On the calendar today …
- VIRTUAL WORKSHOP: Tulare Lake designation as a probationary basin under SGMA from 11am to 1:30pm. The State Water Board will be holding a public hearing in April of 2024 at which it will consider designating the Tulare Lake Subbasin as a probationary basin pursuant to the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). State Water Board staff have developed a draft recommendation for the State Water Board to consider, which describes the actions staff recommends the State Water Board should take. Staff will hold a public workshop to explain the draft staff report and share more about how to participate in the State Water Board’s state intervention process. Staff will also accept verbal public comments on the draft staff report at the workshops. Click here for the full notice.
In California water news today …
Storms headed toward California will bring heavy rain to these regions
“Parts of California are poised to receive a good soaking of rain as an atmospheric river and storms approach the Golden State over the next several days. There is a wide range of potential outcomes, with everything from light showers to heavy downpours possible as these weather systems take center stage.The first storm system arrives Friday night, belting cold, humid air on the North Coast. Residents in Eureka, Mendocino and Crescent City can look for rainfall rates up to a tenth of an inch per hour across far Northern California throughout the weekend, accumulating to 2 to 4 inches by Sunday night. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
SEE ALSO: ‘Atmospheric river’ will raise the risk of flooding in the Pacific Northwest into next week, from AccuWeather
Reclamation and Sites Project Authority finalize plans to create new water storage in Northern California
“Today, the Bureau of Reclamation and Sites Project Authority released final plans to create new off-stream water storage in the Sacramento Valley. The proposed reservoir—Sites—would be the second largest off-stream reservoir in the nation and would increase Northern California’s water storage capacity by up to 15 percent. “Investing in Western water infrastructure is a top priority for Reclamation and the Biden Administration as witnessed by the commitment of funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law,” said Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton. “We are proud to support projects that will provide operational flexibility and more reliable water delivery to benefit farms, communities, and the environment. We stand in partnership with the State of California and the JPA with projects like Sites Reservoir.” … ” Continue reading this press release.
SEE ALSO: Project plans for the Sites Reservoir in Northern California finalized, from Channel 10
First major water storage project in over a decade moving forward
“The recent approval of the B.F. Sisk Dam Raise and Reservoir Expansion Project marks a significant improvement to California’s water storage capacity. This major project, greenlit as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, represents the first substantial water storage approval in California since 2011. The Department of the Interior, in collaboration with the San Luis & Delta-Mendota Water Authority, has granted the nod to this crucial initiative, signaling a new era for water storage in the state. Located on the west side of the Central Valley, the B.F. Sisk Dam, currently a 382-foot high earthfill embankment, is set to undergo a transformative 10-foot crest elevation. … ” Read more from Ag Net West
SEE ALSO: Feds OK plans for major expansion of San Luis Reservoir, from the San Joaquin Valley Sun
California can do more to prepare for future floods, says think tank
“As Golden State farmers brace for another rainy winter, a new report is urging state officials to aggressively prepare for wet years as much as it prepares for dry ones. Climate change is expected to fuel both more extreme droughts and more winter storms. And while California has made progress in managing drought conditions, it has a long way to go in managing floods. “This is a challenge Californians can and must rise to meet,” wrote Letitia Grenier, director of the Public Policy Institute of California’s Water Policy Center, in the report’s introduction. “Collaboration and cooperation [between stakeholders] are no longer icing on the cake: they are essential to help us respond to rapidly evolving conditions.” … ” Read more from the Food and Environment Reporting Network.
EPA grants Tribal nations’ petition to restrict 6ppd in tires
“The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) today granted a petition submitted by the Yurok, Port Gamble S’Klallam, and Puyallup Tribes, which asked EPA to develop regulations that prohibit the use of the chemical 6PPD in tires due to the lethal effects on salmon, steelhead trout, and other wildlife. The agency agreed with the petitioners that “it is necessary to initiate” risk management rulemaking under the Toxic Substances Control Act “to address risk to the environment from 6PPD-quinone, a degradant of 6PPD.” 6PPD is added to virtually every vehicle tire. When 6PPD reacts with ground-level ozone, it breaks down into 6PPD-quinone or “6PPD-q” — the second most toxic chemical to aquatic species ever evaluated. Exposure to 6PPD-q can kill coho salmon within hours, and the chemical is responsible for “urban runoff mortality syndrome,” which kills up to 100% of coho returning to spawn in urban streams. In their petition, the Tribes argued that 6PPD in tires poses unreasonable risks to the environment, requiring the EPA to regulate the chemical under the Toxic Substances Control Act. … ” Continue reading from Earthjustice.
Rebates approach offers viable solution for addressing groundwater challenges
“A new program aims to address groundwater depletion in California through incentivizing Managed Aquifer Recharge. A study by UC Santa Cruz and UC Berkeley researchers, published in Nature Water, introduces Recharge Net Metering, or ReNeM. It functions like a reward system for individuals who allow groundwater recharge on their property. They get paid based on the amount of water their project adds back to the aquifer. This method aims to overcome challenges like the cost of land and variable infiltration conditions. … ” Read more from Ag Net West.
Climate change is turning swaths of California’s mountains into ‘zombie forests’
“There’s something eerie about this forest in the southern Sierra Nevada. Tangles of bony branches obscure the ground. Dead trees stand gray and bristly. An aura of doom hangs over the green conifers that remain. The expanse of Sierra National Forest near Shaver Lake is a relic of the climate before global warming. Scientists believe that the conifers won’t be able to survive the current conditions. Researchers at Stanford University found in a recent study that roughly one-fifth of all conifer forests in the Sierra are mismatched with the warmer climate and have become “zombie forests.” “The name ‘zombie forest’ is kind of kitschy, but I’ve come to find that it is haunting,” said ecologist Avery Hill, who co-wrote the study while pursuing a doctorate at Stanford. … ” Read more at the LA Times. | Read via PhysOrg.
SEE ALSO: Welcome to 21st Century fire: And no, you’re not safe, from the Mercury News
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Work on Copco No. 2 dam removal comes to a close
“This week, crews put the final touches on the removal of the Copco No. 2 Dam and its diversion infrastructure. Removal of the dam structure was completed in September, and crews spent the last month removing the remaining diversion infrastructure, grading the river channel, and performing erosion control. This work prepares the river canyon for consistent river flows, likely commencing within 30 days, which the canyon hasn’t seen in 98 years. Currently, flows in the canyon are fluctuating due to work being done to prepare Copco No. 1 for drawdown. “Copco No 2 is the first dam to be removed due to its small stature, location, and lack of reservoir,” noted Mark Bransom, CEO of the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC), the entity tasked with the safe and efficient removal of the four lower Klamath hydroelectric dams. “However, while Copco No. 2 was significantly smaller than the other dams slated for removal, it still had a significant impact on the river.” … ” Continue reading from the Klamath River Renewal Corporation.
SEE ALSO: First Klamath River dam removal effort complete, leaving three for next year, from Channel 12
Klamath Dam removal will lower risk of fish die-offs, scientists say
“Among the benefits to Klamath Basin fish following the largest dam removal project in the world will be fewer mass die-offs from parasites and bacteria, scientists say. A team of researchers, led by Oregon State University fish parasitologist Sascha Hallett and Michael Belchik, a fisheries biologist with the Yurok Tribe in California, found that removing dams and restoring natural flows to other Northwest and Eastern U.S. rivers eliminated hot spots of infection for fish, leading to fewer large-scale die-offs. Hallet, Belchick and their team, including scientists from state and federal wildlife and climate agencies, and from the Hoopa, Klamath and Karuk tribes, published their findings and predictions Oct. 27 in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. … ” Read more from the Oregon Capital Chronicle.
Report: Big Meadows Mountain Meadow & Aspen Restoration Project
“Big Meadows Mountain Meadow and Aspen Restoration Project is designed to enhance aspen and mountain meadow habitats at Big Meadows, a property that is privately owned by Ecotrust Forest Management (EFM). EFM owns approximately 40,000 acres in the Klamath Mountains of Siskiyou County, known as the Scott River Headwaters Property. The Scott River Headwaters Property Management Plan, developed by EFM, specifically identifies and prioritizes the restoration of aspen woodlands. As such, EFM and Scott River Watershed Council (SRWC) partnered with the goal of improving these critical habitats. The Big Meadows complex is one of the largest mountain meadow systems within the Scott River watershed. Besides the expansive meadow system, this area is known for large areas of aspen, which are only found in a few locations within the Scott River watershed. The elevations within the project area range from just over 6,000 feet to nearly 6,500 feet. … ” Read the report from the Scott River Watershed Council.
Scott River Fisheries Monitoring Project
“The Scott River Fisheries Monitoring Project is a collaborative effort between the Scott River Watershed Council and the Quartz Valley Indian Reservation to support and expand ongoing annual work to document both juvenile and adult Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and Coho Salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) within the Scott River and its tributaries. This work will integrate into other efforts throughout the basin to help inform fisheries and water management along with future restoration activities. Funding for this project was provided by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Service’s Climate Change Impacts on Wildlife (#Q2296027) fund. This project specifically provides resources to monitor Chinook and Coho Salmon, both juvenile distribution throughout the basin, and the number and spatial distribution of returning spawning
adults. … ” Read more from the Scott River Watershed Council.
Lake Pillsbury advocates wary of Scott Dam removal and lost water source
“Alerts about punishing loss of tax revenue and discretionary tourism spending should Scott Dam be decommissioned and Lake Pillsbury dries up came from county officials and researchers since a June 2022 Board of Supervisor meeting. This will come to pass if proponents of removing the dam have their way county officials warn. A new video documentary by Sam Euston of Digital Media Productions Inc., titled “Regional benefits of Lake Pillsbury” paint a stark picture of what could result if the valuable water resource were to disappear. The video is narrated by Frank Lynch and Carol Cinquini of the Lake Pillsbury Alliance. Near the conclusion of the video they interviewed Patrick Sullivan, treasurer-tax collector of Lake County who noted many constituents are concerned over the possible financial devastations which may result surrounding the Potter Valley Project should the dam eventually be removed. … ” Read more from the Lake County News.
How a California tribe fought for years to get their ancestral land back in Eureka
“In the winter of 1860, on Tuluwat, an island in the middle of northern California’s Humboldt Bay, a baby was wrapped up in his mother’s arms as she lay face-down, trying to protect him. Around them, the island was burning. Earlier that day, the Wiyots, an indigenous tribe who’ve lived in the Humboldt Bay region for thousands of years, held their sacred World Renewal Ceremony on the island west of Eureka. It sits in the center of Wiyot ancestral lands, and it’s the spiritual center of the universe for the tribe. “[The island is] where the Creator put us,” said Cheryl Seidner, former tribal chairwoman of the Wiyot Tribe. “That’s where we came from.” Nearly 150 years later, Tuluwat Island would become the focus of a successful effort to get indigenous land returned — long before today’s land back movement. … ” Read more from KQED.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Restoration project update: The Haskell Peak Meadows
“The Haskell Peak Meadows Restoration project is a 229-acre meadow restoration project that focuses on five meadows—Haskell Headwaters Fen, Freeman, West Church, Bear Trap and Chapman Saddle Meadows— in Sierra County, Northeast of Bassetts. This project is led by the South Yuba River Citizens League, in partnership with the Tahoe National Forest, and focuses on restoration of high elevation meadows at the headwaters of Church, Chapman, and Howard Creeks, that provide downstream benefits to the North Yuba River. These meadows were selected as great candidates for the use of low-impact, process-based restoration methods to produce outsized ecosystem benefits relative to restoration investment. … ” Read more from the South Yuba River Citizens League.
CEA Foundation weighs in on Rise Gold’s vested rights petition
“Nevada County Supervisors will soon consider whether or not to approve an eleventh-hour petition to grant “vested rights” to Rise Grass Valley, a subsidiary of Rise Gold. The Canadian-headquartered junior mining company is aiming to reopen a gold mine that shut down 67 years ago. To inform their decision, local opposition leader CEA Foundation has provided a review and analysis of the petition. … According to the CEA Foundation review, the Rise Grass Valley Vested Rights Petition ignores clear mandates in the County’s Land Use and Development Code which hold that any vested right to mine expires once a nonconforming use is discontinued for one year. … ” Read more from Yuba Net.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Commentary: Turning Point Preserve launched
Alex Karolyi with River Partners writes, “Critical salmon habitat and flood safety along one of the most habitat-poor stretches of the Sacramento River are getting a boost from recent state and federal funding. The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) funded the acquisition of approximately 1,000 acres of former farmland along the Sacramento River between Colusa and the city of Sacramento. The property, historically referred to as China Bend and what project proponents call the Turning Point Preserve, will be restored to native floodplain habitat in several phases to benefit endangered salmon and other imperiled wildlife. As part of the revitalization, the floodplain will be reconnected with the river to boost flood safety for downstream communities and recharge groundwater aquifers. … ” Read more from the Northern California Water Association.
NAPA/SONOMA
State pours millions into Sonoma County for groundwater
“Scientists and technicians will be keeping a close and detailed watch on something not easily seen from the surface—the amount of water beneath Sonoma County. That’s a critically important source with California’s fickle rainy season. Unlike other NorCal counties, none of the county’s water comes from snowmelt. It’s all dependent on rain filling up Its rivers…reservoirs: Lake Mendocino and Lake Sonoma…and seeping underground. On Monday state officials handed giant novelty checks clocking in just above fifteen million dollars to representatives of Sonoma county’s three groundwater basins. … ” Read more from the NorCal Public Media.
BAY AREA
Taxpayer lawsuit accuses S.F. of illegally charging stormwater fees
“A taxpayer lawsuit has accused San Francisco of illegally charging residents and businesses for the costs of treating and draining stormwater without seeking voter approval. San Francisco has previously charged a single fee for treating wastewater from toilets, showers and sinks, and stormwater runoff from rooftops and driveways. But in July the city began dividing the fees into separate bills, a process scheduled to take seven years. The lawsuit contends San Francisco is violating Proposition 218, a ballot measure approved by California voters in 1996 that requires voter approval for new city or county taxes. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Marin jurisdictions could face costly unfunded stormwater mandates
“Marin County and its municipalities could soon face costly unfunded mandates from the state and federal government to prevent their stormwater from sweeping pollution into creeks, rivers, lakes and the ocean. Rob Carson, director of the Marin Countywide Stormwater Pollution Prevention Program, detailed the outlook to the Board of Supervisors on Oct. 17. The program, which was formed through a joint powers agreement involving the county and its 11 cities and towns, coordinates Marin’s response to federal clean water regulations. As authorized by the Clean Water Act, the Environmental Protection Agency regulates the amount of pollutants that can be discharged into the waters of the United States. Through authority delegated to it by the federal government, the State Water Resources Control Board is updating the permit that sets clean water rules. Proposed revisions would make the rules stricter and more expensive to implement. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
DWR partners with Zone 7 Water Agency to improve water quality for communities in the Bay Area
“The Department of Water Resources (DWR) joined Zone 7 Water Agency along with local officials today to celebrate the completion of a new infrastructure project that will treat 6.6 million gallons of contaminated groundwater a day for communities in Pleasanton, Dublin and Livermore. Supported by a $16 million grant through DWR’s Sustainable Groundwater Management (SGM) Grant Program, the Stoneridge Well facility opened in September and is the first of its kind in Northern California to remove harmful chemicals from the groundwater supplying the communities. The facility uses ion exchange technology to remove Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), a synthetic manufacturing chemical often found in the soil, water and air. Thanks to the project, drinking water supplies in the area will increase by 16 percent. … ” Read more from DWR News.
Farallone View students, staff adjust to life without water
“Parents gathered at Farallone View Elementary School on Thursday morning to hear administration plans after the Montara Water and Sanitary District shut off water service to the school today due to its public health concerns caused by construction at the site. For many children at the school, it was also time to face their first Porta-Potty. Cabrillo Unified School District officials scrambled to get portable sanitation stations in place for the school day and to assure some potable water was in place. … ” Read more from the Half Moon Bay Review.
CENTRAL COAST
Monterey Peninsula Water Management District prevails in lawsuit against LAFCO
“In the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District’s pursuit of buying out California American Water’s system on the Monterey Peninsula, a small but notable victory was meted out Oct. 25 with a ruling from Monterey County Superior Court Judge Thomas Wills. The ruling came out of a lawsuit the district filed against the Local Agency Formation Commission of Monterey County in April 2022, centered around a decision LAFCO’s board made in December 2021 in which the board voted 5-2 to deny granting the district the “latent powers” to be a retail water provider. That decision went against LAFCO staff’s recommendation, and the agency declined the district’s request for a rehearing on the matter. … ” Read more from Monterey Weekly.
The ring nets in Montecito Canyons are coming down
“It is with great disappointment to inform you that when the five-year emergency permits expire, the Project for Resilient Communities will need to remove the six debris flow “Swiss nets” in the canyons above Montecito by December 1. Without strong local government support and budget for the six nets that may have to be cleaned out, without a guarantee that FEMA would cover those future costs, our small nonprofit cannot carry the risk associated with running a portion of a flood control system. We feel strongly that the nets are an innovative approach to augmenting the existing Flood Control program and had hoped that the County would and could take over management of the nets going forward (monitoring and cleaning), but we are too far apart to come to an agreement in the sliver of time left for us to meet the conditions of our permits. … ” Continue reading at the Santa Barbara Independent.
Environmentalists accuse Caltrans of dewatering creek with endangered steelhead
“The California Department of Transportation’s emergency repair work on the 101 Freeway in Central California has barred endangered steelhead trout from accessing a key habitat in the Gaviota Creek, which runs alongside the highway, according to an environmentalist group. Caltrans has completely dewatered or diverted a section of the creek and killed at least three steelhead while trying to relocate the fish, the Coastal Ranches Conservancy, a group that focuses its efforts on the so-called Gaviota Coast west of Santa Barbara, said in a complaint filed Thursday in Los Angeles federal court. “Defendants’ implementation of the project, in particular the dewatering and diversion of Gaviota Creek, has resulted in direct killing, trapping, harming, and harassment of steelhead,” the conservancy said. Representatives of Caltrans didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment after regular business hours. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
State OKs Ojai groundwater plan for future sustainability
“The agency that manages Ojai’s groundwater basin has won state approval on its plan to achieve long-term sustainability for the basin. On Thursday, Oct. 26, the California Department of Water Resources announced approval of the Ojai Basin Groundwater Management Agency’s groundwater sustainability plan, along with 16 other GSPs statewide. “We were happy to hear it because the deadline for them approving it was coming up in January,” said Richard Hajas, OBGMA board president. “That would be two years since we submitted it, so we were a little concerned. But it turned out all right and our next step is how to implement it and pay for it.” … ” Read more from the Ojai Valley News.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Water — we’ve got good news and bad
Columnist John Lindt writes, “Water is in the news again this week. The good news is that farms, looking to reverse lower groundwater levels, are recharging their groundwater big time this fall from substantial flows sourced from valley rivers and canals. “Record water flow this year has propelled the Kings River region closer to groundwater sustainability, recharging 500,000 acre-feet of water into the aquifer during the 2023 Kings River water year,” says the Kings River Water Association. “Flood releases from Pine Flat have coursed water through Kings River channels and water purveyor headgates for 162 days straight.” … But major challenges remain for Kings County this year. … ” Read more from the Hanford Sentinel.
EASTERN SIERRA
A rising Mono Lake averted coyote threat to nesting gulls
“As Mono Lake rose this year it submerged large sections of the exposed landbridge between Negit Island and Black Point, providing a better buffer between coyotes and thousands of nesting California Gulls. The winter brought so much precipitation, runoff , and resulting lake level increase that the Mono Lake Committee shelved plans to install a temporary electric fence on the landbridge to protect nesting gulls. Instead, after consulting with Point Blue Conservation Science, Committee staff set up wildlife cameras on both sides of the landbridge to monitor coyote activity before and during the nesting season as the lake rose. No coyotes were detected. In September, a post-nesting season survey of the islands did not find any evidence of coyote predation or presence, either. … ” Read more from the Mono Lake Committee.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
SCV Water to receive $5.3 million state grant for groundwater sustainability
“To offset costs associated with implementing tasks identified in the Santa Clarita Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency’s Groundwater Sustainability Plan, the SCV Water Agency has been awarded $5.3 million through Round 2 of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Grant program administered by the California Department of Water Resources. The projects identified in the grant application are designed to strengthen the local groundwater basin and continue a long history of ensuring its sustainability, according to a news release from SCV Water. … ” Read more from The Signal.
Metropolitan celebrates water legacy of U.S. Rep. Grace Napolitano, names recycled water facility in her honor
“Honoring the visionary leadership and legacy of the retiring congresswoman who championed water issues, the Metropolitan Water District today dedicated the Grace F. Napolitano Pure Water Southern California Innovation Center, the demonstration plant of the regional recycled water program it is developing in partnership with the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts. Napolitano was joined at the ceremony by local and federal leaders, including U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Touton, who celebrated the congresswoman’s achievements and heralded the naming of the Grace F. Napolitano Pure Water Southern California Innovation Center as a fitting tribute to the congresswoman’s hard work and dedication to sustainable water solutions. … ” Read more from the Metropolitan Water District.
Officials look to construct water reclamation project at Poche Beach
“As Poche Beach was once again included in Heal the Bay’s Beach Bummer list, county and local officials are looking to construct a water reclamation project to divert runoff from reaching the beach. Poche Beach, located on the border of Capistrano Beach and San Clemente, received an F for its wet weather grade from the environmental nonprofit, which evaluates amounts of fecal indicator bacteria that represent a potential health risk to beachgoers. Orange County Fifth District Supervisor Katrina Foley noted that as soon as she saw Heal the Bay’s latest report released this past June, she thought, “How can we get this fixed?” The project will “eliminate runoff discharges to Poche Beach during dry weather to protect the beach water quality and provide regulatory compliance from bacteria standards,” said Foley, who added that it also aims to set up Poche with a better grade in future Heal the Bay report cards. … ” Read more from the Dana Point Times.
Twentynine Palms: City gets state grant, but will they use it?
“Two weeks after state officials approved a $50 grant to the city to build a wastewater treatment plant and begin sewage hookups, the question became, will the city use the money or return it to the state? That question came up at a regular council meeting Oct. 24, when outgoing City Manager Frank Luckino sought direction on the wastewater treatment project. The city has proposed building a wastewater treatment plant in the vicinity of Two Mile Road and Utah Trail. The project is opposed by some residents who say a treatment plant near their homes will affect their health and property values. … ” Read more from the Hi Desert Star.
SAN DIEGO
Relief for South Bay beaches could be on the horizon
“Water quality data shows bacteria levels in the ocean along South Bay beaches have been hundreds of times over what’s considered safe for human health this past week. The culprit, per usual, is sewage flowing from Mexico into the Tijuana River which empties into the Pacific Ocean just south of San Diego’s southernmost cities. But the people who manage wastewater infrastructure in the U.S.-Mexico border say respite is nigh. Next month, Tijuana’s wastewater agency is set to restore a ruptured sewage main that snapped in half last August. When that happens, sewage has only two places to go: The Tijuana River or an overworked treatment plant on the U.S. side of the border. … ” Read more from the Voice of San Diego.
Along the Colorado River …
Federal government’s short-term Colorado River stabilization plan paints a “rosy” picture
“Colorado scientist Brad Udall spent hours digging — with frustration — through the federal government’s 700-page proposal for managing key dams and reservoirs in the Colorado River Basin over the next three years. “I just wish they would really simply say, ‘And here’s how the system would perform under these really bad years we’ve seen over the last 23 (years),’” said Udall, senior water and climate research scientist at Colorado State University. “If they would do that, you would see that this system crashes.” Udall is one of many water experts and officials across the West who are carefully analyzing the federal proposal released Oct. 25 by the Bureau of Reclamation. … ” Read more from the Colorado Sun.
Snowpack at 114% after weekend storms hit Rockies; will we see a repeat of wet winter?
“It’s still more than seven weeks before the official start of winter (Dec. 21), but weekend storms in Colorado’s high country are reason enough to look in on snowpack levels that will eventually provide the water that flows to Lake Mead. A month into the 2023 “water year,” snowpack levels are slightly above normal in the Upper Colorado River Basin: 114% as of Nov. 1, according to data on the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s website. The water year runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30 each year. Some ski resorts in the Rockies got more than a foot of snow over the weekend, including Crested Butte (19 inches), Copper Mountain (16.9) and Breckenridge (16). Snowfall totals hit 15.6 inches at Silverthorne, just over the Continental Divide from Denver. … ” Read more from KLAS.
ADWR Director, Tom Buschatzke, answers questions about water usage in Arizona
“Q: Arizona, along with California and Nevada has made some historic voluntary cutbacks from its usage of Colorado River water to keep more than one million acre feet of water in Lake Mead. These measures were a temporary solution, but are they sustainable going forward? A: So the actions to date include mandatory reductions on top of the additional conservation that’s already been identified. The million acre feet that you’re talking about is part of a larger plan to conserve 3 million acre feet between 2023 and 2026. This is on top of the mandatory reductions that are part of the drought contingency plan, the 2007 guidelines, and the Mexican Water Treaty. So, we believe that based on the current reservoir elevations, the recent hydrology in the winters from 2020 to 2023, with the 3 million acre feet of conservation to 2026, that the Colorado River system, Lake Powell, and Lake Mead will be stabilized and highly protected from going below critical elevations at both reservoirs. We need to move on, and are moving on to discussing how the Colorado River systems should be operated after 2026 when the current operating guidelines expire. … ” Read more from the Herald/Review.
In national water news today …
Rivers are warming up and losing oxygen
“A deficiency or absence of oxygen in Earth’s bodies of water could increase greenhouse gas emissions, mobilize metal toxins, and suffocate oxygen-breathing aquatic life. Although deoxygenation is relatively common in bodies like lakes and oceans, new research in Nature Climate Change reports that rivers across the United States and central Europe are warming up and losing oxygen even more rapidly than oceans. Scientists trained a deep learning model to fill in the gaps of 4 decades of water quality and temperature records collected from 796 rivers. This model allowed them to reconstruct trends that would otherwise be impossible to pick out in the hodgepodge of historical data. Running their model into the future, the researchers predict that oxygen levels will sink between 1.5 and 2.5 times faster than they have over the past 40 years. … ” Read more from EOS.
The latest unlikely place where you can now find microplastics
“Microplastics have popped up in rivers, oceans, soil, food, tea and even Antarctic snow — and now these tiny plastic particles are showing up in clouds. A group of researchers from Waseda University in Tokyo recently found microplastics in the clouds above Mount Fuji. In a paper published in Environmental Chemistry Letters, the researchers wrote that these airborne microplastics could influence cloud formation — and in turn the climate. Plastic is ubiquitous — humans have produced more than 8 billion tons of it — and less than 10 percent of it is recycled. Because plastic waste doesn’t break down easily, it can exist in the environment for hundreds of years, becoming smaller and smaller, and ending up in our food, our bodies and the environment. … ” Read more from the Washington Post.
Insurers face wave of inquiries over climate risks
“The nation’s property insurance industry is coming under unprecedented scrutiny with the launch of three inquiries into how climate change is causing premiums to soar and pushing insurers to withdraw from at-risk regions. The moves by the Treasury Department, two U.S. senators and a national group of state regulators point to growing concern that climate change is destabilizing the industry and forcing millions of property owners to pay much higher rates or forgo coverage. “Climate change is making it increasingly difficult for homeowners and consumers to find available and affordable insurance,” said Graham Steele, Treasury’s assistant secretary for financial institutions. The inquiries come as some major insurers are retreating from disaster-prone areas and as some small insurers have been driven out of business by disaster claims that overwhelmed their finances. That has pushed millions of homeowners to buy insurance from state programs of last resort. … ” Read more from E&E News.
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
NOTICE: How to participate in the upcoming public hearing on Bay Delta Plan – Sacramento/Delta Draft Staff Report
