In California water news today …
Lois Henry: Kern River battles continue as ag districts accuse Bakersfield of pulling off an historic “water heist”
“If anyone thought a recent court order mandating 40% of the Kern River’s flow remain in the river for fish was the end of the story, think again. Agricultural water districts are striking back. Not at the fish. But at what they say is an historic water heist by the City of Bakersfield. On Tuesday, a coalition of ag districts filed a motion to stay and motion for reconsideration of Kern County Superior Court Judge Gregory Pulskamp’s injunction and implementation order requiring water in the river. The group, including Kern Delta Water District, Kern County Water Agency and the North Kern, Buena Vista and Rosedale-Rio Bravo water storage districts contend, among other things, that the implementation order was rushed by them not affording them due process. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Going to the source: Can meadow restoration beef up California’s water supplies and reduce flooding?
“California’s 280,000 acres of mountain meadows dotting the Sierra Nevada are more than pretty rest stops along arduous alpine trails. They also act like giant water sponges, filtering water and slowing it down as runoff barrels down mountainsides. Yet more than 50,000 acres of meadows are in need of restoration. US Forest Service ecologist Karen Pope said California has some of the best meadows in the world, and likens them to “nature’s speed bumps” for their ability to moderate water flows for downstream users. Their restoration is part of a bigger picture, encapsulated in the Department of Water Resources’ strategic Water Plan, which acknowledges climate change as an “urgent threat” and calls for focusing on the state’s watersheds, water systems and communities. Meadows are part of that. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Proposed Site’s Reservoir Project stirs controversy as environmental impact report is approved
“The site’s reservoir that would create new water storage in Eastern Colusa and Glenn counties is moving onto the next step, but not everybody is thrilled about the progress. “There will be conflicts between environmentalists and the beneficiaries down in southern California,” said Senior Policy Staff of the Friends of the River, Ronald Stork. The site’s reservoir project is officially moving forward with planned operations after the project authority approves the reservoir’s environmental impact report. … ” Read more from KRCR.
California gearing up for strong El Niño
“Meteorologists are predicting strong El Niño conditions this winter, with widespread precipitation expected to hit the California coast as early as next month and continuing into spring. El Niño is a phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation phenomenon in which trade winds weaken and warm Pacific Ocean water moves towards the Americas. The big picture: The current El Niño event is expected to intensify and potentially become a very strong or “super” El Niño event within the next couple of months. … ” Read more from the San Joaquin Valley Sun.
Court of Appeal upholds County of Monterey’s management of groundwater in landmark SGMA case
“On November 13, 2023, the Sixth District Court of Appeal issued the first published decision interpreting California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (“SGMA”) in City of Marina et al., v. County of Monterey et al., Case No. H049575. The case arose after the County of Monterey elected to form a groundwater sustainability agency (“GSA”) to resolve overlapping claims to manage groundwater in a small area of the Salinas Valley Groundwater Basin known as the CEMEX Area, a seaside parcel on which CEMEX previously operated a sand-mining facility and is now proposed to house a desalination plant to provide fresh water to residents of Monterey County. The Court upheld the trial court’s determination that the County of Monterey Groundwater Sustainability Agency, rather than the City of Marina, has the authority to manage groundwater in the CEMEX Area. The Court’s decision signals judicial support for the California legislature’s preference for local management of groundwater under SGMA. Downey Brand successfully represented Monterey County before both the trial and appellate courts. … ” Read more from Downey Brand.
City-based scientists get creative to tackle rural-research needs
“In 2022, Ashok Gadgil conducted the first field trial of a water-treatment system for the 600 or so residents of Allensworth, California, who have been battling arsenic contamination for some time. The system is a more efficient iteration of technology that Gadgil and his team installed in India in 2016 to provide rural and marginalized communities with access to safe drinking water at low cost1. Like many small rural communities, Allensworth — a historically Black town with a majority Latinx population today — has no access to high-quality surface-water treatment facilities that are common in urban areas. Instead, these communities often use wells, which are at high risk of contamination with arsenic and other toxic substances. It’s an urgent issue in California: roughly 300,000 of the state’s 39 million residents drink from wells in the state’s rural areas and are therefore exposed to high levels of arsenic in the ground water. … ” Read more from Nature.
Commerce secretary announces fishery disaster determinations for California salmon fisheries
“The Secretary of Commerce determined that a commercial fishery failure due to a fishery resource disaster occurred in these 2023 ocean and inland salmon fisheries: California Sacramento River Fall Chinook and Klamath River Fall Chinook. The determination is in response to requests from Acting Governor Eleni Kounalakis. Secretary of Commerce, Gina M. Raimondo, working with NOAA Fisheries, evaluates each fishery resource disaster request based primarily on data submitted by the requesting official. A fishery disaster determination must meet specific requirements under the Magnuson-Stevens Act. For example, there must be economic impacts and an unexpected large decrease in fish stock biomass or other change. These impacts result in significant loss of access to the fishery resource resulting from specific allowable causes due to the fishery resource disaster event. … ” Read more from NOAA Fisheries.
In commentary today …
California Legislature destroys incentive to achieve water resiliency
Edward Ring, a contributing editor and senior fellow with the California Policy Center, writes, “The California State Water Board is currently drafting the regulations needed to implement Senate Bill 1157, which is possibly the most misguided, unnecessary, intrusive, expensive disaster of a law ever passed by the state legislature. Passed and signed by Governor Newsom in 2022, SB 1147 requires California’s water agencies to limit residential indoor water use to 47 gallons per person per day starting in 2025 and 42 gallons in 2030. The theme promoted by the State Water Board as they conduct hearings and solicit public comments is “Making Water Conservation a Way of Life.” Rationing would be a more apt description of what’s coming for California’s households. It isn’t as if conservation hasn’t been a way of life in California for decades. … ” Read more from the California Globe.
Yay for bad government! Unless…
Thomas Buckley, former Mayor of Lake Elsinore California and contributing author to The Point, writes, “Populated by slothful, uncaring time servers who literally have no motivation to do much more than physically (and now not even that) show up, sit down, and look plausible (if that is at all possible,) the rather dour reputation of any bureaucracy is well deserved. But sometimes – just sometimes – that can actually be a good thing. Take, for example, California’s State Water Resources Control Board. In January, the board unanimously approved a Racial Equity Action Plan . The plan called for a number of actions – hey, that’s in the name! – to be taken by the Board and its staff to make absolutely sure that the water that is piped to your farm, business, or home is not bringing California’s systemic racism along with it. … ” Continue reading at Water Wrights.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Audio: Klamath dam removal will help but not cure salmon, research shows
“Construction crews are in place, ready to begin the demolition of three dams on the Klamath River. One dam, Copco 2, is already gone. And recently published research indicates dam removal will meet one desired objective: to help the survival and growth of salmon populations currently walled off at Iron Gate Dam, the furthest dam downstream. But the research also shows that dam removal will not solve all the issues for the migrating fish. We get into the details with Sascha Hallett, a fish parasitologist at Oregon State University, and Julie Alexander, a fish ecologist at OSU. Both are among a flock of authors on the research.” Listen at Jefferson Public Radio.
PG&E takes first step in dam decommission process
“The time has come for the next phase for the Potter Valley Project, the infrastructure which funnels water from the Eel River into the Russian River. Stakeholders and the general public have until December 22nd to submit comments to utility Pacific Gas and Electric for input on the company’s initial surrender plan for the Potter Valley Hydroelectric Project. This first draft of the surrender and decommission plan for the two-dam project, while important, isn’t hiding any new revelations, said California Trout’s Charlie Schneider. … PG&E has put forward two alternative options to remove Scott Dam, which forms Lake Pillsbury. … ” Read more from NorCal Public Media.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Chance of snow enters Tahoe forecast again
“Residents and tourists in the Lake Tahoe region may see light snow showers on Thanksgiving Day, but it’s not promised. There is about a 20% chance of seeing snow on Thursday before a chilly Thanksgiving night, as a cold front approaches, Colin McKellar, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service, told SFGATE. On Thanksgiving Day, temperatures will be in the upper 40s in the Truckee area and between the 40s and 50s in South Lake Tahoe, with the area around the lake experiencing the warmest temperatures, McKellar said. Areas in higher elevations, including the Lake Tahoe Basin, will be much colder, around the mid-30s to 40 degrees. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
DWR invests in groundwater recharge efforts in Yolo County
“As part of ongoing efforts to invest in water resilience programs in communities across California, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) celebrated a $7.9 million grant awarded to the Yolo Subbasin Groundwater Agency to support groundwater recharge, sustainability planning, and water management. Funded by the Sustainable Groundwater Management Grant Program, the award will support five projects benefiting underserved communities and Tribes in the region. As a result, the projects will help with groundwater sustainability planning, understanding water supplies, and support three groundwater recharge programs. The three recharge projects will divert winter storm flows into underground storage while also creating habitat for shorebirds and addressing goals in Governor Newsom’s Adapting to a Hotter and Drier Water Supply Strategy. … ” Read more from DWR News.
BAY AREA
Private island off Marin shoreline lists for $25M
“The only privately owned island in San Francisco Bay — a 6-acre property near the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge — has been listed for sale at $25 million. Red Rock Island spans three Bay Area counties and is zoned differently in each: residential in San Francisco, industrial in Contra Costa and general use in Marin. Building would require the owner to navigate the permitting process in each county. “Red Rock Island has long fascinated me as a mysterious and sought-after gem in the San Francisco Bay,” said listing agent Chris Lim of Christie’s International Real Estate. “When approached by the seller to assist in finding a new caretaker for the island, I spent a day on this private sanctuary. I felt an undeniable connection to Northern California – the rugged landscape, unspoiled beaches, and the deep, mesmerizing blue waters.” … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
Toxic algae blooms becoming more common at Lake Temescal and other East Bay swim sites
“As global temperatures rise, the frequency and size of dangerous blue-green algae blooms are increasing worldwide. For East Bay residents, that means more warnings not to touch the water at local lakes and reservoirs. Warnings and closures have been seen across the East Bay in recent years, from Lake Anza in Berkeley to Lake Merritt in Oakland, where an algal bloom deprived the water of oxygen and killed thousands of fish in 2022. Coming into contact with the toxic algae — a type of cyanobacteria — can cause minor effects like skin irritation but can be more dangerous when ingested, especially by children or pets, causing flu-like symptoms. … ” Read more from Oakland North.
EPA announces $92 million WIFIA loan to Santa Clara Valley Water District
“Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a $92 million Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loan to the Santa Clara Valley Water District in California. EPA’s loan will support planning and design work to increase long-term water storage capacity and strengthen drought resilience in the Santa Clara Valley. … The Santa Clara Valley Water District’s Pacheco Reservoir Expansion Planning and Design Project will assess options to address long-term water storage capacity concerns for customers. The district will utilize WIFIA financing to conduct planning, design, and environmental analyses. The District will also complete soil and geological analyses needed as part of their comprehensive planning and design process. Through this WIFIA financing, the District will evaluate alternatives and complete the planning and design for the complex Pacheco Reservoir Expansion project. … ” Read more from the EPA.
SEE ALSO: Valley Water receives federal WIFIA loan for proposed reservoir expansion, from Valley Water News
CENTRAL COAST
100-year flood protection project in Pajaro advances
“Governor Gavin Newsom today highlighted progress on the Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project, which will provide 100-year flood risk reduction to the City of Watsonville, the Town of Pajaro and surrounding agricultural areas. The Governor has signed legislation to provide advanced funding for the project, cover 100 percent of non-federal costs, and streamline environmental review. Today, state, federal and local leaders commemorated the signing of the Project Partnership Agreement, which outlines the cost sharing and execution of work under the project that will be managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in partnership with the Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency. Construction is expected to start in the summer of 2024. … ” Read more from the Office of the Governor.
SEE ALSO: Construction on a safer Pajaro River levee will begin next summer, from KAZU
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Westlands meets its groundwater recharge goal
“Westlands Water District announced Tuesday that it has met its ambitious groundwater recharge goal. With a potentially strong El Nino season ahead, the district is extending its recharge goals to take advantage of a wet winter. The big picture: Westlands has captured 200,000 acre feet of groundwater, recharging it back into district aquifers. … ” Read more from the San Joaquin Valley Sun.
How two California prisons came to exist at the edge of a ‘ghost lake’
“When Tulare Lake refilled this past spring, the two state prisons located in the Kings County City of Corcoran escaped flooding thanks to the levee that surrounds the city. But how did they even come to be built in the historical lakebed, which is known to refill every few decades? That was the question asked by independent journalist Susie Cagle in a recent investigation for the non-profit newsroom The Marshall Project. In this interview with KVPR’s Kerry Klein, Cagle begins by taking us back to conversations that happened 40 years ago.” Listen or read transcript from KVPR.
MEETING NOTES: North Kern Water Storage District board members hope a new groundwater plan will be reviewed by state regulators
“North Kern Water Storage District is part of the North Central Kern (NCK) Groundwater Sustainability Agency, along with 22 other entities. The NCK GSA is looking to send a Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) to the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). The NCK has been discussing whether to submit one or multiple plans to the SWRCB. The single plan has an estimated total budget of $1,234,676. With an added contingency, the estimated cost is $1.3 million. The $1.3 million will be split among the 22 participating entities with North Kern’s share about $60,000. North Kern directors are hoping the NCK submits one plan because there is concern that the SWRCB may not actually review a new submitted GSP if all 22 entities submit plans individually. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
South Coast Water District to conduct testing at Doheny State Beach
“As South Coast Water District works toward constructing a seawater desalination plant at Doheny State Beach, the California Coastal Commission (CCC) voted to allow the agency to conduct geotechnical testing and monitoring at the beach. Through a single vote on routine items during its meeting on Nov. 16, the California Coastal Commission voted to approve geotechnical testing and the installation of two monitoring wells at Doheny State Beach as the water district works to prepare a final site plan for its desalination project. The monitoring wells will work to determine the best location for the plant’s slant wells that will draw in water from beneath the ocean floor, by evaluating the subsurface conditions. SCWD Assistant General Manager Marc Serna noted that the coastal development permit approved last week is an “important component that will essentially provide the necessary geotechnical information for construction of our slant wells, which are very innovative and a unique approach of subsurface intake technology, that is very specific for our Doheny ocean desalination project.” … ” Read more from the Dana Point Times.
Pre-construction work starts for sand replenishment project
“Pre-construction activities have begun for the longstanding plans to replenish a portion of San Clemente’s shoreline with sand, the city announced early Tuesday morning, Nov. 21. In a press release, the city explained that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) and Manson Construction, the contractor for the San Clemente Shoreline Project, have begun initial work. Prior to the arrival of sand on San Clemente’s main beach in mid-December, the leading entities will place a dredge pipeline in the water and partly on the beach south of the Municipal Pier, requiring the mobilization of vehicles near the water and further inland. … ” Read more from the San Clemente Times.
Along the Colorado River …
Arizona Senate chief says he won’t try to change water-supply mandate
“Arizona’s Senate president said he does not plan to introduce legislation to alter water supply requirements for new development despite his criticism of the historic 1980 law that created them. Sen. Warren Petersen said his comments, given last week to the Arizona Tax Research Association where he was asked to preview his legislative priorities, were meant to emphasize that the mandate to show an assured source of water will be available for 100 years was “arbitrary.’’ “Why not 95?” he asked. “Why not the same as California?,” which he said requires only a 25-year supply. … ” Read more the Tucson Sentinel.
Arizona’s Water Education Center will teach visitors about water conservation and reuse strategies
“Phoenix-based architecture firm Jones Studio will design the Water Education Center for Central Arizona Project (CAP)—a 336-mile aqueduct system that delivers Colorado River water to almost 6 million people, more than 80% of the state’s population. The Center will allow the public to explore CAP’s history, operations, and impact on Arizona. With safe, up-close views of the canal, the space aims to enable a larger audience to understand CAP and how it fits into Arizona’s history. The Water Education Center also will host gatherings such as large water-stakeholder meetings, elected official briefings, and school field trips. … ” Read more from Building Design + Construction.
