On the calendar today …
- PUBLIC HEARING to review Rise Gold’s Vested Rights Petition for the Idaho-Maryland Mine beginning at 9am. The Board will be restricting public comment to historical testimony related to the petition only. Due to the limited nature of this hearing, those wishing to comment will have three minutes, and any comment must be limited to the historical uses of the site and factual evidence of activities that have occurred on or at the site. Because it is not relevant to this hearing, no public comment will be allowed regarding support or opposition to the mine, the Idaho Maryland Mine’s Draft Environmental Impact Report, the use permit, the reclamation plan, and/or any other land use entitlement, and/or any other potential impacts of the mine, or any history pertaining to Rise Grass Valley or related businesses. Click here for more information on the Idaho Maryland mine.
- WEBINAR: SAFER: Proposed Updates for the 2024 Drinking Water Needs Assessment from 10am to 11am. The State Water Board will hold a public webinar to receive input from interested persons concerning the proposed updates for the 2024 Drinking Water Needs Assessment. Click here for the meeting notice.
- PUBLIC MEETING: CA Water Quality Monitoring Council from 10:30am to 4:30pm. Agenda items include Monitoring Council Member updates, Microplastics methods, monitoring and research updates, and Safe to Eat Workgroup update. Click here for the full agenda and remote access instructions.
- WEBINAR: Lessons learned in the new application of OpenET water data reporting in Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta from 12pm to 1pm. This presentation, including Jay Ziegler and Lindsay Kammeier of the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB), Maurice Hall of OpenET & EDF, and Brett Baker of the Central Delta Water Agency will share the story of how OpenET was adopted as the central platform for water reporting in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. They will explore: What’s needed to succeed in adopting new water data reporting systems? What are we learning from OpenET in the Delta? And, what is the work ahead? Click here to register.
- WEBINAR: Prediction of 35 Target Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) in California Groundwater Using Multilabel Semisupervised Machine Learning from 12pm to 1pm. Comprehensive monitoring of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) is challenging because of the high analytical cost and an increasing number of analytes. … We applied the model to reconstruct PFAS profiles in groundwater wells with missing data in previous years. Our approach can complement monitoring programs of environmental agencies to validate previous investigation results and prioritize sites for future PFAS sampling. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
Democrats have a trust problem in the Delta
“Gov. Gavin Newsom’s effort to build a mega tunnel to send water from Northern California to Southern California faces the same obstacle that doomed past governors’ efforts: deep distrust from residents of the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. The governor has, in recent days, reaffirmed his support for a 45-mile underground tunnel that would move water under the Delta south into the system that provides water to 27 million residents. His stance has reignited opposition from Delta residents, environmentalists, the fishing industry and tribal communities. One of Newsom’s sharpest critics on the issue has been Rep. Josh Harder, a Democrat who represents much of the inland estuary. He told Playbook that the project embodies a decades-old resentment about Sacramento politicians putting the needs of SoCal ahead of one of the state’s poorest regions. … ” Read more from Politico.
SEE ALSO: Delta Conveyance Project discussed on Cap Radio’s Insight
Losing McCarthy and Feinstein is a double-barreled blow for California’s water clout
“Kevin McCarthy’s chaotic exit from Congress on top of the death of Senator Dianne Feinstein has left California’s water world – and particularly the San Joaquin Valley – in somewhat of a representational void at the federal level. Both politicians brought a lot of firepower in their respective leadership positions as well as wealth of knowledge of the complexities of this state’s water needs, politics and pitfalls. Yes, there are other electeds well-versed in water, including Fresno’s Jim Costa and Vallejo’s John Garamendi. But both are in the minority party – at the moment – and neither hold leadership positions that can move legislation along, according to water managers. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Weather and watershed forecasting make for dam smart water use
“In December 2012, heavy downpours from an atmospheric river—a long atmospheric pathway that transports large amounts of water vapor—deluged parts of Northern California, including around Lake Mendocino near Ukiah. Water levels behind the lake’s Coyote Valley Dam rose enough to trigger a required release downstream to make space in the reservoir for future rainfall. But storms later in the 2012–2013 wet season never arrived to replenish the lake. Indeed, the state was entering a multiyear drought that resulted in low lake levels and cast the released water as a valuable resource lost. At the time, the policy of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), which manages flood operations for Coyote Valley Dam and more than 700 others nationwide, was to drain all water from Lake Mendocino’s flood pool as soon as downstream conditions allowed for a safe release, regardless of forecasted conditions, wrote Patrick Sing of USACE’s San Francisco District in an email to Eos. Sing began managing the water in Lake Mendocino’s flood control space in 2015 alongside Sonoma Water, which manages releases from the reservoir’s water supply space. … ” Read more from EOS.
Major weather shift predicted in California before Christmas
“Meteorologists are closely watching long-range forecasts that suggest California could see a dramatic weather shift in the second half of December, with the storm door potentially swinging wide open.“It has been pretty dry in California for the last month or so. … But I still think that is very likely to change perhaps pretty quickly and dramatically, at some point toward the end of December, so mid- to late December, and very likely by January,” UCLA climate scientist Daniel Swain said in a recent weather update posted on YouTube.The latest outlook from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Weather Prediction Center suggests there’s a high probability the Golden State could see above-normal precipitation Dec. 20 to 26. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
Could offshore desalination solve California’s water woes?
“Coastal desalination facilities have long been viewed by some as a way for California to solve its water woes, but such technology has sparked significant controversy over the years because of its high costs, environmental impacts, and intensive energy requirements. However, new rapidly deployable technologies that aim to treat seawater in the ocean and then pump it onshore are undergoing testing in the Golden State. Such offshore approaches offer potential solutions to address California’s critical water shortages while reducing the downsides of traditional onshore desalination. … ” Continue reading from The Source.
State Board Bay Delta Plan hearing part two
Don Wright with Water Wrights writes, “The State Water Resources Control Board’s staff have written a draft report dealing with updates to the Water Quality Control Plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary, also known as the Bay-Delta Plan. A public comment hearing and staff workshop was held Monday, December 11, 2023 starting at noon, on Zoom and in-person at the Joe Serna Jr. CalEPA Building in Sacramento. … A panel with David Guy of the Northern California Water Association and others. Guy said the VAs are fully implementable and enforceable. It’s a collaborative effort and that’s the best way to make this happen. Guy said there are flows with function. A healthy river ecosystem needs flows but just throwing water at it with connections to other functions isn’t going to help. (It hasn’t so far.) Habitat and improved infrastructure is also needed. … ” Continue reading at Water Wrights.
State Water Resources Control Board adopts revisions to its water quality enforcement policy
“On December 5, 2023, the State Water Resources Control Board (State Board) held a public hearing on the proposed amendments to its Water Quality Enforcement Policy (“Enforcement Policy” or “Policy”). The Enforcement Policy guides enforcement staff at the State Board and regional water quality control boards (Regional Boards) on how to develop, calculate, and assess penalties imposed for violations of water quality laws and other compliance actions. The Enforcement Policy was last amended in 2017, and under its terms, it is the State Board’s intent to review and revise the Policy every five years. The State Board first issued the proposed revisions for public comment in February 2023. Over a period of several months, stakeholders submitted comments and conferred with State Board staff on the proposed revisions. … ” Continue reading at Somach Simmons & Dunn.
State encourages early planning to capture winter storm runoff for groundwater recharge
“The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) is encouraging local agencies to prepare groundwater recharge projects early to maximize the capture and storage of any upcoming storm runoff to recharge groundwater basins. Groundwater provides water for millions of Californians and recharging groundwater basins not only supports overall ecosystem health, but it can also help ensure long-term sustainable groundwater supplies for communities that use groundwater for drinking water, agriculture, and business. Last year, federal, state, and local agencies had to pivot quickly from planning for a fourth consecutive dry year, to addressing what became a historic wet year. We witnessed unprecedented collaboration, coordination and actions to capture as much of the unexpected heavy rainfall and snow melt as possible to help reduce flood risk in vulnerable communities and recharge depleted groundwater basins. … ” Read more from DWR News.
Beyond drought: Groundwater availability
“After the water projects that divert rainfall and snowpack, the second major source of agricultural water in the West comes from underground. “In recent decades, reductions in surface water—a result of drier conditions and changes in environmental regulations—have prompted more groundwater use,” notes the Public Policy Institute of California Water Policy Center website—along with groundwater depletion. Growers have not been blind to water limits. Caitlin Peterson, associate director and research fellow for the PPIC, stresses that growers are motivated to use it efficiently. “There is no profligate use of water in any well-run operation.” … ” Read more from Produce Blue Book.
California’s SWEEP program taking applications
“California is accepting applications for the latest round of funding from the State Water Efficiency and Enhancement Program, which incentivizes farmers to invest in irrigation water and energy efficiency. Agricultural operations can apply for up to $200,000 for projects that save water and reduce emissions. Projects funded through SWEEP commonly include technologies such as soil, plant, or weather sensors; micro-irrigation systems; pump retrofits or replacements; renewable energy; and variable frequency drives. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press.
Final Environmental Impact Report for Delta Conveyance Project released
“A Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the Delta Conveyance Project has been released by the Department of Water Resources (DWR). This initiative, backed by Governor Gavin Newsom, marks a shift to a single tunnel design, responding to public input and the need for an environmentally and water-supply efficient solution. The Delta Conveyance Project serves as a critical component of California’s strategy to protect water supplies and is aimed at modernizing overall water infrastructure. … ” Read more from Ag Net West.
CDFW awards $14 million for salmon, steelhead habitat restoration projects
“The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) today announced the selection of 26 projects that will receive a collective $14 million to protect, restore and enhance the freshwater habitats of salmon and steelhead in northern California. Trout Unlimited, Inc. was awarded more than $2 million for the Duffy Gulch Fish Passage Improvement Project in Mendocino County. This project will remove a railroad stream crossing along the Mendocino Railway and restore fish access to nearly three miles of high-quality spawning and rearing habitat in Duffy Gulch, a tributary to the Noyo River. The new crossing will be a 45-foot diameter steel arch that will allow fish passage and is capable of handling a 100-year flood event. All projects were awarded through CDFW’s Fisheries Restoration Grant Program (FRGP). … ” Read more from the Department of Fish & Wildlife.
Looking back and moving forward: A reflection by outgoing Delta Lead Scientist Dr. Laurel Larsen
“At major transition points in my life or career, I have found it useful to look backward and take stock of my initial expectations, whether they were met, and what I learned from the experience. In preparing to write these reflections, I cracked open the presentation outlining my original vision for the Delta Lead Scientist role, given back in March 2020, just weeks after the pandemic was declared. Not only had I become the new Delta Lead Scientist during a global pandemic, I was making a big mid-career move and becoming the first female to hold the position. I had lofty ambitions but also more reservations about my likelihood of success. The position hadn’t been on my radar when it was first advertised in 2019, but a former student at UC Berkeley (now an Environmental Program Manager at the Council) reached out and encouraged me to apply. … ” Continue reading at the Delta Stewardship Council.
Wildfires can unlock toxic metal particles from soils, Stanford study finds
“Wildfires can transform a benign metal in soils and plants into toxic particles that easily become airborne, according to a new study from Stanford University. Published Dec. 12 in Nature Communications, the research documents high levels of a hazardous form of the metal chromium at wildfire sites with chromium-rich soils and certain kinds of vegetation compared to adjacent unburned sites. Known as hexavalent chromium or chromium 6, this is the same toxin made notorious by the 2000 film Erin Brockovich. “Our study suggests far more attention should be paid to wildfire-modified chromium, and we presume additional metals as well, to more thoroughly characterize the overall threats wildfires pose to human health,” said lead study author Alandra Lopez, a postdoctoral scholar in Earth system science at the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. … ” Read more from Stanford News.
SEE ALSO: How wildfires can spread cancer-causing chemicals, from the Washington Post
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Stanford negotiator discusses compromise on environmental conflicts like Klamath dams
“The biggest dam removal in U.S. history is happening now on the Klamath River along the Oregon-California border. The four Klamath dams are just a few of the 100,000 dams across the United States. Many of them are aging and questions often come up about whether to retrofit them, rehabilitate them or take them out altogether. JPR’s Erik Neumann recently spoke with Dan Reicher, with the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment. He’s involved with a program called the Uncommon Dialogue. It’s aimed at negotiating agreements between opposing groups on sustainability issues and identifying federal funding to carry out projects. They discussed how this approach relates to dam removal on the Klamath River. … ” Read more from Jefferson Public Radio.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Whatever became of the Auburn Dam?
“The Auburn Dam could well be the most talked about water storage and flood control facility in the country that simply doesn’t exist — no matter how much it’s been argued about, advocated for and against, legislatively proposed and architecturally rendered. Dreamed of for decades, and having prompted scores of editorials — as well as a new (and excellent) documentary, “The Dam That Never Was,” by writer-director Steve Hubbard — it still doesn’t exist. At first, the Auburn Dam sounded like a good idea when it was suggested almost 70 years ago; preliminary construction began a decade later. … ” Read more from Comstock’s.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Olivehurst project moves forward: Yuba County supervisors approve agreement for storm drainage system
“The Yuba County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved an agreement with Dokken Engineering on Tuesday to carry out the Olivehurst Roadway Climate Resiliency Project, which will provide a modern storm drainage system along five miles of roadway. The drainage project will span the lengths of Western Avenue and Fleming Way, plus most portions of Second, Third, Fifth, Eighth, Ninth and Eleventh avenues. It will also add sidewalks and bicycle routes to the unincorporated community, the county said. Residents will see resilient transportation infrastructure that will be designed and constructed with flood risk reduction in mind. … ” Read more from the Appeal Democrat.
BAY AREA
Richmond council probes foul odor releases by local wastewater plant
“Donning a poop emoji surgical mask, Richmond Mayor Eduardo Martinez presided over a meeting where city council members grilled representatives of a local wastewater facility operator following several days of foul odors coming from the area. On Tuesday night, the Richmond City Council convened at a special session to question employees of Veolia North America, which has run the Richmond Wastewater Treatment Plant since 2002. Last week, odors released by the facility caused the air around Point Richmond to smell like sewage, sparking headaches and other health issues. City officials first received reports of high levels of hydrogen sulfide in the air on the night of Dec. 4, according to Mary Phelps, project manager for Richmond’s Water Resource Recovery program. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
SEE ALSO: Residents say foul smell in Point Richmond is triggering health issues, from NBC Bay Area
Tides are significantly higher than predicted in S.F., with new flood advisories issued
“A new coastal flood advisory has been issued for parts of the Bay Area on Wednesday, with tides running higher than expected for a second day, according to the National Weather Service. The advisory will be in place from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday on the San Francisco Bay and North Bay shorelines, officials said. Tide levels are running up to 6 to 9 inches above predictions, officials said, resulting in minor coastal flooding. High tide will peak at 10:42 a.m. at 6.66 feet, the weather service said. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
CENTRAL COAST
Crews back out at the Carmel Lagoon after large swells
“Monterey County Crews were at the Carmel River Lagoon again for the second time in the past two weeks. According to Nick Pasculli, large swells rebuilt the sandbar and filled the pilot channel that was excavated on Nov. 29. To protect the environment and nearby homes, which are prone to flooding, contractors had to re-dig the channel. Pasculli said that with more rain this work could become routine. … ” Read more from KSBY.
Group pushes to recall Grover Beach mayor, council members after contentious water rate vote
“Grover Beach residents’ water and sewer rates will rise over the next five years after an effort to protest a rate structure adjustment failed at a contentious City Council meeting Monday night. At Monday’s meeting, the Grover Beach City Council voted 3-2 to approve a new rate structure with council members Robert Robert and Clint Weirick voting against the adjustment. The adjustment in question — an as much as 91.8% increase to water and sewer bills over the next five years — was introduced to pay for the Central Coast Blue sustainable water project and other capital improvements to the city’s infrastructure. … ” Read more from the San Luis Obispo Tribune. | Read via Yahoo News.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Attorneys finish closing arguments, jury begins deliberations in Assemi-Wonderful Pistachios case
“Closing arguments finished on Tuesday in the Assemi Brothers’ case against The Wonderful Company over a breach of contract with their pistachio operations. The jury now begins deliberating after listening to testimony for the last several weeks. Wonderful’s closing remarks: Wonderful attorney Rick Shackelford took up most of Tuesday morning arguing the final points on behalf of Wonderful owner Stewart Resnick. After focusing much of his Monday portion of closing arguments on Kevin Assemi, the son of Farid Assemi, on Monday, Shackelford addressed the so-called “super trees” – pistachio trees genetically engineered to produce more nuts. … ” Read more from the San Joaquin Valley Sun.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Calipatria, Niland fighting Golden State Water Co. hike
“For a number of years now, residents of Calipatria and Niland — many of whom are on the lower end of the socioeconomic scale — have let their lawns and trees wither and brown for lack of water. Under the lash of the Golden State Water Co., the only private utility in Imperial County, costs and increases have become such for the families of these little towns that money is better spent on other essentials than the excess water needed to keep a lawn lush in the Valley’s extended summers. Now, a series of steep water price increases has been proposed for the not-too-distant future by Golden State Water Co. and is being opposed by residents of Calipatria and Niland, where the average residential monthly bill would go up to $94.23 by 2027, a 33.65 percent increase. That would affect about 1,200 customers. … ” Read more from the Holtville Tribune.
Berkeley Lab led analysis confirms California’s Salton Sea region to be a rich domestic lithium resource
“On Nov. 28, The U.S. Department of Energy announced results of the most comprehensive analysis to date quantifying the domestic lithium resources in southern California’s Salton Sea region. The analysis led by DOE’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) found that with expected technology advances, total resources in the region could contain more than 3,400 kilotons of lithium, enough to support over 375 million batteries for electric vehicles (EV) – more than the total number of vehicles currently on U.S. roads. “Our analysis concludes that the geothermal brines from the Salton Sea Known Geothermal Resource Area have significant potential as a domestic source of lithium,” says Patrick Dobson, lead author and geological scientist at Berkeley Lab. “Lithium is a critical mineral used in batteries for stationary storage and EVs, and a crucial component of our nation’s transition to a more sustainable and renewable future.” … ” Read more from Berkeley Labs.
SAN DIEGO
Column: Lots of snow, rain and federal money make San Diego water deal a reality
Columnist Michael Smolens writes, “An agreement between San Diego’s major water agency and two others in Southern California is expected to save millions of dollars and conserve millions of gallons of water in the Colorado River, which has been threatened by years of overuse and drought. The deal recently announced by the San Diego County Water Authority, the Los Angeles-based Metropolitan Water District of Southern California and the Imperial Irrigation District underscores a more collaborative approach after decades of combative relations. The pact is among a series conservation agreements including four other agencies that is scheduled to be ceremoniously signed Wednesday during the annual meeting of the Colorado River Water Users Association in Las Vegas. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Along the Colorado River …
Why is the Colorado River running dry?
“If you draw it on a map, the Colorado River has the shape of a tree, with its trunk rooted in the Sea of Cortez and the branches reaching into the mountaintops of Wyoming, Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. Botanists call the shape of a tree a habit. It is a common form in nature, like an artery branching to capillaries or nerves reaching to fingertips. But there’s always another part that isn’t shown, a looping back to start over. The water runs down the mountains to the ocean that pumps it back to the mountains by way of clouds. The shape is really a circle. The cloud part is just hard to draw on a map.If I’m being honest, the cloud part is a pretty weak effort, because the Colorado River begins and ends in a desert, a place of little precipitation. … ” Read more from Mother Jones.
Saving the Colorado River: An acre-foot at a time in the Upper Basin
“The four states are not taking land and they are not buying water rights. But the Colorado River is in trouble and the Upper Basin states are saving water where they can when it comes to consumptive use. Consumptive use is different than diversions. It means letting some fields grow dry, or doing a split season of irrigation. It can mean growing different crops. The Upper Basin consists of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming. The new concept is called the System Conservation Pilot Program. And a staff engineer with the Colorado River Authority of Utah explained to the Utah Water Task Force this week that it is beginning to work. “The Colorado River Basin is facing water scarcity,” said Lily Bosworth. … ” Read more from Deseret News.
Lithium mining is about to go big on the Colorado River. Here’s what to know.
“A company is ramping up to extract lithium near the Colorado River in Utah — and use a whole lot of water. Australia-based Anson Resources says the water beneath southeastern Utah holds an abundant source of the mineral, which the nation needs as it becomes more dependent on lithium-powered batteries and moves toward a less fossil fuel-dependent future. But opponents worry the already over-tapped Colorado River Basin has little water to spare. The extraction technology Anson plans to use has never been used at the scale proposed, and questions remain about how much water it will consume and deplete from the system. “Water is limited on the Colorado River,” said John Weisheit, co-founder of Living Rivers, an environmental group focused on protecting the watershed. “This is so speculative I can’t stand it.” … ” Read more from the Salt Lake Tribune.
In national water news today …
The weather is getting cold. Global warming is still making weather weird.
“On the coldest days, Francis Tarasiewicz dons long johns, sweat pants, snow pants, hooded jackets, outerwear jackets, a scarf, gloves, mittens and goggles to make the trek a few hundred feet outdoors to the Mount Washington Observatory’s precipitation station. When winds blow hardest at the 6,288-foot summit, New Hampshire’s tallest peak, the trip takes up to 20 minutes and makes the flapping of his hood sound like a chainsaw. Braving such harsh conditions, Tarasiewicz – a weather observer and education specialist at the observatory, a nonprofit research institution – and his colleagues have documented a year of crazy extremes on the mountain in 2023, with wild swings in rain, snow and temperatures. … ” Read more from USA Today.
