In California water news today …
PPIC Video: Drought and flood: An explainer
“Weather whiplash,” “atmospheric rivers,” “severe drought”—if you live in California, this is probably not the first time you’ve seen these phrases. But why are these wild weather swings happening, and what do they mean for California? We take a look.
AG ALERT: El Niño lifts hopes for more water, stirs fears of flooding
“California reservoirs are brimming at historic levels after a water year described as akin to a “miracle.” Lake Shasta, the largest reservoir in the federal Central Valley Project that provides water to over 3 million acres of farmland, stood last week at 131% of its historic average water level. Lake Oroville, the cornerstone of the State Water Project that supplies water to 27 million people, stood at 136% of its historic average after its water level rose by more than 240 feet. The dramatic increases in surface-water supplies are the result of an El Niño weather pattern this year that brought drenching atmospheric river storms. It followed a La Niña pattern that delivered three years of searing drought, resulting in the fallowing of as much as 1.3 million acres of farmland. With farmers and ranchers suddenly blessed with ample water supplies, state and federal officials said last week they expect to release water from reservoirs to create more water-storage space. That is because of fears of potential severe flooding from a predicted second consecutive El Niño year. … ” Continue reading from Ag Alert.
Rivers may not recover from drought for years
“Lack of rainfall is not the only measure of drought. New UC Riverside research shows that despite a series of storms, the impact of drought can persist in streams and rivers for up to 3.5 years. There are two measures of drought in streams. One measure is the total water level, which is impacted by snowmelt and rainfall. Many researchers examine this measurement. Another measure is baseflow, which is the portion of streamflow fed by groundwater. Fewer researchers examine baseflow droughts, and there was not previously an accurate way to measure them. Because baseflow is strongly tied to groundwater, and because the lack of it has significant impacts on water management and ecosystem services, the UCR team decided to examine baseflow more closely. … ” Read more from UC Riverside.
What is seawater intrusion? A hydrogeologist explains the shifting balance between fresh and salt water at the coast
Holly Michael, University of Delaware, writes, “Seawater intrusion is the movement of saline water from the ocean or estuaries into freshwater systems. The seawater that has crept up the Mississippi River in the summer and early fall of 2023 is a reminder that coastal communities teeter in a fragile land-sea balance. Fresh water is essential for drinking, irrigation and healthy ecosystems. When seawater moves inland, the salt it contains can wreak havoc on farmlands, ecosystems, lives and livelihoods. I am a coastal hydrogeologist and have studied water across the land-sea interface for 25 years. I think of seawater intrusion as being like a seesaw: The place where fresh water and salt water meet is the balance point between forces from land and forces from the sea. A push from the land side, such as heavy rainfall or high river flows, moves the balance point seaward. A push from the sea side – whether it’s sea-level rise, storm surge or high tides – moves the balance point landward. Droughts or heavy use of fresh water can also cause seawater to move inland. As climate change and population growth stress freshwater supplies, one result will be more seawater intrusion. … ” Read more from The Conversation.
Rio Vista residents speak out on California Forever to city council
“The law firm of Rio Vista’s city attorney, Kronick, Moskovitz, Tiedemann, and Girard, will not be allowed to represent California Forever, the parent company of Flannery Associates, and compile a report on local water supply for them after a 5-0 decision by the Rio Vista City Council last week. The council voted unanimously to not approve a request from the firm to work for both parties. The request indicated that, in the event of a conflict between the two parties, the firm would drop the billionaire funded development firm and only represent the city. Many Rio Vista residents attended the meeting, and many had strong words for the corporation that purchased over 50,000 acres of Solano County land over the course of before coming public with their intentions in early September of this year. The firm has since embarked on a public relations campaign, reaching out to residents of Solano County about their intentions and asking for feedback on their proposed project. … ” Read more from the Vacaville Reporter. | Read via the San Jose Mercury News.
Climate change groups urge CA to prioritize nature-based solutions
“Conservation advocates are pressing the state to set ambitious targets for nature-based climate solutions this week. The California Natural Resources Agency’s Expert Advisory Committee meets Thursday to unveil draft recommendations to capture and store climate-warming carbon through better management of farms, forests and wetlands. Baani Behniwal, natural sequestration initiative manager at the Climate Center, said nature-based solutions draw carbon down while increasing water and food security. “They reduce public health implications of much of the land practices today. They clean up our air,” Behniwal outlined. “There are a million reasons why we should be doing more of them, and faster.” … ” Read more from the Public News Service.
In commentary today …
Public comment period for Sites Reservoir infrastructure streamlining certification ends Oct. 23
Dan Bacher writes, “You know a government agency is probably not serious about obtaining much public comment on an environmentally destructive project like the Sites Reservoir project when they provide only a short period to comment in. This was definitely the case on October 10 when the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) announced a comment period regarding the Sites Reservoir project that only lasts 13 days. “An application for certification under the Infrastructure Streamlining Program has been submitted to the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) for the Sites Reservoir Project,” the announcement states. “The application can be accessed on OPR’s website.” … ” Read more from the Daily Kos.
Save Napa Valley Foundation applauds the return of discretion in discretionary decisions
“We at the Save Napa Valley Foundation (SNVF) write to share our firm belief that the recent changes in policy and in the political climate in Napa County is not only long overdue, but is beneficial for our residents, for the health of our natural environment, and for the future of our wine industry. Which is, after all, the industry whose health and success drives the economic viability of Napa County. We offer here some shared realities. Current policies regarding water extraction and protection of our watershed lands are outdated and have led to deficiencies in our groundwater. The Napa River is impaired and is running dry in increasing frequency and duration, and our watersheds (the surrounding hillsides) are the target for numerous home and/or vineyard projects that would require deforestation. The valley floor is all but planted out, and developers now reach into the hillsides where the rain water begins its journey to the river, streams and reservoirs. As in many counties in California and in our country, our county government has not done enough to ensure a secure water future for us all. Thankfully, this is beginning to change. … ” Continue reading this guest commentary.
California can do it
Juliet Christian-Smith, Western States Regional Director of the Union of Concerned Scientists, writes, “I’m not a native Californian but an adopted one. I love the way the state isn’t afraid to lead in times of great change. I was reminded of this recently when visiting the Rosie the Riveter museum, not far from my home in the Bay Area. Photos and audio recordings from the 1940s recreate a time of enormous upheaval. Amid fascist forces marching across Europe, democracy and a lot of lives were on the line. Here in Richmond, California, shipyards were bursting with thousands of men and women (for the first time allowed into the workforce en masse). Together, their tireless work helped end World War II and deliver victory to the Allied forces. But those workers, all the Rosies riveting away under welding helmets, sleeping in shifts, for months and even years, didn’t know how the story would end. To me, the museum is a testament to transition. … ” Read more from the Union of Concerned Scientists.
In regional water news and commentary today …
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Davis: The wet season and stormwater pollution prevention
“The arrival of fall starts the official “wet season” in California, and whether or not we get rain (and we really hope we do!), it’s always good to remember stormwater pollution prevention tips! When rain runs off roofs and pavement from the places where we live, shop, work and recreate, it flows onto streets and sidewalks, then enters the city’s storm-drain system via storm drain inlets along the street gutters. Rainwater runoff carries pollutants, such as dirt, yard waste, pet waste, metals, soaps, pesticides, trash and more into the storm drains. Although some of these pollutants occur naturally, when our activities add them to runoff, they often create unhealthy concentrations of pollutants in water. … ” Read more from the Davis Enterprise.
NAPA/SONOMA
Musings: Sonoma Valley beaver analogs coming?
Bill Lynch writes, “I was happy to read in a recent edition of the Index-Tribune that the Sonoma Ecology Center and those concerned with Sonoma Valley’s groundwater sustainability are considering the merit of creating man-made beaver dams on Sonoma Creek as a way to help boost groundwater supplies and other benefits that come from having more water in our creeks. I first wrote about this idea in May of 2017 after returning from Scott Valley, where the Scott River, a relatively small tributary of the Klamath River, meanders through an area that was once heavily mined for gold and is now mostly devoted to cattle ranching. The Scott Valley, a remote, sparsely-populated area northwest of Mount Shasta on Highway 3, was once known as Beaver Valley, until the early 19th century when fur trappers from the Hudson Bay Company hunted the animals to near extinction.Then, a pioneer by the name of John Scott discovered gold there in 1850. Whatever was left of the natural trout and salmon runs in the streams was devastated by the mining operations that went on for decades. … ” Read more from the Sonoma Index-Tribune.
BoDean Co. facing record $8.6 million fine for stormwater management, discharge violations at Mark West Quarry
“A Santa Rosa construction materials supplier with operations at several sites around Sonoma County is facing a record $8.6 million fine for alleged management failures that allowed sediment and fine silt from its Mark West Quarry to flow into Porter Creek during recent rainy seasons. The proposed fine against The BoDean Co. by the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board reflects what they say are repeated violations of basic permitting standards and requirements of the federal Clean Water Act since the winter of 2018 at the company’s aggregate rock quarry off Porter Creek Road. Examples include failure to sufficiently maintain and monitor stormwater detention ponds or to cover large, exposed stockpiles of “cake,” a very fine material produced during crushing and washing of rock and which is “particularly deleterious to aquatic species,” according to enforcement documents filed last month. … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
BAY AREA
A big cleanup is underway on San Francisco Bay. Here’s what’s involved
“A crane plucked rotten pilings out of the mud along the Richmond shoreline one by one, slowly removing what is left of a once-thriving wharf built in 1902 and later left to rot. Before demolition began in July, it was the largest derelict wharf in San Francisco Bay. Over 33,000 such pilings circle the bay, remnants of abandoned industries that create eyesores for residents and hazards to boats and wildlife. They’re coated in creosote, a preservative and pesticide that causes deformities in fish. They limit the growth of native eelgrass, which is wildlife habitat and mitigates the effects of climate change. And the rotten logs often come loose, creating maritime hazards. Though active wharves such as the Port of San Francisco have been required to replace creosote pilings with cement ones since the 1990s, no such protection is in place for derelict structures. The Richmond project, which involves voluntary removal of abandoned pilings to protect and bring back native plants and wildlife and reduce hazards, is a relatively new idea and one that planners hope will be repeated elsewhere in the bay. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle (gift article).
First meeting of Contra Costa committee formed to address modeled sea level rise Oct. 12
“With warmer temperatures and more extreme weather, sea level rise modeling indicates Contra Costa County’s shoreline, which includes a variety of residential, business, industrial, infrastructure, and natural sites, can expect to be subject to more severe and frequent flooding. To address sea level rise, the Board established the Contra Costa Resilient Shoreline Ad Hoc Committee at the May 16, 2023, Board of Supervisors meeting. Supervisor John Gioia, whose district borders the San Francisco Bay, was appointed as Chair, and Supervisor Diane Burgis, whose district borders the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, was appointed as Vice-Chair of the Committee. … ” Continue reading from the Contra Costa Herald.
CENTRAL COAST
Board votes for public takeover of Cal Am Water by eminent domain
“A little light at the end of a long tunnel is finally shining through, after years of water woes in Monterey. On Tuesday night, an elected board of local leaders voted in favor of the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District to take over California American Water (Cal Am). Six board members voted in favor, with one recusal. Frustrations and resentment from Monterey residents have grown over time towards Cal Am. Many argued that the private company is poorly run and is guilty of price gouging their customers. So, back in 2018, 56% of voters voted in favor of Measure J, a measure that proposed a feasibility study and then government action in potentially acquiring the local Cal Am Water. … ” Read more from KSBY.
Pajaro flood victims still rebuilding
“After the devastation of the Pajaro floods in March, families in South County continue to rely on financial support from local organizations as they start to rebuild their lives. While the waters have receded and a sense of normalcy has been restored, some people are still struggling to make ends meet. Others are getting the help they need to repair homes that were damaged by the floods. Over $14 million in financial relief has been distributed to flood victims. About half of that money has come from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which distributed close to $7.5 million to qualifying applicants. … ” Read more from Good Times Santa Cruz.
Santa Barbara County supervisors reject Cuyama Valley vineyard’s frost ponds
“A proposal to construct three roughly 44-acre-foot ponds to hold groundwater for use in protecting 840 acres of grape vines in Cuyama Valley was rejected Tuesday when the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors denied an appeal on a split vote. Supervisors voted 3-2, with 4th District Supervisor Bob Nelson and 5th District Supervisor Steve Lavagnino dissenting, to reject the appeal of the Planning Commission’s denial of Brodiaea Inc.’s application for a conditional use permit to construct the ponds. The three water storage ponds would be spread out on a 6,565-acre parcel located south of Highway 166 between Cottonwood Canyon and Schoolhouse Canyon roads, about nine miles west of New Cuyama. … ” Read more from the Santa Maria Times.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Waterlogged Kings County seeks $45.5 million in federal money for flood damages and to prep for coming winter
“Kings County is spending millions to repair damages from this year’s devastating floods and, like many other valley counties, is turning to the federal government to try and recoup those costs. So far, the county has spent about $5 million on projects addressing storm damages, said Abraham Valencia, Kings County office of emergency services manager. But full costs for Kings County are estimated at about $28 million, he said. Total requests for reimbursement to the Federal Emergency Mangement Agency (FEMA) from all agencies in Kings add up to nearly $45.5 million. That amount includes requests from irrigation and flood control districts as well as the City of Corcoran. FEMA funding isn’t available to private home owners and businesses, which also suffered severe damage in the floods. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Engineering buried L.A.’s river. Artist Lauren Bon is engineering a plan to free it
“For more than a dozen years, Lauren Bon has been creating an artwork so vast, it has required moving many tons of earth. Yet when the first phase of her project wraps up this week, it will be largely invisible. In fact, the clearest evidence of “Bending the River,” as the piece is called, will be a small grate in the concrete bed of the Los Angeles River in downtown. She and her team at Metabolic Studio, the not-for-profit art and research hub she founded and directs, have dubbed it “The great grate.” Moving the earth for “Bending the River” wasn’t nearly as difficult as moving often intractable bureaucracies — more than two dozen of them — including federal, state and municipal agencies such as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the California State Water Resources Control Board and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. That’s because Bon’s project is no simple art installation. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Along the Colorado River …
How efforts to protect an Indigenous oasis almost led to its demise
“On a breezy spring day, Lorraine Eiler, a member of the Hia-Ced O’odham tribe, walked with me around the border of Quitobaquito Springs — a strawberry-shaped oasis in the Sonoran Desert near Pima County, Arizona. Her family has lived in the area for generations. “If you do research on Quitobaquito, the majority of times you will read about the cattlemen that lived here in the area, about the people that went through Quitobaquito,” she said. “You hear nothing about the fact that it’s an old Indian village. It was abundant. Now, it’s just … well, you see what it looks like.” The first thing you notice most about Quitobaquito Springs is the trees. It’s the only source of water for miles in the desert and the lush vegetation around it is stark against the dry tan and khaki landscape and occasional organ pipe cactus. The second thing you notice: the border wall, 30 feet tall, just feet from the water’s edge. I asked Eiler how the landscape compares to her early memories of the site. “Barren,” she said, “very, very barren.” … ” Read more from Grist.
Phoenix experienced its hottest and driest summer on record
“Phoenix experienced its hottest summer on record with an average temperature of 97 degrees — more than 3 degrees warmer than the 30-year average between 1991 and 2020, per an analysis of NOAA data. Why it matters: Human-caused climate change is expected to continue raising summer temperatures, and the Valley has demonstrated it’s not prepared to shield its most vulnerable residents from deadly heat. At least 295 people died of heat-related causes in Maricopa County this summer. The medical examiner is investigating another 298 suspected heat deaths. … ” Read more from Axios.
Colorado’s vibrant fall foliage offers more than visual splendor and an economic boost. It’s an indicator of water conditions.
“Every fall, Coloradans and visitors dust off their cameras and binoculars to take in the fall colors. But each year’s display has a lot to do with one key factor, water, and whether there’s enough of it. Over the past two decades, many regions of Colorado have experienced dry or drought conditions. This prolonged drought has shaken communities’ certainty in their future water supply, impacted business for farmers and ranchers and changed aquatic conditions for wildlife. And, yes, even fall colors are impacted by drought, according to entomologist Dan West, the Colorado State Forest Service’s go-to guy for information about the fall colors. “When trees are in drought for several years, what ends up happening is they’re shutting down some of their processes and trying to dial back some of their growth,” West said. … ” Continue reading at the Colorado Sun.
In national water news today …
Concrete solutions: strengthening America’s dams
“Concrete is omnipresent in every critical infrastructure system in the country because it is strong, inexpensive, and can be cast into almost any shape, including dams and bridges. After a certain time, as with most building materials, water infrastructure like dams start to deteriorate and need repair and retrofitting, so they can serve the public longer. More than 91,000 dams are listed in the US Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) National Inventory of Dams (NID), which catalogues dams taller than 25ft or reservoirs with storage capacity more than 50 acre-feet (1 acre surface area to 1ft depth). NID classifies the downstream hazard potential as high, significant, or low. Currently, 76% of the 91,750 dams across the country built in the past 150 years are classified as high hazard potential, meaning that their failure could result in loss of life, as well as economic losses and environmental damages. … ” Read more from International Water Power & Dam Construction.
Scientists find microplastics in the clouds above Mount Fuji
“After sampling the skies over two Japanese mountains, scientists have found microplastics in the clouds. The finding underscores the extent to which the small particles have invaded nearly every part of the Earth, where they can harm living creatures and even potentially influence the climate, the researchers from several Japanese universities wrote in a paper in Environmental Chemistry Letters. The researchers collected samples of cloud water above Mount Fuji, Japan’s highest mountain, and Mount Oyama over several months. Using advanced imaging techniques, they identified nine different plastic polymers, along with some rubber. … ” Read more from Yale e360.
