A wrap-up of posts published on Maven’s Notebook this week …
Note to readers: Sign up for weekly email service and you will receive notification of this post on Friday mornings. Readers on daily email service can add weekly email service by updating their subscription preferences. Click here to sign up!
In California water news this week …
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.
Where’s our water? A look at California’s storage problem
“In 2014, California voters passed a proposition using $7.5 billion dollars in state funds to expand water storage capacity. Nearly 10 years later, people say not much has come from the vote. The main focus on their minds is the failure to expand Shasta Dam. Kern County Congressman David Valadao (R-CA) has authored legislation that makes it easier for Shasta to receive federal funding. “The goal is to make as much capacity as we possibly can and in those very, very wet years [and] capture as much water as we possibly can,” Valadao said. “Then, help sustain our communities, our farms and our state through those dry periods.” … ” Continue reading at Bakersfield Now.
California’s Sites Reservoir project: sparking mixed feelings in the Northstate
“The Sites Reservoir project has been in the planning process for several years and if ultimately approved, would change the way California utilizes its water. The site’s project aims to help California maintain a successful water supply in the face of climate change, weather extremes and water scarcity. Along with meeting California’s goal of expanding above and below-ground water storage capacity by 4 million acre-feet. “This project, and other projects like it, need to happen so we can have a secure water supply for future generations,” said Brown. … ” Read more from KRCR.
Water agencies say funding for California’s biggest dam in decades is ‘pretty much lined up’
“California water agencies say they have nearly secured $4.5 billion in funding needed to build the state’s largest reservoir in nearly a century, Sites Reservoir, as a state environmental review process for the project comes to a rapid close after decades of delay. “We pretty much have our funding lined up,” said environmental planning and permitting manager for the Sites Project Authority, Ali Forsythe, on Tuesday. “We’re just putting all the pieces together, but we have our full funding portfolio so that’s exciting for us.” She also said the authority, a coalition of water districts leading the project, will consider its final environmental impact report on Friday. Approving it would mark a key procedural milestone and official green light for construction scheduled to begin in 2026. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
BAY DELTA PLAN UPDATE: A deep dive into the staff report for the for the Sacramento Delta update: How do the voluntary agreements stack up?
“On Friday, the State Water Resources Control Board will hold the first day of a three day public hearing on the draft staff report for the Sacramento Delta update to the Bay Delta Water Quality Control Plan. The Board is accepting public comments on the report through December 15. The report examines the potential economic, environmental, and other impacts of various options for updating the Bay Delta Plan, including the proposed voluntary agreements. Curious to know how the staff proposal and voluntary agreements compare? In a workshop held on October 19 workshop, the State Water Board staff delved into the details of the report, discussing the background, key components, and modeling results for both the staff proposal and the voluntary agreements. This is essentially a transcript of the staff presentation. … ” Read more from Maven’s Notebook.
Growing agrivoltaics: Conference harvests California, German know-how for farmland solar
“California and Germany are comparing notes on agrivoltaics development in an effort to move the industry through its early stages of adoption in the Golden State. At the first California Germany Agrivoltaics Conference, held at the University of California at Davis on Nov. 1, researchers, technology providers, project developers and government administrators combined ideas to bolster adoption. “Agrivoltaics is still new to the United States, and mostly involves pilot or test installations, while Germany is further ahead. That’s why we’ve come together,” said Mirko Wutzler, VP of the German American Chamber of Commerce of California (GACC). Since many agrivoltaics installations must be designed differently in terms of light requirements and the particular PV technology selected for specific crops, “structural integration optimization is very important to this industry,” said Wutzler, also the moderator of the conference keynote session. … ” Read more from Solar Builder.
California farmers are reeling from loss of powerful congressional allies
“California’s agricultural industry – the nation’s largest food producer — is fighting for its political future. First came the death of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a staunch Democratic ally who was unafraid of prioritizing farms over endangered fish in the state’s long-running water wars. Then House Republicans kicked Rep. Kevin McCarthy, a native of the Central Valley’s agricultural heartland, out of the speakership. The sudden loss of two of California’s most effective champions for agriculture has left a political void that the industry is unsure how to fill. Without another Feinstein-like figure emerging from the bench, farmers and lobbyists describe a growing recognition that California agriculture’s political future depends on casting a wider net, especially as climate change promises to shrink water supplies further. … ” Read more from Politico.
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.
Science spotlight: Pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and contaminants of emerging concern in wastewater discharges to San Francisco Bay
“The issue of water quality in the Delta has become increasingly important in recent years. The drought has made the water quality conditions worse, leading to several harmful algal bloom events. While we have regulations in place for certain aspects of water quality, such as salinity and mercury, there is a growing interest in developing new regulations to address the occurrence of harmful algal blooms and other unregulated chemicals that we have limited knowledge about. These chemicals, called contaminants of emerging concern or CECs, include pharmaceuticals that end up in our wastewater treatment system, pesticides and herbicides with constantly evolving formulations, and even personal care products like sunscreens. Research is actively being conducted to understand how these contaminants of emerging concern may impact both aquatic life and humans. … ” Continue reading from Maven’s Notebook.
California state scientists strike, demand equal pay
“Hundreds of scientists working for the state of California to protect water supplies, respond to oil spills, study wildlife and track foodborne outbreaks marched in Sacramento today in what’s being called the first-ever strike by state civil servants. Today was the first day of a three-day “Defiance for Science” rolling strike by more than 4,000 rank-and-file state scientists, who are seeking to close pay gaps with their counterparts in local, federal and other parts of state government. “This is something that needed to happen. And it’s unfortunate that the state put us in this position,” recently-elected union president Jacqueline Tcak, 29, a state scientist who works on water quality in the Central Coast, said over the din of chants and rattles. “We want equal pay for equal work.” … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
In commentary this week …
It’s about time California built the Sites Reservoir
Columnist George Skelton writes, “California’s state government began drawing up plans for Sites Reservoir in the Sacramento Valley 70 years ago. And it still only exists on paper. So, kudos to Gov. Gavin Newsom for deciding that it’s finally time to put this tardy project on the fast track. Fast track means there’ll be limited time for any opponent to contest the project in court on environmental grounds. Newsom used a new law he pushed through the Legislature in June aimed at making it easier to build transportation, clean energy and water infrastructure by expediting lawsuits under the California Environmental Quality Act. Sites is the first project to be fast-tracked. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Our water is polluted with ‘forever chemicals.’ Here’s how some agencies are stepping in.
Mike DiGiannantonio, an attorney with Environmental Law Group, writes, “While tap water in California is considered safe by most standards, specific contaminants are finding their way into the drinking water supply. Take per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS, also known as “forever chemicals”) for example, which have been shown to have serious adverse effects on human health, including cancer, thyroid disorders, ulcerative colitis, infertility. The list goes on. In fact, tap water in urban areas in Southern and Central California appears to be a hot spot for contamination by these chemicals, according to new U.S. Geological Survey research. Pollution involving “forever chemicals” is widespread. These man-made chemicals have been used in industry and consumer products for decades and today can be found in nearly half of the tap water in the U.S. In California, out of the 248 active public water systems tested, 65 percent had these contaminants in their drinking water. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Without water, it is just dirt!
Andy Caldwell, COLAB Executive Director and a local radio talk show host, writes, “The largest sector of our local economy is agriculture, which grosses some $2 billion per year. For those of you who are not aware, gross receipts are not the same thing as profit. Some farmers may get paid millions in gross value for their crops and still lose money. It happens more often than you think. It all has to do with market conditions (including foreign competition), labor costs, fertilizer and pesticide costs, and the most unpredictable variation of all, the weather, including floods, droughts, and extreme variations in heat and cold. Last year, strawberry growers alone incurred $200 million in storm damages. The most notorious variant that eliminates profit for our farmers is government regulations. That is, a myriad of state and federal agencies abetted by certain activists who are continuously making it more difficult to grow food. … ” Read more from the Lompoc Record.
California wants to rollback environmental rules for cannabis. That won’t help ailing growers
Rosalie Liccardo Pacula, a senior fellow at the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy and Economics and a professor of health policy, economics and law at USC, and Michael Sutton, the former president of the California Fish and Game Commission, write, “Legalizing recreational cannabis in California was supposed to bring illegal growers out of the shadows and into a robust, safe and regulated market. When voters approved Proposition 64 in 2016, the measure promised to end the damage to our lands and water that had long been part of the illegal marijuana industry. Instead, while some of the small growers who characterized the illegal business have been licensed, the new market has quickly become dominated by a handful of huge corporate farmers. Hoping to save the small growers from extinction, the California Legislature is considering rolling back some of the very environmental guardrails that were supposed to make the legal industry more sustainable. This is a big mistake. While the intent of proposals like Senate Bill 508 may be laudable, removing environmental safeguards would set a bad precedent, and it won’t save the beleaguered growers who are struggling to survive in the new market. In fact, it will probably hasten their demise. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
Editorial: What we flush down the toilet matters for health and safety. Only the ‘three Ps,’ please
The LA Times editorial board writes, “What goes in the toilet, and what goes in the trash? It’s the kind of discussion one has with a 2-year old, and is all the more delightful because it’s a topic generally regarded as taboo in polite conversation. You get to say things such as only “the three Ps” — pee, poop and paper — go in the toilet. Everything else goes in the trash can. Right? Alas, modern human life is much more complicated and the conversation far more difficult, though fundamentally important for health, safety and good manners. The last century has given us three new Ps to contend with: plastics, PFAS, and pharmaceuticals. We should not flush these, though throwing them in the trash doesn’t mean they won’t come back to harm us. Microplastics are found in human blood. PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, which are known popularly as “forever chemicals” and are associated with a host of bad health effects — taint the drinking water of numerous communities. Drugs meant to treat deadly disease in human beings end up causing illness in other creatures when, discarded, they leach into the water. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
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 this week …
Spawning gravel for winter-run salmon being placed in the Sacramento River near Keswick Dam
“More than 21,000 tons of gravel is being placed into the Sacramento River to provide spawning habitat for salmon and trout in the upper reaches of the river and its tributaries. The spawning habitat has been reduced over time due to water flows pushing the gravel downstream. Spanning approximately 200 feet by 80 feet, the new gravel aims to replenish supply in an important historic spawning location near Salt Creek – about a mile south of the Keswick Dam. “We are addressing a need in one of the salmon’s key life stages with the hope that more fish will spawn in the colder waters of Sacramento River,” said Roger Cornwell, President of Reclamation District 108. “With less debris entering the river and creeks naturally, we know it is important to lend a hand to our endangered species.” … ” Continue reading this news release.
Tiny mud snail could threaten Lake Tahoe’s ecosystem and economy
“On a cool, fall evening on Lake Tahoe, researcher Sudeep Chandra stands at the back of a small boat anchored in the south end of the clear blue lake. He’s holding a device called a dredge, which looks like a large metal clamshell. “So, we’re basically going to drop this in the water,” Chandra says as he lightly tosses the dredge into the glassy lake and watches it sink to the bottom. A few seconds later, after the device snaps shut and scoops up a sample of the lakebed, Chandra reels it in and cracks it open into a shallow bucket. “We first see, of course, invasive Asian clams,” Chandra says, plucking a small shell from a pile of sediment. “These things can live two to four years old, and they can reproduce hundreds of thousands to millions of little villagers or tiny clams that go spread around the lake.” … ” Read more from KUNR.
Large-scale, multi-benefit floodplain restoration project transforms part of the lower Yuba River
“After five years of construction, a 157-acre, multi-benefit habitat restoration project that directly benefits native fish like salmon and steelhead in the lower Yuba River is complete. The Hallwood Side Channel and Floodplain Restoration Project includes nearly two miles of restored side channels and alcoves and more than six miles of seasonally flooded side channels – areas that are essential for fish where they can hide from predators, rest, eat and grow. Recent fish surveys show that steelhead and salmon are already using the new habitat. “The project has already shown an increase of juvenile Chinook salmon and steelhead using the site, as well as adult fish that are spawning in the channels,” said Chris Hammersmark, director and ecohydrologist for cbec eco engineering. “The project area is producing more bugs (aka fish food) and providing a myriad of aquatic conditions, which is exactly the kind of habitat that fish need to grow and thrive. The outcome so far is just incredible.” … ” Read more from Yuba Water.
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.
Anderson Dam: Cost to rebuild major reservoir rises to $2.3 billion, tripling from two years ago
“The cost to bring Anderson Dam, which holds back the largest reservoir in Santa Clara County, up to modern earthquake standards has increased to $2.3 billion, water officials said Monday. That’s double what was estimated a year ago, triple the price tag from two years ago, and nearly certain to drive water rates higher next year across Silicon Valley. “It’s very disturbing,” said John Varela, chairman of the Santa Clara Valley Water District, a government agency based in San Jose that owns the dam and is is overseeing the project. “The cost escalations are just absurd,” he added. “It’s like a taxi cab when you go inside for a cup of coffee and the meter keeps running and your $5 fare goes to $10 and you say ‘Wait a minute.’” In 2020, federal dam safety officials ordered the reservoir along Highway 101 between San Jose and Morgan Hill drained and its dam rebuilt to modern seismic standards. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
Rain-rich, faucet-famine: The irony of Boulder Creek’s ongoing water woes
“Over the past year, Boulder Creek received more than 71 inches of rainfall. All winter, throughout the spring and even early summer, the San Lorenzo River and its arteries of creeks, brooks and streams rushed with water. It was a historic season in many ways, but still produced only the second-wettest year over the past decade in this Santa Cruz Mountains region. As Shandra Hunt slowly steered her blue Toyota Prius up the curves of China Grade Road in early November, neighbors were out with shovels, preparing their properties for the weekend forecast of heavy rain and the possibility of the season’s first atmospheric river. … “There’s a lot of water that comes off this mountain — you have no idea, just a ton of water,” said Hunt, who’s lived in Boulder Creek for nearly three decades. Yet, when Hunt or her father turns on the faucet each morning, they are unsure whether anything will come out. … ” Read the full story from Lookout Santa Cruz.
Fish to receive 40% of Kern River flow under judge’s order
“A judge’s order signed Tuesday ensures there will be at least some water flowing in the Kern River through Bakersfield in perpetuity. Unless, of course, it’s overturned. Kern County Superior Court Judge Gregory Pulskamp signed an order that requires 40% of the Kern River’s flow to remain in the river to keep fish populations healthy. This order is the implementation of an injunction granted by Pulskamp October 30 mandating that some amount of water must flow through the river for fish populations. Pulskamp instructed the City of Bakersfield and plaintiffs to work out how much water should be kept in the river for fish, which is what Tuesday’s implementation order lays out. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
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.
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.
Announcements, notices, and funding opportunities …
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
NOTICE: Sacramento/Delta Draft Staff Report: Comment Deadline Extended & Revised Public Hearing Information
VIRTUAL WORKSHOP: Water Measurement and Reporting Regulation adopted pursuant to 2015 Senate Bill 88
DELTA BREEZE NEWSLETTER: Open science: what it is, the role it plays in accessible and equitable science, and how the Delta Science Program is pushing the movement forward for the Delta community
