On the calendar today …
- MEETING: Central Valley Flood Protection Board beginning at 9am. Agenda items include a legislative update and routine items. Click here for the full agenda.
- WORKSHOP: DWR Interim Annual Water Use Reporting Template from 9am to 11am. The Department of Water Resources (DWR) Water Use Efficiency Branch invites you to join a workshop to walk-through the DWR-developed interim annual water use report template. The workshop will provide an opportunity for water suppliers to get detailed guidance on how the template functions, what data is required, and what resources DWR is providing. Register Now
- PUBLIC HEARING: Bay Delta Water Quality Control Plan, Sacramento/Delta update, 1 of 3 beginning at 9:30am. The State Water Resources Control Board has released a draft Staff Report/Substitute Environmental Document (Staff Report) in support of possible updates to the Water Quality Control Plan for the Delta. The updates are focused on the Sacramento River watershed, Delta eastside tributaries (including the Calaveras, Cosumnes, and Mokelumne Rivers), interior Delta, and Delta. The Board will also hold three workshops during the comment period to provide interested parties with an opportunity to ask questions to facilitate their review of the report. This is the first of three workshops. Click here for the full notice.
In California water news today …
As storms arrive in California, reservoirs are in good shape. But the water forecast is murky
“As forecasts tease California with rainstorms this week, the state’s reservoirs are already flush with water. It’s a big departure from a year ago: The state’s major reservoirs — which store water collected mostly from rivers in the northern portion of the state — are in good shape, with levels at 124% of average. In late 2022, bathtub rings of dry earth lined lakes that had collectively dipped to about two-thirds of average — until heavy winter storms in January filled many of them almost to the brim. Yet healthy water levels don’t mean California’s reservoirs are full. Most of California’s large reservoirs are operated for flood control as well as water storage, with space kept empty to rein in winter storm runoff. The wet season has arrived in California, with El Niño conditions projected to continue strengthening. But for the Golden State, with its unpredictable swings from dry to wet and back again, El Niño doesn’t guarantee heavy rainfall. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
Atmospheric river reconnaissance flights begin
“Seven atmospheric rivers classified as strong or greater dumped rain and snow on California during the 2022-2023 rainy season, lifting the majority of the state out of drought conditions and causing disastrous flooding. This duality of promise and peril typifies atmospheric rivers, which are ribbons of water vapor in the sky that can deliver massive amounts of precipitation, and makes accurate forecasting essential to both water managers and public safety officials. To better understand and forecast atmospheric rivers, “Hurricane Hunter” aircraft from the U.S. Air Force Reserve 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron have begun flights over the Pacific Ocean starting this November as part of Atmospheric River Reconnaissance program (AR Recon), led by the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E) at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography. The program represents a research and operations partnership between science and operational weather forecasting, which ensures that methods and their impacts are continually refined and improved over time. … ” Read more from Scripps Institute of Oceanography.
Thompson, Garamendi reintroduce bill to expand Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area Act
“Today, Reps. Mike Thompson (CA-04) and John Garamendi (CA-08) introduced legislation to expand the boundary of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area to include approximately 62 acres of publicly owned land in Solano County. “The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is an integral part of our community, and this bill will help to ensure that Rio Vista can benefit from federal grants for the redevelopment of the decommissioned Rio Vista Army base,” said Thompson. “I am proud to introduce a bill with Rep. Garamendi to expand the Delta National Heritage Area to include publicly owned land in Rio Vista and ensure that our communities are able to receive the federal dollars necessary to help repair and preserve the land for generations to come.” … ” Read more from Congressman Mike Thompson.
Solano County farmers refuse to sell land for proposed California Forever city
“Flannery Associates, investors in the proposed city of California Forever in Solano County, have gathered nearly 60,000 acres of land in the area and have become the largest land owners in the county. Some farmers are still holding out and say they refuse to sell their historical land. One of the biggest hold outs in Rio Vista is McCormack Sheep and Grain with 3,700 acres near Rio Vista. They’ve farmed the land since the 1880s. Albert Medvitz and his wife Jeanne McCormack left their lives on the east coast to continue her family legacy. “[We grow] the kinds of crops that when the Ukrainian War broke, people were concerned. Wheat, barley, they are fundamental crops around the world and what we grow goes into the world food system,” said Medvitz. … ” Read more from Channel 10.
Flooded California towns secured millions in aid. Who gets the money?
“Merced and Monterey counties got $20 million each from the state in October to help the residents of Planada and Pajaro recover from January floods. But local officials want to spend at least some of the money on infrastructure, while residents want all of the money to help relieve debt they’ve incurred from the natural disaster. That is, after all, what state lawmakers ostensibly sent the money for. … The vast majority of Planada households — 83% — experienced some type of economic loss from flooding, an April study from the UC Merced Community and Labor Center found. Affected households reported the loss of a vehicle, heater, or air conditioning, as well as mounting unpaid bills and mold issues. … ” Continue reading at Cal Matters.
Professor delves into ‘Fragmentation of Western Water Policy’ in new book
“Dr. Thomas Holyoke, professor of political science at Fresno State, was dissatisfied with the textbooks he was using for his class on water policy, so he decided to take matters into his own hands. “I decided to write my own book and it kind of became this larger project about the fragmentation of water policy,” Holyoke said. Holyoke’s book, “Water Politics: The Fragmentation of Western Water Policy,” was released on Nov. 13. The book is about the enactment of government policy regarding the use of water in the western United States and its eventual fragmentation, in part due to the rise of environmentalism as a political force. … ” Read more from Fresno State.
In commentary today …
Park Service should refrain from planting sequoia seedlings and let nature do its job
Douglas Bevington, PhD, is an environmental grantmaker who works on forest and fire issues, writes, “These days, it’s so easy to get caught up in a disaster mindset that you miss a miracle right in front of you. This thought struck me during my recent trip to forests in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Park that are now recovering from fires of recent years. There, I found myself surrounded by a remarkable forest rebirth beyond expectations. This national park is famous for its majestic sequoia trees, and there’s lots of attention about how the recent large forest fires have affected them. Although the fires burned mainly at low and moderate intensity — which doesn’t kill most trees — there were high-intensity fire patches that killed many sequoias. And that’s where I went: to the largest patch of a legendary stand of sequoias known Redwood Mountain Grove to see the fire effects first-hand. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee. | Read via Yahoo News.
Gov. Newsom, you let me down—again. As a state scientist, I deserve better pay
Jeff Geraci, an environmental scientist, writes, “Gov. Gavin Newsom’s competency and credibility are on trial in the court of public opinion as state scientists begin to strike this week. The California Association of Professional Scientists, which I am a member, is currently staging a rolling three-day strike Nov. 15-17. California scientists have been grossly underpaid for decades, and that wage gap is still growing. But Newsom isn’t worried; he knows he’s dealing with the smallest union in the state and he doesn’t need their votes anyhow. This only begs the question, “Are we really facing a global disaster, or is climate change just a useful political talking point for politicians like Newsom?” … ” Continue reading from the Desert Sun.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
The largest dam removal project in U.S. history hits major milestone
“One dam down, three to more go. Work crews completed the deconstruction of Copco No. 2 — a hydroelectric dam on the Klamath River near the Oregon-California border — in early November, according to a press release from Klamath River Renewal Corp., the nonprofit organization removing the dams. It’s a major milestone in the largest dam removal project in U.S. history, and the three remaining dams are slated to come down next year. The effort to remove the dams has spanned more than 20 years, with hundreds of tribal members and other river advocates dedicating their careers to the river and its salmon populations. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
USFS wraps up restoration work at Incline Meadow for winter
“Restoration work at Incline Meadow has concluded for the 2023 season. USDA Forest Service Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (LTBMU) crews have winterized the project area and work is scheduled to resume next summer. The final phase of the meadow restoration work planned for 2024 includes backfilling the large channel that formed in the meadow after the man-made lake was drained and removing piles and berms to promote water connectivity throughout the meadow. Restoration of the former Incline Lake area began in 2020, with the removal of the high-hazard earthen dams, construction of a floodplain and channel in the location of the former dam, backfilling the Third Creek diversion ditch in 2021, and construction of a boardwalk trail across the floodplain in 2022. … ” Read more from South Tahoe Now.
Unexpected water level changes in Taylor creek threaten kokanee salmon population and Lake Tahoe ecosystem
“One of the main spawning tributaries of Lake Tahoe for Kokanee salmon is causing concern for some fishermen. South Lake Tahoe residents say the water level in Taylor Creek was higher than usual in September due to maintenance on the fallen leaf dam—which allowed hundreds of salmon to swim upstream and spawn. However, after cutting the water in an effort to prevent invasive species from getting into Fallen Leaf Lake, hundreds of salmon eggs were left without water. JD Richey is a fishing guide in south Lake Tahoe who grew up watching Kokanee salmon and he’s worried about how this happened. … ” Read more from News 4.
Managing winter storm impacts for wildfire resilience in Nevada County
“In the immediate aftermath of the severe winter weather of early 2023, the Nevada County Office of Emergency Services (OES) launched the Winter Storm Hazardous Vegetation Cleanup Project. This program, which began earlier this year and is still underway, was designed to ensure that 100 miles of County Roads were cleared of storm debris, highly impacted communities were able to remove hazards from private roads, and residents were offered opportunities to dispose of green waste. Staff worked closely with Firewise Communities to leverage local knowledge and identify priority relief needed at the community level. … ” Continue reading from YubaNet.
Yuba River salmon return numbers: October rush
Kelly M. Grow / DWR
“Through SYRCL’s participation in the River Management Team (RMT), we get monthly updates on the number of Chinook and steelhead utilizing the fish ladders at Daguerre Point Dam. The latest numbers are in, and it seems that the return of cool weather in October has spurred a rapid increase in salmon returning to the Yuba. During winters with lots of water, salmon tend to spend more time in the Delta and lower in the river system before they start the migration to their historic spawning reaches. This is the trend we saw in 2019-2020 salmon year, and based on our October numbers, it has proven true this year as well. … ” Read more from the South Yuba River Citizens League.
Upper Long Bar Restoration Project public outreach
“On Thursday, November 2, 2023, representatives from SYRCL, Cramer Fish Sciences, and cbec led a public outreach meeting at the Upper Long Bar Restoration Project, outlining for those in attendance the history of the project, a general overview of the pre-project monitoring and what the project will encompass, and the desired outcomes of the finished project. In 2017, SYRCL was funded to work on the Long Bar Restoration Project. The project is funded by the the Wildlife Conservation Board through their Streamflow Enhancement Program and SYRCL works in partnership with cbec, Cramer Fish Sciences, the private landowners, and mining company SRI on the Project. The intent of the project is to restore at least 40 acres of floodplain habitat and nearly one mile of off channel habitat at the downstream end of Long Bar. This will include floodplain lowering, side channel enhancement, riparian planting, and large woody debris placement. Monitoring efforts and planning documents are currently in process. … ” Read more from the South Yuba River Citizens League.
Celebrating large-scale habitat restoration on the lower Yuba River and creative partnerships
“Earlier this week, Yuba Water Agency and our partners celebrated the completion of a 157-acre multi-benefit habitat restoration project on the lower Yuba River. Watching the Hallwood Side Channel and Floodplain Restoration Project transform part of the lower Yuba River over the last four years and seeing salmon, steelhead and other species already using the site has been incredible. Equally inspiring was the public-private partnership and creativity of the team that made this restoration possible. … ” Read more from the Northern California Association.
In a tough year for salmon, a record number of fish have returned to the Mokelumne River
“A record number of over 20,000 fall-run Chinook salmon have returned to the Mokelumne River, a tributary of the San Joaquin River in the Central Valley, despite relatively low returns on some other Central Valley rivers. 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. Fishery managers and salmon advocates are keeping a close eye on this fall’s spawning escapement. … ” Read more from the Daily Kos.
BAY AREA
Bay Area storm: When thunder and lightning could hit the region today
“A turbulent area of low pressure will approach the California coast on Friday, raising the risk of Bay Area thunderstorms. In addition to lightning, these storms could contain gusty winds and heavy downpours. Ponding on roadways is possible during the evening commute, with rain rates of up to half an inch per hour. Scattered rain showers and isolated thunderstorms will remain Saturday before dry and sunny weather returns Sunday. Precipitation accumulations the next two days will be highly variable due to the intense but sporadic nature of the showers. Up to an inch is possible along the Peninsula, Santa Cruz Mountains and areas that see the strongest storms. Gusty winds are also possible the next few days, reaching 30 mph at times. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
What’s behind E. coli in Point Reyes National Seashore? Beef grows between ranchers and environmentalists
“The National Park Service has found E. coli bacteria levels well above health standards in several water bodies around the Point Reyes National Seashore, reigniting the contentious debate over the future of cattle grazing at the beloved Northern California landscape. Even as the park has taken major steps to make ranching less harmful to watersheds, contaminated water was detected at several sites, including a lagoon that flows into popular Kehoe Beach, indicating runoff from cattle manure at upstream ranches. “There certainly are improvements. But it’s not perfect. Substantial water-quality issues remain in the park,” said California Coastal Commission Deputy Director Cassidy Teufel in a Thursday presentation of park data from a year-long collection and testing effort at 24 different sites. But, surprisingly, cattle aren’t the only culprits: Tainted water was also found in two other popular sites, McClures and Abbott Beaches, which have few or no cattle — suggesting that wildlife like elk, coyotes and birds are also contributors. Even people may be a problem, if bacteria is creeping in from septic systems, including ranch homes and public restrooms. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
North Marin Water District to fortify Dillon Beach basins
“The North Marin Water District is moving forward with a repair and reinforcement project for its storm-damaged water treatment and storage ponds in western Marin. The two large ponds serve the Oceana Marin development in Dillon Beach, where the district has 5 miles of pipeline providing sewer services for 236 connections. One of the ponds required emergency repair work after torrential rain in the 2016-17 winter season. The project provides a permanent fix that regrades the ponds and bolsters their berms. Argonaut Constructors of Santa Rosa was selected from a pool of five bidders to perform the work, district staff told the board at a recent meeting. The contractors submitted the lowest bid at $1.49 million, which is $305,000, or about 17%, below the district engineer’s estimate, staff said. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
El Niño winter weather is here: What should Oakland residents know?
“Last winter’s storms sent a deluge of rain across California. Oakland received a record level of rainfall in a matter of weeks during December and January. The Oakland hills faced landslides, while the flatlands saw flooding, including rising waters that displaced tenants at an East Oakland property on New Year’s Eve. The city incurred over $7 million in storm damages, much of which Oakland is still trying to recoup through Federal Emergency Management Agency relief funding. These storms were fueled by intense atmospheric rivers—essentially long, narrow currents of air filled with water vapor—which dumped rain on the area, overwhelming infrastructure. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently issued an El Niño advisory for this winter and scientists are predicting it could be as rainy or rainier than the last. … ” Read more from Oaklandside.
Martinez refinery hit with joint civil action after repeated toxic dust releases
“Two Bay Area agencies announced they would collaborate on a joint civil enforcement action against the Martinez Refining Company following several toxic dust releases over the past year. On Thursday, the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office announced it, along with the Bay Area Air Quality District, would be combining prosecutorial resources to make sure the refinery is following state law and air quality regulations. Over the past year, the Martinez refinery has released dust into the air four times. Oil refining can produce fine dust as a byproduct, which can damage the heart and lungs when inhaled, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Pleasanton City Council oks 30% residential water-rate hike
“A 30% increase that will hit water ratepayers next year will be funneled into a fund to try and resuscitate the city’s water-enterprise fund. The added revenue will help fund upcoming infrastructure projects and replenish city water-fund reserves that would fall negative in 2025 without intervention, according to City Manager Gerry Beaudin. The new rates, however, will not cover the two city wells planned in the Bernal subbasin. The size of the increase dwarfs those of recent years, which saw rate increases averaging about 1.3% annually between 2011 and 2020. Those increases, however, failed to “account for the growth in the community or the ability to address necessary but not funded system improvements,” according to a city staff report. … ” Read more from the Livermore Independent.
CENTRAL COAST
Crews help clean up Corralitos Creek
“About 30 people from various organizations formed a community cleanup Wednesday on a slice of private property on Airport Boulevard at Pajaro Lane. Headed up by the office of Supervisor Felipe Hernandez, the crew got support from the County of Santa Cruz and the City of Watsonville with large dumpsters and heavy equipment to round up mountains of trash, some of which was endangering the nearby Corralitos Creek. “On one hand it makes me sad to see so many people living homeless,” said volunteer Rozene Enloe. “But it feels good to help the environment and to be out here working with these groups.” … ” Read more from the Pajaronian.
Why there is (still) a carrot boycott in Cuyama Valley
“Don’t expect to see carrots on Thanksgiving menus in the Cuyama Valley, where residents and small farmers have been boycotting Bolthouse Farms and Grimmway Farms over their outsized water use. They’re still not welcome at the table. Back in September, I wrote about the carrot boycott and the hardball tactics by those big growers that had led to this fight. The water war spilled into the mainstream media this week thanks to an excellent pair of stories by Ian James, who covers water and the environment for the Los Angeles Times, as well as by Ari Plachta at the Sacramento Bee a few weeks earlier. As a refresher: Cuyama Valley is groundwater dependent, which makes it a helluva place for two Big Ag carrot growers that produce 80% of the country’s carrots. … ” Read more from the Legal Planet.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Visalia City, County flush out sewer squabble
“Needed housing developments in two communities can move forward after the city of Visalia and county of Tulare reached an agreement on sewer capacity in the city and neighboring community of Goshen. On Nov. 7, the city issued a letter to the Goshen Community Services District (CSD) tentatively accepting its request to nearly double its allotted sewer capacity. In the letter, Visalia Public Works Director Nick Bartsch said the preliminary findings of the city’s short-term sewer study indicated “the City believes it has adequate capacity to accept the proposed increase.” … ” Read more from the Sun-Gazette.
EASTERN SIERRA
Ridgecrest: Water District finalizes early completion of reservoir project
“The Indian Wells Valley Water District board meeting on November 13 shed light on the completion of a notable reservoir project. The construction of the 1.0 million gallon Gateway Reservoir, 1.0MG C-Zone Reservoir, and 0.55MG College Reservoir, managed by Canyon Springs Enterprises, was finished almost five months ahead of the contract completion date. Water District Chief Engineer Renee Morquecho told the board, “This is the acceptance of contract work from Canyon Springs Enterprises. They constructed three new water tanks for the District, the last of which was put into service October 24th. This project was completed nearly 5 months ahead of time, which was great.” … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent.
Groundwater Authority empowers general manager with increased purchasing authority
“At the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority board meeting on November 8, the board granted general manager Carol Thomas-Keefer the authority to make purchases up to $50,000 without board approval. The intention of this decision is to streamline IWVGA’s efforts of managing the valley’s groundwater resources in a way where IWVGA staff can rapidly respond to minor issues as they arise. This measure passed with unanimous approval from the board. … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent.
Op Ed: Water District responds to Groundwater Authority claims
Mallory J. Boyd, President of the Board, IWV Water District, writes, “In the recent editorial “GA members support AB 779”, County Supervisor Phillip Peters and Ridgecrest City Councilman Scott Hayman took the opportunity to lob cheap shots at the very people they’re supposed to be representing, by asserting that our water district is somehow averse to anyone – particularly small pumpers – in the basin participating in the water adjudication. Of course, this is demonstrably untrue and worth stating, that the Indian Wells Valley Water District continues to fully support all stakeholders participating in water adjudications. It was the water district that hosted public workshops on the adjudication, and it was the water district that worked with DWR to help educate the public on the issues facing this basin, all with no assistance from the Groundwater Authority. Contrary to the GA’s assertions, existing laws already include protections for small pumpers, so we simply doubt AB 779 accomplishes anything new, other than increasing the time and expense of adjudications. … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Las Virgenes and Calleguas water districts gain access to new supply
“Millions of Southern Californians who were required to dramatically reduce their water use last year will have increased access to water in the future under two projects recently announced by the Metropolitan Water District. Metropolitan—the nation’s largest water wholesaler and sole water provider to the local Las Virgenes and Calleguas municipal water districts—approved a $9.8-million contract for the Sepulveda Feeder Pump Stations Project that will bring additional water from the Colorado River, as well as water stored at Diamond Valley Lake in Riverside County, to the two local districts. SoCal communities, home to some 7 million people, heavily depend on water delivered through the State Water Project in Northern California. When supplies from the north were severely limited during the 2020-22 drought, residents faced mandatory water reduction by more than 35%. … ” Read more from The Acorn.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Calipatria and Niland residents protest against water rates
“A peaceful protest over water rates took place at the Imperial County Office of Education, where the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) held a voting meeting on Thursday, November 16. “The water rate increase is unacceptable and unfair,” Calipatria resident Anna Garcia said. “We are asking for fair water rates.” Los Amigos de la Comunidad, Inc., which is a community advocacy nonprofit based in Brawley that helps underserved communities have a voice, organized the protest to bring visibility to the issue to the CPUC since they wanted to take advantage of its first regular meeting in Imperial County after eight years. … ” Read more from the Imperial Valley Press.
SAN DIEGO
Water Authority drops lawsuit against water divorcees
“The San Diego County Water Authority’s board voted Thursday to drop a lawsuit the water seller filed in August against two of its customer water districts that are trying to leave and the agency that gave them permission to do so. After a closed-door deliberation, the Water Authority publicly directed its lawyers to enter into a settlement agreement with Rainbow Municipal Water District, Fallbrook Public Utilities District and the Local Agency Formation Commission or LAFCO – the boundary referees that agreed to allow two of the Water Authority’s customers to divorce from their water seller. “We’re working cooperatively to resolve litigation and move forward in accordance with the results of the election,” Jack Bebee, Fallbrook Public Utilities District’s general manager told Voice of San Diego. … ” Read more from the Voice of San Diego.
Invasive seaweed discovered in Coronado Cays area of San Diego Bay
“The Port of San Diego, along with the Southern California Caulerpa Action Team (SCCAT), the City of Coronado, and the Coronado Cays Homeowners Association (CCHOA), are responding to the discovery of an invasive seaweed scientifically known as Caulerpa prolifera in the Coronado Cays area of San Diego Bay. Caulerpa is an algae native to Florida and other subtropical and tropical locales. In non-native areas, it can take over natural habitats, disrupting the ecosystem and displacing native plants and the animals that rely on them. In San Diego Bay, state and federally protected eelgrass habitats are especially at risk as eelgrass is utilized by native green sea turtle populations, a threatened species, and 70 different fish species rest within and feed on eelgrass. Caulerpa is not harmful to humans. … ” Read more from the Coronado Times.
Coastal Commission urges Biden to declare border sewage crisis an emergency
“The California Coastal Commission, which met on Wednesday, wants President Joe Biden to declare the border sewage crisis an emergency. Commissioners approved sending the president a letter urging him to do whatever it takes to accelerate plans to improve the plant. The aging wastewater plant in San Ysidro has allowed Tijuana sewage to contaminate South Bay shorelines. They also asked the president the suspend regulations preventing the International Boundary and Water Commission, the agency that manages the plant, from receiving money from non-federal entities. Paloma Aguirre, Imperial Beach mayor and coastal commissioner, said an emergency declaration could help the agency start accepting grants. … ” Read more from Fox 5.
Along the Colorado River …
Tribes gain clout as Colorado River shrinks
“The climate-driven shrinking of the Colorado River is expanding the influence of Native American tribes over how the river’s flows are divided among cities, farms and reservations across the Southwest. The tribes are seeing the value of their largely unused river water entitlements rise as the Colorado dwindles, and they are gaining seats they’ve never had at the water bargaining table as government agencies try to redress a legacy of exclusion. The power shift comes as the federal government and seven states negotiate the next set of rules governing the river that flows to nearly 40 million people and irrigates more than 4 million acres of farmland. The tribes stand to hold outsized sway in those discussions. Altogether, they hold rights to more water than some of the states in the Colorado River Basin, which stretches from Wyoming to Mexico. … ” Read more from Western Water.
Centuries-old trees offer clues to the ongoing Southwest megadrought
“A branchless tree pierces the blue sky from my vantage point below on a near vertical slope, black lines running up its smooth yellowing surface, contouring the tree’s growth. Located near the top of a 11,300-foot mountain slope in the Tushar Mountains of Southwest Utah, the now dead tree has remained rooted in the same remote patch of soil for hundreds of years. As a chainsaw slices its weathered skin, Karen King knows she’s working with an incredibly old tree specimen, something she’s only experienced a handful of times. “The outer parts are pretty degraded, but those inner rings are 400 to 600 years old,” said the University of Tennessee Knoxville assistant professor and recent postdoctoral researcher at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. With a project that depends on finding the oldest trees possible, “I’m thinking this is going to work out,” she said. … ” Continue reading from the Earth Island Journal.
The Great Salt Lake and Colorado River are at a pivotal crossroad
“Is the glass half full or is it half empty? In a reality that involves the Great Salt Lake shrinking to its lowest historical level a year ago and the Colorado River struggling to meet the demands of more than 40 million people and close to five million acres of irrigated farmland, as well as power supply from Glen Canyon Dam, it appears the glass is draining fast. Consider that the entire Colorado River Basin — which serves seven states in the West, Mexico and more than 30 Native American tribes — has an economic value of $1.4 trillion. Also consider that the Colorado River supplies one third of Utah’s water, supports 26% of its agriculture and provides drinking water for 1.3 million people in Utah. At the Utah Water Symposium in Orem hosted by the Utah House of Representatives on Thursday, Amy Hass said in one respect, a compact forged 100 years ago was set up to disappoint. … ” Read more from Deseret News.
Western Slope water interests make $98.5M play to buy some of the Colorado River’s oldest water rights from Xcel
“Negotiations are underway in Colorado to purchase one of the oldest, largest water rights on the Colorado River within state lines, expanding that water’s legal use to include environmental benefits, and creating one of the most significant opportunities in the state to protect streamflows for fish, habitat and wildlife. Led by the Glenwood Springs-based Colorado River District, the proposed $98.5 million deal would allow a coalition of Western Slope entities to purchase from Xcel Energy the most senior water right on that segment of the river and lease it back to Xcel’s Shoshone Hydropower Plant 8 miles east of Glenwood Springs. “It feels like the biggest investment we could make for water security for this side of the mountain,” said Kathy Chandler-Henry, chair of the river district board and an Eagle County commissioner. She was referring to the Western Slope of the Continental Divide. … ” Read more from the Colorado Sun.
In national water news today …
Tires are saving us — and killing us, too
“Tires are the most important safety component on a car, yet there’s increasing research that they’re doing a good deal of harm, too. Slowly, surely, one mote of black dust at a time, tires are leaving their mark on the environment. According to researchers at Imperial College London, our cars and trucks emit 6 million tons of tire wear particles every year, transportation detritus that goes into the air, the land, and the water. That’s a massive figure that ignores the nearly 250 million tires that are disposed of annually in North America, roughly half of which are burned. It’s a depressing state of affairs, but there is room for optimism. Every major tire manufacturer globally is raising its game — not only in terms of performance in the face of bigger, heavier electric cars but also in terms of environmental impact. Renewable materials are finding their way into modern tires, and there’s even greener rubber on the horizon, too. Truly sustainable tires are becoming a reality, but will it be enough? … ” Read more from The Verge.
Plastics are poisoning both our bodies and our politics
“If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result, the definition of obstruction is knowing exactly how to fix a problem and pursuing everything but the obvious solution. The U.N. Environment Program’s attempts to negotiate a global plastic treaty is suffering from both of these afflictions at once. Negotiators are gathered in Nairobi this week for the third of five meetings to broker a treaty to reduce plastic pollution. The past two meetings didn’t go great. The first, in Uruguay, ended with parties “split on whether goals and efforts should be global and mandatory, or voluntary and country-led,” according to Al Jazeera. Given that voluntary, country-led goals are completely ineffective at actually curbing plastic pollution, this is a bit like saying the meeting ended with parties split on whether to have a meeting. … ” Read more from The New Republic.
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
NOTICE of Water Right Permit Applications to appropriate 1,803.9 acre-feet of water from the Cosumnes River and Mokelumne River watersheds in Amador County
