In California water news this weekend …
Kern River legal wrangling raises questions about how – or whether – the river can serve the needs of people, fish and ag
“Kern County Superior Court Judge Gregory Pulskamp came back several times during an Oct. 13 hearing to what he saw as a “major issue” in the dispute over keeping water in the Kern River – its plumbing. The plaintiffs, a group of entities headed by Bring Back the Kern, have argued that water could flow in the river through Bakersfield for the public and fish and all the river users could still have their shares if water managers simply changed the spot where they siphon off their water. Nope, can’t happen, responded the City of Bakersfield and agricultural water districts with rights to the water. Bring Back the Kern is seeking a preliminary injunction to stop diversions off the river that may harm fish populations that have rebounded during this year’s epic runoff. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Environmental groups seek change to water flows for California’s Kern River
“A Kern County judge heard arguments Friday in a case targeting water flows in the Kern River and whether they’re sufficient to support its fish. Groups including Bring Back the Kern and the Center for Biological Diversity want the city of Bakersfield’s water diversions from the Kern blocked. They filed suit in late 2022, saying Bakersfield had conceded that its water diversions have led to damage and threatened the quality of the river’s ecosystem, including fish and wildlife. That reduction in riparian and wetland habitats has led to a decrease in wildlife, the environmental groups say. At the hearing Friday, the groups asked Kern County Superior Court Judge Greg Pulskamp for a preliminary injunction requiring Bakersfield to maintain a sufficient amount of water in the Kern River that would keep its fish in good condition. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
Gavin Newsom signs law to permanently ban watering grass at certain California businesses
“An extremely wet winter may have freed California from its most recent years-long drought, but the state is still looking to clamp down on water use. Under a new law signed by Gavin Newsom on Friday, public agencies, restaurants, corporate campuses industrial parks and certain other property owners will be prohibited from watering “nonfunctional turf” using potable water. The law does not apply to residential lawns, apartment complexes, sports fields or cemeteries. The new rules will be phased in beginning Jan. 1, 2027. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
Governor signs Senator Cortese’s bill building water efficiency in new buildings
“New buildings in California will become more water efficient following Governor Newsom’s approval of SB 745 by Senator Dave Cortese, which requires new state building standards to drop water usage while adopting designs that capture recycled water for building and landscaping uses. These standards will incorporate systems for reusing water and treating graywater, plumbing that intakes greater amounts of recycled water, and using alternative water sources. Buildings remain in operation for up to a century before they are replaced. In response to the hotter and drier conditions caused by climate change, California must adapt by reducing the amount of drinkable water that new buildings use for non-drinking purposes. … ” Read more from Senator Cortese’s office.
Gov. Newsom signs bill to accelerate Pajaro levee upgrades
“Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a new bill into law Friday to accelerate flood control and levee upgrades on the Pajaro River. The bill, AB-876 Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project: environmental laws: exemptions, by local assemblymember Robert Rivas, exempts the Pajaro River Flood Control Project from various state and local environmental laws and regulations. … ” Read more from KSBY.
How California reservoir water levels will change, according to predictions
“Many of California’s reservoirs are far above their average capacity, but water levels are expected to change as the winter season progresses. The U.S. Southwest has suffered from years of drought, and until recently, the most severe impacts have been centered around Lake Mead and Lake Powell and much of California. Last year, none of California was free from drought, and more than 16 percent of the state suffered from exceptional drought, which is the United States Geological Survey’s (USGS) most extreme classification. A wet winter and various storms throughout 2023 have continued to erase the drought throughout California. On Friday, AccuWeather meteorologists officially predicted that the state will be free from significant drought into 2025. … ” Read more from Newsweek.
Wet and windy pattern returning to Northwest, while intense heat builds in California, Arizona
“AccuWeather meteorologists monitoring the weather setup across the western United States say that there will be contrasting patterns from the Northwest to the Southwest into the first half of this week. Some locations will face damp and windy conditions as a storm spreads rain and showers along the Northwest coast, while residents across the Southwest will be stuck under a ridge of high pressure that will usher in high temperatures even reaching into the 100s Fahrenheit. A storm advancing into the Pacific Northwest at the start of this week will bring rounds of rain from parts of Northern California to northern Idaho and far northwestern Montana. … ” Read more from AccuWeather.
In people news this weekend …
Promotions, passings, profiles – submit people news items to maven@mavensnotebook.com.
APPOINTMENTS FROM THE OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
Nicholas Avdis, of Sacramento, has been reappointed to the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board …
where he has served since 2021. Avdis has been a Partner at Avdis & Cucchi LLP since 2022. He was Of Counsel at the Thomas Law Group from 2013 to 2022 and a Partner at the Law Offices of Lo Duca & Avdis LLP from 2008 to 2013. Avdis was an Associate at the Law Offices of Sandberg & LoDuca LLP from 2004 to 2008. He was Corporate Counsel at KT Development Corporation from 2003 to 2004. Avdis is a member of the Capitol Area Development Authority, Reclamation District 1000, and the Sacramento Area Flood Control Agency. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of California, Davis. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Avdis is a Democrat.
Mark Bradford, of Sacramento, has been reappointed to the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board …
… where he has served since 2019. Bradford was Principal at ERM-West Inc. from 1992 to 2016 and was Program Director at Ecology and Environment Inc. from 1979 to 1992. Bradford earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Renewable Natural Resources from the University of California, Davis. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Bradford is a Democrat.
Alexis Strauss Hacker, of Piedmont, has been reappointed to the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board …
… where she has served since 2020. Strauss Hacker served in several roles at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency from 1979 to 2019, including Acting Regional Administrator, Deputy Regional Administrator, Water Division Director and Manager of Superfund Enforcement Programs. Strauss Hacker earned a Master of Arts degree in Urban Planning and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geography from the University of California, Los Angeles. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Strauss Hacker is registered without party preference.
William Kissinger, of Mill Valley, has been reappointed to the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board …
…where he has served since 2012. Kissinger has been a Partner at Morgan Lewis & Bockius since 2014. He was a Partner at Bingham McCutchen from 2003 to 2014, Senior Deputy Legal Affairs Secretary in the Office of Governor Gray Davis from 2001 to 2003, Senior Advisor for International Economic Policy at the White House National Economic Council from 2000 to 2001 and Special Assistant to the Legal Adviser at the U.S. Department of State from 1997 to 2000. Kissinger was an Associate and then a Partner at McCutchen Doyle Brown and Enersen from 1989 to 1997 and a Staff Attorney at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit from 1987 to 1988. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Kissinger is a Democrat.
Mark Ransom, of Walnut Creek, has been appointed to the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board …
… Ransom was a Partner at ERM West Inc. from 1990 to 2021. He was Manager of Environmental Affairs for the Southern Pacific Transportation Company from 1984 to 1990. Ransom was Senior Environmental Engineer at Ecology and Environment Inc. from 1980 to 1984 and served as a Waste Management Engineer at the California Waste Management Board from 1978 to 1979. Ransom earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Engineering from Humboldt State University. He is a registered Civil Engineer in California. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Ransom is a Democrat.
Jean-Pierre Wolff, of San Luis Obispo, has been reappointed to the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board …
… where he has served since 2010. Wolff has been a Viticulturist and Owner of Wolff Vineyards since 1999. He was an independent Technology Consultant from 2000 to 2002, Senior Vice President at Global Energy Services from 1998 to 2000 and Vice President and Corporate Officer at Electro-Test Inc. from 1981 to 1998. Wolff was a Field and Power System Engineer at Westinghouse Electric Corporation from 1977 to 1981 and a Design Engineer at Darmsted-Parenti and Associates from 1973 to 1977. Wolff is vice president of the Coastal San Luis Resource Conservation District and a member of the San Luis Obispo County Agricultural Liaison Advisory Board, the USDA Farm Service Agency San Luis Obispo County Advisory Committee and the Dean’s Advisory Council of the Cal Poly College of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Science and Technology from Walden University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Pepperdine University. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Wolff is a Republican.
Marissa Christiansen, of Los Angeles, has been reappointed to the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board …
… where she has served since 2021. Christiansen has been Water Table Director at the Water Foundation since 2022. She held several roles at Friends of the Los Angeles River from 2016 to 2022, including President and Chief Executive Officer and Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy. She was Senior Manager of Alliances at XPRIZE from 2013 to 2015 and Assistant to the Redondo Beach City Manager from 2012 to 2013. Christiansen was Director of the South Bay Initiative at the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition from 2010 to 2012 and an Associate of Corporate Operations and Real Estate at the Walt Disney Company from 2007 to 2009. She earned a Master of Public Policy degree in Urban Planning from the University of Southern California. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Christiansen is a Democrat.
Gloria Alvarado, of Santa Ana, has been reappointed to the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board …
… where she has served since 2021. Alvarado has been Executive Director at the Orange County Labor Federation since 2019, where she has served in several positions since 2011, including Organizing Director and Community Organizer. She was National Immigration Coordinator at the AFL-CIO from 2015 to 2017 and Recreation Director for the City of Santa Ana from 1986 to 2010. Alvarado earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management from Springfield College and a Master of Science degree in Organizational Leadership from National University. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Alvarado is a Democrat.
William Ruh, of Montclair, has been reappointed to the Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Control Board …
… where he has served since 2001. Ruh has been Director of Government Affairs for the Citrus Valley Association of Realtors since 2001 and a member of the Montclair City Council since 1998. He was a Consultant to the Joint Legislative Committee on the Alameda Corridor East from 1999 to 2001, a Field Representative for Congressman Jay Kim from 1995 to 1999 and a Constituent Affairs Representative for State Assemblymember Fred Aguiar from 1993 to 1995. Ruh was Executive Director for Project Home Run from 1991 to 1993 and Director of Government Relations in the Baldy View Region of the Building Industry Association from 1988 to 1991. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Ruh is a Republican.
Eric Anderson, of Elfin Forest, has been reappointed to the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board …
… where he has served since 2004. Anderson has been an Agronomist and Vice President of the La Costa Flower Shop and Nursery since 1978. He is a member of the San Diego County Farm Bureau Board of Directors. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Anderson is a Libertarian.
Edward Muzik, of Indian Wells, has been reappointed to the Colorado River Basin Regional Water Quality Control Board …
… where he has served since 2007. Muzik served as General Manager of the Hi-Desert Water District of Yucca Valley from 2007 to 2021, where he was Chief Financial Officer from 2002 to 2006. He was Director of Operations and Finance at Vicom Systems Inc. from 1993 to 2002. He was a Controller at Ashford Development from 1990 to 1993 and at Cobble Knoll from 1985 to 1990. Muzik was an Accounting Supervisor for Motorola from 1984 to 1985 and at S&C Electric from 1978 to 1984. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Muzik is registered without party preference.
Podcasts …
WATER IS A MANY SPLENDOR’ED THING: Restoring the Delta
The Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta has become the white elephant of many political conversations around the state of California. California receives two thirds of its precipitation in the northern one third of the state. The problem is, two thirds of the people live in the dry portion of the state. Transporting enough water to the drier portions of the state becomes essential to the California lifestyle. Conveyance from moving some of this clear, liquid gold must pass through a portion of the Delta before being diverted by large pumps and canals. Trouble shows up when the California climate does not provide adequate volumes of water for supporting mankind and the environment demands. How has the Delta evolved from its original purpose and how has its communities in the Delta view changes that have been proposed? Water is a Many Splendor ’ed Thing brings you another water relationship that has a personally significant impact to your life. Produced by Steven Baker, Bringing People Together to Solve Water Problems, water@operationunite.co 530-205-6388
WE GROW CALIFORNIA: Happy New Year! Water year, that is!
This week, Darcy and Darcy celebrate the new water year by welcoming back Chris White, Executive Director of the San Joaquin River Exchange Contractors Authority. Chris is an engineer, water manager, and exceptional historian. Darcy & Darcy asked Chris how we did in water-year 2022-2023, what storage looks like, what we could have done better, and how 2023-24 looks. When they asked Chris if it was going to be wet or dry, he said… Listen in and find out!
FIFTH & MISSION: After a ‘miracle’ water year, new usage limits for Californians
Water reservoirs across California have been overflowing thanks to last year’s record-breaking rainy season, but California state officials are still rolling out new usage restrictions. Chronicle reporter Kurtis Alexander joins host Cecilia Lei to discuss the state’s new plan to make water conservation permanent and how the water cuts may affect Bay Area residents.
ECONEWS REPORT: The latest on the seismically unsafe Scott Dam
On this week’s episode of the EcoNews Report we reflect on the tragic dam failure in Libya last month and discuss why Scott Dam on the Eel River poses similar risks. The PG&E-owned dam sits right on a significant fault line, the Bartlett Spring Fault. Between its unusual engineering and a century’s worth of accumulated sediment, many factors are converging to make even PG&E wary of the risk. That’s why the company made drastic changes to how they manage the dam last spring. And that’s why they are pursuing expedited dam removal right now. Tune in to hear Alicia Hamann and Scott Greacen from Friends of the Eel River share their concerns about dam safety and lethal water temperatures for juvenile steelhead, and their hope for dam removal.
KZYX: Forum planning restoration and conservation of Eel River watershed
VIC BEDOIAN: Incinerated Giant Sequoia Groves To Be Replanted
Sequoia – Kings Canyon National Park is moving forward with a plan to replant giant sequoia seedlings in groves that were devasted in the massive wildfires of 2020 and 2021. Park scientists estimate that 7,500 to 10,400 monarchs burned in those blazes. The National Park Service says some groves burned so intensely that regeneration is not possible without human intervention. Seedlings grown in greenhouses are being planted in two groves in the coming months before winter. Vic Bedoian reports from Fresno.
CALIFORNIA SUN: Rosanna Xia on California against the sea
Rosanna Xia, a Los Angeles Times environmental reporter and Pulitzer Prize finalist, joins us to unravel a crisis that’s reshaping California’s iconic 1,200-mile coastline. But this isn’t just a Golden State issue; it’s a global wake-up call. Xia’s frontline reporting and her new book “California Against the Sea,” reveals that we’re at a crossroads: either we hurtle headlong into environmental disaster or pivot toward a new paradigm of coastal stewardship. This episode dives into the urgent need to redefine “resilience” in the face of climate change. Forget seawalls and beach replenishment; Xia is talking about a seismic shift in our relationship with the planet.
TAPPED: When a reservoir is more than just water
Lake Powell is the reason Page, Arizona exists. The city of 7,500 started as a work camp for those building Glen Canyon Dam. Today, the lake and dam provide the it with water and electricity, and lake-related business accounts for about three-quarters of its taxbase. So how does the ebb and flow of the lake’s main source of water, the Colorado River, affect life in Page?
Return to top
In regional water news this weekend …
Invasive mudsnails detected at Lake Sonoma Fish Hatchery
“The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) and partners have confirmed the presence of New Zealand mudsnails (NZMS) at Warm Springs Fish Hatchery near Lake Sonoma. While NZMS have been detected in other portions of the watershed, this is the first confirmed detection at Warm Springs Hatchery. NZMS were detected in an intake pipeline and an aeration pond during a regularly scheduled quarterly hatchery survey this summer. Since the detection, scientists have conducted surveys in about 75 percent of Coho-bearing streams in the watershed and have not observed NZMS presence beyond previously known locations. … ” Continue reading from the Department of Fish & Wildlife.
State grant funds two more years of invasive quagga mussel prevention program at Lake Sonoma
“The Sonoma County Water Agency’s watercraft inspection program at Lake Sonoma will continue for another two years, thanks to almost $400,000 in state grant funding awarded in August and that went into effect as of Oct. 10. The California State Parks Division of Boating and Waterways grant will fund the program to continue to prevent invasive quagga mussels from entering Lake Sonoma until October 2025. Quagga and zebra mussels are an invasive mussel which, if introduced into a waterway, can devastate the natural environment, clog water and flood protection infrastructure, and cost millions of dollars in maintenance. Mussels are transported between waterways by watercraft, primarily recreational boats. Sonoma Water self-funded infestation prevention efforts at both Lake Mendocino and Lake Sonoma beginning in 2012, and in 2020 was able to successfully obtain funds from the Division of Boating and Waterways to support these efforts. … ” Read more from the County of Sonoma.
Marin: Bolinas Lagoon wetlands project gets final approval
“Marin County supervisors have approved a project intended to restore wetlands in Bolinas Lagoon and reduce flooding on the only road leading to Bolinas. “This is a very exciting day that has had a lot of work leading up to it,” Max Korten, the county parks director, told supervisors on Tuesday. “The seeds for this started over a decade ago and really came out of the community.” Before voting unanimously to approve the project, the supervisors approved a “mitigated negative declaration,” which certifies that the project will not cause any adverse environmental effects that can’t be mitigated. The declaration makes a more detailed environmental impact report unnecessary. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
Geotechnical work to begin on North Lake Salton Sea project
“Riverside County and Salton Sea agency partners are hosting a public event in North Shore next week to mark reaching a significant milestone in the development of the future North Lake Pilot Demonstration Project. The project is being implemented by Riverside County on behalf of the grantee, the Salton Sea Authority, with $19.25 million in state funding from the California Department of Water Resources. At 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 19, state and local officials will be on hand as engineering firm, Dudek, starts geophysical survey work on the project. … ” Read more from the Uken Report.
Along the Colorado River …
2 members of Gov. Katie Hobbs’ water panel quit, saying farmers and ranchers are ignored
“Two members of Gov. Katie Hobbs’ Water Policy Council resigned Friday, saying the needs of farmers and ranchers are being ignored, but Hobbs’ office said their withdrawal will hurt the very people they seek to help. Representatives of the Arizona Farm Bureau and the Arizona Senate announced their withdrawal from the council Friday in statements released to the public, with a state senator accusing the council of partnering with a liberal environmental group. The council “is nothing more than a forum to rubberstamp the progressive environmental goals of special interest groups,” according to a statement by Senate Majority Whip Sine Kerr, R-Buckeye. “The radical agenda being pushed has the potential to damage our economy and kill the livelihoods of our farmers and ranchers.” … ” Read more from the Arizona Republic.
