In California water news today …
“Surprised and overjoyed” groundwater managers in Madera rejoice at state’s approval of their plan to stabilize the region’s aquifer
“The Madera subbasin’s groundwater plan was approved by the state on Thursday much to the surprise of water managers and others throughout the valley. It was an unexpected win for groundwater agencies in light of the state’s rejection of six other San Joaquin Valley plans, which has put those subbasins on a trajectory for possible state action. That includes the Chowchilla subbasin, which is just to the northwest of of the Madera subbasin. “I suspected that (Madera’s plan) might be rejected immediately, but it was not,” said Stephanie Anagnoson, director of water and natural resources for Madera County. “I was surprised and overjoyed.” Her concerns stemmed from the refusal of one of the subbasin’s seven groundwater sustainability agencies’ (GSA) to sign on to the overall plan. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
State hearing for Tule Subbasin pushed back until September
“The Tule Subbasin, which includes the Eastern Tule Groundwater Sustainability Agency, has received a reprieve of sorts when it comes to meeting the state’s requirements for groundwater use. At Tuesday’s State Water Resources Control Board meeting, staff officials announced they were pushing back the schedule for probationary hearings to be held for groundwater sustainability agencies, GSAs, that have been determined to be inadequate when it comes to their plans meeting the requirements of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, which mandates the reduced use of groundwater. The Tule Subbasin is among six Valley subbasins whose plans have been deemed inadequate by the state. The Tule Subbasin includes several GSA, including the ETGSA, which covers Southeastern Tulare County. Each of the agencies have collaborated on one plan for the entire Tule Subbasin to be submitted to the state. … ” Read more from the Porterville Recorder.
State certifies Delta tunnel EIR Solano calls ‘inadequate’
“The state on Thursday certified the Delta Conveyance Project Environmental Impact Report. The county, in comments sent to the state, argued that the report “is inadequate” in its mitigation of potential impacts. Supervisor Mitch Mashburn in an earlier interview noted that nothing has changed about the state’s intent, and said the plan will destroy Delta communities, harm fish and wildlife habitats, and gives no regard to Native American cultural protections. “In this EIR, they have made it clear they will not be able to mitigate all the impacts this project will cause,” Mashburn said. He has gone so far as to say the project “threatens national security” due to increased traffic in Solano and its possible impacts on Travis Air Force Base. But the certification news was welcomed by others. … ” Read more from the Daily Republic.
SCV Water shares support for major state water plans
“The Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency pledged its support this week for the approval of a massive statewide infrastructure project intended to increase the water supply and reliability for millions of people throughout California. The Department of Water Resources certified the final environmental impact report, or EIR, Thursday for the Delta Conveyance Project, a modernization of the infrastructure system that’s part of a plan several decades in the making. In broad strokes, the project is expected to help the state capture and move more water during wet seasons to better weather the state’s dry seasons and protect against earthquake disruptions to the state’s water supply. … ” Read more from The Signal.
San Francisco Baykeeper sues federal agency for failing to meet endangered species act requirements
“San Francisco Baykeeper late last week filed a lawsuit against the US Fish and Wildlife Service for violation of the Endangered Species Act (ESA). The agency proposed listing the SF Bay-Delta population of longfin smelt as an endangered species in 2022, but failed to meet a deadline established by Congress in the law to make a final listing determination and to designate what counts as critical habitat for the imperiled fish. Baykeeper put the agency on notice October 11 that it would take legal action unless the agency issued the required rulings. These rulings were required by statute on October 7, but the agency has failed to meet its legal obligations. The agency initiated its now delinquent proposal to list longfin smelt following a series of legal actions by Baykeeper and allied organizations dating back to 1992. The most recent monitoring data for longfin smelt in San Francisco Bay shows that populations have crashed more than 99 percent since 1967. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Baykeeper.
Up, up and away … for the sake of science: Weather balloon launches in Yuba County capture storm information
“The Scripps Institution of Oceanography Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes in partnership with Yuba Water Agency launched a series of weather balloons during this past weekend’s storm front to gather important data. These releases started on Saturday and continued through early Tuesday morning, launching approximately every three hours from a storage facility off Kibbe Road in Marysville. “It’s pretty cool to be partnering with such a prestigious organization, and they’re helping us really get the data we need which is then used to rewrite our water control manual for Bullards (Bar Reservoir) so we will be better able to make release decisions based on weather forecasts,” said DeDe Cordell, Yuba Water’s communications manager. … ” Read more from the Appeal Democrat.
Story Map: Water Year 2023 Summary: A review of a historic year in California and Nevada
Water Year (WY) 2023 was truly historic across California and Nevada. Two periods of extreme winter precipitation and a rare landfalling tropical storm broke numerous records, ended three years of persistent drought, and revived long-dry Tulare Lake. Temperatures through much of year were below climatological normal. Notable departures from that trend are July and August, both of which recorded average temperatures in the upper quartile of the historical record across both states. December (2022), January, March, May, June, August, and September posted above average and often top-10 historical statewide precipitation totals for both states. February remained above average in California. This story map aims to highlight the antecedent conditions leading into Water Year 2023 as well as the major events and impacts therein. … ” View the Story Map.
REPORT: Addressing impediments and incentives for agricultural reuse
“Water systems across the United States are facing unprecedented levels of stress arising from challenges, such as a changing climate, aging infrastructure, and shifting patterns of water supply and demand. Agricultural water reuse has the potential to increase the resilience of water and agricultural systems through benefits such as supply diversification, access to an additional water supply, nutrient management, and compliance with water quality permits. However, realization of these benefits and scaling reuse are hindered by broad ranging, but surmountable barriers and tradeoffs. Led by the Pacific Institute, in partnership with the Water Research Foundation, this report, Addressing Impediments and Incentives for Agricultural Water Reuse provides practical, evidence-based guidance to help bridge the gap between the potential for agricultural water reuse and on-the-ground reality through the identification of proven strategies for advancing water reuse and overcoming barriers. … ” Read more from the Pacific Institute.
Hurtado praises USDA’s efforts to protect ag land
“Senator Melissa Hurtado is all in on the USDA’s latest move to bring the public into the conversation about foreign agricultural land purchases, especially after some notable cases. In a recent announcement, Hurtado, D-16th District, applauded the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) decision to solicit public input on how foreign countries and individuals report agricultural land purchases in the U.S. The USDA’s action follows two high-profile cases involving two groups, including a Chinese company, that purchased multiple tracts of land near U.S. Air Force bases in California and North Dakota. … ” Read more from the Foothills Sun-Gazette.
How the Grinch saved the creek: A collection of California water fables
“Did you know the Grinch played a crucial role in the return of salmon to Putah Creek? It was actually a pretty big deal. And if it wasn’t for Charlie Brown and the gang, who knows what the state of economic-engineering optimization models for California water management would be today? ‘Tis the season for festive merriment, and with that comes the opportunity – nay, a moral responsibility, really – for us to share with our WaterBlog readers a blog post that infuses a few extra dashes of whimsey and a generous pinch of cheer into the concoction that is this Christmas Eve’s California WaterBlog post. … ” Read more from the California Water Blog.
The environmental gifts of the Magi
Dan Farber writes, “One of the Christmas classics is the Jimmy Stewart movie, It’s a Wonderful Life. Stewart’s character is feeling suicidal, until he learns how much he has unknowingly helped others and how grateful they are. It’s heartwarming if also very corny. There’s a flip side to that story: the need to remember how much others have contributed to our own lives. That includes people we don’t know who have helped give us a better planet on which to live. Even the most rugged individualist benefits in this way from the dedication and commitment of others. I’ve come to think that the holiday season is the perfect time to remind ourselves of those gifts and their importance to our lives. I’ve tried to make this point annually during the holiday season, perhaps in the vain hope that remembering those public gifts will become a tradition of sorts. The post itself has slowly evolved over time as I’ve given the matter more thought. … ” Continue reading from the Legal Planet.
In commentary today …
Let’s make 2024 a ‘groundwater year’
Columnist Thomas Elias writes, “California has had drought years and wet years. It’s had several “years of the woman,” and the last few years might well have been called “years of housing increases,” at least when it comes to making new laws. Fully 56 such laws passed in 2023. But there’s never been a “groundwater year.” Yet, few resources are as important or as diminished as the unseen aquifers that sustain everything from apricots to avocados, almonds and asparagus, just to name a few items. Not to mention what they do for millions of city dwellers, who also get substantial parts of their water from underground basins. … “ Continue reading from the Petaluma Argus-Courier.
Here’s what’s wrong with your perfectly drought-tolerant Southern California landscaping
Charles Miller, chair of the Los Angeles chapter of the Climate Reality Project, writes, “Prevailing notions of responsible landscaping and gardening in California have long focused on a single metric: water use. By ignoring the importance of native plants, this formula disastrously undermines biodiversity. Most of California lies within one of just five temperate biodiversity hot spots on Earth and the only one in North America. We have an undeniable responsibility to the valuable array of species with which we share our state. But for more than a century, we have filled our communities with nonnative plants that are not part of the natural ecosystem. We must stop thinking of urban landscapes as purely ornamental and acknowledge the necessity that they serve as lifeboats for California’s natural biodiversity, helping to preserve the species we have imperiled. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via Yahoo News.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
How removing 4 dams will return salmon to the Klamath River and the river to the people
“The fog that helps define Northern California’s famed “Lost Coast,” a green and lush world biosphere reserve, took on a sepia hue on this August morning. Smoke from the Smith River Complex Fire, burning along the Oregon border, mixed with the damp air and added a woody tang to the back of the throat as visitors arrived in the small town of Klamath, home to the Yurok Tribe. The unmistakable odor of exhaust from gas-powered generators mingled with the wildfire smoke. Businesses and homes were struggling to keep the lights on and food fresh in the wake of a countywide power outage. The local utility, anxious to avoid sparking more fires or supercharging existing fires, had switched off the electricity two days before. … ” Read more from USA Today.
Manual breach of Navarro River sandbar raises issues bigger than traffic
“On Dec. 13, State Route 128 had been closed for six days due to flooding over the roadway. Sheldon Schultz and son Zalmon Schultz loaded up their kayak and went out to pull the plug. The seasonal sandbar blocking the Navarro River had already begun to fail. The two men had gone to have a look two days before, and they realized it was close to flowing naturally. Why not be there to see it blow? They dug a trench across the bar and watched while water flowed in as a trickle. Then the trench plugged up with driftwood and blobs of weeds and balls of roots. They went back to the kayak and got shovels and did it again. … This time there was a fast movement of water, then faster and baboom! The river quickly fell off the highway and back into its banks. So wasn’t that a good thing? Not so, as the act was likely illegal. … ” Read more from the Mendocino Beacon.
NAPA/SONOMA
$2 million grant awarded to Sonoma Water to assist in fishstock diversion from Eel River
“Sonoma Water received a $2 million grant to boost efforts to divert the Eel River to the Russian River with the least possible impact on salmon and steelhead. The funding was announced in mid December by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and comes from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, which was co-authored by North Bay US Representative Jared Huffman. “Funding for this design work represents a major milestone in the progress toward a true regional solution for the Potter Valley Project,” said Sonoma County Supervisor James Gore, who also serves on the Sonoma Water Board of Directors. “We’re grateful to Congressman Huffman for his efforts and advocacy in securing this grant. Through this planning process, we hope to create the best possible outcome for fish in the Eel River while also continuing critical diversions into the Russian River.” … ” Read more from the Sonoma Gazette.
BAY AREA
Novato pupils take stand for wetlands wildlife
“Fourth- and fifth-graders at Olive Elementary School in Novato have turned into fierce protectors of wildlife in the Bahia wetlands. The students wrote letters last year to Marin County Supervisor Eric Lucan, who represents the Novato area, to ask that “watch for wildlife” signs be placed on Olive Avenue between Club Drive and Atherton Avenue, a critical wildlife corridor, according to retired teacher Fran Rozoff. “Deer and other animals are often struck by cars, since the street is higher than the adjoining wetlands and native plants hide the roadway from the animals, which attempt to cross,” said Rozoff, who takes her daily walks in the area. Lucan agreed. The signs were installed in July. Since then, Rozoff said, the number of wildlife fatalities appears to have gone way down. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
Marin Municipal Water District adjusts water management plan for housing projections
“The latest housing projections show nearly 11,500 new homes coming to the Marin Municipal Water District’s service area by 2030 as cities and towns race to meet state housing mandates, the utility reported. The good thing is that the district is expected to be able to meet the new demand without triggering new supply efforts, staffers said. However, officials are recommending a change to the district’s water shortage contingency plan that would restrict golf course irrigation in drought or emergency conditions. At a public hearing Tuesday, Paul Sellier, water resources director for the district, said the “stage three” contingency plan, enacted when there is a 30% shortage, does not do enough to encourage golf courses to conserve water. Stage three conditions happen about four times every 25 years, Sellier said. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
CENTRAL COAST
Editorial: Closing the water cycle in Ventura
The Ventura County Star editorial board writes, “After those prodigious downpours of the last few days — 0.87 inches in just 5 minutes at the Ventura Auto Center, 3.18 inches in an hour at the Oxnard Civic Center! — it’s a little difficult to fathom that the amount of water here on Earth has remained pretty constant for the last 100 million years. Science tells us there’s a fair chance that at least a couple molecules of the water used to make your morning coffee once passed through a dinosaur. The water cycle — from oceans to atmosphere to rain to rivers and back to oceans — is eternal, but it doesn’t predictably spread things around. In drought-prone California, that’s a concern and one that intensifies as the climate becomes hotter and drier. … ” Read more from the Ventura County Star.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Tehachapi, Greenbriar, file answers to water district’s complaint in CEQA litigation
“Both the city of Tehachapi and parties associated with the development of Sage Ranch filed answers Dec. 20 to a complaint filed by the Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District. The litigation under the California Environmental Quality Act alleges that the city violated multiple state laws in its 2021 approval of the 995-unit residential development and that the water analysis in the EIR was deficient. The city denied any wrongdoing. … ” Read more from the Tehachapi News.
Feds release draft permit for 4 CO2 injection wells west of Bakersfield
“One day after related action by Kern County officials, federal regulators released a draft permit this month for a series of four injection wells 20 miles west of Bakersfield that would become the first in the United States to repurpose a depleted oil reservoir for long-term burial of carbon dioxide. The release Dec. 20 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Region 9 Groundwater Protection Section opens a 90-day public comment period that followed a federal review of the proposal’s technical plans, operational standards, monitoring requirements and geological setting, as submitted by the local oil producer behind the project, Long Beach-based California Resources Corp. … ” Read more from the Tehachapi News.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Flood advisory issued as high surf pounds SoCal coast this week
“Strong swells along the Southern California coast Wednesday will only build later in the week, prompting officials to issue a coastal flood advisory. Above-average surf between 3 to 5 feet is expected through Wednesday along the Los Angeles County coasts, according to the National Weather Service. Those swells will reach 7 feet along the Ventura County Coasts. The surf will surge on Thursday, reaching around 10 feet in L.A. County and up to 14 feet in Ventura County, according to the Weather Service. … ” Read more from KTLA.
LA County says it’s making progress capturing storm water through infrastructure projects
“Recent storms have helped in keeping drought levels down across Southern California, but some experts say more should be done to collect that water and store it for dryer times. Los Angeles County voters decided in 2018 to spend hundreds of millions of dollars a year to do just that. One non-profit watch dog group, Los Angeles Waterkeeper, said only 20 percent of storm water gets captured. In January, the NBC4 I-Team reported more than 21 billion gallons of storm water that was collected until that point and 100 projects in the works to help the county collect more water. … ” Read more from NBC LA.
Climate change will reshape the Inland Empire by 2048
Today, 2023 is going down as the hottest year on record. Twenty-five years from now, 2023 is likely to go down as one of the coldest years in decades. “Unfortunately, we know” what climate conditions in the Inland Empire will look like in 2048, said Char Miller, a professor of environmental analysis and history at Pomona College. “For more than a decade now, we’ve known what it’s going to look like.” Between 1985 and 2005, there were an average of seven days a year in the Inland Empire where temperatures were over 102 degrees Fahrenheit. Over the next 25 years, Miller said, experts expect there to be at least 35 days a year that hot. … ” Read more from the San Bernardino Sun.
Along the Colorado River …
US-California pacts will spur Colorado River conservation projects
“New Biden administration agreements with a number of water agencies in California would conserve up to 643,000 acre-ft of water in Lake Mead through 2025. These include $295 million in compensation for longer term investments in Colorado River water conservation projects. According to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, the Coachella Valley Water District agreed to save as much as 105,000 acre-ft of water and the Quechan Indian Tribe agreed to save up to 39,000 acre-ft, both through 2025. Negotiations for additional agreements with the Palo Verde Irrigation District and the Bard Water District, in cooperation with the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, are in progress. … ” Read more from Engineering News Record.
How Lake Mead water levels changed in a year
“As the year draws to a close, the country is braced for what 2024 will look like for the water crisis gripping the Western U.S. Lake Mead, in particular, is under the spotlight. There are also concerns about its neighbor, Lake Powell. … In recent years, drought paired with an overconsumption of water has meant its water levels have declined to the lowest point on record. In recent years, white bathtub rings can be seen around Lake Mead’s edge, showing just how far its water levels have dropped. This past year however, has seen some drastic change for the reservoir. So how have Lake Mead’s levels changed throughout 2023? … ” Read more from MSN News.
Could Lake Mead end up drying out like the ill-fated Aral Sea?
“The Aral Sea used to be the fourth-largest lake in the world, but thanks to poor water management, the lake rapidly shrank over only a handful of decades—from larger than the entire state of West Virginia to only 10 percent of its original size. Now, some are concerned that the same fate may meet important reservoirs in the United States like Lake Mead. Scorched by the megadrought that has gripped the U.S. southwest for 20 years, Lake Mead is constantly plagued by bouts of drying. The reservoir, which provides essential water to millions of people, is at risk of drying out further with the effects of climate change and water use modification. … ” Read more from Newsweek.
Developers want water policy changes in response to construction limits on metro Phoenix’s fringes
“Developers plan to seek changes to Arizona’s decades-old laws restricting construction in areas without adequate water supplies after the state said this summer that it won’t issue permits for new subdivisions in some areas on metro Phoenix’s fringes. The Arizona Capitol Times reported that the Home Builders Association of Central Arizona wants lawmakers to remove what it calls a “moratorium on home buildings in the most affordable parts” of metro Phoenix, saying the move is leading to escalating home prices. Spencer Kamps, the group’s executive director, said provisions of the state’s 1980 Groundwater Act and related laws don’t recognize what homebuilders have been doing to ensure their new developments don’t have a net negative effect on the supply of water. … ” Read more from the Associated Press.
The Lake Powell pipeline: A timeline
“The Lake Powell pipeline has been dormant for years, leading many to believe that the project is dead. But it could technically still happen. The pipeline would transport 86,000 acre-feet of water per year from drought-stricken Lake Powell on the Colorado River to southwestern Utah. It would stretch over 143 miles long and cost billions of dollars. At one point, it was also supposed to generate electricity for public utilities and municipalities. But despite being authorized by the Utah Legislature over 20 years ago, the project hasn’t broken ground. Interrupted environmental impact statements and opposition from surrounding states have suspended the pipeline in regulatory limbo. … ” Read more from the Salt Lake Tribune.
In national water news today …
What we’ve learned about our climate since 2015
“Now that the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP 28) has come to a close, we wanted to highlight some of the things we’ve observed and learned about our climate since the last major climate agreement was signed in 2015. Known as the Paris Agreement, it was adopted by 196 countries including the United States at COP 25 in Paris. The agreement was notable in that it set out a goal to limit the temperature increase to 1.5°C ( 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit). At NOAA Research, we have learned a lot about how our climate functions, while also still serving as one of the primary entities responsible for monitoring greenhouse gas concentrations in our atmosphere. Learn more below about some distinct things we have learned about our climate, how carbon dioxide (CO2) levels in our atmosphere continue to rise, and how the costs from climate-related extreme events are increasing significantly. … ” Continue reading at NOAA Research.
‘We’re in for some big changes’: Takeaways from 2023’s environmental law battles
“It’s been a year of legal whiplash for federal environmental regulators who — after being dealt a blow last year on a plan to tackle a leading source of climate pollution — are now adapting to a new framework for protecting wetlands. More transformations are expected in 2024 as the nation’s highest bench gears up to hear oral arguments in a case that has the potential to end a tool that helps federal agencies defend environmental rules in court. “We’re in for some big changes,” said Dietrich Hoefner, a partner at the law firm Lewis Roca. … ” Read more from E&E News.
