On the calendar today …
- MEETING: Delta Conservancy Board beginning at 9am at the Big Break Center in Oakley. Agenda items include an update on the Ecosystem Restoration and Climate Adaptation and the Community Enhancement Grant Programs, and consideration of awards of Wetland Restoration Grant Funds for the Delta Rice Conversion Program, Land Acquisition on Bethel Island, and Wetland Restoration Project on Staten Island. This meeting will be conducted off-site, in a hybrid format, and will include site visits. After the business meeting concludes at approximately 11:00, there will be an in-person-only opportunity to visit Delta Conservancy-funded projects by boat. Click here for the agenda and remote access instructions.
- PUBLIC MEETING: Drought Resilience Interagency & Partners (DRIP) Collaborative from 10am to 5pm. Join the Department of Water Resources for the third Drought Resilience Interagency & Partners (DRIP) Collaborative meeting. Members of the public will be able to observe the meeting and provide public comments in-person at the meeting location or remotely. Click here for more information and to register.
- WEBINAR: Flume Household Water Use Index: Q3 2023 from 10am to 11am. Join Flume, the company that brings connectivity and intelligence to residential water usage, as we present the Flume Household Water Data Index on Wednesday, October 25th at 10am PT/1pm ET. During the hour, we will examine water use from July to September of 2023, discussing indoor and outdoor residential water use patterns from our nationwide network of sensors. We will be joined by Krista Guerrero, from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, to explore household water use trends across Southern California from the past two years. Specifically, we will look at how outdoor watering trends vary when drought restrictions were no longer in place. We will also explore the latest indoor and outdoor water use trends for the top 15 Metropolitan Service Areas including: New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Washington DC, Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Phoenix, Boston, San Francisco Bay Area, Riverside, Detroit, and Seattle. In addition, we will look back on outdoor water use during this past summer. Click here to register.
- WEBINAR: EPA ORD Water Research – Methods and Tools to Support Aquatic and Human Health from 11am to 12pm. Presentation 1: How does chemical structure affect the toxicity of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) to aquatic life? Presentation 2: RapidTox Workflows for Chemical Decision-Making Click here for more information and to register.
- WEBINAR: Mono Lake – Getting to a Sustainable Level from 12pm to 1:30pm. Almost thirty years have passed, and Mono Lake has still not reached its mandated sustainable management level of 6,392 feet above sea level. The State Water Board in 1994 mandated the 6,392-foot lake level to protect public trust values including the ecosystem, air quality, and migratory and nesting birds. Now the Mono Lake Committee, Department of Fish and Wildlife, and Mono Lake Kutzadika’a Tribe are turning up the heat on the State Board to follow through on implementation of its mandate, potentially changing LADWP water diversions for years to come. While LADWP diverts only 1% of their total supply from the area, it contends that eastern Sierra water is key to maintaining supply balance and affordable rates. Click here to register.
- Lunch & learn: Unpacking recent California climate and water legislation from 1pm to 2pm. Join the Center for Law, Energy & the Environment for a Lunch & Learn webinar on October 25th at 1:00 p.m. We will discuss recent water bills, key climate legislation, and the new law on climate risk disclosure. Bring any questions you may have! Click here to register.
- GRA BAY AREA: Domestic Well Testing for the CV-SALTS Nitrate Control Program with Valley Water Collaborative from 6pm to 8pm in Oakland. Valley Water Collaborative (VWC) is a non profit organization of farmers, businesses and cities, that has been offering free well testing and replacement water to rural residents in the Modesto and Turlock groundwater basins since May 2021. Thanks to a $5.5 million grant from the State Water Resources Control Board and its Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience (SAFER) drinking water program, VWC in 2022 expanded from a nitrate testing-only program to all major contaminants historically found in local groundwater aquifers. Recently VWC submitted a plan to the Regional Water Board that describes steps it will be taking to address long term drinking water solutions in the two basins. In 2024, VWC will expand its coverage to the Merced, Delta Mendota ground basins and possibly the East San Joaquin basin. Mr. Klassen will provide an overview of the program and update on current activities. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
First measurable, widespread snow expected in Sierra
“The first measurable, widespread snow is expected in California’s Sierra Nevada Wednesday into Thursday, with a cold storm from the Gulf of Alaska poised to sweep the Golden State, according to the National Weather Service. There’s another chance for snow later in the week as well. In the first storm, the northern Sierra, including the Tahoe Basin, could see snow accumulations up to 3 inches at elevations over 7,000 feet, weather service meteorologist Edan Lindaman said. The southern Sierra, from Yosemite southward, is likely to record less snow, with up to 1 to 2 inches at the highest elevations. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
SEE ALSO:
- Winter-like storm to bring half foot of snow to Tahoe ski resorts, from the San Francisco Chronicle
- First measurable snow of the season heading for California. See how much will fall, from the LA Times
As weather gets less predictable, hydropower dams look to new forecasting techniques
“Global demand for fossil fuels is expected to peak by the end of this decade as we transition to cleaner sources of energy. One source we already heavily rely on is hydropower, but, as weather becomes more unpredictable, dam operators and planners have the increasingly challenging task of managing the extremes of flood and drought. Climate journalist Saqib Rahim has been writing about new forecasting techniques that might help those hydropower planners. He joined Marketplace’s Amy Scott to talk about forecast-informed reservoir operations, or FIRO. An edited transcript of their conversation is below. … ” Read more from Marketplace.
SEE ALSO: From California’s extreme drought to major flooding: evaluating and synthesizing experimental seasonal and subseasonal forecasts of landfalling atmospheric rivers and extreme precipitation during winter, from the Center for Western Weather & Water Extremes.
Dust is melting snow—and current models can’t keep up
“In the drought-plagued western United States, mountain snowpack is a vital source of water. Spring melting replenishes downslope rivers as temperatures slowly rise. But as climate change makes such variables as precipitation and temperature less predictable, managing this vital source of water has become a challenge. Scientists have warned that current snowmelt models remain stuck in the past. “The current models are based upon statistical relationships that assume the future is going to be like the past. And I think we know now that we can’t rely on that assumption,” said McKenzie Skiles, a snow researcher at the University of Utah. … ” Read more from EOS.
Update on the Pacheco Reservoir Expansion Project
“In 2014, voters approved Proposition 1, the Water Quality, Supply, and Infrastructure Improvement Act, which allocated $2.6 billion for the public benefits of water storage projects. The California Water Commission is overseeing the distribution of this funding through the Water Storage Investment Program. Seven projects have been chosen for funding and have met all interim requirements. These projects are currently completing the remaining necessary steps, such as obtaining permits and completing environmental documents, securing contracts for public benefits administration, and contracts for non-public benefit cost sharing. Once these requirements are fulfilled, each project will be reviewed by the Commission for final approval. During the June meeting, the Commission requested an update on the Pacheco Reservoir Expansion Project, one of the seven projects chosen for the Water Storage Investment Program. This project aims to expand the existing Pacheco Reservoir in southeast Santa Clara County, increasing its capacity from 6,000 to approximately 140,000 acre-feet. … ” Read more at Maven’s Notebook.
Coalition urges the Newsom administration to reject the Sites Project Authority’s rushed application for regulatory streamlining
“Today, Friends of the River, Defenders of Wildlife, and a coalition of conservation organizations submitted a letter to the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR) opposing the application for Sites Reservoir to be certified under the new Senate Bill (SB) 149 Infrastructure Streamlining Program. Acceptance into this program would mean that the Sites Project would receive a shortened judicial review period for litigation over their inadequate environmental documents. This is a rushed application of this new program which itself came about through a rushed legislative process with little public input. OPR has not even issued guidelines yet for which to determine project eligibility. Further, this is the first ever application of SB 149 and thus it is essential that the public be given ample time to review and participate in a meaningful way. Continue reading this press release.
Saving rice land as habitat can help wildlife, farmers
“As California agriculture braves a roller coaster of climate extremes, one sector—rice— faced a dramatic fall and rise in production in back-to-back years. A year ago, statewide rice acreage plummeted by 50% amid withering drought conditions, with some growers in the Sacramento Valley fallowing 100% of their fields. This year, drenched by atmospheric storms, state rice farmers were able to double their planted acreage. Tim Johnson, president and CEO of the California Rice Commission, said the sector is working to secure a sustainable farming footprint with less vulnerability to climate extremes. “I think rice producers, not unlike the rest of agriculture, are starting to wrap our arms around what the impacts of climate variability are going to be,” Johnson said in an interview with Ag Alert® at last week’s annual conference of the California Association of Pest Control Advisors in Reno. … ” Read more from Ag Alert.
The Delta Plan Interagency Implementation Committee: A decade of progress and partnerships with more to come
Delta Stewardship Council Chair Virginia Madueño and Special Assistant for Planning and Science Amanda Bohl write, “On November 7, leaders from 18 of the state and federal agencies charged with implementing California’s long-term management plan for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta – the Delta Plan – will gather to focus on two critically important efforts to advance and improve the way we all manage the Delta: integrated modeling and climate change adaptation strategies. A key focus for the discussions will be on how the committee can collectively strengthen the partnerships needed to move these efforts forward in support of the coequal goals of water supply reliability and ecosystem health for the Delta. The Delta Stewardship Council established the Delta Plan Interagency Implementation Committee (DPIIC) in 2014. The committee strives to facilitate collaboration for a healthy Delta. It does this by facilitating Delta Plan implementation; focusing on supporting shared national, statewide, and local goals for the Delta; and finding ways to align agencies’ actions to achieve those goals. … ” Read more from the Delta Stewardship Council.
Depleted groundwater could be refilled by borrowing a trick from solar power
“Pajaro Valley on the coast of central California has little surface water, so its farmers depend on extracting groundwater to grow leafy greens and berries for the global market. But as in many places around the world, these farmers have been pumping the water out faster than nature can replenish it. In different places, groundwater decline can cause various impacts: it can make land sink, streams, wetlands, and wells dry up and seawater creep inland under the ground. And because most pumped groundwater irrigates crops, major declines in availability could lead to a global food crisis.In some places, water managers actively refill groundwater to ameliorate this tragedy of the commons. What’s needed is a distributed solution, says Graham Fogg, a University of California, Davis, professor emeritus of hydrogeology: many small projects scattered across the landscape that slow water, allowing it to infiltrate underground for storage. This would re-create nature’s method for refilling groundwater, which human development has largely eradicated. An initiative in Pajaro Valley has been working to show how to make this vision a reality for more than a decade. … ” Read more from Scientific American.
SEE ALSO: How some Pajaro Valley farms are being tapped to help solve California’s water crisis, from Lookout Santa Cruz
Water security through consolidation
“Providing affordable, safe and reliable water service in California is becoming increasingly challenging. Water service providers must deal with aging infrastructure, increasingly stringent water quality regulations and the threat of more frequent and extreme weather events, such as fires, drought and flooding, due to climate change. Smaller water service providers may struggle with adapting their operations to comply with changes in water quality requirements. These systems, which often rely on a single water source, are less resilient in dealing with contamination or natural disasters. Additionally, due to their smaller customer bases, it can be difficult for these systems to charge rates that cover necessary long-term improvements while maintaining affordability. … ” Read more from Nossaman’s California Water Views.
When communities face drinking-water crises, bottled water is a ‘temporary’ solution that often lasts years − and worsens inequality
“A massive intrusion of salt water into the Mississippi River has left the tap water in several Louisiana communities unsafe to drink and could threaten the New Orleans metropolitan area. The most visible emergency response is the provision of bottled water, with authorities distributing huge quantities of single-serving plastic water bottles to residents. These pallets of water are an increasingly familiar sight in the U.S. They have become the default response not only to natural disasters but to a series of human-made emergencies – from the crises of unsafe tap water in Flint, Michigan, and Jackson, Mississippi, to contaminated groundwater in towns in California’s Central Valley. What these places also have in common is that their residents are disproportionately low-income and nonwhite. In such communities, public officials and charitable donors often present bottled water as a stopgap solution, to be used only until the immediate crisis is resolved. But in practice, bottled water often becomes a long-term substitute for compromised tap-water supplies. … ” Read more from The Conversation.
How many people could live in Solano County’s new city? Here’s latest projection
“In her weekly report to residents last week, Rio Vista City Manager Kristina Miller noted that she had met with planners from California Forever, the group of Silicon Valley investors proposing a new city in eastern Solano County. Then she threw out a jarring bit of information. “(California Forever) representatives stated they have not made a decision on where their (cities) will be located but expect the overall population to be somewhere in the 400,000 range,” she said. As it turned out, that figure was a bit out of context. In a statement, California Forever Chief Planner Gabriel Metcalf clarified that what he had told Miller is that reaching a population of 400,000 — or even hitting 100,000 — is the upper end of what is possible, and would take many decades to get there. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Adding crushed rock to farmland pulls carbon out of the air
“Adding crushed volcanic rock to cropland could play a key role in removing carbon from the air. In a field study, scientists at the University of California, Davis, and Cornell University found the technology stored carbon in the soil even during an extreme drought in California. The study was published in the journal Environmental Research Communications. Rain captures carbon dioxide from the air as it falls and reacts with volcanic rock to lock up carbon. The process, called rock weathering, can take millions of years — too slow to offset global warming. But by crushing the rock into a fine dust, rock weathering speeds up. Previous studies have estimated this “enhanced” rock weathering could store 215 billion tons of carbon dioxide over the next 75 years if spread across croplands globally. But until now the technology hasn’t been field-tested in dry climates. … ” Read more from UC Davis.
In commentary today …
Environmental law reform is key solution to California’s housing woes
The Southern California News Group editorial board writes, “To relieve the housing and homelessness crises, we have backed practically every pro-housing reform in this state. But real reform builds housing by advancing private property rights. A model law this year Gov. Gavin Newsom signed was Senate Bill 406, by state Sen. Dave Cortese, D-San Jose. It streamlined California Environmental Quality Act reviews for low-income housing. Which is why Gov. Gavin Newsom’s program building what are called “tiny homes” is a questionable idea that ought to be watched closely. The intent is good: Build really small homes for the homeless and desperately poor. On Oct. 10, the governor’s administration announced it is “finalizing a contract for the state and locals to purchase these small homes.” Because the tiny homes will be owned by the government, they are not advancing property rights, but eroding them. They also are perks for the receiving cities and local construction firms. We believe the state is better off advancing housing reforms, especially extensive CEQA reform, that benefit everyone. … ” Continue reading at the OC Register.
Farmers fight to fix a river channel before next flood
Norm Groot, executive director of the Monterey County Farm Bureau, writes, “During atmospheric river storms that hit California in January and March, Monterey County farmland suffered extensive flooding that had not been experienced in 28 years. The flood patterns were somewhat similar, even though the actual rainfall amount was nearly two-thirds less than what fell in March 1995. The damage was extensive. More than 20,000 acres of cropland, ranchland and vineyards went under water, sometimes for weeks before floodwaters receded from the land and back into the river channel. Damage estimates to crops and agricultural infrastructure exceeded $600 million. Another $400 million was spent cleaning up debris, reshaping farmland, rebuilding levees and replacing damaged infrastructure and buildings. Our county suffered more than $50 million in damages due to bridge washouts, roadway flooding and drainage culverts needing replacement.Overall, we face an impact of more than $1 billion without any meaningful state or federal rescue aid. … ” Read more from Ag Alert.
The war over weed and water
John Persinos, editorial director of Investing Daily, writes, ““Either you bring the water to LA, or you bring LA to the water.” That famous line was uttered by the scheming land baron Noah Cross in Chinatown (1974), the classic neo-noir about the water wars in California during the 1930s. Those wars continue to the present day, not just in California but nationwide, and they now involve cannabis. Here’s a look at the current war over weed and water, especially in the Golden State, and how to profit from an investment standpoint. Over the decades, the pot prohibitionists have thrown a lot of accusations against weed, nearly all of them absurd. The bill of particulars: pot causes insanity, fuels crime, encourages “miscegenation,” fosters “white slavery,” destroys families, leads to rape and murder, turns kids into vicious juvenile delinquents…the list goes on and on. … ” Read more from Investing Daily.
In regional water news and commentary today …
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Tahoe will see drastic changes as climate warms. Here are the details
“The snow season at Lake Tahoe, which famously draws millions of skiers to the area’s powdery slopes each year, is likely to shrink by at least a month, and perhaps three months, by the end of the century, according to a recent report on the impacts of climate change on the region. Temperatures around the lake, projected to rise as much as 9 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100, will simply be too warm at the beginning and end of the traditional ski season for the snow to fall, the report says. What’s already on the ground will also melt more quickly. The decline in snow is expected to be most severe on the north and east sides of the Tahoe basin, notably around Kings Beach, Incline Village and points farther south along the Nevada shore, toward South Lake Tahoe. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
‘Super toxic’: What a team found 500 feet below Tahoe’s surface
“It’s no secret that Lake Tahoe has a trash problem, and local nonprofit Clean Up the Lake has pulled more than 61,000 pounds of debris from the lake since 2018. But as scuba divers are limited to a depth of about 60 feet, that leaves 1,584 feet of depths the organization can’t reach. Enter the Restoring the Lake Depths Foundation, a South Lake Tahoe-based nonprofit using a deep-water robot to pull refuse from beneath the surface. In summer 2023 alone, the organization used the robot to pull nearly 5 tons of hazardous materials from the lake, including about 1 ton of alcohol bottles containing lead and cadmium. The rest included hundreds of action cameras and at least five camera drones with lithium batteries, plus a 16,000-pound electric boat. … ” Continue reading at SF Gate.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Billions being spent to strengthen Sacramento’s flood protection
“This weekend’s storm dumped more than an inch of rain in some places, and it’s another reminder that Sacramento is one of the most flood-prone places in the country. Billions of dollars are being spent to protect the city from flooding. “Multiple construction projects are underway across the region, all designed to lower the flood risk,” said Lieutenant Colonel Kevin Arnett with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Because the City of Sacramento has approved development in a flood hazard zone, it is required to achieve a 200-year level of flood protection by the year 2025. … ” Read more from CBS Sacramento.
NAPA/SONOMA
Legal Brief: Coyote Valley Dam
A federal court in California declined to order the Coyote Valley Dam to adjust its operations in response to a lawsuit alleging the dam endangers salmonids in the area. The suing fisheries biologist could not show the species are under “serious or extreme harm” or that an injunction would remedy such harm. Read the brief via Courthouse News Service.
BAY AREA
Turning Marin Municipal Water District around will take years, but process is underway
“Last year, three new directors were elected to the five-member Marin Municipal Water District Board of Directors. They are a big part of the effort pushing for a turnaround already underway. Consumers can’t declare victory until new sources of water and increased storage facilities are up and running. As voters demanded, the agency that supplies water to 191,000 southern and central Marin residents is moving in the right direction. The prior MMWD board majority was slammed for excessive reliance on conservation while failing to develop new, dependable water sources. Some recent comments via letters to the editor in the IJ Readers’ Forum letters section include complaints that, despite decreasing personal water use, their rates increased. The answer to this seeming contradiction is fundamental. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
CENTRAL COAST
Big Basin Water Company’s promising deal to sell its water system falls through
“A solution to ongoing water problems involving Big Basin Water Company seemed to be on the horizon after the small, family-owned utility was placed into a court-appointed receivership earlier this month and a new permanent owner, Central State Water Resources, had been identified. But on Friday, the prospective buyer made a surprise announcement: the deal is off. … ” Read more from KSBY.
Carrots farms v valley: the battle over a water-depleted California region
“More than five years ago, Jim Wegis, a lifelong farmer in central California’s Cuyama valley, could see the writing on the wall for his water-intensive alfalfa fields. He switched most of his 140 planted acres from seasonal hay to permanent olive and pistachio groves, drastically reducing his impact on his local aquifer. “I cut my water use just about in half,” he said. The change was costly and stressful. Wegis had to spend over $150,000 to replace his irrigation systems and equipment, and he lost years of earnings while waiting for his orchards to mature. “There was a significant amount of time with not much income coming in,” said Wegis. “And it’s not over yet.” In spite of his personal efforts to cut back on water use, Wegis along with landowners and institutions in Santa Barbara county’s Cuyama valley were hit by a lawsuit by two of the world’s largest carrot producers, Bolthouse Farms and Grimmway Farms. Together, those operations are big players in a $69m industry, and they’re requesting that a court decide just how much water they and all their neighbors can use. … ” Read more from The Guardian.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
California’s San Joaquin Valley is on the front line of climate change. How will it adapt?
“Home to more than 4 million people, the vast San Joaquin Valley lies flat and low between the Sierra Nevada and the Southern Coast Range and has long been prone to climate hazards. Lately, however, they seem to be converging at a breakneck pace. The floods arrived following three years of severe drought, while extreme heat, lung-searing smog and hazardous wildfire smoke have become all-too-common occurrences. Meanwhile, the very earth beneath their feet is sinking. Experts say it’s not just bad luck that has made the San Joaquin Valley one of the front lines of climate change in America. Dramatic land use changes, a dearth of resources and state support, and a recalcitrant political climate fueled by agriculture and fossil fuel drilling have all contributed to the region’s challenges. How it adapts could be a case study for the rest of the nation. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
A new groundwater storage project could help Southern California in the next drought
“The first stage of a new groundwater storage project in the Antelope Valley is now up and running after three years of construction. The High Desert Water Bank, which is through a partnership with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the Antelope Valley-East Kern Water Agency (AVEK), has the capacity to store and withdraw enough water to serve about 210,000 Southern California homes each year. The new facility can store 280,000 acre-feet of water, which is four times the capacity of Big Bear Lake, according to Metropolitan. The water will come from the State Water Project, a 705-mile storage and delivery system that serves 27 million people across California. … ” Read more from the LAist.
SEE ALSO: Water bank expected to boost storage capabilities, from the AV Press
San Bernardino: Local agencies exceed regional annual water savings goal
“Ensuring a long-term reliable water supply in the State of California depends on a combination of securing new water supplies and making sure our existing resources are used efficiently. Considering each community is unique in their water uses and effective conservation tools, San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District (San Bernardino Valley) established a groundbreaking Demand Management Incentive Program aimed to work with retail water agencies to promote reducing regional water use while also recognizing that different incentives and tactics may work for one retail water provider but not another. With goals of maximizing water conservation success and preserving retail agencies’ flexibility to implement their unique program the new incentive program was able to reach new levels of saving water for the future. … ” Read more from ACWA’s Water News.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Public event marks start of work on North Shore Salton Sea project
“Riverside County and Salton Sea officials held a public event Oct. 19 in North Shore to mark reaching a significant milestone in the development of the future North Lake Pilot Demonstration Project. The event was held at the North Shore Beach & Yacht Club Community Center, 99-155 Sea View Drive. The yacht club overlooks the project’s future site along Riverside County’s northern shore of the Salton Sea. State and local officials were in attendance as engineering firm Dudek initiated geophysical survey work. According to the county, the event gave the community a chance to interact with state and local officials, ask questions and learn about how this “much-anticipated” project is coming along. … ” Read more from Hey SoCal.
SAN DIEGO
San Diego speeds up Lake Hodges Dam rebuild, other dam fixes
“San Diego is accelerating efforts to shore up the city’s aging dams, including moving up construction of the new Lake Hodges Dam from 2031 to 2029 and committing to comprehensively evaluating the eight other city dams by 2028. The goal is to determine whether a $1 billion estimate of total repair costs is accurate, deciding which dams need the most work and weighing which projects should be prioritized over others. “We can’t do everything tomorrow, so we need to find a way to strategically plan for the highest priority actions,” Kelly Balo, interim deputy director of the city’s Public Utilities Department, said last week. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Imperial Beach doctors say data links South Bay sewage issues to increased diarrhea cases
“Two South Bay doctors say they have data that shows a correlation between bacteria levels in the area’s water and the number of diarrhea cases in their patients. Doctors Matthew and Kimberly Dickson said they are concerned about what this information will mean for the upcoming rainy season. In late August, the city of Imperial Beach dealt with Tropical Storm Hillary, a boil water advisory, and a sewage spill on Hollister Street. The Dicksons, owners of South Bay Urgent Care, said it was shortly after that week in August when they started noticing a big increase in the number of people coming in with gastrointestinal symptoms. … ” Read more from Channel 10.
San Diego Supervisors expand removal of Tijuana River debris
“San Diego County will spend $5 million to expand removal of sewage and trash from Mexico that accumulates in the Tijuana River Valley. On Tuesday, the Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a plan that involves building a sediment- and trash-control basin and dredging the drainage channels, known as Smuggler’s Gulch and Pilot Channel, that often build up with debris after storms. Flows through the concrete channels repeatedly release sewage, trash and other pollutants into the Tijuana River and flood nearby communities after major rains. South County beaches are frequently closed as a result of winter storms that wash polluted flows through the river watershed. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Along the Colorado River …
Despite a wet El Niño forecast for Southern Nevada, Lake Mead unlikely to see water level rise
“The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting higher-than-usual rainfall for parts of Nevada, California and Arizona this winter, but that rainfall isn’t expected to translate to gains in the water level at Lake Mead, regional climate experts said. El Niño’s southern oscillation cycle began changing weather patterns this month and will continue through the winter to bring wetter conditions to the southern United States, said Jon Gottschalck, the operational prediction branch chief for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). There’s a 75% to 85% chance of a strong El Niño this winter, making it the dominant factor determining the U.S. winter climate, Gottschalck said at a news conference last week detailing the winter outlook. … El Niño conditions typically have brought more winter and spring precipitation to the desert Southwest, but the impact on the Colorado River Basin is expected to be “all over the place,” according to Paul Miller, service coordination hydrologist for the NOAA Colorado Basin River Forecast Center. … ” Read more at the Las Vegas Sun.
CRS InSight Report: ‘Responding to drought in the Colorado River Basin: federal and state efforts’
The Colorado River Basin (Figure 1) covers more than 246,000 square miles in seven U.S. states and Mexico. Basin waters are managed and governed by multiple laws, court decisions, and other documents known collectively as the Law of the River. The Colorado River Compact of 1922 established a framework to apportion water supplies between the river’s Upper and Lower Basins (divided at Lee Ferry, AZ). Each basin was allocated 7.5 million acre-feet (MAF) annually under the compact; an additional 1.5 MAF in annual flows was made available to Mexico under a 1944 treaty. The Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the Department of the Interior (DOI) play a prominent role in basin water management due to the many federally authorized projects in the basin. This Insight discusses the status of the basin’s hydrology, as well as efforts to address its water supply issues. … ” Read more and download report from Water Wired.
In national water news today …
Earth close to ‘risk tipping points’ that will damage our ability to deal with climate crisis, warns UN
“Humanity is moving dangerously close to irreversible tipping points that would drastically damage our ability to cope with disasters, UN researchers have warned, including the withdrawal of home insurance from flood-hit areas and the drying up of the groundwater that is vital for ensuring food supplies. These “risk tipping points” also include the loss of the mountain glaciers that are essential for water supplies in many parts of the world and accumulating space debris knocking out satellites that provide early warnings of extreme weather. A new report from the UN University (UNU) in Germany has set out a series of risk tipping points that are approaching, but said having foresight of these meant that it remained possible to take action to prevent them. Tipping points are triggered by small increases in their driving force but rapidly lead to large impacts. … ” Read more from The Guardian.
