In California water news today …
The Delta in decline
“The life cycle of a salmon, so the story goes, is a heroic journey. The fish emerge from fertilized eggs in a river bed, swim to the ocean where they spend most of their lives and return to give birth in the exact place where they were born. The reality in California is more complicated. Many salmon are born in hatcheries — government fish farms. Hatchery salmon are often transported and released near the ocean to avoid the substandard water conditions in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and its tributaries. The state tries to capture wild juvenile salmon in creeks and bring them to tanks at UC Davis — once again to keep the fish out of the Delta. The salmon that swim the Delta are deterred from one route by a “bio-acoustic fish fence” and then might be caught in a large net if they make a wrong turn towards a pump station, each a measure to keep them alive. … ” Read more from Comstock’s.
Sunken tugboat in Delta to be removed, other ships remain
“At the end of Eight Mile Road in the Little Potato Slough of the San Joaquin Delta, a cluster of old ships, which stand tall on the horizon amid miles of crops, was topped Friday with a 10-story crane. Contractors this week began the process of removing the 1940s military tugboat Mazapeta. The craft sank Sept. 4 with 1,600 gallons of diesel and engine oil onboard, which was soon contained by rubberized floating boom. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, approximately 593 gallons of petroleum product have been recovered from inside the containment boom area to date. On site through Wednesday is a unified command consisting of the Coast Guard, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Office of Spill Prevention and Response and the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office. … ” Read more from Stocktonia.
SEE ALSO: San Joaquin County says goodbye to sunken World War II-era tugboat in Delta River, from KCRA Channel 3
As abandoned boats pile up in Bay Area waters, who’s responsible for the environmental damage?
“On Jan. 2, a 27-foot sailboat sank off the southern coast of Alameda in stormy weather. Rescue crews saved the man on board, but the ship landed beside a long rock wall jutting from the island. … Who is going to pay to remove that boat?” De Lappe said. “This shouldn’t happen.” There are hundreds of thousands of boats registered in California — the fourth-most in the nation — and the state’s $10 billion recreational boating community supports tens of thousands of jobs. But the state has few comprehensive plans for disposing of aging or abandoned boats. Registration and insurance requirements are limited and rarely enforced. There is no registration requirement for new owners. Although shipwrecks can conjure romantic images of treasure and adventure, in the Bay Area they are more likely to serve as environmental and navigational hazards. When owners get fed up with aging, costly vessels, they often dump their boats in the bay, sometimes filled to the brim with trash. Frequently, there are pollutants onboard — gas, chemicals, even sewage. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News (gift article).
A new study finds a critical vitamin for salmon in rivers
“From dams to drought, salmon face a lot of threats in the West. Add thiamine deficiency to the list. New research sheds light on where salmon could get this vitamin. Thiamine, also known as vitamin B1, is critical for salmon health. Juvenile fish can die without enough of the nutrient. Researchers have known salmon’s ocean diet impacts their thiamine levels. Scientists at Oregon State University have called “thiamine deficiency complex” a growing threat. For example, a diet rich in anchovies rather than sardines can lead to a deficiency. But for the first time, scientists have measured the vitamin’s availability in freshwater rivers where the fish deposit eggs. … ” Read more from Jefferson Public Radio.
SEE ALSO: A River’s Microbiome May Protect Wild Salmon Against Malnutrition, from Forbes
From stream to shining sea: the amazing, adaptable steelhead
“The elusive steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) is somewhat of a white whale on many North American anglers’ lists. Admiration for the species is well-earned as its remarkable adaptability, relentless persistence in challenging environments, and unique characteristics have provided it quite the reputation. Distinguished from their homebody brethren, steelhead are the anadromous life-history form of rainbow trout, meaning they migrate to the ocean as juveniles and return to freshwater streams as adults to spawn. Juvenile steelhead will generally spend one to two years rearing in freshwater before migrating to estuarine areas, and then into the ocean. Steelhead will then spend one to three years maturing in the ocean feeding on shrimp, krill, fish and other marine prey before returning to freshwater to spawn. … ” Read more from Fishbio.
Widespread rain is in the California forecast this week. Here’s when
“After a weekend storm brought flooding rains and mountain snow to Northern California, nearly the entire Golden State is anticipated to get wet in the coming days. A weak system is forecast to bring about a half-inch of rain to San Francisco and Oakland on Tuesday evening, but stronger storms are on the horizon. The jet stream, a ribbon of fast-moving air high in the atmosphere, is expected to strengthen throughout the week. Weather models predict the jet stream will point from Japan to California by Friday, allowing several storms to ride its winds across the Pacific Ocean. As the storms move across the Pacific, they will intersect a plume of moisture near Hawaii. Depending on the track of the low-pressure systems, storms could draw an atmospheric river of moisture from Hawaii toward California. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
SEE ALSO: Another atmospheric river is poised to soak the SF Bay Area, from SF Gate
Lake Shasta level rising, with more rain on the way. How close is it to being full?
“Lake Shasta, California’s largest reservoir, stands at 113% of the historical average and only 52 feet from being full, thanks to the gift of rain the state is receiving so far this winter. The area received about 1.8 inches of rain last Friday and Saturday, National Weather Service data for the Redding Regional Airport showed. As of Monday, the lake was at over 1,015 feet of elevation above sea level, which places it 52 feet from its brim, according to the California Department of Water Resources. The lake is 41 feet higher than it was a year ago when it was at 82% of the historical average and at 974 feet of elevation above sea level. … ” Read more from the Redding Record Searchlight.
SEE ALSO: Photo Feature: 14 photos of Lake Shasta that show the impact of California’s recent winter storms.
Californians got lucky with the weather this past year. Can it continue again in 2024?
“Last year was the world’s hottest year by far since modern temperature records began in 1850, federal scientists confirmed Friday. But amid the severe heat waves that baked Africa, China, Greece and Texas, the devastating wildfires that burned 45 million acres in Canada and the record loss of sea ice in Antarctica — all driven largely by climate change — something unusual happened in California. It was cooler than normal. The state’s average temperature in 2023 was 58.2 degrees Fahrenheit. That temperature, compiled by NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, from daily readings at hundreds of weather stations, was California’s lowest annual average temperature in 12 years, when it was 57.4 degrees in 2011. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News (gift article).
Why do hotter, drier areas struggle to meet their water use efficiency targets?
“The California Data Collaborative has been estimating the impacts of the State’s Framework for “Making Conservation a California Way of Life” and helping water suppliers to prepare since 2016 when the framework was still an executive order and had not yet been signed into law. In the years since, having spoken to dozens of urban water suppliers and having helped more than 20 suppliers calculate their urban water use objective (WUO), one observation kept sticking in my mind: suppliers in cooler/coastal regions often had water use levels at or sometimes well below their WUO, while those in hotter, more inland regions seemed more likely to exceed their WUO — sometimes dramatically. The question in my mind was: why? … ” Continue reading from the California Data Collaborative.
Report: Reducing residential water use in the Santa Clarita Valley
“During the drought of 2015, residents of California’s Santa Clarita Valley stepped up their water conservation activities in a huge way. Participation in conservation programs like lawn replacement were at an all time high and the community seemed to be pulling together as a whole to reduce their use. In the years since then, participation in these water conservation programs has sharply decreased and remains low in 2023. With increasingly stringent water conservation mandates set to be enforced by the state in the years to come, Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency (SCV Water) partnered with USC Dornsife Public Exchange to understand the language, knowledge and motivational barriers that keep customers from saving water. Public Exchange assembled a team of behavioral scientists and qualitative interviewers to engage with customers and determine what motivates them to conserve or not conserve water. … ” Read the report from USC Dornslife Public Exchange.
Dam-failure flood risk in California: How to manage low-probability hazards
“Every year, damaging floods strike somewhere around the world, including sometimes in California like during winter 2022-23. Even a house with just a 1% chance of flooding each year (by the so-called “100-year flood”) has a 26% chance of inundation over a 30-year mortgage. Other natural hazards have much lower probabilities, but would bring more catastrophic consequences. These threats are much more challenging to plan for; dam failure and associated flooding is one such hazard. Over the past 100+ years, California has built over 1200 dams, which impound ~42 million of acre-feet of water statewide. The probability of a dam failing in any one year is very small but no dam is “failure-proof.” … ” Read more from the California Water Blog.
Risky reservoirs: States where aging dams pose the greatest threat
“Record rainfall pelted parts of Iowa for 12 hours straight in July 2010, sending 10 inches of rainwater draining toward Lake Delhi, Iowa, a popular recreation destination for decades since its construction in the 1920s. Holding back 9 miles of lake water with more precipitation flowing in by the minute was the 80-year-old Lake Delhi Dam, constructed of hundreds of feet of earth, concrete, and steel. The water punched a 30-foot-wide hole in the dam wall, spewing floodwater into the surrounding region. Emergency and state officials ordered evacuations in time to prevent any loss of life. For safety professionals, the failure underscored the threat posed to dams by climate change (increasing the risk of flooding events), the importance of regular maintenance and inspection, and the impact of human errors in dam construction on dam integrity. … ” California ranks #26 out of 50 on this list. Illinois ranks #1 with 98.8% of its 252 dams ranked as potentially dangerous. Read more from KX News.
Major California reservoir project faces legal challenge
“In late December, a group of environmental organizations filed a legal challenge to the massive $4.5 billion Sites Reservoir project planned for Northern California. The move to halt the delivery of the 1.5 million acre-ft reservoir in the Sacramento Valley represents the first case to be tried under a new legal process designed to expedite challenges to certain infrastructure projects in California. Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom in July signed into law a slate of bills intended to streamline the development of infrastructure in the Golden State. Among them was SB 149, which created procedures to expedite legal challenges brought forward against certain infrastructure projects under the California Environmental Quality Act. … ” Read more from Civil Engineering Source.
Court strongly sides with DWR, rejects all legal challenges to continued long-term operation of State Water Project through 2085
“Last week, the Third District Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), upholding amendments to DWR’s water supply contracts with water agencies throughout the state for the long-term operation of the State Water Project (SWP). The amendments extend the 1960s-era contracts to 2085. After reviewing the amendments in an Environmental Impact Report (EIR) in accordance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), DWR filed an action to approve the amendments in 2018. Parties opposed DWR’s action, and two additional petitions were filed challenging the amendments under CEQA, the Delta Reform Act, and the public trust doctrine. The court’s ruling last week in favor of DWR confirms that water supply contracts for water from the most important piece of water infrastructure in the state can be extended far into the future. … ” Continue reading from the State Water Contractors.
The impact of Governor Newsom’s proposed budget on water projects
“On January 10, 2024, Governor Newsom announced his 2024-2025 State budget proposal for $291 billion with a $37.9 billion proposed deficit. For water projects, the proposal is remarkably similar to his proposal from last year. The main differences as compared to last year’s proposal are bigger cuts (to many of the same areas cut last year) and less funding for new projects. Governor Newsom seeks to address the $37.9 billion budget shortfall (which is substantially lower than the Legislative Analyst Office’s $68 billion projection from last month) through a variety of mechanisms: $13.1 billion from reserves, $8.5 billion in reductions, $5.7 billion in revenue/internal borrowing, $5.1 billion in delays, $3.4 billion in fund shifts, and $2.1 billion in deferrals. A meaningful portion of these actions impact environmental programs, with the governor reducing his climate commitment from 2021 and 2022 from $54 billion to $48.3 billion. … ” Read more from California Water Views.
Legislature’s analyst praises, pans Newsom budget
““Plausible, but optimistic.” Those are the words that the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office used to describe Gov. Gavin Newsom’s revenue projections in its analysis of his January budget proposal — a description that the Legislature will have to consider as it puts together its own budget by June. As CalMatters’s Mikhail Zinshteyn explains, the analyst’s office double-checks the governor’s budget number-crunching. Its initial review of Newsom’s January budget proposal, released Saturday, puts the state’s budget shortfall at $58 billion for the 2024-25 fiscal year — much deeper than the governor’s $38 billion projection, but slightly better than the office’s earlier $68 billion estimate in December. There are several reasons for the different numbers … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
Attorney General Bonta co-leads coalition to defend Biden administration’s final rule of the Clean Water Act
“California Attorney General Rob Bonta today, co-leading a coalition of 18 states, filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit that challenges the Biden administration’s regulation implementing Section 401 of the Clean Water Act (2023 Rule). The rule was issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in September 2023, and went into effect in November 2023. The 2023 Rule replaced a 2020 regulation issued by the Trump administration, which significantly restricted states’ authority to protect their water resources under Section 401. The 2023 Rule, consistent with the text of the Clean Water Act, Congressional intent, and Supreme Court precedent reestablished broad state and tribal authority to protect waterways and wetlands that may be impacted by projects requiring federal permits, including oil and gas pipelines, and hydropower projects. … ” Continue reading this press release from AG Bonta’s office.
EOS: Scientists “astonished” at 2023 temperature record
“The year 2023 was the warmest on record, according to analyses of global temperatures from NASA and NOAA. Scientists aren’t sure why temperatures were so anomalous. “We’re frankly astonished,” said Gavin Schmidt, an author on NASA’s temperature analysis and a climate scientist at NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies, at a press conference. NASA’s and NOAA’s analyses, as well as a report from climate research nonprofit Berkeley Earth, all released Friday, concur that 2023 was a scorcher. NASA and NOAA scientists found that average temperatures were 0.15°C–0.16°C (0.27°F–0.29°F) warmer than temperatures in 2016, the previous hottest year ever recorded. … ” Read more from EOS.
The planet experienced an astonishing change last year. But California was an outlier
“Scientists are in consensus that last year was Earth’s hottest on record. But 2023 played out differently in the western United States, especially in California, where temperatures were below normal, thanks to an especially cold and wet winter. On average, California climate is in line with the rest of the planet and “very likely will continue to do so in the future,” said Dan Cayan, a climate scientist with UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography. “But we do have these interruptions just because of the wiggles in the jet stream.” … ” Continue reading at the San Francisco Chronicle (gift article).
In commentary today …
Is the state’s water conservation proposal too restrictive? Some experts say yes
Tom Philp, Sacramento Bee opinion writer, writes, “Two independent and respected monitors of California government are warning the state’s top water regulator that it is dangerously off course by proposing massive cuts in water use for residents throughout the state, particularly in the Central Valley, in the name of better day-by-day conservation. No regulation is final. So for the sake of the State Water Resources Control Board and a whole lot of everyday Californians who have no idea double-digit water cuts are being proposed for them, a course correction seems in order. “Some communities are looking at 20 to 40 percent reductions in their water use,” said David Mitchell, an economist who consults for water districts and is also an adjunct fellow at the Public Policy Institute of California. He and PPIC’s long-time (and retiring) water leader, Ellen Hanak, have published a blog that detailed a multitude of ways in which the state water board is erring on implementing a whole new way to approach water conservation in California. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
Column: Delta tunnel approval process far from over
Columnist Thomas Elias writes, “And so, in late December the word went out from Sacramento: The long-anticipated (and, in some quarters, dreaded) 45-mile Delta Tunnel has been approved. Construction presumably to start soon, whatever that means. Yet, as a “Porgy and Bess” drug dealer named Sportin’ Life noted musically, “It ain’t necessarily so.” Yes, the pared down tunnel proposal, about two-thirds the size of twin tunnels once proposed by ex-Gov. Jerry Brown, now has all needed state government approvals. Its formal name is the Delta Conveyance Project and the state Department of Water Resources’ (DWR) formal approval announcement claimed it would produce about 500,000 acre feet of fresh water each year in perpetuity for consumers and farmers. … ” Read more from the Napa Register.
Editorial: Nanoplastics are dangerous — and they are in your ‘pure’ bottled water
The LA Times editorial board writes, “Is anyone really surprised to learn that bottled drinking water is loaded with tiny bits of plastic? The bottles are, after all, plastic. So are the caps. It stands to reason that microscopic bits of the stuff get into the water inside during bottling or packaging, or while sitting in storage. A 2018 study found as much. The shocking part of a recent Columbia University Lamont-Doherty laboratory study, published last week in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, is the revelation that bottled water is laden with even tinier nanoplastic bits and associated chemicals. Nanoplastics are potentially more dangerous than microplastic particles because they are so small they can be absorbed into human cells. … ” Continue reading from the LA Times.
Opinion: No matter the weather, climate change means it’s always ‘fire season’
Manjula Martin, a writer and editor, writes, “In December, as rains were predicted in California, I performed the annual ritual of removing my go bag from its place in the living room and stashing it in a storage closet. From spring until early winter the bag, filled with emergency supplies, sits just inside my front door, ready to grab in the event of a wildfire evacuation. As I put it away, I felt a wave of relief. I went outside in the clean forest air and looked up at the evergreen trees that surround my small house, and I allowed myself to admire the landscape’s beauty without fear. Fire season was finally over. In places at high risk for wildfire, the close of fire season brings a certain peace of mind to people like me who live with constant anxiety during times of extreme weather. Each winter, fire and regional officials commence the annual ritual of declaring an end to the season. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
‘It means the river has a future’: Advocates cheer milestone as water flows from a Klamath River dam
“This week, water started being released from a reservoir on the Klamath River, kicking off the largest dam removal in U.S. history. On Jan. 11, the gate on a sixteen-foot wide tunnel at the base of Iron Gate dam was widened from a crack to 36 inches. As the water level rose, Amy Cordalis and Mike Belchik could hear boulders rolling and tumbling; the water turned to dark chocolate milk as pent-up sediment surged through the opening of the dam. “This is historic and life changing,” said Cordalis, an attorney and Yurok Tribe member who has played a critical role in advocating for dam removal. “It means that the Yurok people have a future. It means the river has a future; the salmon have a future.” … ” Read more from Jefferson Public Radio.
Reservoir Drawdown Initiated at Iron Gate Dam
“[Last week],, the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC), initiated the drawdown process by opening the low-level outlet tunnel in the Iron Gate Dam. Drawdown refers to the slow draining of the water in the reservoirs, which will be lowered in a controlled manner through tunnels located at the base of the dams. Drawdown of the JC Boyle and Copco Reservoirs will begin later this month, and all reservoirs are expected to be drained by the end of February. “Witnessing the beginning of drawdown at Iron Gate dam was both celebration of an important moment in the story of Klamath dam removal, and a source of pride for the exceptional work done by so many people to arrive at this day.” Said Mark Bransom, CEO of KRRC. … ” Continue reading at Maven’s Notebook.
Avian influenza returns this fall with migratory birds
“Wildlife disease specialists have confirmed the re-occurrence of the Eurasian strain of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) H5N1 in California wild birds. In late October, Canada geese were found dead in Sacramento County and submitted to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (CDFW) Wildlife Health Laboratory for testing. Preliminary testing was performed at the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory in Davis. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed the detection of HPAI H5N1 in two Canada geese in early November. Subsequent detections have been made in wild birds in several additional counties during mortality surveillance including from Contra Costa, San Diego, Santa Clara, Solano and Yolo. Detections in waterfowl during hunter-harvest surveillance have been reported from Fresno, Glenn, Kern and Yolo counties. Prior to these detections, the last confirmed detection in wild birds occurred in June 2023. … ” Read more from the Del Norte Triplicate.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Scientists make worrying discovery while investigating Lake Tahoe: ‘There’s a lot of education we can do’
“The first study of large pieces of plastic waste in Lake Tahoe produced disconcerting results. Published in Applied Spectroscopy in September, the paper showed the tourist hotspot on the California-Nevada border was inundated with an average of 133 pieces of plastic per mile, Newsweek reported. At 1,645 feet, Lake Tahoe is the third-deepest lake in North America and 10th-deepest in the world, per Visit Lake Tahoe. It covers 191 square miles with about 72 miles of shoreline. Newsweek reported that other studies have shown microplastics abound in the lake as well but that this survey was the first to investigate “larger chunks of plastic waste.” … ” Read more from The Cool Down.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
American River Conservancy protects 1,025 acres on Cosumnes River: El Dorado Ranch
“American River Conservancy (ARC) recently announced the completed purchase of 1,025 acres protecting riparian habitat and important oak woodland habitat near the Cosumnes River in El Dorado County. Since 2012, ARC has been working to permanently protect El Dorado Ranch and establish the first wildlife area in El Dorado County. Previously slated for extensive residential subdivision, this strategic conservation project is located between existing public lands and two neighboring large ranches, also permanently protected by conservation easements, providing critical habitat linkages and preserving wildlife corridors along the mainstem Cosumnes River. To date, ARC has acquired and permanently protected 4,182 acres of the entire 7,179-acre ranch. … ” Read more from Gold Country Media.
BAY AREA
Marin king tides illustrate looming sea-level risks
“King tides returned to the Bay Area on Thursday, and although flooding was mild, the phenomenon raised the specter of an increasingly tenuous relationship between water and infrastructure in the region. “It’s a little less than we expected, but it’s still scary that the water is rising,” said Diane Livia, a volunteer with the environmental nonprofit Bay Keeper. King tides happen three to four times a year when, in conjunction with the moon’s cycles, the tide rushes in farther and with more power than normal. They generally occur in January and December. Low-lying areas are flooded, and the water poses a minor nuisance at best, a heavy flooding threat at worst. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
CENTRAL COAST
Santa Cruz water treatment facility improvements to be discussed
“The Santa Cruz Water Department will begin work on three significant projects this year: the improvement project for the Graham Hill Water Treatment Plant, the replacement of the Newell Creek Pipeline and the Scotts Valley-Santa Cruz intertie project. “Santa Cruz’s water system was designed decades ago to rely on more predictable ‘normal’ weather patterns, not our current reality of weather whiplash caused by climate change,” said Santa Cruz Water Department Director Rosemary Menard in a statement. “These critically important projects will help ensure we will continue to provide safe and reliable water to our customers, even when faced with future challenges from extreme storms and prolonged droughts.” … ” Read more from the Santa Cruz Sentinel.
Commentary: Ventura WaterPure is paving the way for a sustainable future
Gina Dorrington, General Manager of Ventura Water, writes, “The city of Ventura is developing a sustainable, drought-proof water supply with Ventura WaterPure. This program includes designing and constructing new water infrastructure and upgrading existing wastewater facilities. Last month, U.S. Congressman Salud Carbajal and Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland visited Ventura Water’s facilities to celebrate progress on VenturaWaterPure, at the ocean outfall construction site, which is a vital component of city’s planned purified recycled water program. VenturaWaterPure will recover, treat, and reuse water that is currently discharged into the Santa Clara River Estuary, creating a new, local water supply that doesn’t depend on rainfall. Once fully operational, VenturaWaterPure will provide up to 20% of the city’s water. … ” Read more from the Ventura County Star.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
KERN MEETING NOTES: Rosedale-Rio Bravo board members air tensions with Kern County Water Agency
“During an update report on the Kern County Water Agency, Rosedale-Rio Bravo board members expressed their frustration with the agency. Background: The agency was created in the 1960s as the California State Water Project (SWP) was being constructed to bring water from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to towns and farms as far south as the Los Angeles basin via the California Aqueduct. It is the second largest contractor on the SWP. The agency acts as the SWP main contractor on behalf of 13 local water districts, which are known as “member units.” … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Tehachapi: Water district served with city lawsuit
“A lawsuit filed by the city of Tehachapi against the Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District on Dec. 11 was served on Thursday, Jan. 11. The city’s petition for a writ of mandate in Kern County Superior Court asks the court to command the water district to produce public records previously requested by the city. Court records still showed the lawsuit as unserved as of Friday. However, water district General Manager Tom Neisler confirmed Friday morning that the district was served with the petition. … ” Read more from Tehachpi News.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
New 4-year cloud-seeding pilot program hopes to make it rain in Santa Ana River watershed
“Using meteorology and chemistry to help prod Mother Nature, water officials have begun seeding storm clouds throughout the Santa Ana Watershed to boost regional water supplies by enhancing the rain and snowfall produced during storms. Started in November as a four-year pilot under the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority — a joint powers authority comprising five public agencies, including Orange County Water District and others in the Inland Empire, San Bernardino and Riverside — the project aims to increase precipitation levels anywhere from 5% to 15%. Officials estimated in a 2020 feasibility study that, on the southwest end of the watershed in Orange County, cloud seeding could add .59 inches of seasonal rainfall, amounting to nearly 450 additional acre-feet of natural streamflow, or a 9.7% increase. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Cancer causing PFAS cleanup continues for the Navy around MCAS Tustin
“With hanger fires out at the former Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Tustin, the U.S. Navy’s ground-water cleanup of carcinogenic contaminants continues and is likely for many years to come. According to Navy subject matter experts, the Navy has known that certain PFAS are present in ground-water associated with former MCAS Tustin for over 6 ½ years. Currently, the Navy is investigating the nature and extent of the cancer-causing chemicals and their impact on the soil and ground-water associated with the military base. The Navy is gathering information to help determine what additional actions besides continuing to operate the existing ground-water treatment systems may be necessary. … ” Read more from Los Cerritos News.
Video: Eastern Municipal Water District places emphasis on groundwater desalination
“Eastern Municipal Water District (EMWD) General Manager Joe Mouawad discusses why groundwater desalination important, how drought plays a factor and why grant funding can be vital.” Watch video at Stormwater Solutions.
2024 king tides in Manhattan Beach show more apparent sea level rise
“Ocean enthusiasts and environmentalists gathered Friday morning at the Manhattan Beach Pier to see and take photos of the highest tides of the year. About 75 people showed up to document the intense waves, called king tides, and learn about the relationship between sea level rise and climate change during the Roundhouse Aquarium’s King Tide Watch event. The idea is to imagine that high tide flooding streets, beaches and wetlands on a daily basis to help plan for the impending rise. The natural phenomenon, which happens during winter months, causes some of the lowest tides, too. … ” Read more from the Daily Breeze.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
At Salton Sea, bird lovers enjoy rare species at annual festival
“Snow geese and Ross’s geese was what attracted Tina Tan, a birder since 2016, who came from Fillmore in Ventura County to the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge for the 2024 Salton Sea Bird Festival on Saturday, January 13. The view from the top of the ramp at the refuge is breathtaking for every birder: over 2,000 snow geese taking off during the golden hour after sunrise to fly synchronous. Along with that, the refuge is the paradise for seeing birds from the most diverse species of any national wildlife refuge in the West with over 400 different bird species recorded and a hotspot for rare vagrant species. “Some of these birds you don’t see in Southern California,” Tan said. “It’s just that unique. You’re getting (to see) these birds that you have to go far to see basically. If you are into birds, this is the place to be.” … ” Read more from the Imperial Valley Press.
SAN DIEGO
Levin pushed for completion of Oceanside shoreline study
“Rep. Mike Levin, D-San Juan Capistrano, is urging federal officials to complete a long-awaited shoreline study that could help Oceanside obtain funding for beach replenishment projects. The congressman made his pitch last week to the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, emphasizing the need to complete the study as quickly as possible to restore Oceanside’s eroding beaches. “This erosion presents a safety hazard and has damaged infrastructure, impacted recreational resources, and threatened property,” Levin said in his written testimony. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Cross-border pollution could flood San Diego’s federal court with lawsuits
“Federal officials could soon be the target of another lawsuit linked to the region’s persistent cross-border sewage problem. San Diego Coastkeeper announced its intention to sue in December, a move that could revive other legal challenges. The environmental advocacy group filed a 60-day notice of intent to sue the International Boundary and Water Commission (IBWC). The IBWC routinely violates the state-issued sewage discharge permit at the federal government’s South Bay sewage plant. The notice is required to give an agency time to correct the disputed issue, but San Diego Coastkeeper’s executive director, Phillip Musegaas, does not expect a resolution in two months. … ” Read more from KPBS.
San Diego County officials applaud Mexico groundbreaking of wastewater treatment plant
“Mexico has broken ground on a long-awaited replacement for a crumbling wastewater treatment plant in Baja California that officials said will dramatically reduce the discharge of sewage that has fouled San Diego and Tijuana shorelines. The failing and outdated San Antonio de los Buenos treatment plant in Punta Bandera, about six miles south of the border, is one of the biggest sources of water pollution in the region. Every day, the facility releases millions of gallons of mostly raw sewage into the ocean that routinely reaches San Diego County’s southernmost beaches. At a groundbreaking ceremony on Thursday with Imperial Beach Mayor Paloma Aguirre and U.S. Ambassador Ken Salazar, Baja California Gov. Marina del Pilar Ávila Olmeda said the launch of the project marked a major milestone in ending cross-border pollution after failed attempts under previous administrations. She vowed to have the project online this year. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Along the Colorado River …
Eternal optimists: how farmers and ranchers are innovating in response to a shrinking Colorado River
“The Colorado River has been a source of power, growth, and dispute in the southwestern United States since its waters were first diverted by European settlers in the early 1800s. Over the last two decades, increasing temperatures, urban growth, and a lengthy drought have contributed to rising tensions between the river’s stewards and those who hold rights to water withdrawals. The river’s two largest reservoirs, Lake Powell and Lake Mead, hit historic lows in 2021 and again in 2022, spurring a decision to renegotiate the Colorado River Compact of 1922 to prevent the reservoirs from reaching “dead pool”—the level at which their waters no longer flow downstream and their dams can no longer produce electricity. … ” Continue reading from the Environmental and Energy Institute.
5 Southern Nevada water issues to watch in 2024
“It was just 18 months ago when the commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation warned that the Colorado Water River system was in danger of collapse unless wholesale water use reductions were enacted — cutbacks much bigger than the system has ever seen. Water shortages and demand on the Colorado River Basin will require reductions in water use of 2 million to 4 million acre-feet in 2023 to preserve “critical levels” at Lake Mead and Lake Powell, Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton told the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Committee in mid-June 2022. … Fast forward to the end of 2023. … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Review Journal.
Local Tucson non-profit is fighting drought in back yards and public spaces
“As we head into the new year, the mega-drought across the west shows no signs of dissipating. Media attention is focused most heavily on the dwindling water supply in the Colorado river, but at least one organization in Tucson is quietly working on a local solution – and finding success. The main office of Tucson Clean and Beautiful on East Irvington is modest: a nondescript, mid-twentieth century ranch. From the outside, the yard behind the chain-link fence appears rough and unkempt. You might drive by the place every day and never notice it. But as you come inside the front gate, it becomes clear there is nothing random about the landscaping. … ” Read more from Arizona Public Media.
Colorado: Northern Water’s channel project successfully reconnects Colorado River for the first time in decades
“On Oct. 25, stakeholders from Northern Water, Grand County government and Colorado Parks and Wildlife gathered on the bank of the newly created Colorado River Connectivity Channel in Granby. The group watched as the first flows of water passed through the connectivity channel around a restructured Windy Gap Reservoir. These flows marked the successful trial of the channel, which has been three decades in the making. The channel is designed to improve the health of the Colorado River, benefiting the 40 million water users who rely on it. Northern Water published a video of the milestone event on their YouTube channel. … ” Read more from Sky Hi News.
Colorado town appoints legal guardians to implement the rights of a creek and a watershed
“A town in Colorado has appointed two legal guardians to act on behalf of nature—in this case, a section of Boulder Creek and its watershed situated within the town of Nederland. Activists are hailing the move as the first time humans have been appointed to act as legal guardians for nature within the United States, where the so-called rights of nature movement has had a hard time advancing laws that recognized the rights of rivers, forests, animals and ecosystems. Earlier this month, the Board of Trustees in Nederland, 45 miles northwest of Denver, authorized the appointment of two guardians to represent Boulder Creek and the watershed for purposes of preparing annual reports about the ecosystems’ health and to make recommendations on improving water quality, wildlife habitats and wetlands protection. … ” Read more from Inside Climate News.
In national water news today …
Study quantifies how aquifer depletion threatens crop yields
“Three decades of data have informed a new Nebraska-led study that shows how the depletion of groundwater—the same that many farmers rely on for irrigation—can threaten food production amid drought and drier climes.The study found that, due in part to the challenges of extracting groundwater, an aquifer’s depletion can curb crop yields even when it appears saturated enough to continue meeting the demands of irrigation. Those agricultural losses escalate as an aquifer dwindles, the researchers reported, so that its depletion exerts a greater toll on corn and soybean yields when waning from, say, 100 feet thick to 50 than from 200 feet to 150. That reality should encourage policymakers, resource managers, and growers to reconsider the volume of crop-quenching groundwater they have at their disposal, the team said, especially in the face of fiercer, more frequent drought. … ” Read more from PhysOrg.
Groundwater depletion threatens food security in the US, researchers warn
“Groundwater is under increasing pressure from human activities and climate change. Many aquifers around the world are being overexploited, meaning that more water is withdrawn than replenished by natural processes. This leads to groundwater depletion, which lowers the water table, reduces the water quality, and increases the risk of land subsidence and saltwater intrusion. … Climate change is draining the world’s aquifers, focusing on one of the most critical cases: the High Plains Aquifer in the United States. We will also discuss the implications of groundwater depletion for food security and rural livelihoods, and the possible solutions for sustainable water management. … ” Read more from Nature World News.
