On the calendar today …
- HYBRID EVENT: Delta-Suisun Tidal Wetland Restoration Symposium: State of the Science and Future Directions from 8:30am to 4:30pm. Attend in Sacramento or via Zoom. Click here for more information and to register.
- EVENT: California Financing Coordinating Committee Virtual Funding Fair from 9am to 12pm. The California Financing Coordinating Committee (CFCC) conducts free funding fairs statewide each year to educate the public and offer potential customers the opportunity to meet with financial representatives from each agency to learn more about their available funding. CFCC members facilitate and expedite the completion of various types of infrastructure projects by helping customers combine the resources of different agencies. Project information is shared between members so additional resources can be identified. Presentations will be held from 9 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. and participants can visit virtual booths from 11:00 a.m. to 12 p.m. to meet with representatives. Click here to register.
- HYBRID EVENT: Navigating Extremes – Challenges and Opportunities for California Water Policy and Management from 12pm to 1pm. California has recently seen some of its driest and wettest years, with extreme abundance and absence of snowpack and streamflow. This exacerbation of California’s already extreme-prone climate brings new challenges for water policy and management. This talk will address some of these policy challenges and suggest some promising directions for adapting California’s water management to worsening climate extremes, as well as accompanying ecological, public health, and economic problems. Presented by Dr. Jay Lund. Click here to register for the webinar.
- LUNCH-MAR: DWR’s Flood and Groundwater Recharge Response, Basin Characterization Program, and Statewide AEM Surveys and Tools from 12:30pm to 1:30pm. Presenters: Steven Springhorn and Katherine Dlubac, DWR. Click here to register.
- IN-PERSON PUBLIC WORKSHOP: Flood risk management and nonstructural mitigation in the San Joaquin Valley from 5:30pm to 7:30pm. Embark on a journey through diverse topics. Explore the nuances of weather, engineering with nature, flood risk management, habitat restoration, road safety, and innovative projects. Following the workshop, there will be an opportunity for an extended Q&A session for you to ask questions on flood risk management and nonstructural mitigation. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
Central Valley chinook are getting lost on their way home
“Picture yourself: a chinook salmon, in the prime of your life. You dart through the water off California’s central coast, winding through kelp and dodging hungry sea lions. Long, sleek and silver, dappled with dark spots. Eyes wide and vigilant; 50 pounds of pure muscle. You’ve been out at sea for several years now, first voyaging north along the Oregon coastline, then westward into deeper water. As winter approaches and the days grow shorter, you’ve found your way back to California. You’ve felt the seasons turn before, but this year, it means something special. Your kind, the Central Valley chinook — what fishers call the “king” salmon — are not born at sea. For thousands of years, your ancestors began their lives in the heart of California, where tributaries and streams flow together to form the mighty Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers. They fanned out across the valley, across forested streams, desert rivers and delta wetlands. … ” Continue reading at High Country News.
Arrowhead water bottler sues state board over cease and desist order
“California’s Water Resources Control Board is being sued by BlueTriton brands, the company that bottles Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water. In September, the state agency issued a cease and desist order to restrict millions of gallons of water being pumped from the San Bernardino National Forest. But, the order didn’t prevent BlueTriton brands from filing the lawsuit in Fresno County earlier this month. The company is arguing that the state water board is wrongfully expanding their authority. According to a company spokesman, the water board’s own staff reports show that they don’t give permits for groundwater. … ” Read more from KVCR.
Turbulent weather is headed for California. Here’s a timeline of impacts
“After an October that was drier and warmer than normal across much of California, November weather is shaping up to vary considerably statewide. A strengthening jet stream is expected to ferry moisture toward Northern California throughout early November, while Los Angeles and San Diego remain mainly dry. But by Thanksgiving, long-range weather models indicate that turbulent weather could slide toward the Central Coast and Southern California. San Francisco averages 2.6 inches of rain in November, compared with just .94 inches in October. Eureka’s average precipitation climbs from 2.3 inches in October to 4.9 inches in November.November won’t waste much time following this annual trend across Northern California. Rain showers are forecast for the North Coast on Thursday and Friday. A stronger, atmospheric river-fueled storm is expected to take aim at the Oregon-California border this weekend, with some of the precipitation extending down to the Bay Area by Sunday. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Will Northern California see rain and floods again this winter because of El Niño?
“Most of California could see a wet winter this year — at least that’s what early forecasts are showing, as El Niño conditions push through the Northern Hemisphere. Weather experts officially declared El Niño in May, meaning a higher potential for above-normal precipitation for the Golden State. “El Niño is active right now,” Jon Gottschalck, the chief of the Operational Prediction Branch at the Climate Prediction Center said. “It’s a strong event.” Since it was officially announced, the chance of El Niño developing from March to May next year decreased to 80%, as of Oct. 12, according to the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center. … “A strong event doesn’t guarantee strong global impacts, but it does increase the odds that some level of impacts will occur in places with a history of being affected by ENSO,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration website. ENSO refers to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation. Especially on the West Coast, Gottschalck said, precipitation forecasts are highly variable. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
Extreme weather makes monitoring snowpack increasingly relevant
“What do salmon, hydroelectric power, and agriculture have in common? They all depend on snowmelt. So do floods and wildfires. “We are seeing more fires because the snow is melting earlier,” says Ana Barros, an engineering professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, recalling how swaths of the US were shrouded in smoke from the record fires in Canada this past summer. Early melt can make soil soggy at the wrong time, and less snowmelt can leave soil dry; both force farmers to change their planting strategies to successfully grow crops. The chief challenge in understanding and predicting seasonal snowmelt is measuring the snowpack. Snow accumulation varies spatially and temporally. It gets deep in mountains and remains shallower on prairies. Snow is porous, and its density varies with air, ice, and liquid-water content. Substrate, vegetation, sun, dust, soot, wind, snow grain size, and other factors affect how snow settles and melts and how sensors respond to snow. … ” Read more from Physics Today.
Q&A: Thomas Painter takes to the skies to measure snowpack
Thomas Painter has worked at national labs. He has been a professor. And now he is CEO of the company he cofounded, Airborne Snow Observatories Inc (ASO). It’s “stunning” how similar being a principal investigator is to being a CEO, he says. “You come up with ideas, you communicate them with people, and you want people to adopt your ideas.” ASO flies instruments over mountain basins to measure snow depth and reflectivity. Coupled with modeling of physical processes and ground measurements, the flight data are used to predict snowmelt and water runoff. Scientists can use the data to study how global warming is changing snowfall and snowmelt and how those changes affect everything from wildlife to global food security. The business side gives water managers the tools to make informed decisions about crop management, flood prevention, and more. … Painter never imagined he’d become a businessman. But when his project was being squeezed out of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), he leaped. “It was my baby and my team,” he says. “The notion of handing it off to some entity out there that was going to screw it up was not palatable.” … ” Continue reading at Physics Today.
Congress makes urgent call for Central Valley water infrastructure repairs
“A bipartisan congressional delegation led by California Democrat Senator Alex Padilla and Republican Representative Doug LaMalfa on Tuesday sent a letter to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers urging them to prioritize “critical emergency repairs” to levees in the Sacramento and San Joaquin River watersheds. Months after wet winter storms drenched the Central Valley, blanketed the Sierra Nevada in record-breaking snowpack and strained dams and reservoirs, parts of Central California’s water infrastructure are still in need of repairs. The letter comes ahead of what is likely to be another wet winter. “The relentless storms of 2023 caused extensive damage to this network, leaving numerous communities susceptible to potential levee failures during the upcoming flood season,” the letter reads. … ” Continue reading at KVPR.
SEE ALSO: Padilla, LaMalfa Lead Call for Emergency Levee Repairs in Central Valley Ahead of Flood Season, from Senator Alex Padilla
SHASTA STORY MAP: Publication examines methodology for updated Long-Term Operation of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project
The Bureau of Reclamation today released “Applied Science and Analysis of Alternatives,” the second chapter of its Shasta StoryMap that describes the technology, analysis and conditions that are the basis of the proposed Long-Term Operation Plan for the Central Valley Project and State Water Project. Produced in the dynamic and vivid ArcGIS StoryMap format, the publication is a fast, easily digestible description of the challenges facing Shasta Reservoir. Chapter two focuses on the modeling outlooks that were used to help formulate the alternatives. Click here to view the Story Map.
SGMA IMPLEMENTATION: Now available: A Guide to Annual Reports, Periodic Evaluations, and Plan Amendments
“On October 30, 2023, DWR released its Groundwater Sustainability Plan Implementation: A Guide to Annual Reports, Periodic Evaluations, and Plan Amendments, which provides guidance to GSAs preparing these documents under SGMA and the GSP Regulations. The Department also released a Frequently Asked Questions and Available Resources document that provides commonly asked questions and answers about Annual Reports, Periodic Evaluations, and GSP Amendments. These resources do not create any requirements or obligations for GSAs; the information is intended to clarify the necessary content of the documents already required by SGMA and the GSP Regulations. … ” Read more and view/download documents from DWR.
More groundwater sustainability plans approved
“The Department of Water Resources (DWR) has issued determinations on groundwater sustainability plans (GSPs) for 17 non-critically overdrafted basins. Guided by the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), the DWR evaluates these plans based on scientific merit and their potential to achieve sustainability goals. The agency will continue to support GSP development, providing technical and financial assistance, along with a robust suite of data and tools. … ” Read more from Ag Net West.
Rebates can help pay for California’s stormwater capture
“New research describes the development and operation of a novel incentive program that uses water rebates to pay for some of the costs of stormwater capture, according to a press release from the University of California – Santa Cruz. Many aquifers in California and around the world are being drained of their groundwater because of the combined impacts of excess pumping, shifts in land use, and climate change. However, the new study published on Oct. 18 in Nature Water, may offer a solution. The study describes the development and operation of a novel incentive program that uses water rebates to pay for some of the costs of getting stormwater runoff into the ground. The program is called recharge net metering (ReNeM). … ” Read more from Stormwater Solutions.
California farmers plant hedgerows to conserve water, improve soil health
“Hedgerows, also known as living fences, provide numerous benefits for farms and orchards in California. The California Healthy Soils Program funds climate-friendly practices, including planting hedgerows, which have been found to improve carbon sequestration, increase pollinators, reduce erosion and water consumption and facilitate insect management. All of this reduces costs for olive farmers in a low-margin industry. “We have put in about 8 miles (13 kilometers) of native pollinator hedgerows here on the farm-not immediately in the olives,” Don Cameron, the vice president and general manager at Terranova Ranch, told Olive Oil Times. “I believe that anything we can do to increase the native population of native pollinators not only benefits the olives but a wide range of other agricultural crops that are dependent on insect pollination,” he added. … ” Continue reading at Olive Oil Times.
Summit tackles water challenges facing California
“Below-average precipitation and snowpack during 2020-22 and depleted surface and groundwater supplies pushed California into a drought emergency that brought curtailment orders and calls for modernizing water rights. At the Water Education Foundation annual water summit last week in Sacramento, Eric Oppenheimer, chief deputy director of the California State Water Resources Control Board, discussed what he described as the state’s “antiquated” water rights system. He spoke before some 150 water managers, government officials, farmers, environmentalists and others as part of the event where interests come together to collaborate on some of the state’s most challenging water issues. … ” Read more from Ag Alert.
River recovery from drought can take years
“Since about 2020, North America has been in a drought that has caused water shortages, threatened crop yields, and killed wildlife. After a wet winter this year, drought conditions have improved. But that doesn’t mean that water supply woes are over. Even after rain returns to dried-out areas, the impact of precipitation drought (also known as meteorological drought) persists in rivers for months or even years. In new research published in the Journal of Hydrology, scientists reported that the lag time between the return of regular rain and the recovery of a river to its normal conditions can be years long. Climate change is worsening drought severity, which further puts rivers at risk of prolonged recovery, the authors write. “This is really important for understanding how meteorological drought impacts reverberate through the water cycle,” said Olivia Miller, a hydrologist at the Utah Water Science Center who was not involved in the new research. … ” Read more from AGU.
Reclamation’s Water School graduates third class, empowering employees with essential water management skills
“The Bureau of Reclamation concluded its third Water School course Oct. 27. Course developers, for the first time, offered a hybrid learning option for this highly successful school. Water School’s 250 students attended in-person and virtually for the week-long training. Among the unprecedented challenges of drought, climate change, and infrastructure limitations, this immersive program first launched in October 2022. It equips staff from various disciplines across Reclamation with an in-depth understanding of the intricate challenges involved in water management throughout the Western United States. “Given the unprecedented supply and demand, and infrastructure challenges we are facing with drought and climate change, the need for interdisciplinary precision and skill in water resource management has never been higher to meet Reclamation’s mission,” said Reclamation Deputy Commissioner for Operations David Palumbo. … ” Read more from the Bureau of Reclamation.
How a California wildfire created a buffet for marine microbes
“On the evening of 4 December 2017, a small patch of brush caught fire near Santa Paula, California. The blaze soon grew into one of the largest wildfires the state had ever experienced. By the time firefighters contained what became known as the Thomas Fire, it had devoured more than 1000 square kilometers of coastal woodland, killed two people, and left hundreds of homes in ruins. The catastrophe wreaked havoc on land, but it also might have enabled coastal ecosystems to flourish, suggests research published today in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B. As the ash plume created by the fire billowed across the Pacific Ocean, it deposited a variety of chemical compounds, creating a veritable buffet for marine microbes. The findings “demonstrate the interconnectedness of ecosystems not just locally, but regionally,” says Camille Stevens-Rumann, a fire ecologist at Colorado State University who wasn’t involved with the study. … ” Read more from Science.
When burn scars become roaring earthen rivers
“Two Septembers ago, the residents of Grotto, Washington, woke to the Bolt Creek Fire ripping through the mountains above their homes. “This doesn’t happen here,” Patricia Vasquez remembers saying at the time, shocked. While areas east of the state’s Cascade mountains frequently burn in the summer, Grotto is on the mountains’ western side, in a wetter climate, where fires had been infrequent but are now increasingly common. Vasquez evacuated with her husband, Lorenzo, Ava, their dog, and the fresh Alaska halibut they’d just caught while on vacation. Elizabeth Walther, their neighbor, evacuated with a puppy, but her husband, Richard, a ski patroller, stayed behind to hose down the house. No one was hurt, and no houses burned. But now, wildfire survivors in Washington face a new threat: debris flows. Wildfires can lessen the soil’s ability to absorb water, so when thunderstorms, rapid snowmelt, atmospheric rivers or rain falling on snow occur in a burned area, that can create a roaring earthen river. Debris flows can move quickly — 30 mph or more — sliding from the uplands to the valley floor in a matter of minutes. … ” Read more from High Country News.
In commentary today …
Underground water storage is needed
The Southern California News Group editorial board writes, “Despite an unusually wet season last year and predictions for a boisterous rainy season this year, California continues to struggle to store enough water to meet the needs of its population and farms. We’ve experienced two particularly grueling droughts in the last decade, with state officials repeatedly blaming climate change for the challenges. We don’t doubt that climate change is stressing our water systems. But state policy ought to prioritize resilience by building the storage we need to adapt to whatever climate conditions we will face. Fortunately, Southern California water officials are getting the message. … ” Continue reading at the OC Register.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Dam removals, restoration project on Klamath River expected to help salmon, researchers conclude
“The world’s largest dam removal and restoration project currently underway on the Klamath River in Oregon and California will aid salmon populations that have been devastated by disease and other factors. However, it will not fully alleviate challenges faced by the species, a team of researchers conclude in a just-published paper. “The dam removals will likely go a long way towards restoring balance in the river,” said Sascha Hallett, a fish parasitologist at Oregon State University who has studied the river for two decades. “Certainly under certain circumstances there are going to be disease outbreaks, like with people and pathogens. But we envision that they are not going to be as large and not going to be as frequent as we have observed in the past.” Michael Belchik, a fisheries biologist with the Yurok Tribe in California and co-author of the paper, said he thinks there will be noticeable gains for fish shortly after the dams are removed. … ” Read more from Oregon State University.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Twain Harte Lake emptied ahead of dam upkeep, silt removal next year
“Twain Harte Lake, the private, gated, members-only recreation reservoir on Twain Harte Creek below Twain Harte Golf Club has been drained for dam maintenance and silt removal set to begin next year. The reservoir is impounded by Twain Harte Dam, completed in 1928. The reservoir and the dam are owned by the Twain Harte Lake Association, which says it represents more than 800 members. The reservoir’s open, operational season each summer is Memorial Day to Labor Day weekend. In a statement to The Union Democrat dated Oct. 20, the association said Twain Harte Lake was recently drained for off-season projects to be conducted. … ” Read more from the Union-Democrat.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Northern California rice farmer and meteorologist accurately predicts winter weather
“Chico rice farmer and meteorologist Rob Doornbos kept getting asked what the winter weather was going to be like. He founded his company, Weather Tools, Inc., to let farmers and others know just that. Users can buy a subscription to the service at www.weathertools.org. “I was in a combine and entering the rice harvest, and I started thinking ‘what is it that growers ask me that I can’t answer?” Doornbos said. Doornbos’ California Annual Precipitation report reveals how much precipitation California will get in the coming water year and has been correct every year for the last several years years. Doornbos joined forces with international weather company Baron Weather to distribute the CAP report, which comes out Nov. 1. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
Paradise, California, was destroyed by fire. Here’s what it looks like 5 years later
“Five years ago, before the catastrophic Camp Fire burned through Paradise, California, destroying 11,000 homes and killing 85 people, driving through the small town looked like driving through a pine grove. “There were so many trees that you really couldn’t see very far,” says Collette Curtis, the city’s recovery and economic director. “It really was like being in a forest.”Today, it looks very different. Some newly built houses are now visible on lots that were previously hidden by trees, with ample space around the homes to help prevent the spread of flames. (Without the thicket of trees, it’s also so much sunnier that some homes have solar panels for the first time.) … ” Read more from Fast Company.
Wheatland’s new city manager speaks on growth, infrastructure improvements
“Following former Wheatland City Manager Jim Goodwin’s resignation on June 30, Bill Zenoni was appointed to fill the role as the city faces new infrastructure and residential developments. Zenoni has contributed to a number of city governments across Northern California for over 45 years. While he has mostly fulfilled financial roles for each municipality, Zenoni said he also served as interim city manager for Lincoln. As a resident of Granite Bay, Zenoni frequently visited Wheatland in the past and felt drawn to its small town atmosphere and the city council that has worked to initiate a number of developments for its residents. “It’s a small town with a lot going on, and I think that’s a good combination,” Zenoni said. … ” Read more from the Appeal-Democrat.
Nimbus Fish Hatchery delays the opening of its salmon ladder, citing a ‘water management issue’
“The Nimbus Fish Hatchery is delaying the annual opening of its salmon ladder. The ladder was scheduled to open during a Halloween event on Tuesday. Early November is typically when adult salmon return from the Pacific to spawn, and the ladder provides a safe path for salmon to navigate to their spawning grounds. On Monday, operators at the Nimbus Fish Hatchery published a post on their Facebook page announcing a postponement of the opening, citing a “water management issue.” … ” Read more from KCRA.
Rain is on its way back to Sacramento. What to expect (and when to clean your gutters)
“Sacramento is in store for another rainy weekend. The National Weather Service is forecasting rain to come into the area at the end of the week and officials are suggesting residents clean their gutters and drains before it arrives. “There is a slight chance you can see a stray shower Friday as the system moves through, but the better chances to see any appreciable precipitation are going to be Saturday and Sunday,” said Nathan Rick, a National Weather Service meteorologist. Rain could start as soon as Thursday in the area, according to the weather service. “We could see a couple hundredths of an inch, maybe two-tenths of an inch, on Thursday and Friday,” Rick said. “But the likelihood of that is fairly low.” … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
CENTRAL COAST
Central Coast groups sue state over water contamination
“A contingent of environmental and social justice groups has sued a state water watchdog for worsening widespread nitrate contamination in drinking water that primarily affects communities of color along the Central Coast, as well as causing environmental damage to the region’s waterways. The 69-page lawsuit alleges both the State Water Resources Control Board and the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board have failed to address nitrate contamination and other agricultural pollution along the Central Coast. Nitrate, a by-product of nitrogen fertilizer, can interfere with the ability of red blood cells to carry oxygen to the tissues of the body, producing a condition called methemoglobinemia. It is of greatest concern in infants, whose immature stomach environment enables the conversion of nitrate to nitrite, which is then absorbed into the bloodstream and interferes with oxygenating cells and causing the blue appearance in infants. … ” Read more from the Monterey Herald.
This SLO County town needs more water. Could a new pipeline be the answer?
“The Los Osos Community Services District is looking for a way to import a hot commodity: water. The small San Luis Obispo County community’s water source, an underground aquifer, has long been overpumped and is polluted from farming nitrates and intruding seawater. Years-long droughts haven’t helped, forcing the community’s 16,000 residents to cut back on watering plants and install water-smart appliances. Some have fought fiercely against any new developments that could tax already stressed resources. “We need water resiliency. We need a supplemental water source,” said the district’s general manager, Ron Munds. “Our engineer looked into a lot of other water sources and state water just seemed to be the best option.” … ” Read more from the San Luis Obispo Tribune.
Commentary: Lack of proper research leads to faulty information
Ron Fink writes, “During a recent Santa Maria City Council meeting the need for an increase in water and wastewater rates was discussed. As part of the rate increase hearing, the council was provided with a “Regional Comparison – water/sewer Combined” chart prepared by the utilities staff to demonstrate that the new rates would be lower than many other jurisdictions. When looking at the chart the viewer was led to believe the new rates proposed for Santa Maria were considerably lower than those of Lompoc. This is false. The city of Lompoc provides not only water/wastewater service, but also provides solid-waste pick-up, operates a landfill, and serves as the electric utility. … ” Read more from Noozhawk.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Work starts this month on tunnels along main canal
“South San Joaquin Irrigation District is expected to be well positioned for the 2024 irrigation season regardless of what Mother Nature does this winter. That’s thanks to a wet winter that left New Melones Reservoir storage at 1.9 million acre feet when SSJID ended its irrigation season on Oct. 29. That is within 700,000 acre feet of the highest flood storage level it can be at for this time of year which is 78 percent of the reservoir’s 2.4 million acre foot capacity or 1.97 million acre feet. SSJID will likely have a relatively full conservation account heading into the new water year. That’s due to reduced deliveries in this past year, the wet spring. and late start to the irrigation season. … SSJID crews are now starting repair and maintenance work related to its 30 miles of canals. … ” Read more from the Manteca Bulletin.
A river runs through Bakersfield? Judge rules the Kern River must be allowed to flow
“Environmental activists in Bakersfield have won an initial victory in their legal fight to keep water flowing in the Kern River, which for many years was reduced to a dry, sandy riverbed. A judge has granted a preliminary injunction preventing water diversions that would dry up the river, requiring sufficient water to provide for fish and keep the Kern flowing in the city. “This is really a reason to celebrate,” said Kelly Damian, a spokesperson for the group Bring Back the Kern. “This is going to have such a positive long-term impact on the city, on the community, on the future for our town.” … ” Read more from the LA Times.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Verdict for Pomona groundwater contamination upheld
“The City of Pomona, California’s case against SQM North American Corporation regarding groundwater contamination has officially concluded after 13 years of litigation. SQM is paying the city more than $30.62 million to cover Pomona’s costs incurred by groundwater contamination — allegedly caused by SQM’s defective fertilizer products. The payment represents the City’s full costs, both those already incurred and those expected to be over the next 30 years, for treating perchlorate in its drinking water supplies, together with certain costs awarded by the court, and interested. … ” Read more from Water World.
Along the Colorado River …
AG ALERT: Wet year improves Colorado River status
“A consensus plan agreed to last spring by states in the Colorado River’s Lower Basin should keep sufficient water in the river’s key reservoirs for the next three years, according to a report released last week by the federal government. After decades of drought, scientists had warned that the river, which supplies water to 40 million people in the West and irrigates more than 5 million acres of farmland, was at risk of running dry. The Biden administration said the plan by California, Arizona and Nevada to conserve 3 million acre-feet of water by 2026 in exchange for $1.2 billion in federal funds should protect the Colorado River system in the short term. … ” Continue reading from Ag Alert.
Senior water rights: Samantha Byrd shares what this means for Yuma County and what the future holds for our water supply
“The Colorado River plays a critical role in the history of Yuma County, drawing in settlers to live in our community, and farming the land with the precious resource of the river. Now, the iconic waterway is in its 23rd year of drought, according to the Bureau of Reclamation, and the two largest reservoirs, Lake Powell and Lake Mead have sunk to historic lows, prompting a series of water restrictions. The history of water in Yuma dates back over 100 years, shaping our community into what it is today. The Yuma County Water User’s Association was incorporated and formed in 1903. … ” Read more from Channel 11.
House passes legislation to improve water shortages in Colorado, Southwest region
“The United States House of Representatives passed two amendments this past Thursday that would provide $5 million in funding to water projects in Colorado and the Southwest. The amendments, introduced by U.S. Rep. Lauren Boebert, added to the Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act redirect funding from the Department of Energy’s Departmental Administration Account to the Colorado River Storage Project and Colorado River Dam Fund. The Colorado River Storage Project will receive $1 million in funding and $4 million in funding from the Colorado River Dam Fund. “The West is in the midst of a serious water crisis that can no longer be overlooked,” Boebert said in a news release. … ” Read more from the Durango Herald.
In national water news today …
Why can’t we just quit cows?
“Cattle play a colossal role in climate change: As the single largest agricultural source of methane, a potent planet-warming gas, the world’s 940 million bovines spew nearly 10 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions — much of it through belches and droppings. As such, there’s an astonishing amount of time and money being funneled into emission control. On-farm biodigesters, for example, take a back-end approach by harvesting methane wafting from manure pits. A slew of research aims to curb bovine burps by feeding them seaweed, essential oils and even a bovine Bean-O of sorts. The latest endeavor, a $70 million effort led by a Nobel laureate, uses gene-editing technology in an effort to eliminate that pollution by re-engineering the animals’ gut microbes. Given the world’s growing appetite for meat and dairy, these novel ventures are crucial to inching us toward international and national climate goals. Yet they beg the question: Wouldn’t it be easier to ditch milk, cheese and beef for plant-based alternatives? Why fight nature when there’s an easier solution, at least from a scientific perspective? … ” Continue reading at Grist.
‘We are afraid:’ Earth’s vital signs are now in ‘uncharted territory,’ climate scientists warn
“Massive wildfires in Canada, Greece and Hawaii. All-time record heat waves. Hurricanes with surprising ferocity, like the one that devastated Acapulco last week. This year has presented stark evidence that Earth is already in “uncharted territory” with climate change, scientists say, to the point that unless major progress is made to reduce greenhouse emissions, parts of the world that are home to one-third to one-half of the global population could face extreme heat, food shortages and water shortages by the end of this century. That’s the conclusion of a new study from researchers at Oregon State University and other institutions around the world, that has been drawing growing attention since its publication last week. “As scientists, we are increasingly being asked to tell the public the truth about the crises we face in simple and direct terms,” the researchers wrote. “The truth is that we are shocked by the ferocity of the extreme weather events in 2023. We are afraid of the uncharted territory that we have now entered.” … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
