In California water news today …
New permanent water conservation rules are coming to California — see how your city will be affected
“Dozens of California cities could be required to impose permanent water conservation measures starting in about a year — and keep them in place even when the state is not in a drought — under proposed new rules from state water regulators. The landmark rules are required by two laws that former Gov. Jerry Brown signed in 2018 after a severe five-year drought. Environmentalists and some water districts support them, saying they are critical as the state grapples with climate change and more severe droughts. But some water agencies have been strongly opposed, saying Sacramento is beginning a new era of micro-managing how local communities use water. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
Billionaire land buys threaten state ag, water resources
“State Senator Melissa Hurtado and Congressman John Garamendi are sounding the alarm on the dangers of when billionaire investors gobble up ag land. On Aug. 29, Senator Hurtado, 16th District and chair of the State Agriculture Committee, hosted an informational hearing at the State Capitol to discuss the unprecedented land purchases in Solano County by Flannery Associates LLC; and to explore possible remedies to prevent private entities and foreign governments from acquiring California agricultural land. The hearing, titled Informational Hearing on Navigating Threats to California Agriculture, included comments from politicians, including Congressman Garamendi, D-8th District, farming advocates, an investigative journalist, an agriculture land real estate agent and Agriculture Committee members. … ” Read more from the Foothills Sun-Gazette.
SEE ALSO: Firm that kept land purchases near Travis AFB secret launches new website, from Channel 7
PRESS RELEASE: Coalition of conservation groups unite in opposition to Sites Reservoir, formally protest water right
“Friends of the River (FOR) and the California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA), two of California’s oldest and most respected water conservation organizations, along with a coalition of tribes and environmental organizations including the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, AquAlliance, California Water Impact Network, Cal Wild, Fly Fishers of Davis, Friends of the Swainson’s Hawk, Northern California Council of Fly Fishers International, Restore the Delta, Save California Salmon, Sierra Club California, and Water Climate Trust, have submitted a protest against the water rights application and petitions of the Sites Project Authority for the proposed Sites Reservoir. This protest is part of a legally required process to ensure public concerns are addressed when granting water rights in California. … ” Read more from Friends of the River. | Read similar press release from the CSPA.
‘Most stressful and most challenging’ watermelon season
“Watermelon season has been a tough one this year after a late start due to the weather. VP of Crops and Soils at Van Groningen & Sons Incorporated, Bryan Van Groningen said their planting was delayed about three weeks back in Spring. Plantings usually go in around the middle of March, but this year the earliest plantings did not start until the first week of April. “At one time we had almost one million transplants sitting in greenhouses in the last couple weeks of March that were ready to be planted and we had no place to plant them because the fields were too wet,” Van Groningen. “Some of our production might be a result of that because some of the plants were a little bit older. We lost some of the transplants that didn’t survive because they were a little too mature and the fields were not in top condition to be planted.” … ” Read more from Ag Net West.
Grant award leads to historic acquisition by California’s first black-led land conservation organization
“The Wildlife Conservation Board (WCB) provided a $2.27 million grant to the 40 Acre Conservation League, California’s only Black-led conservation group, for the Tahoe Forest Gateway Leidesdorff Property in Placer County, a cooperative project with the Sierra Nevada Conservancy. The conservation group acquired approximately 650 acres of land near the Tahoe Lake area for the purposes of wildlife-oriented education and research, wildlife habitat preservation, restoration and management. The WCB approved approximately $163.5 million in grants to 37 projects at its Aug. 24, 2023, quarterly meeting that will help restore and protect fish and wildlife habitat throughout California. The grants will also provide new and improved public access, recreation and educational opportunities. … ” Read more from the Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The Supreme Court slashed water protections – what now?
“Whether or not Joni Mitchell thinks creeks are paradise, it became a lot easier to pave them over and put up a parking lot this year. “So in May, the US Supreme Court limited really the authority of the EPA, which is the Environmental Protection Agency, to regulate certain elements of our nation’s waterway,” Redgie Collins said. Collins is policy director at CalTrout. Streams, rivers, and wetlands of many forms, across the United States were dealt a serious blow this summer by the US Supreme Court in their ruling on the case of Sackett v EPA. “The federal backstops that were once present were really decimated by that made decision by the Supreme Court,” Collins said. … ” Read more from Northern California Public Media.
Here we WOTUS again
“On Aug. 29, 2023, the Biden administration issued a prepublication version of yet another final Clean Water Act rule (“Conforming Rule”) revising the definition of “waters of the United States” (“WOTUS”) in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett v. EPA, published May 25, 2023. With this Conforming Rule, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) and the Army Corps of Engineers (“Corps,” and collectively, “the Agencies”) will amend the administration’s prior Jan. 18, 2023, “Revised Definition of ‘Waters of the United States’” rule (“2023 Rule”) because the Sackett decision invalidated parts of the 2023 Rule. The Conforming Rule makes the following amendments to the 2023 Rule … ” Read more from Brownstein.
In commentary today …
Californians demand government transparency. Virtual meetings keep powerful boards out of view
Brittney Barsotti, general counsel for the California News Publishers Association, and Scott Kaufman, legislative director for the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, writes, “In 1958, the Los Angeles Times sued the California Board of Education for holding secret meetings. The Times won that case, and a new law reformed the process for public meetings and decision-making in all state boards and commissions. Now there is a bill, Senate Bill 544, authored by Sen. John Laird, that seeks to restrict the public’s ability to attend these meetings in person. The Bagley-Keene Open Meetings Act was enacted in 1967. “It is the public policy of the state that public agencies exist to aid in the conduct of the people’s business and the proceedings of public agencies be conducted openly so that the public may remain informed,” the law stated. … ” Continue reading at Cal Matters.
Requiring in-person government meetings across California will only reduce public participation
Jennifer M. Urban, board chairperson for the California Privacy Protection Agency, writes, “California’s government became more accessible during the pandemic. The state has a chance to maintain and grow accessibility for the public and for those who serve the public on boards, bureaus and commissions – but it requires prompt action. During the pandemic, the governor and Legislature allowed boards and commissions to hold public meetings remotely. My own board, which governs the California Privacy Protection Agency, held 17 public videoconference meetings and outreach sessions under these rules. Board members and agency staff located throughout California efficiently held meetings without the time and expense of travel. We met often and welcomed hundreds of public attendees each time. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
In regional water news and commentary today …
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Calaveras County residents push back against significant water rate increase proposal
“Calaveras County residents like Paul Bloom say they are feeling the impacts of inflation and high living costs. Bloom is a retired Arnold resident who says he makes do with small jobs for people here and there. But he is most worried about his neighbors, who are senior citizens, and how high living costs are impacting them. “My neighbor, that lives right next to me, it’s a couple. They’re in their eighties and they can’t even pay for their fire insurance now,” Bloom said. “Their attitude is, ‘if the house burns down, I’ll just pick up and move in with my kids.’” … ” Read more KCRA.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Reviving the river: Sacramento’s salmon spawning project resumes to boost local ecosystem
“A joint effort by local, state, and federal entities to enhance the Sacramento River’s ecosystem is set to resume on Monday with the continuation of the salmon spawning gravel project. Since January 2023, this ambitious project has been focused on depositing over 21,000 tons of gravel into the Sacramento River, creating essential spawning habitats for both salmon and trout in the river’s upper reaches and tributaries. Spearheaded by various stakeholders, the initiative aims to support the local fish population and promote environmental conservation. … ” Read more from KRCR.
Chico State secures large grant to research effects of climate change on ag
“Climate change is proving its effects on the environment, a little bit at a time, giving humans a choice regarding how they address it. Information is crucial. Agriculture plays a major part in demonstrating how strong the effects of climate change can be. Chico State’s Center for Regenerative Agriculture and Resilient Systems — a program based at the University Farm, off Hegan Lane south of Chico — will research these effects thanks to a $6 million grant, the university announced in a press release Wednesday. The center, which goes by the acronym CRARS, along with its colleges of agriculture and natural sciences, received a California Climate Action Seed and Matching Grant totaling approximately $6 million Aug. 23, according to the release. The grant process formed a partnership between the University of California and the state. … ” Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record.
NAPA/SONOMA
‘Cash for Grass’ program has transformed 2,000 lawns in Napa
“Over the weekend, the UC Master Gardeners hosted a workshop at Napa’s Las Flores Learning Garden, which opened last summer, focusing on creating drought-resistant gardens suited to survive the seasons — and fluctuating water levels — in California. The state’s most recent drought seems to be over, with snow still visible on the Sierra Nevada in mid-August and an unusually wet winter and cool summer delaying the Napa Valley wine grape harvest. Meanwhile, Napans are still using less water than in previous years, according to Josh Stokes, a water conservation specialist for the city of Napa. Stokes said that July water use is often used as a barometer for looking at trends over time, since it is known for being the highest water-use month of the year. This year, he said that Napa saw a 16% reduction of water use from the same month in 2020, the third-lowest usage in the last three decades. … ” Read more from the Napa Valley Register.
BAY AREA
Bay Area day trip: Isleton, the ‘Little Paris of the Delta,’ gears up for its comeback
“After Oakland craft beer enthusiast Iva Walton lovingly restored a historic Chinese gambling den on Isleton’s Main Street and opened it as her popular Mei Wah Beer Room in 2017, local leaders hoped that other creatively minded entrepreneurs would follow her path to the sleepy Delta town and help spur its renaissance. Alas, the renaissance got delayed by the pandemic, but the community of some 800 people appears to be back on track with efforts to become a Bay Area day-trip destination for food, arts, history and small-town charm. Over the past couple years, others have rehabbed buildings with colorful histories and turned them into cozy restaurants and hip coffee houses. There’s also a new art gallery, a cluster of new boutiques, cannabis dispensaries and the gorgeous new Isleton Museum, which opened in October. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
CENTRAL COAST
Neglected for decades, the Pajaro levee is finally holding attention of policymakers.
“On an overcast morning on Friday, Aug. 25, as jets of water from sprinklers rain down on the surrounding fields of lettuce, a gaggle of journalists, politicians and public officials are gathered at a press event along the Pajaro River levee, just more than a stone’s throw from where it breached last March. The breach occurred after weeks of sustained rainfall on the Central Coast, and it wasn’t a surprise – for over 50 years, federal, state and local officials have known the levee was deficient, but there was never enough buy-in, or urgency, to do something about it. Seemingly, that is starting to change, but time will tell if it’s real, or just a public relations band-aid to save face after the flooding in the community of Pajaro, which displaced thousands of residents from their homes and left some of those homes unlivable. … ” Read more from Monterey Weekly.
Water official accused of utility theft
“Daniel Naumann, a Camarillo resident and United Water Conservation District board member, has been charged with three counts of grand theft and three counts of theft of utility services, according to the Ventura County district attorney’s office. Prosecutors said that between 2019 and 2021, the owner and operator of Naumann Family Farms in Oxnard pumped nearly $30,000 worth of groundwater without paying the required fees. “California’s groundwater has long been in crisis because of over pumping and drought,” District Attorney Erik Nasarenko said in a statement. “Unlawfully avoiding the water fees and allocations necessary to preserve water only adds to this ongoing crisis.” … ” Read more from the Thousand Oaks Acorn.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Glowing bioluminescent waves return to Southern California coast
“The bright blue, glowing waves are back off Southern California’s coastline, lighting up dark beaches for the past week to the delight of beachgoers who scout out the unusual sight. The bioluminescent waves – caused by a dinoflagellate algae that turns the ocean red during the day but glows when agitated at night – have been documented in Oxnard and Malibu, in Newport Beach and Laguna Beach, and off San Diego’s coastline in recent days. “It’s kind of sporadic along the coast, it’s not an insane algae bloom but enough where it’s in multiple spots,” said Mark Girardeau, who runs the website Orange County Outdoors and has been documenting the bioluminescent phenomenon the past few years, including several times this week. … ” Read more from the OC Register.
Beaumont: New recharge facility promises expanded regional water supplies
“San Gorgonio Pass Water Agency (SGPWA) is planning Brookside West Recharge Facility (Brookside West), an entirely new set of percolation basins that will support the growing demand for water storage. A complement to SGPWA’s existing Brookside East Recharge Facility in Beaumont, Brookside West’s 62.5 acres will house approximately 25 acres of recharge ponds. The ponds, or basins, will import water from the State Water Project and filter the water down through layers of soil and rock to be stored underground. The facility may also be used for local stormwater capture and to recharge treated reclaimed water. … ” Read more from the Record-Gazette.
SAN DIEGO
Audience of endangered birds finds forever home in Mission Bay wetland, giving boost to restoration project
“A batch of endangered and long-legged birds have found a permanent home at the Kendall-Frost Mission Bay Marsh Reserve thanks to an effort to restore their population and the tidal wetlands in which they live. The birds are called Ridgway’s Rails and an audience of them (that’s what you call a group of these rusty-colored birds with brown speckles and long orange bills) was released Tuesday into the wetlands in Mission Bay, which will be their home for the rest of their lives, according to the San Diego Audobon Society. It was a significant milestone not just for the birds — who have been raised in captivity at the Living Coast Discovery Center until they could thrive on their own — but also for the group of environmentalists who have been working to preserve tidal wetlands, which have been reduced by about 90% in California affecting thousands of wildlife populations. … ” Read more from NBC 7.
Along the Colorado River …
Will El Niño end the Southwest’s megadrought?
“The U.S. Southwest has been in a drought since 2000 — in fact, it’s been the region’s driest period in 1,200 years. Many researchers have labeled this exceptionally dry period a “megadrought.” At the same time, an “exceptionally strong” El Niño event is now 95% likely to last through at least February 2024, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) scientists predict. Given that this ocean-warming event typically brings wet weather to the Southwest, could an end to the megadrought finally be in sight? Unfortunately, one strong El Niño on its own is probably not enough to end the megadrought, experts told Live Science. And even if the wetter conditions do end the 22-year-long drought, the region is likely transitioning to a permanently drier baseline. That means the region needs to figure out long-term strategies to make sure there’s enough water to go around. … ” Read more from Live Science.
Nevada, other states lay out future goals for Colorado River
“Nevada and the other Colorado River basin states are laying out their goals for the future of the river that supplies water to some 40 million Americans in the Southwest. States, cities, farmers, tribes, environmental groups and more submitted comments this month to the Bureau of Reclamation as part of the lengthy process for rewriting the rules that govern how the river and its major dams and reservoirs will be managed in the coming decades. The ideas run the gamut: from California farmers with the oldest and most senior rights calling for the new rules to follow the longstanding priority system, to calls for the federal government to evaluate retrofitting — or even decommissioning — Glen Canyon Dam at Lake Powell in order to protect water levels at Lake Mead. … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Review Journal.
New CAP manager weighs in on Colorado River water supply, current challenges
“While Arizona is getting a small break regarding cuts to our Colorado River water supply next year, some big negotiations are just beginning. The water Arizona is getting next year from the Colorado River is based on guidelines that were set back in 2007, but Burman says those rules will expire in 2026. That means the states that rely on Colorado River water, including Arizona, will work together with the federal government to come up with new guidelines surrounding how much water each state will get. Burman thinks this is a big deal and she says we can’t expect just one party to cut back. … ” Read more from Arizona Family.
Lake Mohave water levels dropping to help endangered fish
“Water levels at Lake Mohave are expected to drop about 10 feet in the coming weeks to improve habitat and spawning cycles for two endangered fish species native to the Colorado River system. The annual fall drawdown of the reservoir is part of an ongoing effort by the federal government to restore populations for the boneytail chub and razorback sucker, the National Park Service said in a news release. The surface of Lake Mohave will go from its current elevation of roughly 643 feet above sea level down to about 633 feet by mid-October. Water levels will start to tick back up starting in November and return to normal by mid-January. … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Radio: Groundwater is dwindling in Arizona and across the U.S. What should be done?
“The headline in a new story in the New York Times reads “America is Using up its Groundwater Like There’s no Tomorrow.” The paper’s reporters investigated basins across the country — both their present supplies, and those from over the past several decades. They found supplies dwindling in many of those places. In Arizona, groundwater has been very much on the minds of residents and policymakers recently. The state issued a pause earlier this year on some new development in some communities that rely solely on groundwater. Kathleen Ferris is a senior research fellow at the Kyl Center for Water Policy at Arizona State University and a former director of the state Department of Water Resources. She joined The Show to talk more about this.” Listen at KJZZ.
Hualapai Tribe celebrates solar array, water rights victory
“The Hualapai Tribe held a celebration on Wednesday in honor of the completion of a new solar array, and a recent water rights victory. KNAU’s Melissa Sevigny reports, the celebration took place on the Hualapai reservation at Grand Canyon West, home of the famous Skywalk. Tribal members opened the celebration with music and dancing at the site of the new 900-kilowatt solar array. It’s expected to produce about half of the annual energy requirements of Grand Canyon West. … ” Read more from KNAU.
In national water news today …
Green groups are divided over a proposal to boost the nation’s hydropower. Here’s why
“America’s hydropower industry is hoping to reestablish some of its former glory by making itself central to the nation’s transition to clean energy—and it’s turning to Congress for help. The era of big dams arguably ended long ago. At one point referred to as “white coal,” hydropower was once a major source of electricity around the country, with the United States building more than 150 dams on the Columbia, Missouri and Colorado River basins in the 30 years following World War II. But today, hydropower provides just a small fraction of the nation’s electricity and is quickly being outpaced globally by its clean energy rivals in new development. … ” Read more from Inside Climate News.
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.
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