On the calendar today …
- WEBINAR: 2023 Fall Groundwater Sustainability Agency Forum – Well Management Approaches: from Enhancing Local Understanding to Leveraging Local Coordination from 8:30am to 12pm. The upcoming virtual Fall 2023 GSA Forum will focus on well management approaches. The event will highlight the importance of enhancing local understanding through developing well-inventory programs and ordinances, as well as leveraging benefits of local coordination through efforts such as implementation of Senate Bill 552 and well permitting approaches to satisfy Executive Orders issued in response to the most recent drought. The GSA Forum will feature a panel discussion and a Q&A session that explores local approaches to these topics. In addition, the program will include a breakout session for participants to discuss what their respective GSAs are doing around well management and will provide an opportunity to share resources. We will also be spotlighting DWR efforts that support well management. Click here to register.
- WORKSHOP: Food Webs: Exploring the scientific and management implications of upper trophic level interactions in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta – Day 2 from 8:30am to 5:00pm. The Delta Independent Science Board is hosting this two-day hybrid workshop as part of its food-webs review. The workshop will evaluate the degree to which the inclusion of food-web interactions across trophic levels could benefit and facilitate ecosystem management and whether the available data and science can support the development of tools (such as models). The topic for Day 2 is Food webs forward: Examining new tools and models, data, and information to incorporate food web modeling into management. Register to attend in person or virtually. Click here for the meeting notice.
- WEBINAR: Why are Sierra Nevada Forests in Crisis? What Can Activists Do? from 5:30pm to 6:30pm. The Sierra Club Tahoe Area Group invites you to join us on November 9, 2023 at 5pm -6:15pm for a virtual presentation entitled: Why are Sierra Nevada Forests in Crisis? What Can Activists Do? The speaker will be John Buckley, the Director of Central Sierra Environmental Resource Center. Over the years, national forest management policies for the Sierra Nevada region have markedly changed. There are key reasons. Many activists may not be aware that, in some instances, public forest logging, biomass removal, and other mechanical forest treatments can be positive instead of negative. This powerpoint presentation can enable activists can be more effective at knowing when to oppose and when to support national forest projects. The presentation will be filled with compelling and often dramatic photos. John is a long-time leader with the Tuolumne Group of the Sierra Club for the Northern Yosemite region. He brings many years of experience from working as a Hot Shot firefighter and serving as an activist on the front lines for many regional conservation issues. Click here to register.
- GRA SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY: Effective Stakeholder Engagement from 5:30pm to 7:00pm in Fresno. You know what they say…even “the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry”. But still, there are some simple steps we may be overlooking during the public outreach planning process that can help get us closer to smooth sailing. If the goal is to reach our audience with meaningful messages that catalyze action, we have to truly understand our audience. Assumptions only get you so far until (you also know what they say). This engaging presentation will walk us through a few ways we can practically go about better understanding our audience before we hit the ground running. Not only is it fun to test our assumptions, it makes for more effective public outreach. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
Kaweah groundwater planning still at a “stand off” even with state take-over looming
“San Joaquin Valley groundwater managers have had six years to come up with plans to bolster critically overdrafted aquifers. Yet, some appear still stuck at the starting line even as the specter of state intervention is marching ever closer. In the Kaweah subbasin covering northern Tulare County, one groundwater agency is just now setting out to collect basic groundwater pumping data, to the intense frustration of farmers and other groundwater managers. And after back-to-back marathon workshops and meetings in late October, the Greater Kaweah groundwater agency did not address concerns over its recently set pumping allotments, which other water managers have said are excessive. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Desperate for water, a desert city hopes to build a pipeline to the California Aqueduct
“After decades of unrestricted pumping in the rain-starved northwestern corner of the Mojave Desert, the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Basin Authority has the distinction of managing one of the most critically overdrawn aquifers in California. Now, the region is in an uproar over a proposal that the authority sees as a way out of its groundwater crisis, one that critics say would give priority to urban consumers in the city of Ridgecrest and the adjacent Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake over farmers and mining operations. It’s a $200-million, 50-mile-long pipeline system that would move water from the California Aqueduct in California City — over arid desert mountains — to a storage tank in the urban center of Ridgecrest. … ” Continue reading at the LA Times. | Read via Lookout Santa Cruz (free registration required)
Atmospheric river could bring soaking to California next week
“A moisture-rich atmospheric river is expected to soak California next week, and some parts of the state, including the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles areas, are likely to receive the heaviest rain they’ve seen since the start of the rainy season on Oct. 1.”This is really our first winter storm,” said Todd Hall, a meteorologist with the weather service’s Los Angeles office. “We’ve had rain but it hasn’t amounted to much. It has ingredients to be a very significant storm system for this early in the season. It seems very similar to something we usually see in January and February.”With the storm bearing down Monday through Friday, the state is likely to see a “wetter pattern, that includes multiple rounds of rain.” The wettest locations of far Northern California could record 3 to over 5 inches of rain. The Bay Area could see anywhere from 2 to 4 inches and the greater Los Angeles area, 2 to 4 inches. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
NASA analysis finds strong El Niño could bring extra floods this winter
“An analysis by NASA’s sea level change science team finds that if a strong El Niño develops this winter, cities along the western coasts of the Americas could see an increase in the frequency of high-tide flooding that can swamp roads and spill into low-lying buildings. El Niño is a periodic climate phenomenon characterized by higher-than-normal sea levels and warmer-than-average ocean temperatures along the equatorial Pacific. These conditions can spread poleward along the western coasts of the Americas. El Niño, which is still developing this year, can bring more rain than usual to the U.S. Southwest and drought to countries in the western Pacific like Indonesia. These impacts typically occur in January through March. The NASA analysis finds that a strong El Niño could result in up to five instances of a type of flooding called a 10-year flood event this winter in cities including Seattle and San Diego. … ” Read more from JPL.
SEE ALSO:
- Major early-season storm to affect CA by mid-Nov; Plus, new thoughts on implications of stil–strenthening El Nino for CA winter, from Dr. Daniel Swain at Weather West
- NASA warns El Niño could bring ‘extra flooding’ this winter , from KTLA
- Recent “Triple-Dip” La Niña upends current understanding of ENSO, from NOAA Research
Learning about California’s water woes
“Some describe California as a desert; others as having “a Mediterranean-type climate.” Regardless, California is one of the biggest states in the continental United States with Southern California struggling with ongoing drought conditions. As water rates continue to rise, the Metropolitan Water District (MWD) – according to its website, Southern California’s largest single contractor of the State Water Project and a major supporter of Southern California water conservation and water recycling programs, along with other local water management activities – recently hosted a three-day excursion to provide insight on where and how local water is delivered to Southern California. The trip was by invitation only for local dignitaries from the cities of Pasadena and Glendale. … ” Read more from Crescenta Valley Weekly.
Over 17,000 fall-run chinook salmon return to Mokelumne River Fish Hatchery
“A possible record run of fall-run Chinook salmon is now returning to the Mokelumne River Fish Hatchery. In contrast, the Coleman National Fish Hatchery on Battle Creek, a tributary of the Sacramento, is reporting the second lowest return of fall-run Chinooks in many years. The fish are now returning from the ocean in a year where all salmon fishing was closed in California’s rivers and ocean waters, due to the projected low abundance of Sacramento and Klamath River fall-run Chinook salmon, so fishery managers and salmon advocates are keeping a close eye on this fall’s spawning escapement. The total numbers of hatchery and naturally spawned fish returning to the Mokelumne, American, Feather and Sacramento River and their tributaries won’’t be known until the numbers of fish returning to the hatcheries and carcass counts on the rivers are compiled by the CDFW and NOAA Fisheries in February 2024 in preparation for the Pacific Fishery Management Council meetings that craft the fishing seasons and restrictions. … ” Read more from the Daily Kos.
RELATED: Why are Mokelumne salmon doing so well? The Magic of the Mokelumne: How such a small river produces so many salmon
With toxic chemical runoff, tiremakers kill protected fish, lawsuit says
“Chemicals from car tires have leached into rivers and other waterways along the West Coast, killing protected fish and causing California to cancel this year’s commercial fishing season, according to claims made by a conservation group and a fishing trade association in a lawsuit filed in federal court on Wednesday. In their suit filed in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, the Institute for Fisheries Resources and the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen’s Associations claim that the 13 largest car tire manufacturers in the U.S. — including Bridgestone America, Goodyear Tires, and Michelin North America — make or distribute products that contain an additive called 6PPD. That chemical ultimately transforms into 6PPD-quinone. As the tire interacts with the environment and roads, 6PPD-quinone leaches onto hard surfaces. When it rains, the chemical falls into rivers and other waterways, where it kills protected and endangered fish species like coho salmon, steelhead trout, and Chinook salmon, the lawsuit claims. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
California Forever announces 21 member Community Advisory Committee, land exchange
“Flannery Associates, the company who purchased tens of thousands of acres of land in Solano County, announced its 21 member advisory committee made up of community members Wednesday. The list, found on the California Forever website, includes members like Solano County Sheriff Tom Ferrara, President and CEO of Visit Fairfield Anand Patel and Travis Armed Forces Committee Executive Board member Erick Fierro among others. The committee was created to use their “broad and diverse” backgrounds to give feedback and help shape the California Forever proposal which eventually will be voted on, according to California Forever. California Forever says its hoping to announce city plans in Jan. 2024 and get it on the Nov. 2024 ballot. … ” Read more from Channel 10.
With more rain and fewer fires, California forests saw more prescribed burns this year
“It’s been a good year for forest managers in California. Fewer massive wildfires and more precipitation have improved conditions for prescribed burning. At Lake Tahoe, enhanced fire restrictions began in the beginning of August — which area officials say is almost a month later than usual. “This year has been sort of on the ideal side,” said Carrie Thaler, fire chief for the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit. “It’s given us some momentum.” This technique, which involves the intentional and controlled burning of fuels on the forest floor, is a necessary tool in reducing fire risks in California. Last year, state officials committed to expanding these efforts with plans to burn up to 400,000 acres annually by 2025. … ” Read more from Capital Public Radio.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Completed Big River watershed restoration project presented to the public
“On October 28, sponsored by the Institute for Conservation, Advocacy, Research, and Education (ICARE), the public was invited to attend an environmental science presentation at Preston Hall in Mendocino, followed by a field tour to Dry Dock Gulch on Big River. The speakers were Terra Fuller, Senior Environmental Scientist for the Sonoma-Mendocino Coast District of California State Parks; Elias Steinbuck, a local, independent engineering and hydrology geologist; and Anna Halligan, the North Coast Coho Project Coordinator for Trout Unlimited. All three work on the Dry Dock Gulch project. Christina Aranguren, president of the local ICARE group, organized and moderated the presentations. Also present was Mark Ernst, Trails Chief for the Sonoma-Mendocino Coast District of State Parks. … ” Read more from the Fort Bragg Advocate.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Thousands of tons of gravel being put in river to help endangered fish
“A project aimed at bringing back local Chinook Salmon nesting grounds is underway along the Sacramento River near Salt Creek, and it involves shoveling thousands of tons of gravel into the water. This is the second attempt at this project after crews were rained out at the beginning of 2023. Crews with the coalition group, “The Sacramento River Settlement Contractors” have had to wait before returning so the Chinook Salmon that use that area to nest wouldn’t be impacted. Now the spawning season is over, the work is back underway. Made up of irrigation districts, reclamation districts, and riverside communities, the coalition is utilizing grants from the US Bureau of Reclamation to fund the project. … ” Read more from KRCR.
Celebrating the completion of the Gray Lodge Wildlife Area Water Supply Improvement Project
“It was just a short time ago it seems when many of us were right here celebrating the kick off of this incredible project. Now we are back here celebrating its completion. Why, might you ask, are we having all these parties? Well, celebration is important because wetland conservation is hard work. And indeed, this project is helping wetlands and this project was hard. We expanded the canal right of way, we have rebuilt an active main line irrigation system, replaced, and upgraded bridge crossings, faced budget challenges, coordinated multiple contractors, we have tunneled under a railroad, and we have developed innovative environmental compliance strategies that successfully ensured the safety of hundreds of giant garter snakes, all for this special place: Gray Lodge Wildlife Area. Who knew that wetland conservation would involve so much? … ” Continue reading at the Northern California Water Association.
NAPA/SONOMA
$15 million investment from DWR helps fill critical groundwater data gaps in Sonoma County
“The Department of Water Resources (DWR) joined local and state officials on October 30 to celebrate more than $15 million awarded to help support groundwater-reliant communities in Sonoma County. Supported through the Sustainable Groundwater Management Grant Program, the funding will be split amongst the Petaluma Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency, the Sonoma Valley Groundwater Sustainability Agency, and the Santa Rosa Plain Groundwater Sustainability Agency. All three groundwater sustainability agencies (GSAs) will receive funding for projects that improve understanding of groundwater conditions and effective groundwater management for underrepresented communities in the area. “Part of sustainable groundwater management is providing our communities the tools they need to help comprehend what their water supply situation looks like so they can make informed water management decisions and use water more efficiently,” said Kelley List, Manager of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Grant Program. “This funding is just one example of how the state is working with our groundwater agencies to invest in strategies that improve groundwater resiliency statewide.” … ” Read more from DWR News.
BAY AREA
Stinson Beach house approved despite sea level concerns
“Marin County supervisors cleared the path for construction of a new home on the last shoreline lot in Stinson Beach despite reservations about the precedent their action will set for sea level adaptation. Following a 90-minute public hearing on Tuesday, the supervisors unanimously denied an appeal of the county Planning Commission’s approval of the project, which calls for the building of a one-story, 1,296-square-foot home and a new septic system at 21 Calle Del Onda. The project will be built on a 15,200-square-foot, shorefront lot within a coastal dune area. Elizabeth Brekhus, an attorney representing the appellants, owners of two nearby properties, said the decision flaunts a recent county assessment of sea level rise risk in the area. She said she plans to appeal the supervisors’ approval of the project to the Coastal Commission, which could deny the project. “It envisions a very doomsday scenario out there,” Brekhus said. “If it’s going to guide our decision making, then we need to be serious about limiting development.” … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
CENTRAL COAST
Competing lawsuits argue over access to safe water
“David Schmalz here. For my entire life, I’ve been lucky enough to have clean water coming out of my tap. But for the majority of that time, I didn’t even know I was lucky—it was an expectation, something I took for granted. That started to change in adulthood as I read story after story about the Americans—invariably low-income Americans—whose water supplies were contaminated one way or another, and it fully crystallized when I moved to Monterey County in 2013. It’s a systemic problem in places like the Central Coast that are filled with agricultural fields and people that live amidst them, despite years of effort by state regulators to address it. In September, after two years of review, the State Water Board met in Sacramento to consider revisions to a 2021 Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board order that brought litigation from both growers and environmental groups—one side arguing its regulations are too stringent, the other arguing they’re not stringent enough. … ” Read more from Monterey Weekly.
State, regional water boards’ nitrate policies face lawsuits
“California environmental nonprofits and local agriculture organizations recently filed lawsuits against the state and regional water boards over nitrate regulations, but for different reasons. Agriculture wants a better balance between the need to grow food and need to protect water quality, while environmental groups want to see a limit to nitrates’ use in agriculture. Since the 1980s, the State and Regional water boards have been working to regulate nitrate applications in agriculture. Nitrates are used to help soil quality, but can have detrimental health effects if they contaminate drinking water. Nitrates are inorganic compounds containing nitrogen that can come from man-made or natural resources and are used to help with the soil quality in agriculture, but they can cause problems when they enter into ground or surface water, said Ted Morton, executive director for Santa Barbara Channelkeeper. … ” Read more from the Santa Maria Sun.
New groundwater monitor wells to be installed by SVBGSA
“The Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (SVBGSA) is installing four new monitoring wells as part of the implementation of the Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) for the 180/400-Foot Aquifer Subbasin. The subbasin is located in northwestern Monterey County and includes the northern end of the Salinas River Valley. The new monitoring wells will provide required data to a network of existing monitoring wells. In 2022, SVBGSA applied for and was awarded a Sustainable Groundwater Management grant from the Department of Water Resources. The $7.6 million grant supports the implementation of the GSP for the 180/400-Foot Aquifer Subbasin. … ” Read more from ACWA’s Water News.
Fall is the season to count and tag juvenile steelhead on the Carmel River. This year was a good one, but the species remains in decline.
“Just past 9am on a mid-October weekday, a small team of employees from the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District begin staging equipment along a stretch of the Carmel River, just upstream of the district’s Sleepy Hollow Steelhead Rearing Facility. The team strings two nets across the river about 300 feet apart, and then two groups of three wade into the river and begin working their way upstream. One member of each group holds an electrofisher, which stuns the steelhead out of the nooks and crannies they like to hang out in. They are trailed by another member carrying a net to scoop up the stunned fish, who in turn is being trailed by someone carrying a bucket to hold the captured fish. … The fish are recently spawned juveniles, and the morning’s count is one of about 10 the district carries out in October at various sites along the river. … ” Read more from Monterey Weekly.
Nets to catch debris during rainstorms removed from California town devastated by mudslides
“A system of nets intended to catch boulders and other debris during rainstorms in a California hillside community devastated by mudslides five years ago has been removed over a funding dispute. The nonprofit Project for Resilient Communities installed the ring nets atop several canyons after flooding in Montecito triggered a debris flow that destroyed hundreds of homes and and killed 23 people in January 2018. A helicopter crew removed the nets Monday, KEYT-TV reported. … ” Read more from the Associated Press.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Judge issues $2.4mil judgment to Wonderful-affiliated lender in Assemi battle
“Fresno-based Assemi Brothers LLC has been ordered to pay millions of dollars to a lender as part of the lawsuit with The Wonderful Company. The ruling from Fresno County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Hamilton was submitted late last month. The backstory: In May 2014, Assemi Brothers agreed to a loan with Independent Financing Services, a lender affiliated with the Wonderful Company, for up to $75 million. A provision in the loan agreement stated that if Assemi Brothers defaulted on the loan, Independent Financing Services would have the right to immediately accelerate the loan and demand payment for the entire principal and interest. … ” Read more from the San Joaquin Valley Sun.
Legal actions on behalf of San Joaquin Valley flood victims piling up
“Nearly 10 months after floods devastated parts of Planada and Woodlake, residents in both small towns have banded together, hired attorneys and are pursuing legal action. More than 250 households are involved between the two towns. Residents in the Tulare County town of Springville are also working toward legal action after flooding knocked out wells and residents suffered prolonged water shortages. The attorney for Springville residents did not respond to requests for comment. It’s early stages for the legal battles, which aren’t technically lawsuits yet for either Woodlake nor Planada, said Shant Karnikian, partner at Kabateck LLP who is representing residents in both towns. Karnikian is also representing residents in the hard hit town of Pajaro on the central coast. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
EASTERN SIERRA
Wild horses are causing problems near this popular California lake. Now there’s a plan for them
“The federal government is planning to round up and remove potentially hundreds of wild horses around California’s Mono Lake, the ancient saltwater body where mustangs have unexpectedly arrived from along the Nevada border in numbers that haven’t been welcomed. The animals, while stately and emblematic of the West, have caused problems in the rural communities of the eastern Sierra, including colliding with cars — and at least one bicyclist — and creating disruption in the sometimes fragile high-desert landscape. One concern is Mono Lake’s famous tufa towers, which the mustangs have been seen using as scratching posts. Because wild horses enjoy special protections under federal law, managing their populations is not easy. It has often generated debate about what’s best for the animal. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Manhattan Beach property owners to decide on higher storm drain fee
“Manhattan Beach property owners may have to pay more in the future to keep the city’s storm drains clean and maintained. But property owners will get to choose that for themselves, with the city set to ask them early next year to increase the annual storm drain fee by almost seven times the current amount. The City Council this week OK’d a special, all-mail-in election for property owners on the matter for Jan. 17; the panel voted unanimously, with Mayor Richard Montgomery absent. Property owners who are registered to vote will receive their ballots no later than 45 days from election day. Voters must cast their ballots by Jan. 17. The fees, levied on residents’ yearly property tax bill, according to a city notice, go toward a storm water fund that finances ongoing operations, maintenance, repairs and improvements to storm water facilities and services. … ” Read more from the Daily Breeze.
Chevron agrees to pay county $1.25M for cleanup of Talbert Channel oil leak
“Chevron will pay Orange County $1.25 million for removing gallons of oil that leaked from a ruptured pipeline into the Talbert Channel in Huntington Beach last year, according to a settlement agreement reached Tuesday. A contractor crew working for the county’s Department of Public Works was enhancing the channel’s flood control capacity on Oct. 6, 2022, when a worker drove a segment of sheet piling into an abandoned pipeline near Indianapolis Avenue. Oil soon after began bubbling up into the waters of the channel, prompting immediate containment efforts. A unified command response comprising county staff, Chevron representatives and state and local agencies worked to prevent impacts to the Talbert Marsh downstream. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
SAN DIEGO
Water customers in North County overwhelmingly approve divorce from regional agency
“Voters across two North County water districts overwhelmingly supported a ballot measure to break away from the San Diego County Water Authority, capping a years-long effort to divorce from the regional agency. In unofficial election results from the Tuesday election, roughly 19 of every 20 ballots cast by residents of the Rainbow Municipal Water District and the Fallbrook Public Utilities District supported leaving the county water authority. “We are extremely grateful to the people of Fallbrook and Rainbow for their strong support of these measures,” the agencies said in a joint statement. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Millions for border sewage treatment projects in California stuck in Congress
“As you walk along the Tijuana River Valley, it’s hard not to smell the pungent smell of sewage, effluent flowing its way down the valley toward the Pacific Ocean. It’s been a problem for decades as Tijuana’s sewage infrastructure has failed to keep up with a city that seemingly grew to two million residents overnight. The system constantly spews untreated raw sewage that eventually makes its way north of the border. In 1999, the International Wastewater Treatment plant was built in the valley just north of the border to help control the problem. “It captures wastewater from Tijuana, treats it and sends it three miles offshore. Otherwise, if that plant didn’t exist all, all of that untreated wastewater and sewage would run down and impact us here in South San Diego,” said Paloma Aguirre, mayor of Imperial Beach. … ” Continue reading at Channel 5.
Along the Colorado River …
Despite a strong “El Nino,” prospects for a wet winter in the southwest remain “uncertain”
“The popular theory about an “El Nino” condition in the eastern Pacific Ocean is that it often encourages the production of a lot of winter rain and snow in the southern United States. The operative word here is “often.” According to Mark O’Malley of the National Weather Service, there is a great deal of uncertainty regarding the much-heralded El Nino condition this year. “I will emphasize a lot of uncertainty,” said O’Malley to the Interagency Coordinating Group (ICG), an advisory body to the Arizona Governor on drought issues. “El Nino is the big signal that we’re looking at. Theoretically, this will change our jet stream pattern this winter. Theoretically, it will bring more storm systems into the southern US. But a lot of forecasts aren’t showing this.” … ” Read more from the Arizona Department of Water Resources.
SEE ALSO: El Niño may bring warmer, wetter winter – and big Colorado River basin snowpacks, from the Nevada Current
The historic claims that put a few California farming families first in line for Colorado River water
“Craig Elmore’s family history is the stuff of Westerns. His grandfather, John Elmore, a poor son of a Missouri preacher, arrived in California’s Imperial Valley in 1908 and dug ditches to deliver water to homesteaders. Thanks to his marriage to a citrus magnate’s daughter, reputed good fortune as a gambler and business acumen, he amassed the Elmore Desert Ranch, part of roughly 12,000 acres that two branches of the family still farm. All that land in the blazing-hot southeastern corner of California came with a huge bonanza: water from the Colorado River. In 2022, the present-day Elmores consumed an estimated 22.5 billion gallons, according to a Desert Sun and ProPublica analysis of satellite data combined with business and agricultural records. That’s almost as much as the entire city of Scottsdale, Arizona, is allotted. That puts the Elmores in exclusive company. They are one of 20 extended families who receive fully one-seventh of the river’s flow through its lower half — a whopping 1,186,200 acre-feet, or about 386.5 billion gallons, the analysis showed. … ” Read more from ProPublica.
SEE ALSO: The 20 Farming Families Who Use More Water From the Colorado River Than Some Western States, from Pro Publica
How will Las Vegas fare in a future with less water?
“Is Las Vegas going to run out of water? It might feel that way if you’ve been paying any attention to the growing bathtub ring around Lake Mead, the shrinking Colorado River and federal actions to try to keep the river’s main reservoirs in working order. Lake Mead and Lake Powell, which are filled by the Colorado River, reached all-time lows in 2022. Upstream from Lake Mead, Lake Powell sank mere feet away from the level where Glen Canyon Dam can no longer operate, compromising power for millions in the Southwest. This year, the river has operated under restrictions by the federal government called a “Tier 2 shortage,” meaning that Nevada had to give up 8% of its usual allotment. Going into 2024, the river will be under a Tier 1 shortage, meaning Nevada will have to give up 7% of its Colorado River allotment. … ” Read more from Las Vegas Weekly.
Mohave Valley IDD board hears updates on water management proposals
“Three discussion items on Mohave Valley Irrigation and Drainage District’s board agenda Tuesday drew little comment from board members. Board Chairman Charles “Chip” Sherrill requested comment from Michael Pearce, MVIDD general counsel, on key concepts for a rural groundwater management framework discussed at the Arizona Governor’s Water Policy Council Oct. 29 meeting. The Rural Groundwater Committee goals include developing policy, legislative and other actionable recommendations for the governor. Its purpose is to address the use of groundwater in the portions of the state that are outside of the active management areas, Pearce said. … ” Read more from the Mohave Daily News.
Sinema & Central Arizona Water Conservation District working to secure long-term health of Colorado River
“Arizona senior Senator Kyrsten Sinema met with the Central Arizona Water Conservation District to build on their solutions-focused partnership shaping Arizona’s long-term water future. As Colorado River Basin negotiations continue between all Basin states, Sinema is working with stakeholders like the Central Arizona Water Conservation District to ensure Arizona’s conservation operations serve as a model for other states – encouraging Basin-wide collaboration and preventing Arizona from bearing the brunt of future cuts. “Arizona’s ability to grow and thrive depends on a secure and strong water future. We’ll keep working with partners like the Central Arizona Water Conservation District to implement real solutions, strengthen our water security, and ensure Arizona continues to lead the way in our response to Western drought,” said Sinema. … ” Read more from Senator Kyrsten Sinema’s office.
So far, Utah’s water banking is showing the path beyond ‘use it or lose it’
“In a dry state like Utah, there’s not always enough water to go around. But when there is extra water, how exactly do you spread it around? Over the past three years, the state’s water banking program has been testing the processes for doing just that. The program provides avenues for a water rights holder with extra water to lease it to someone else in their area without losing the right to that water. It started with the Utah Water Banking Act, which the Legislature approved in 2020 to promote voluntary, temporary, local water transfers. The state is now starting to see positive results from the four pilot projects that put the idea into practice, as well as working out any bugs. … ” Read more from KUER.
Colorado River Drought Task Force deliberates on future policy solutions
“Sen. Dylan Roberts of Eagle County, who represents Colorado’s Eight Senate District, co-sponsored successful legislation that led to the formation of the Colorado River Drought Task Force. Steve Peters of KFFR Radio spoke to Roberts recently. A transcript of a conversation with Robert follows: Sen. Roberts: The Colorado River is so important to our livelihoods, to our economies, and to our way of life, and unfortunately, because of drought, because of climate change, because of overuse downriver, the Colorado River as a whole is under threat right now. And I think there are ways that we can craft public policy both here in Colorado and throughout the many states that the Colorado River touches to protect the long-term future of the river and all those who depend on it. So that was the idea of the Colorado River Drought Task Force is we need to take this seriously; we need to be proactive about how we’re making policy for the future of the Colorado River. … ” Read more from KSUT.
In national water news today …
With hot October temperatures, this is ‘virtually certain’ to be the warmest year on record
“Following another month of record-shattering temperatures, European scientists said Wednesday that 2023 is “virtually certain” to go down as the planet’s hottest year on record. Last month was the hottest October ever recorded, with an average global surface temperature of 59.5 degrees Fahrenheit— about 3.1 degrees warmer than the preindustrial average, according to Copernicus Climate Change Service, the European climate agency. It was 0.7 of a degree warmer than the previous warmest October in 2019. It was the fifth consecutive month that Earth set such a record, with officials indicating that the planet is growing perilously close to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) of global warming, an internationally recognized tipping point for the worst effects of climate change. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
