In California water news this weekend …
The wrong kind of blooms: Climate change, invasive clams are fueling algae growth on Lake Tahoe
“While out enjoying an afternoon on one of Lake Tahoe’s sandy beaches over the past few years, you might have noticed large mats of decomposing algae washing up or floating nearby. The lake’s famed blue waters are facing another threat while the battles of climate change and invasive species wage on — and it’s all very much connected. Nearshore algae blooms are a burgeoning ecological threat to Tahoe. Not only do they impact the experience for beachgoers, but they also degrade water quality and, in some cases, pose a threat of toxicity. Over the last 50 years, the rate of algal growth has increased sixfold, according to U.C. Davis Tahoe Environmental Research Center’s 2022 State of the Lake Report. Between 2021 and 2022 alone, the amount of algae growing in the lake jumped up 300%. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
As the first major project at the Salton Sea nears completion, what’s next?
“After years of studies, public meetings and deliberation over the future of the receding Salton Sea, the first visible signs of major projects at the sea are starting to appear. Local and state officials are hoping to build on the momentum generated by the near-completion of the largest project at the sea to date: The 4,100-acre Species Conservation Habitat Project along the sea’s southern edge should be finished by the end of the year; a pilot project along the northern edge is officially in the works; and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is in the early stages of a feasibility study focused on potential long-term solutions at the Salton Sea. … ” Read more from The Desert Sun. | Read via Yahoo News.
Californians bet farming agave for spirits holds key to weathering drought and groundwater limits
“Leo Ortega started growing spiky blue agave plants on the arid hillsides around his Southern California home because his wife liked the way they looked. A decade later, his property is now dotted with thousands of what he and others hope is a promising new crop for the state following years of punishing drought and a push to scale back on groundwater pumping. The 49-year-old mechanical engineer is one of a growing number of Californians planting agave to be harvested and used to make spirits, much like the way tequila and mezcal are made in Mexico. The trend is fueled by the need to find hardy crops that don’t need much water and a booming appetite for premium alcoholic beverages since the COVID-19 pandemic. … ” Read more from US News & Report.
Atmospheric rivers: What they are and how they impact Northern California weather
“As we get closer to winter, the phrase “atmospheric river” is more likely to pop up in headlines. Here’s an explanation of what these phenomena are and how they impact weather in Northern California. Decades of research have defined an atmospheric river as a long, thin stream of water vapor that gets carried from the very moist tropical latitudes toward the much drier high latitudes. An atmospheric river is not heavy rain or snow, but the moisture within an atmospheric river can be an ingredient that produces those conditions given the right topography. … ” Read more from KCRA.
California’s coast, its bluffs and wildlife star in Obi Kaufmann’s new book
“The California coastline is a geologically sculpted masterpiece jagging and jutting for 1,100 head-turning miles. It starts with the Tortilla Wall poking into the sea at the U.S.-Mexico border and angles northwest to what some describe as California’s loneliest beach – a wild stretch of yellow grassy dunes, hard sand and chunks of driftwood at Pelican State Beach this side of Oregon. Don’t bother trying to define this heterogeneous seaboard through a single stretch of shore. It has been carved into disparate sections that speak to California’s richness. But the Bay Area is as good as any place to launch an exploration of the landscape and wildlife. The 100-mile strand from Santa Cruz to Point Reyes National Seashore has towering, forested mountains, plunging brittle bluffs and steep, chaparral-covered canyons brimming with wildlife. It has rickety piers, historic lighthouses and a marine sanctuary filled with elephant seals, sea lions and predatory white sharks. Atmospheric moisture creates ghostly summer tableaus when cottony fog conceals rocky coves, sandy beaches and the narrow opening to San Francisco Bay. It was on just such an overcast morning recently that Oakland author Obi Kaufmann visited Mussel Rock, a Daly City beach of geological significance. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
Final plans for Northern California’s Sites Reservoir released
“The final plans to increase Northern California’s water storage by building Sites Reservoir were released by the Bureau of Reclamation and Sites Project Authority. The reservoir would store water from the Sacramento River. The water will then be released throughout the state during drier periods, the Bureau of Reclamation says. “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. … ” Read more from CBS Sacramento.
EPA plans rulemaking on chemical 6ppd over salmon impact
“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Nov. 2 granted a petition by environmental advocates and three tribes to address the use of the chemical 6PPD in tires because of its impact on salmon. The decision sets the stage for EPA to take steps to better understand both the potential risks associated with the chemical as well as the need for a regulation related to it, the agency said. The petition asks EPA to prohibit the use of 6PPD in tires. In a statement, the Puyallup Tribal Council said a ban would be “hugely important” to protect the coho salmon and other fish. “6PPD is a major and uniquely lethal threat to the health of salmon in urban streams on our reservation,” the council said. … ” Read more from Engineering News-Record.
Extreme weather has triggered over $3 billion in insurance payouts to California farmers since 2001
“A new report found that over the last two decades, losses tied to extreme weather triggered over $3 billion in crop insurance payouts to California farmers. Authors of the report, which was published by the nonprofit Environmental Working Group, analyzed payments made to farmers from the Federal Crop Insurance Program between 2001 and 2022. The program, funded in large part by taxpayer money, pays farmers when their crop yields decline in an effort to keep the agricultural sector economically stable. In the report, authors identified the top five weather-related causes of crop loss leading to payouts nationally: Heat, excess moisture, drought, hail and freeze. Payouts in each of these categories more than doubled nationally since 2001. … ” Read more from Capital Radio.
New technology could capture carbon and water out of thin air
“A lightly trafficked stretch of road near Bakersfield, California, may seem an odd place to try to solve two environmental crises at once. But there, sandwiched between a decommissioned solar thermal project and an almond farm, a company is testing a machine that can suck carbon dioxide and water out of the air. That machine is the first attempt by Avnos, a Los Angeles-based startup, to prove it can do what it calls hybrid direct air capture (DAC). Its technique would clean the air of CO2 and capture water that can be used in an era of worsening drought. It’s a moonshot bet on an already moonshot technology. … ” Read more from Bloomberg.
In commentary this weekend …
California bureaucrats embrace water rationing
Edward Ring, co-founder of the California Policy Center and the author of The Abundance Choice: Our Fight for More Water in California. writes, “On October 4 the California State Water Board held a hearing to discuss how it will implement Senate Bill 1157, passed by the state legislature in 2022, which lowers indoor water-use standards to 47 gallons per person starting in 2025 and 42 gallons in 2030. The title of the hearing was “Making Water Conservation a Way of Life.” Rationing would be a more apt term for what’s coming for California’s households.It isn’t as if conservation hasn’t been a way of life in California for decades. Despite the growth of the state’s population to over 39 million today, total urban water consumption in the state has been falling each year since the mid 1990s. At just over 7 million acre-feet (MAF) per year in 2022, urban water consumption hasn’t been this low since 1985, when the population of the state was only 26 million. That’s not enough, however, for California’s water bureaucrats, and the environmentalist organizations they answer to. … ” Read more from the National Review.
Cognitive dissonance [noun] 1: the state of having inconsistent thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes 2: the State of California’s salmon management policy
Paul S. Weiland writes, “The State of California has committed to a policy of protecting wild runs of its Chinook salmon. It’s reflected in both State law, in the Delta Reform Act, and in State policy, including the State Board’s Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan and Delta Stewardship Council’s Delta Plan. The State implements salmon policy by imposing considerable restrictions on the agencies that supply water to residents, businesses, and farmers across much of California at a cost that runs into the hundreds of millions of dollars annually. Yet this year returns of wild spring-run Chinook salmon from the ocean were vanishingly small. State officials report that fewer than 25 returning adults were recorded in two of the three remaining upper Central Valley streams that feed the Sacramento River and still support independent spring-run Chinook populations. How could this happen? There is no single explanation. But ironically, certain elements on the State’s salmon-management agenda appear to be leading causes of harm to wild runs of Chinook. Those policies could push one or more of those wild runs past the brink of extinction. … ” Read more from Center for California Water Resources Policy and Management.
In people news this weekend …
Promotions, passings, profiles – submit people news items to maven@mavensnotebook.com.
The Delta Stewardship Council appoints a Delta Lead Scientist for a limited term and a Delta Independent Science Board member
“At its October 26, 2023, meeting, the Delta Stewardship Council unanimously voted to appoint Dr. Lisamarie Windham-Myers as Delta lead scientist for a limited term and Dr. Kenneth Rose to the Delta Independent Science Board (ISB). … ” Read the full press release from the Delta Stewardship Council.
Podcasts …
CAPITOL WEEKLY: Remembering Phil Isenberg
Former legislator Phil Isenberg died last week after a brief illness. Isenberg wore many hats in his life: Mayor of Sacramento, Assemblymember, Vice Chair of the Delta Stewardship Council, and husband to Marilyn Araki Isenberg. But for all that, perhaps his biggest legacy will be as a supporter of – and enthusiast for – the arts. Dan Morain covered Isenberg for decades and penned an obit for Capitol Weekly – he joined us to look at Isenberg’s career and his impact on California.
SACTOWN TALKS: Interview with Alexandra Beiring
Today we welcome back California water expert, Alexandra Biering, of California Farm Bureau. Here Biering provides us with an update on California water, discusses the water year, flood protection, water rights and more.
WE GROW CALIFORNIA: Just the tip of the iceberg (California water rights)
Darcy and Darcy welcome Paul and Jackson Minasian of Minasian Law Firm. Founded in 1841 by Paul’s grandparents, the Minasian Law Firm, located in Oroville California, specializes in California Water Rights. Paul walks Darcy and Darcy through California water rights history, the most basic types of water rights ,and provides a great foundation for our hosts and listeners. What Darcy and Darcy know now for sure, this is just the tip of the iceberg!
THE NEGOTIATORS: The water agreement that helped avert a monumental resources crisis.
The Colorado River provides water to about 40 million people in seven US states, 30 Native American Tribes, and northern Mexico. But because of climate change, the river has become significantly drier in recent decades. On today’s episode of The Negotiators, we hear how the U.S. states and Native American tribes reached an historic agreement in May to reduce water consumption by 13 percent—after an excruciating negotiation. This is Part 2 in our look at negotiations over the Colorado River. Reporter Luke Runyon, who covered the talks for NPR member station KUNC, is our guest on the show. He also hosts Thirst Gap, a podcast about the Colorado River. Runyon interviewed some of the key negotiators for our podcast. He shares his insights with host Jenn Williams. The Negotiators is a collaboration between Doha Debates and Foreign Policy.
HOW WE SURVIVE: Rewriting the rules
The city of Albuquerque exists in part because of the Azotea Tunnel, a massive infrastructure project that effectively rerouted part of the Colorado River into the Rio Grande. The project helped sustain Albuquerque’s rapid population growth. Meanwhile, some communities lost out. Water that would have flowed through the Jicarilla Apache Nation was instead diverted via the tunnel. In this episode, we travel 180 miles north of Albuquerque to the town of Dulce to talk to Daryl Vigil, retired longtime water administrator, about how the tribe is fighting for a seat at the table in ongoing Colorado River management. And we visit To’Hajiilee, a community dealing with water insecurity that stands to benefit from leasing Jicarilla settlement water.
TAPPED: Navigating murky waters: how laws and regulations can hinder tribal initiatives
In this Tapped episode, Katya Mendoza and Paola Rodriguez explore the history of the Havasupai people’s fight to stop uranium mining near the Grand Canyon and why they worry about water contamination.
WATER IS A MANY SPLENDOR’ED THING PODCAST: Swimming with the Fish
If you really want to understand the life of a fish in their home, start spending time living in their environment and share the experience through the lens of a camera. Water is a Many Splendor’ed Thing brings you another water relationship that has a personally significant impact to your life. Produced by Steven Baker, Bringing People Together to Solve Water Problems, water@operationunite.co 530-205-6388
In regional water news this weekend …
NORTH COAST
Work on Copco No. 2 Dam removal completed on the Klamath River
Dan Bacher writes, “As a journalist who has been covering the movement by the Klamath River Tribes, fishermen and conservationists to remove the dams on the Klamath River for over 20 years, it is very gratifying to see the progress made on the removal of the four PacifiCorp dams this year. In a major step in the dam removal process, the Klamath River Renewal Corporation reported that crews have “put the final touches” on the removal of the Copco No. 2 Dam and its diversion infrastructure on the Klamath River this week. This historic dam removal, when completed, will open the river above the dams to hundreds of miles of habitat for fall-run Chinook salmon, spring-run Chinook salmon, coho salmon, steelhead and Pacific lamprey. It is the largest and most significant dam removal project in U.S. history. … ” Read more from the Daily Kos.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Tahoe ski resort opening days are just around the corner. Here are the latest plans
“Tahoe ski resorts are preparing to open the slopes for the 2023-2024 season. Among the first to open will be Heavenly Ski Resort and Boreal Mountain on Nov. 17, but there are other resorts that won’t be opening until December. Last season, the Tahoe region experienced record snowfall and some ski resorts opened earlier than expected. Some stayed open well into the summer. We don’t know how the snow season will shape up this year, but the Sierra already received its first significant snowfall. On Oct. 27, the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab recorded nearly 4 inches of snow in a 24-hour period. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Tehama County Board of Supervisors considers changes to the Groundwater Commission
“The Tehama County Board of Supervisors Tuesday will review the ordinance that established the Groundwater Commission. The Groundwater Commission was formed in 2016 to assist in developing the GSPs, rules and regulations and to make recommendations to the Board of Directors. County staff said the Board of Directors formed an ad hoc committee to review the bylaws and functions of the commission. As a result of the revisions to the bylaws, a new ordinance was required. Revisions to the ordinance include updating the board’s process for selecting and appointing the five commissioners representing the supervisorial districts and applicant criteria and restricting the commission to a strictly advisory role. … ” Continue reading at the Red Bluff Daily News.
Nimbus Fish Hatchery’s salmon ladder opens after low oxygen levels in water
“After a water management issue postponed the opening of the salmon ladder at the Nimbus Fish Hatchery, the ladder opened on Friday. The fish hatchery posted on Facebook, saying the ladder is open and it will let 200-300 fish enter on Friday. The fish were seen gathering in the holding pool at the top. The ladder is a vital part of the salmon spawning season. It allows the fish in the American Rivers to enter the hatchery. It was closed due to low oxygen levels in the water, which would create a lot of stress on the fish. … ” Read more from CBS Sacramento.
CENTRAL COAST
‘I don’t see how things are going to go back to normal’: California’s Salinas Valley grapples with aftermath of devastating flood
“In this lush valley nestled behind California’s Central Coast mountain range lies an agricultural heartland where the state’s famed strawberry and leafy lettuce crops abound. Yet while the Salinas Valley is fertile, it is also increasingly vulnerable to sudden seasonal swings between harsh droughts and devastating floods. Both took their toll in 2023, when a flurry of unprecedented winter storms slammed much of the state in March. One of the hardest-hit areas was the unincorporated community of Pajaro. More than 1,000 residents here were forced to evacuate when flooding from an “atmospheric river” of rain caused the Pajaro River to breach a levee. The breach caused widespread destruction from heavy rains, toppled trees, power outages and flooding. In total, around 8,500 residents of Monterey County were put under evacuation orders and warnings — many of them Latino farmworkers. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Harder seeks to protect SJ farmers
“Congressman Josh Harder has introduced federal legislation to protect farmers in the San Joaquin Valley and elsewhere from losing crop insurance due to drought. In 2021, drought conditions cost the Central Valley $1.7 billion and caused the loss of more than 14,000 jobs. Drought makes it more difficult to grow crops and in the long term, it is projected to result in the loss of over 535,000 acres of agricultural production by 2040. That’s roughly 10 percent of the state’s farmland. Harder, D-Tracy, and with Representative Tracey Mann, R-Kansas, introduced the Protecting Farmers from Drought Act. … ” Read more from the Manteca Bulletin.
Fresno, Tulare County stay wary amid El Niño advisory
“With another wetter-than-average winter and spring likely on the horizon, state and local agencies are preparing flood response teams while still recovering from the previous season. San Joaquin Valley communities, seeing minor relief from the state, are working to learn from their responses last year and prepare residents for what may be left to come. California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced the availability of $95 million in funding from the 2023-24 state budget on Oct. 25, which will go toward various flood relief and preparedness efforts across the state. This includes money that will go toward the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), the State Water Resources Control Board and the University of California’s Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory located in Tulare County. … ” Read more from the Foothills Sun-Gazette.
Tehachapi: Water district will commemorate 50th anniversary of arrival of imported water
“The first general manager of Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District will be honored during a commemorative ceremony at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 14, marking the 50th anniversary of the arrival of imported water at Brite Lake. The district’s Board of Directors voted Oct. 18 to name an important part of its operation the Robert J. Jasper Water Project Importation System. Jasper, who helped envision and construct the system, served the district for 42 years. He died in March 2021. … ” Read more from the Tehachapi News.
EASTERN SIERRA
Ridgecrest: Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority members support AB 779
“The Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority supported Assembly Bill 779 and acted as the primary proponent of the legislation during the legislative process. As the Chair and Vice Chair of the Authority, we both testified in support of AB 779 during the Committee hearings and urged the Governor to sign the bill into law. The Groundwater Authority believes all water rights should be considered during the adjudication, all parties should pay their fair share of mitigation fees required to bring the basin into sustainability, and efforts must be made to limit the costs associated with the litigation. From our perspective, AB 779 is simple matter of fairness and due process. … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Company uses existing desalination tech in a new way as a fresh water solution to California’s coast
“Desalination facilities have critics who claim it’s too expensive and environmentally destructive, but there are supporters who want to make existing reverse osmosis technology better and many new ideas are being tested here in Southern California. “The fact that this is here and it’s just a space for innovation that’s right on the coast, you have access to water that is completely different than if you try to make it in a lab. It’s a great place for validation and innovation,” said Madeleine White, an environmental engineer for the Engineering & Expeditionary Warfare Center. A water technology company named SeaWell believes desalination will work best off shore, so they are testing their equipment at the Navy’s sea water desalination test facility at Port Hueneme. … ” Read more from KABC.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Exploring the economic impacts and needs for the Imperial Valley at the lithium stakeholder’s meeting
“The Lithium Stakeholder’s Meeting held in the Imperial Valley brought together a diverse group of community members, government officials, industry representatives, and stakeholders from various sectors. This meeting aimed to discuss the economic impacts and needs associated with the development of geothermal lithium resources in the region. The meeting was marked by insightful comments and suggestions from participants, including Rebecca Terrazas-Baxter, Assistant CEO of the County of Imperial, Fernanda, and Candace. Their comments shed light on the potential opportunities and challenges related to lithium extraction and how the community can benefit. … ” Read more from the Desert Review.
Along the Colorado River …
Biden-Harris administration announces nearly $64 million for new water conservation agreements to protect the Colorado River System
“The Biden-Harris administration today announced $63.4 million in new investments as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda for water conservation, water efficiency, and protection of critical environmental resources in the Colorado River System. The investments, which will improve and protect the stability and sustainability of the Colorado River System now and into the future, are administered through the Lower Colorado River Basin System Conservation and Efficiency Program and funded by the Inflation Reduction Act, the largest climate investment in history. Bureau of Reclamation Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton joined federal, Tribal and state leaders in Phoenix today to announce the execution of seven new system conservation agreements in Arizona, which will conserve up to 162,710-acre feet of water in Lake Mead through 2026. The conservation agreements will help finance voluntary system conservation to protect Colorado River reservoir storage volumes amid persistent drought conditions driven by climate change. … ” Read more from the Bureau of Reclamation.
New Arizona water conservation agreements enough to raise Lake Mead more than 2 feet
“The federal government will pay nearly $64 million in a three-year conservation effort to save water that will be stored in Lake Mead, according to a Friday announcement. It’s the latest move by the Biden-Harris administration to ensure water supplies in the desert Southwest, where the Colorado River supplies water for people in Nevada, Arizona and California. If all the water instantly appeared in Lake Mead, it would raise the lake by 2 feet, 2 and a half inches. But it will take three years to see that savings, according to the announcement made in Phoenix. The funds are from the Inflation Reduction Act, described as the largest climate investment in history. … ” Read more from KLAS.
Protecting reservoir storage gains from Water Year 2023: How are we doing?
Jack Schmidt of the Utah State University Future of the Colorado River Project writes, “A few weeks ago, I posted a perspective demonstrating that we consumed or lost to evaporation the “gains” of Water Year (WY)2011, WY2017, and WY2019 within two years of each of those large runoff events. I cautioned that we should not feel smug about the wet year of WY2023. It is imperative for the Basin States, Tribes, and federal government to agree on ways to significantly reduce basin consumptive uses and losses lest we repeat the past and quickly consume the gains of WY2023. I also suggested that keeping track of the rate at which society consumes the increased reservoir storage from the WY2023 runoff season would be an easily communicated benchmark to track our ability to slow water consumption. … ” Continue reading at the Inkstain Blog.
In national water news this weekend …
Big tech struggles to reduce AI’s water woes
“Artificial intelligence is a game changer—and a water guzzler. “AI represents one of the most prominent and fastest-expanding workloads in data centers,” write researchers from the University of California, Riverside, and the University of Texas at Arlington in a recent paper. They note that Alphabet used more than two billion cubic gallons of fresh water to cool servers and produce electricity last year, more than twice Denmark’s annual use. Training OpenAI’s generative model, GPT-3, in Microsoft data centers consumes 5.4 million liters of water over two to four weeks, and needs the equivalent of some 17 fluid ounces for a conversation of 10 to 50 questions and answers. “These numbers may increase for the newly launched GPT-4 that reportedly has a substantially larger model size,” they say. … ” Read more from Barrons.
Scientists map loss of groundwater storage around the world
“Global water resources are stretched by climate change and human population growth, and farms and cities are increasingly turning to groundwater to fill their needs. Unfortunately, the pumping of groundwater can cause the ground surface above to sink, as the aquifers below are drained and the architecture of the ground collapses. For the first time, a new study maps this loss of groundwater storage capacity around the world. In the study, published in the journal Nature Communications, researchers from DRI, Colorado State University, and the Missouri University of Science and Technology examined how groundwater extraction is driving land subsidence and aquifer collapse. “Our study puts land subsidence happening from excessive groundwater pumping to a global context,” said Fahim Hasan, a PhD candidate at Colorado State University and the study’s lead author. … ” Read more from Lab Manager.
