A wrap-up of posts published on Maven’s Notebook this week …
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In California water news this week …
Making water conservation a ‘California way of life’: Controversial state rules could cost $13 billion
“Saying the targets to cut water use in cities and towns will be costly and difficult to achieve, water agencies throughout California have raised concerns about an ambitious state proposal that would require more water conservation statewide beginning in 2025. The State Water Resources Control Board’s proposed regulations would mandate conservation measures by more than 400 cities and water agencies that serve about 95% of Californians. The measure could wave about 413,000 acre-feet a year by 2030, enough to serve about 1.2 million households per year. During the last three-year severe drought, which ended this year, the Newsom administration set voluntary conservation goals that were largely ineffective. Californians used only about 6% less water from July 2021 through the end of last year compared to 2020, far less than Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 15% goal. The new rules are mandated by a package of laws — enacted in 2018 by the Legislature and former Gov. Jerry Brown — that aim to make “water conservation a California way of life,” not simply an emergency drought measure. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
RELATED: FEATURE: State Water Board to hold public hearing on the “Making Conservation a California Way of Life,” but does the proposed regulation make economic sense?, from Maven’s Notebook
State Water Board urged to ditch reporting aspect of urban water conservation regulations
“Several speakers pleaded with the State Water Resources Control Board on Wednesday to rethink proposed regulations intended to reduce Californians’ water use in the face of climate change. “Making Conservation a California Way of Life” is a series of proposed regulations that stems from two laws passed in 2018. Those laws require the state water board to implement efficiency standards and performance levels for local agencies’ water use. They would affect over 400 agencies across the state, public and private, that deliver water to 95% of state residents. The plan has four main goals: use water more wisely, end water waste, improve local drought defenses, and improve efficiency and drought planning for agricultural water use. Annual reporting requirements are currently part of the proposal. Those reporting requirements drew the ire of a handful of speakers at Wednesday’s state water board meeting. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
California prepares for El Niño winter after a year of extreme heat and floods
“After a year of unprecedented heat and flooding, experts are cautiously hopeful for California’s new water year with the threat of the historically unruly El Niño looming. With the start of the new water year this week, state officials say there is plenty to celebrate. State climatologist Michael Anderson said in a Tuesday briefing that between October 2022 to March of this year, the state got 153% of normal rainfall, making it the sixth wettest water year on record. The San Joaquin Valley water region, which stretches from the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta to the Tulare Lake valley bed, saw its wettest year ever at 199% of normal rainfall. The state got half of a normal water year’s precipitation between December to March, leading to historic snowmelt starting in April. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
New water year underway, California prepares for a possible wet El Niño year
“The Department of Water Resources (DWR) today highlighted how the State and its federal and local partners are preparing for the new water year which started October 1 and the possibility of another wet season under strong El Niño conditions. California’s investments in forecasting and emergency preparedness paid off during last season’s storm events and the State is incorporating lessons learned during the last water year and advancing the science and technology that will be critical to managing water in the coming years. DWR will utilize the most advanced forecasting tools with our partners like NOAA, Scripps, and others to prepare for whatever may come to California in the months ahead. … ” Read more from the Department of Water Resources.
Record-setting winter leaves Central Valley Project well-positioned at start of 2024 water year
“A record-setting winter in 2023 has left the Bureau of Reclamation’s Central Valley Project reservoirs in good shape as it begins the 2024 water year with 8.17 million acre-feet of water in storage. “We could not have asked for better conditions in 2023 and the rain and snow were a welcome reprieve after the driest three-year stretch ever,” said Reclamation Regional Director Ernest Conant. “The ample precipitation California received has left our reservoirs well positioned as we transition to a new water year.” California’s drought was effectively eliminated between December 2022 and March 2023 as a series of at least 12 strong and extreme atmospheric rivers hit the West Coast. The storms’ aftermath marked the first time since 2020 that none of California was in exceptional or extreme drought. Read more from the Bureau of Reclamation.
California water reservoirs are still brimming as El Niño looms
“California’s reservoirs are still brimming from last winter’s heavy rains and snow, even as El Niño raises the possibility of a second strong rainy season in a row, state and federal officials said. The drought-prone state began its new water year Oct. 1 with supplies in far better shape than last fall. California reservoirs run by the US Bureau of Reclamation currently hold more than twice as much water as the historic average for this date, said Regional Director Ernest Conant in a briefing Tuesday with reporters. It’s a welcome turnaround after years of sparse winter precipitation that left many basins surrounded by bathtub rings of dry dirt and triggered conservation efforts across the nation’s most populous state. … ” Read more from Bloomberg (gift article).
California drought map shows where stubborn conditions remain after a wet water year
“There’s no more drought in California, except for a sliver in the most northwestern portion of the state. California is 99.93% drought-free, according to a Thursday update from the U.S. Drought Monitor. But Del Norte County reentered drought status in August after having been drought-free since January. Approximately 3,000 people remain in drought areas, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor — a significant decrease from roughly 9,800 people in September and about 903,000 people in August. The update showed 0.07% of California still has “moderate drought,” down from 0.22% on Sept. 5. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
Water expert says 2023 flood’s lessons ignored in California, a bad sign for future
“Flooding is the worst. Worse even than wildfires. In terms of natural disasters, says Lois Henry, flood damage is the most destructive, because it is the longest lasting. “Flood is the most expensive disaster we have,” Henry said to the members of the Rotary Club of Visalia on Wednesday at the Marriott Hotel. “Damage to homes, to property, that damage is persistent and costly. “And so many people don’t have flood insurance,” she said. “People lose their homes even after just a small amount of water damage.” Henry is the owner/founder and editor/reporter of SJV Water, a non-profit news site at www.sjvwater.org. She has been reporting on all things regarding water in the Valley since founding the site in 2019. Henry is a 30-year veteran of journalism in the Valley, including a long career with the Bakersfield Californian. … ” Read more from the Visalia Times-Delta.
State can’t be sued for Oroville spill that forced evacuations in 2017
“The state can’t be sued for water pollution from the breach and spill at the Oroville Dam in 2017, which forced 188,000 people to evacuate their homes, a state appeals court ruled Thursday. Local governments and conservation groups in the area won a state Supreme Court ruling last year allowing them to seek, and the state to impose, new environmental protections at the nation’s tallest dam, a 770-foot structure on the Feather River in Butte County. But the 3rd District Court of Appeal in Sacramento said Thursday that the state Department of Water Resources, which is responsible for protecting fish and wildlife from any harm caused by pollution or debris from the dam, is legally immune from suit by Butte County. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Dianne Feinstein: The last of the water buffaloes
“Sen. Dianne Feinstein was perhaps the last great California “water buffalo.” The genus was famously defined by Los Angeles Times columnist George Skelton as “someone who instinctively battles to develop water,” named after “the beast that reputedly can smell water from 200 miles away.” Other members of the class include former Westlands Water District general manager Tom Birmingham, who retired last year; former Metropolitan Water District general manager Jeff Kightlinger, who retired in 2021; and former Gov. Jerry Brown. It’s not clear anyone is poised to fill their shoes, either in championing the types of large-scale water engineering projects (like Brown’s decadesold Delta tunnel) that they thought would benefit California, or in leading the state’s fractious water factions to any kind of consensus. … ” Read more from Politico.
Delta tunnel amendment proposal floated by Harder
“In action on Oct. 2, Representative Josh Harder (CA-9), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, introduced an amendment to stop the proposed Delta Tunnel water grab once and for all. Rep. Harder has a long history of working to protect the Valley’s water supply and earlier this year, he introduced a bill to stop the Delta Tunnel. He also held packed town halls in French Camp and Lodi where he gave hundreds of San Joaquin County residents an opportunity to make their voices heard on the proposed Delta Tunnel project’s plans to send the Central Valley’s water down to Beverly Hills. Their opposition was unanimous. “The Delta Tunnel water grab is a $16 million boondoggle that would be a disaster for our community. Water is our most precious resource, and I won’t stand by and let anyone ship it down to Beverly Hills,” said Harder. “My amendment would kill this project once and for all and make sure every drop of our water stays right where it belongs.” … ” Read more from the Escalon Times.
California Fish and Wildlife director still on the hook in water rights suit
“A federal judge handed a mixed-bag ruling to three North State companies seeking to stop what they deemed an improper taking of their water rights by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife and State Water Resources Control Board. U.S. District Court Judge Dale Drozd granted most of what the department and board members had asked for, dismissing many of the claims filed against them by the Los Molinos Mutual Water Company, Stanford Vina Ranch Irrigation Company and Peyton Pacific Properties LLC, in an order released on Friday. However, three claims remain against Charlton Bonham, executive director of the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the three companies that filed the 2021 suit can amend some of their other claims — but not claims against the department itself, which has been removed from the suit. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
Press release: Environmental groups prevail in California steelhead case
“The U.S. Supreme Court today denied a request from the operators of Twitchell Dam to avoid protecting the endangered Southern California Steelhead in the Santa Maria River system. This is a big win for steelhead, for the watershed, and for our local communities. Today’s decision leaves in place last year’s ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals holding that the Bureau of Reclamation (“Bureau”) and the Santa Maria Valley Water Conservation District (“the District”) can release water from the Dam to comply with the ESA. This ruling was in response to a lawsuit filed by Plaintiffs San Luis Obispo Coastkeeper and Los Padres ForestWatch in 2019, represented by the Environmental Defense Center, Sycamore Law, Inc., and Aqua Terra Aeris Law Group. The case alleged that the Dam’s operators are violating the Endangered Species Act (“ESA”) by limiting the quantity and timing of flows in the Santa Maria River to levels that harm the critically-imperiled Steelhead population. … ” Read more from the Environmental Defense Center.
Jellyfish spotted in Northern California reservoir, experts say. Are they dangerous?
“It was an unexpected sight for Casey Neet and his 8-year-old daughter paddleboarding in an Eldorado National Forest reservoir: Hundreds of transparent white circular blobs drifted in the serene freshwater. Neet, who thought they might be pollen or egg sacks at first glance, told The Sacramento Bee that he leaned in closer and realized freshwater jellyfish floated alongside them. It was a species known as peach blossom fish that have been spotted across North America but rarely in that area, said Maura Santora, an aquatic biologist with the U.S. Forest Service, who also conferred with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to make the identification on the recent finding. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
SGMA IMPLEMENTATION: New fact sheet available on future interconnected surface water guidance
“The Department of Water Resources has published the Guidance on Interconnected Surface Water fact sheet that provides a general overview of the timing and content of the technical aspects of interconnected surface water (ISW) and guidance for complying with Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) Regulations for the depletions of ISW as part of the implementation of SGMA. Fact sheet details and a link to the pdf can be found on the “Guidance Documents” tab of the Best Management Practices and Guidance Documents website. Guidance Documents address topic areas relevant to SGMA, for which no established standards in the water management industry exist. These Guidance Documents can also provide clarification on issues which may not have been specifically identified in the GSP Regulations with the intent to promote water conservation, protect groundwater resources, and advance the sustainable management of groundwater. … ” Click here to view/download fact sheet.
SGMA happens
“The Kern Subbasin GSAs – and there are about 17 of them – have agreed on a common approach to setting minimum thresholds. A lack of coordination between these GSAs in their originally submitted plans was a big reason for their subbasin being deemed “inadequate” by the Department of Water Resources and thereby moving the Kern Subbasin into a relationship with the State Water Resources Control Board. … The Kaweah Subbasin is working on a common approach to minimum thresholds as well. … ” Read the full update from the Milk Producers Council.
Farmers join study on curbing water use
“After several multiyear droughts, those connected to water in California are looking at strategies to conserve irrigation supplies and produce crops using less water. To gain insight, farmers have partnered with the University of California and the Delta Conservancy to study different aspects of water conservation, including the amount of water released from plants, soil and other surfaces to the atmosphere, known as evapotranspiration or ET. Among those working with the research effort is Lou Biagioni, who farms crops such as corn, sorghum, safflower, wheat, oats and alfalfa in Isleton. “Any data that I get is going to help,” said Biagioni, who began work with UC and the Delta Conservancy in 2022 after he was awarded grant funding by the state Department of Water Resources for the Delta Drought Response Pilot Program. … ” Read more from Ag Alert.
Is agrivoltaics right for California?
“Agrivoltaics—the practice of using the same piece of land simultaneously for agriculture and solar power generation—has enjoyed a lot of positive press lately. We spoke with Renee Robin of Broad Reach Power and farmer and solar energy developer Jon Reiter about whether agrivoltaics is right for California. Can you describe agrivoltaics? Jon Reiter: Agrivoltaics can mean commercial farming between rows of solar panels, livestock grazing below solar panels, or planting cover crops below solar panels. Renee Robin: For me, agrivoltaics means dual-use solar with food production. This could also include crops that support pollinators, grazing, or habitat restoration. … ” Read more from the PPIC.
As California gets drier, solar panels could help farms save water
“Satellite imagery of Topaz Solar Farm, a massive solar installation inland from San Luis Obispo in Central California, depicts an oasis of blue panels surrounded by sun-scorched earth. The images do not capture, however, the thousands of sheep hard at work under the panels, eating the non-native grasses and reducing the threat of wildfire. The operation benefits everyone involved: Sheep farmer Frankie Iturriria gets paid for his time, the collaborating rangeland researchers are breaking ground, and the landowner BHE Renewables can maintain the property with sheep, which have less impact and are more cost-effective than mowers or other livestock. But the farm is one of relatively few examples of agrivoltaics—or combined agriculture and photovoltaic array systems—on private land in California, where the technology has been surprisingly slow to gain visibility and traction. … ” Read more from Civil Eats.
Tackling America’s water crisis: A cross-sector approach
“Abundant and diverse water resources exist in the United States, from complex river systems and wetlands to coastal waters. The country is endowed with some of the world’s largest freshwater and marine reserves.1 Yet, under severe pressures from climate change and accelerating land use demands, the nation is facing major water challenges. We interviewed 54 water specialists across the public and private sectors (figure 1) who experience relevant issues. We then captured the pain points and discussed new ways to encourage cross-sector collaboration and better manage our water resources. Our analysis suggests that to succeed, public-private partnerships must acknowledge inherent challenges in managing complex water systems while working to align values, set mutually beneficial objectives, prioritize projects that meet these objectives, and effectively leverage the partnership’s combined resources. These collaborations are more likely to lead to long-term, sustainable, and equitable solutions for managing our national water supply. … ” Read more at Deloitte.
In commentary this week …
GUEST COMMENTARY: Governor Newsom Should Sign Legislation to Ensure Equitable Distribution of Water Quality Funding
Sean Bothwell, Executive Director of the California Coastkeeper Alliance, writes, “If your community suffered from contamination because of illegal dumping by a nearby industry, you’d expect the polluter to clean up your neighborhood. Unfortunately, that’s not how it works in California today. But Assembly Bill 753 by Assemblywoman Papan (D, San Mateo) is designed to fix the problem. … AB 753 would require at least 40% of the fines the State Board receives from water quality violators to be used to clean up the pollution and benefit local communities near the the violation. This is a big deal – because the impacts of pollution are not shared equally. … ” Continue reading this guest commentary.
Data tool emerges as water-rights threat is defeated
Alexandra Biering, senior policy advocate for the California Farm Bureau, writes, “In the past several years, the equity and effectiveness of California’s water-rights system and the California State Water Resources Control Board’s ability to enforce it have come under scrutiny from activists and environmental interest groups. This scrutiny increased following documented violations of the agency’s water curtailment orders in August 2022. At the outset of 2023, California lawmakers responded by introducing three water-rights “reform” bills to increase the state water board’s oversight and enforcement authorities in the exercise of any type of water right. Ultimately, only one such bill—Senate Bill 389 by state Sen. Ben Allen, D-Santa Monica—has successfully landed on the desk of Gov. Gavin Newsom. The other two water-rights bills, Assembly Bill 460 by Assembly Member Rebecca Bauer-Kahan, D-Orinda, and AB 1337 by Assembly Member Buffy Wicks, D-Oakland, failed to gather enough votes to pass this year. The governor has until Oct. 14 to veto SB 389. Otherwise, it will become law. … ” Continue reading this commentary from Ag Alert.
California will have less water in the future and you may be shocked by what it means
McClatchy opinion editors write, “The Newsom administration is taking steps to lower your water use in the coming years, and for some communities — by a lot. In the Sacramento County city of Folsom for example, residents are tentatively projected to face water cutbacks of 15% for homes and outdoor water use as early as 2025. Preliminary calculations show that the city of Sacramento will have to reduce its water use by 18% for homes and outdoor watering at certain businesses. Fresno is looking at a mandated 30% reduction. Modesto, 36%. Merced, 38% San Luis Obispo meanwhile, 0%. Climate change and shrinking water supplies are behind a revolutionary movement by California legislators and regulators to make water conservation “a way of life.” … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
Saving groundwater
Geoff Vanden Heuvel, water policy representative for the Milk Producers Council, writes, “The Central Valley developed into an agriculture wonderland through the use of irrigation. Water from rivers and creeks makes up some of that irrigation supply, but water extracted from the ground comprises a substantial share of the water necessary for creating the bounty here in the Valley. Groundwater extraction remained unregulated in California for more than 160 years. In certain places there was a lot of groundwater and in other places, not so much. There was no restriction on where you could drill a well and how much you could pump. That all changed in 2014 with the State Legislature’s passage of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). The term SGMA generally stirs up a lot of anxiety in people’s hearts. That is understandable because access to water is critical for sustaining our lives and our livelihoods. … ” Read more from the Foothills Sun-Gazette.
Editorial: You’re already drinking dinosaur pee. So don’t be afraid of recycled wastewater
The LA Times editorial board writes, “Perhaps the biggest development in water over the last three decades has been the change in attitude among consumers about their liquid assets. After repeated droughts punctuated by history-making deluges, Californians appear more open than ever to embracing reuse of stormwater, wastewater and seawater — as long as we can be certain that it is clean and safe to drink. The public is getting used to the idea that all water on the planet has at some point passed through someone’s or something’s body or encountered some questionable substance on the land or underground. There’s a joke among scientists: We’re already drinking dinosaur pee. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
This wildfire season, here’s another terrifying threat to worry about
Ken Pimlott, chief of Cal Fire, writes, “This fire season, Americans have been inundated by smoke from wildfires that destroyed vast forestlands in Canada, and we witnessed in horror an entire community burned to the ground in Maui. Although California’s fire season has so far been light because of a wet winter, many of our state’s most destructive and deadliest fires have occurred in October and November. Heightened fire danger is predicted throughout parts of Northern California well into October. For decades, Californians have benefited from one of the strongest firefighting alliances in the world. In fact, the system now used nationally to manage and mitigate wildfires and other emergencies was forged in California in 1970 from a partnership that included the U.S. Forest Service, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) and local firefighting agencies. The system’s success depends on every partner contributing firefighters and resources, whether in the Klamath National Forest or the hills above Malibu. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
In regional water news this week …
Butte Creek up for ‘wild and scenic river’ protection in new federal land plan
“For the first time in 30 years, plans on managing federal public lands in northwest California are being updated, and one among many recommendations include eligibility for Butte Creek forks to get “Wild and Scenic River” protections. The Bureau of Land Management published Sept. 29 the first draft of its resource management plan encompassing northwestern California, from the “north coast beaches” to the “foothills of the Sierra Nevada,” the agency announced in a press release. The draft is open for public comment until Dec. 28. It is called the Northwest California Integrated Resource Management Plan, and its planning size is about 14.4 million acres. The bureau owns 382,200 acres that may be affected by new protections. … ” Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record.
Vineyard owner sues Napa County over well permit policy
““Wine is for drinking; water is for fighting.” The latest example of what could be the North Coast version of that quote misattributed to Mark Twain is a local wine grape grower’s federal lawsuit against Napa County over well permits. Jayson Woodbridge, whose St. Helena-based Hundred Acre Vineyard has produced a string of 100-point-scoring wines over the past two decades, sued the county in San Francisco district court Sept. 5, alleging the county planning department overstepped state and federal laws and its own policies by requiring applicants for new well permits on the Napa Valley floor to commit to pumping significantly less than the limit on comparable existing permits. “Any owner seeking a new well permit is being subjected to a 70% reduction in allowable water use, as compared with existing wells. That is not a legitimate use of the county’s regulatory authority,” said one of Woodbridge’s attorneys in the case, Jonathan Bass of Coblentz Patch Duffy & Bass in San Francisco and Napa. … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
Cal Am, Peninsula water district each fire shots ahead of buyout meeting
“With less than a week before the Monterey Peninsula water district will publicly unveil its strategy Tuesday to acquire California American Water Co., the water retailer launched an aggressive marketing campaign aimed at swaying customer opinion in its favor. But two can play that game. Within days of Cal Am sending out flyers to its customers listing a half-dozen reasons why a takeover of the investor-owned utility is bad idea, the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District sent out its own flyer dispelling the claims made by Cal Am. For example, Cal Am claims the district’s efforts to acquire most of its assets has cost customers “millions of dollars.” The exact figure is in the neighborhood of $2.7 million. Critics of Cal Am are quick to point out that in terms of cost, the corporate retailer charges some of the highest rates in the country. … ” Read more from the Monterey Herald.
Carrot boycott over water rights gains traction in Cuyama Valley
“A carrot boycott that was launched in the Cuyama Valley this summer has galvanized the residents of the remote agricultural region to come together in protest. In late July, farmers and ranchers kicked off a boycott against the carrot corporations in their midst, two global companies that are roping all 700 valley landowners into an expensive water rights lawsuit. About 150 valley residents attended the launch at the Cuyama Buckhorn. Now, the organizers say they’re having trouble keeping up with the demand for boycott yard signs, bumper stickers and banners, which are posted prominently along Highway 166 and Highway 33. They say they’ve also been swamped with press requests for interviews, from regional media to The New York Times. … ” Read more from Noozhawk.
Wells on the Central Coast are going dry despite big rains, and property owners have to truck in water
“Out in the rural countryside of the Arroyo Grande Mesa, on 8 acres of flowers, fruit trees, and animals, a zero-waste nonprofit ranch brings a feeling of freedom to those in the disabled community. Rancho de los Animales for the Disabled is a therapeutic, educational, and recreational ranch run by Beth Currier, who became a paraplegic in 1955 after she contracted polio. However, taking care of the ranch, Currier said, is becoming almost impractical. Getting water to the horses of Rancho de los Animales is a lot harder than it used to be, as the ranch’s well went dry. … ” Read more from the Santa Maria Sun.
Dam formed by debris net on San Ysidro Creek above Montecito to be cleared
“A helicopter will be flying over San Ysidro Creek in the hills above Montecito on Friday to deliver equipment being used to clear the 25-foot dam that’s formed behind a debris net placed across the stream in 2019. The project is not without its controversies — on the one hand, it’s a fulfillment of promises made when the ring nets went in; on the other hand, it’s happening 10 months after the debris should have been removed. Additionally, the group that placed the net is asking Santa Barbara County for permission to keep them for another five years, which creek advocates oppose. Extraordinary circumstances led to the six steel barriers that were placed across three creek beds on private properties — unchallenged — in one of the most environmentally conscious communities in California. … ” Read more from the Santa Barbara Independent.
BLM seeks public input on proposed water pipeline project in Kern County
“A proposed project to increase water supply in Kern County is now open for public comment. The Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority has proposed a water pipeline that would be partially located on Bureau of Land Management public lands in Kern County in order to provide additional water to the City of Ridgecrest and the Indian Wells Valley. The Groundwater Authority originally identified this project in a Groundwater Sustainability Plan published in 2020 and approved by the California Department of Water Resources in 2022. The proposed pipeline would stretch between California City and Ridgecrest and include a right-of-way and authorization to construct a 50-mile buried pipeline up to 24-inches in diameter, of which 21 miles would pass through BLM-managed public lands. … ” Read more from the Bureau of Land Management.
WaterSmart moves pay off for Fallbrook avocado farm
“Josh Kane didn’t know a lot about avocado farming 10 years ago, but he does now. In 2001, Kane’s mother bought a 60-acre avocado farm, the Rice Canyon Ranch, in Fallbrook, thinking it would be a good investment. But, some not-so-good advice, and the 2014 drought, had the business in a nosedive. So, Kane quit his job in commercial real estate and stepped in to help his mom turn the farm around, or “they would have lost the investment,” said Kane. During that time, the Fallbrook area had been a hub for agriculture, specifically avocados. But many farms ceased operating due to a complex suite of factors that include increasing water and labor costs, competition from imports, and climate volatility. Rice Canyon took a long-term investment perspective and invested in innovative measures, including tree stumping and grafting. Those strategies, along with smart irrigation, helped turn the farm around. But challenges remain. … ” Read more from the Water News Network.
Reliable water supplies make San Diego region well-prepared for 2024
“Thanks to a decades-long supply diversification strategy and continued efficient use of water across the region, the San Diego County Water Authority announced that the region has reliable supplies to meet demands in Water Year 2024, which started October 1. Hydrologists use Oct. 1 to begin measuring the snow and rain that will help carry water users through dry summer months the following calendar year. This fall, El Niño conditions continue to strengthen and could bring above-average precipitation to Southern California. In a recent El Niño forecast by NOAA, there is a greater than 95% chance that El Niño continues across the Northern Hemisphere through the winter into 2024. The chance of a “strong” El Niño is 71%. “San Diego County continues to have the water necessary to support our $268 billion economy and quality of life for 3.3 million residents,” said Mel Katz, chair of the Water Authority Board of Directors. “We are grateful for the reprieve from drought – but we recognize that dry times will return, probably sooner than later. We are ready when they do.” … ” Read more from the Water News Network.
San Diego gears up to deal water across the West
“This October marks 20 years since San Diego cut a famous deal that protected it from drought but paved the way for putting a high price on otherwise free water from the Colorado River. The hard-fought deal – called the Quantification Settlement Agreement, or QSA – dramatically lowered how much water California takes each year from this river that makes life possible in seven western U.S. states and northern Mexico. It ensured, for the first time, that California wouldn’t use any more than its share. And it achieved that by putting a cap, for the first time, on how much water the farmers in Imperial Valley could take. Water officials would now meticulously count every gallon that once haphazardly emptied from farm fields into the Salton Sea. Today, that massive lake is in danger of becoming a massive public health and ecological disaster. San Diegans now drink most of the water Imperial Valley farmers gave up. For the first time in California, a city would purchase water from a farming district, at very high rates. That’s partly why San Diegans’ water bills are now some of the highest in the country, so high that some of its own local buyers are running from the region. … ” Read more from the Voice of San Diego.
Announcements, notices, and funding opportunities …
NOTICE of Petitions for Temporary Water Transfer: Rediversion of flows per San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement Act
NOTICE: Delta Levees Investment Strategy Rulemaking Complete
PUBLIC NOTICE for Permit Application, West False River Drought Salinity Barrier project, Contra Costa County, CA
NOW AVAILABLE for Public Comment: Updated Groundwater Management Practice Implementation Report Submittal for Southern San Joaquin Valley Water Quality Coalition
REMINDER: Upcoming Deadlines for County Planning Assistance
AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT: Westlands Water Quality Coalition Surface Water Quality Management Plan Completion Request
AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT: Kings River Water Quality Coalition Comprehensive Surface Water Quality Management Plan
