a disadvantage, given their more limited resources and capacity. To gain insight on these issues, we conducted a detailed geographical analysis of cropping patterns and water conditions by farm size on the San Joaquin Valley floor, using county real estate records on ownership of agricultural parcels (individual properties of varying sizes) to identify farms. In this first blog post, we explore where San Joaquin Valley farms of different sizes are and what they grow. We provide more details in an accompanying dataset. A subsequent post will delve into water issues facing farms of different sizes in the SGMA era. … ” Read more from the PPIC.
California’s water reserves are full, are we still in a drought? Yes and no.
“Record-breaking rain and snow hammers California on the heels of the three driest years in Golden State record. With full reservoirs and snowpack on nearly every mountain range in the drought-ridden state, U.S. Drought Monitor says less than half of California remains under drought conditions. However, California Farm Bureau water expert Chris Sheuring says this doesn’t necessarily mean the state is out of the woods, or that it ever could be. … ” Read more from Cal Ag Today.
Harder seeks faster levee repairs by Army Corps
“River Junction — an area at the confluence of the San Joaquin and Stanislaus River just south of Manteca – is arguably the most flood prone area in San Joaquin County, if not the San Joaquin Valley. It has flooded 11 times in the past 96 years. And since the devastating 1997 floods, there have been at least three “scares” where boils have developed. To make sure after future failures that repairs don’t lag and leave communities in San Joaquín County such as River Junction, Lathrop, Manteca and Stockton exposed to a subsequent flood, Congressman Josh Harder on Tuesday introduced legislation to cut federal red tape. … ” Read more from the Manteca Bulletin.
Press release: Analysis reveals new irrigation tech could save Californian agriculture sector $9.75 billion over 5 years
“A new analysis from Lumo, a Smart Agtech company that supports growers and tackles water challenges head on using the most advanced water technology available, reveals that irrigation technology could save Californian farmers $9.75 billion in labor and electricity costs – and a staggering 1.33 trillion gallons of water – over the next five years. Lumo’s technology, which is already installed in select areas of 42 locations that represent a combined total of 150,000 acres, could cut $1.75 billion dollars in labor and $200 million in electricity per year if it was installed across all five million acres of specialty crop agricultural land in California, according to the new figures. … ” Continue reading this press release from Lumo at Yahoo Finance.
Coastal fisheries show surprising resilience to marine heatwaves
“Prolonged periods of unusually warm ocean temperatures, known as marine heatwaves, can have devastating effects on marine ecosystems and have been linked to widespread coral bleaching, harmful algal blooms, and abrupt declines in commercially important fish species. A new study, however, has found that marine heatwaves in general have not had lasting effects on the fish communities that support many of the world’s largest and most productive fisheries. The study, published August 30 in Nature, relied on data from long-term scientific trawl surveys of continental shelf ecosystems in North America and Europe from 1993 to 2019. The analysis included 248 marine heatwaves with extreme sea bottom temperatures during this period. Trawl surveys, done by towing a net above the seafloor, assess the abundance of bottom-dwelling species that include commercially important fish such as flounder, pollock, and rockfish. … ” Read more from UC Santa Cruz.
California trial court clarifies when coastal property owners are entitled to seawall protection under the Coastal Act
“In a recent California trial court decision, Casa Mira Homeowners Association v. California Coastal Commission (Casa Mira), the court added another significant page in the decades-long debate over which coastal properties are entitled to shoreline protective structures from the assumed effects of coastal erosion. While a California statute–Public Resources Code Section 30235–provides for the clear, mandatory protection for certain properties as long as they are “existing structures,” the temporal determination of when structures are considered “existing” has been the subject of much debate. … ” Continue reading from Nossaman.
Climate change makes wildfires in California more explosive
“During some of the worst hours in Camp Fire, which in 2018 burned the town of Paradise, California to the ground, the fire was growing so fast it ate up 10,000 acres within just 90 minutes. Wildfires like the Camp Fire that intensify and spread enormously within a single day, hour, or even minutes, keep fire experts up at night. Now a new study, published Wednesday in Nature, uses a machine-learning model to show that climate change has nudged the risk of fast-spreading fires up by about 25% on average in California. That’s compared to a time before humans heated up Earth’s atmosphere by burning vast amounts of fossil fuels. “We’re seeing the impact of climate change for the first time on that high-resolution fire behavior,” says Patrick Brown, the study’s lead author and a climate scientist at Berkeley’s Breakthrough Institute. … ” Read more from KPBS.
‘Pay equity now’: California scientists march to Capitol, demanding new contract and raises
“As the end of the legislative year approaches, the union representing California state scientists is putting extra pressure on CalHR and Gov. Gavin Newsom to give them a new contract. Roughly 200 members of the California Association of Professional Scientists, known as CAPS, marched Wednesday afternoon from the Department of Human Resources headquarters on R Street to the Capitol’s west steps. The demonstrators sported green shirts and a number of printed and homemade signs that bore slogans such as “PAY EQUITY NOW” and “Value Science? Value Scientists!” … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
In commentary today …
Bureaucratic inefficiencies & rigid regulations have led to forest mismanagement
Congressman David Valadao writes, “A few weeks ago, under Yosemite’s iconic Half Dome, I joined my congressional colleagues on the House Committee on Natural Resources at the Curry Village Amphitheater for a field hearing on wildfires and forest management. The backdrop symbolized the health and beauty of America’s forests, but also stood testament to the urgency of the wildfire crisis that our state is all too familiar with. During the hearing, we heard from tribal communities, farmers and outdoor enthusiasts who painted a grim picture of charred hometowns, declining air and water quality and diminished access to the cherished natural wonders right in our own backyard. The message was clear: We need improved forest management now. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
A cluster of wildfires is burning in California’s northwest corner
“The largest wildfire currently burning in the United States is raging in California’s densely forested northwest corner. The Smith River Complex — actually a cluster of connected blazes — covered a total of 79,000 acres and was only 7 percent contained as of Wednesday evening. The fire began on Aug. 15 with a storm that scattered lightning strikes across the Six Rivers National Forest in Del Norte County, just south of the Oregon border. Since then, the fire has crossed into Oregon, closed roads, forced power outages that lasted days, and delayed the start of the school year for roughly 4,000 students in Del Norte County’s public schools. On Tuesday, Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for the county, where the air quality has been abysmal for days and hundreds of people are still under evacuation orders. … ” Read more from the New York Times.
Restoration amidst the redwoods provides hope for Eel River salmonids
“Throughout their lifecycles, salmonids need varied water temperatures. When they are young, they might need warmer water, and as they grow, they seek out colder temperatures. They need different summer and winter habitat to thrive. Ultimately, these fish need habitat year-round that can fulfill the full spectrum of their lifecycle needs. For salmon in the South Fork Eel watershed close to Bull Creek, their needs are not met without the restoration of the creek. “Salmonids need less homogenous environments,” explained Christine Davis, CalTrout North Coast Project Manager. “They need more varied conditions, and that’s what this project is providing.” Davis works closely with California State Parks staff to manage the Bull Creek restoration project, which is located in Humboldt Redwood State Park in Humboldt County. Restoration, which began in June 2023, will provide habitat for fish in summer and winter. In summer, deep pools will provide cover and keep the water cool. In winter, off-channel habitat will provide refuge from high flows. … ” Read more from Cal Trout.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Why the South Fork of the American River is one of the best rafting in the West
“The 2022-23 water year is about to wrap up but is still delivering big benefits. The record snowfall kept the ski season going deep into the summer. All that snow continued to melt deep into the spring and summer, filling reservoirs and keeping downstream rivers running full. This is paying big dividends for recreation like whitewater rafting, which may see one of its longest seasons. Operations typically wind down right around Labor Day, but this year, it could last into October. One of the most popular runs in California is below the Chili Bar reservoir. Jeremiah Copper, owner of Tributary Whitewater, said decent water releases should make rafting possible into the fall. … ” Read more from ABC 10.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
New website launched for the Sacramento Regional Water Bank
“The Regional Water Authority (RWA) is pleased to introduce SacWaterBank.com, a new website for the Sacramento Regional Water Bank (Water Bank) designed to educate and engage the community about the solutions underway to address the challenges posed by climate change on our water system. As the impacts of climate change continue to shape our environment, the Sacramento region faces a unique challenge—the need to release water from Folsom Reservoir to prevent flooding, rather than storing it for drier periods. The Water Bank recognizes this dilemma and presents an adaptive solution. The Water Bank is a network of groundwater wells, pumps and pipelines that enable local water providers to withdraw and replenish underground water reserves. … ” Continue reading from the Regional Water Authority.
CENTRAL COAST
Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas introduces bill to expedite Pajaro levee upgrades
“Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Hollister, introduced a bill to accelerate flood control upgrades along the Pajaro River levee, which breached following heavy winter storms March 11 causing widespread flooding to the community of Pajaro and resulting in many homes being damaged and families being displaced. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is currently rehabilitating three pieces of critical levee infrastructure that were damaged in the March storms, which the Army Corps hopes to have completed by November. Starting in 2024, crews will begin working on a systemwide rebuild of the entire levee system, which was constructed in 1949. … ” Read more from the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
SEE ALSO: As El Niño gathers strength, lawmakers look to fortify Pajaro’s flood-ravaged levee, from the LA Times
High bacteria levels found at two Monterey County beaches
“Asilomar State Beach in Pacific Grove is under an advisory due to high indicator bacteria found in samples taken on Monday, Monterey County officials said. The beach will remain under an advisory until samples indicate that the bacteria are at a safe level for recreational water contact according to state guidelines, Monterey County Health Department officials said in a news release Tuesday. Meanwhile, Monterey Municipal Beach in the city of Monterey is still under an advisory after high indicator bacteria was still found from its water samples in the past 30 days. Officials first detected high levels of bacteria in the Municipal Beach in May. … ” Read more from CBS Bay Area.
“It’s not going to be an easy one”: Central Coast vineyards to see late harvest after winter storms
“California experienced triple the amount of average rainfall within the first few months of 2023, leading to heavy plant growth across the Central Coast. It even caused a super bloom of wildflowers off of Highway 1 and 58, creating excitement for locals and visitors alike. Months later, one of the Central Coast’s biggest industries is grappling with the storms’ after-effects, as harvest season for vineyards is looking a lot different this year. Walking through Paso Robles on a hot August afternoon, it’s almost like the storms never happened. The rolling hills at Tablas Creek Vineyard are lined with healthy grapevines and olive trees. … ” Read more from KCBX.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Local water district continues to modernize delivery system
“The North San Joaquin Water Conservation District recently received some help from the federal government to ensure its ratepayers continue to receive water. The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced Tuesday that the district has been awarded a $1 million grant to make repairs and upgrades to its irrigation system. The investment will help make critical improvements to upstream level control, gates, and flow meters to meet delivery needs and support effective, safe groundwater management, the agency said. Jennifer Spaletta, the district’s attorney, said the grant money will be used to build a lateral off the south distribution system located near Handel Road. … ” Read more from the Lodi News.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
State board rejects Cemex petition on water application
“The state’s Water Resources Control Board dismissed a request Wednesday by Cemex, the Mexican multinational mining company looking to extract 56 million tons of aggregate from Soledad Canyon, which asked the agency to reconsider its decision to re-notice a decades-old Cemex water permit application. The water permit seeking usage of water from the Santa Clara River has become an important hurdle for Cemex’s now-decades-long effort to open a massive mine. … ” Read more from The Signal.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
State, federal leaders discuss future of Salton Sea & impact to surrounding communities
““We all know that the Salton Sea is the source of these health issues and we need our representatives to act now,” North Shore Resident Conchita Pozar shared. Progress continues on turning the Salton Sea into Lithium Valley. State lawmakers and federal officials are focusing on the future of the Salton Sea with many saying the lithium deposits could change the economic landscape of the Coachella and Imperial Valley. “Today’s meeting was historic because we have the ranking member of the Natural Resources Committee here,” Congressman Raul Ruiz (CA-25) said. “I wanted him to see firsthand and hear from the communities, local communities, who work around the Salton Sea in order to continue the momentum and build the plan necessary for the investments in working with the Salton Sea and the Lithium Valley economy that we’re producing.” … ” Read more from NBC Palm Springs.
SAN DIEGO
Supervisors wade into Rainbow, Fallbrook, SDCWA water fight
“San Diego County supervisors have formally weighed in on a contentious — and increasingly costly — plan by two rural water districts to break away from a regional authority they say is too expensive. The county board voted 3-1 this week in favor of a recommendation from Supervisor Joel Anderson to support state legislation that would require approval by a majority of all voters within the regional water authority — rather than only those residents of a breakaway district. “This process would allow water customers of all (San Diego County Water Authority) member agencies to decide what is best for our region’s water future and the potential implications of their own water bills,” the former state senator told his board colleagues. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Firms reveal proposals for project to restore Oceanside sand
“A forest at Buccaneer Beach, cobblestone spines and crests along the shore, and artificial reefs and headlands were among the ideas tossed out Tuesday by three consulting firms competing for a project to restore and retain sand on Oceanside’s eroding coastline. Representatives of the firms each made a 20-minute presentation to a crowd of more than 200 at City Hall, the first in a series of three public workshops to collect community input and refine the proposals. The Oceanside City Council is expected to award a design contract in January 2024. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Thousands of gallons of sewage spills after South Bay plant pumps fail
“Residents in San Diego’s South Bay were left to deal with a strong odor after thousands of gallons of sewage spilled onto a roadway. The International Boundary and Water Commission confirmed that about 20,000 gallons spilled onto Hollister Street on Monday afternoon. Pictures taken of the spill showed the sewage covering the road outside the pumping station at the wastewater treatment plant. On Tuesday, most of the sewage was gone, but the odor sat heavily in the air. … ” Read more from Channel 10. | Read similar story from Fox 5.
Senators request millions more to fix Tijuana sewage crisis
“California’s Senators are urging Congress for $310 million in new emergency spending to fix the rampant sewage pollution that repeatedly flows from Tijuana to San Diego’s South County shoreline. On Tuesday, Senators Alex Padilla and Dianne Feinstein called on Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senator Patty Murray, chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, to include the funds in the upcoming emergency supplemental bill that is already proposing billions for other disaster relief. The Biden administration has requested $40 billion in emergency funding, which includes $24 billion in aid for Ukraine, $12 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s depleting fund as it responds to disasters like Maui’s wildfires, and $4 billion to address border issues, such as shelter and services for migrants. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Along the Colorado River …
Food & Water Watch: Breaking down what we need to save the Colorado River
“The Colorado River provides water to 40 million people across 7 states and nearly 30 indigenous tribes. Several factors have together led to dwindling water supplies, driving cuts and negotiations on states’ use. But these don’t go far enough, because they don’t address the root of the crisis. This year, Food & Water Watch kicked off campaigns to protect this water resource in two Colorado River Basin states, California and New Mexico. And this month, we released a new report getting to the heart of this complex crisis. To detail our research and organizing efforts, we hosted a virtual Livable Future Live event with researcher Kat Ruane, California Director Chirag Bhakta, and New Mexico organizer Alexa Moore. At this event, we dove into the Colorado River crisis and what the region needs to start recovering. … ” Read more from Food & Water Watch.
Column: Arizona isn’t the only one pumping groundwater like there’s no tomorrow. How much is left?
Opinion columnist Joanna Allhands writes, “It’s easy to look at the “bathtub ring” at Lake Mead and realize we’ve got a problem. The bleached-white cliff walls show us how far water levels have declined — more than 100 feet from the reservoir’s peak in the 1980s. It’s a lot tougher to see how quickly Arizona is depleting groundwater, though the declines may be just as significant. In fact, we know surprisingly little about what for many communities is their only water source. Sure, there are tell-tale signs of trouble in some places, including dry wells and giant cracks in the ground. Yet for many of Arizona’s 46 groundwater basins — particularly the rural ones that have no regulation — it’s tough to answer even basic questions about the health and sustainability of this critical water supply. … ” Continue reading from Arizona Central.
Gallego introduces bill to discourage foreign firms from pumping Arizona groundwater
“As Arizona tries to come to grips with its shrinking water supply, a Saudi alfalfa farm that grows crops here and ships them overseas has made headlines. The practice is perfectly legal under state law. But an Arizona congressman has introduced legislation that could discourage it. … ” Read more from KJZZ.
‘No one can build anything,’ water storage limitations prevent developments in Laughlin
“A water war is underway in Laughlin as existing storage limitations prevent local developers from building any new homes, while who should bear the cost of expanding it remains contingent. Peake Development, for one, has already built 228 Laughlin homes between their communities of Cottage Hill and Cottage Court. Spokesperson Carrie Larson says they brought the concept of RV garages to the area in 2000, which has spiked the interests of those primarily out of state and retired people looking for a big home with a small-town feel. But, they’re likely not building anymore any time soon, despite an additional 40 acres of Cottage Court laying barren. … ” Read more from the KLAS.
In national water news today …
Biden Administration finalizes updated WOTUS rule
“On August 29, 2023, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Corps (Corps) (collectively, the Agencies) released their amendment to January 2023 rule (January 2023 Rule) defining what constitutes waters of the United States (WOTUS) in order to incorporate the majority’s opinion in Sackett v EPA. We have previously reported extensively on Sackett and the varying iterations of the definition of WOTUS. … The amended rule is expected to be published in the Federal Register by Friday, September 1, 2023, meeting the Agencies’ previously established deadline and will be effective upon publication. Surgical in approach, the amendment–which the Agencies refer to as the “Conforming Rule”–makes several targeted revisions to the January 2023 Rule to comply with Sackett … ” Read more from Nossaman LLP.
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
NOTICE: USACE issues permit authorizing California wildfire mitigation activities in waters of the United States
NOTICE of 180-Day Temporary Permit Application to divert water from the Mokelumne River in San Joaquin County
