In California water news today …
California battered by flash floods and hurricane-level winds
“Residents in Southern California were surveying the damage after heavy rains brought flash flooding and landslides overnight. The deluge battered communities from Santa Barbara to San Diego, with up to 8 inches of rain falling in some places, shattering rainfall records across the region, according to the National Weather Service. The Los Angeles Fire Department said evacuations had been enforced in several areas after homes were hit by mudslides and debris flows. The weather service on Monday warned residents in the Hollywood Hills and around the Santa Monica Mountains to avoid traveling as those areas could get hit with life-threatening landslides and flash floods. … ” Read more from the Wall Street Journal (gift article).
Second atmospheric river in days churns through California, knocking out power and flooding roads
“The second of back-to-back atmospheric rivers took aim at Southern California early Monday, unleashing mudslides, flooding roadways and knocking out power as the soggy state braced for another day of heavy rains. About 1.4 million people in the Los Angeles area, including the Hollywood Hills and Beverly Hills, were under a flash-flood warning Monday morning. Up to 9 inches (23 centimeters) of rain had already fallen in the area, with more expected, according to the National Weather Service, which called the flash flooding and threat of mudslides “a particularly dangerous situation.” … ” Read more from US News & World Report.
SEE ALSO:
- State of emergency as deadly storm pummels California with 160-mph winds and flooding, from AccuWeather.
- California storm upgraded to ‘bomb cyclone.’ Here’s what that means, and why it’s dangerous, from the San Francisco Chronicle
- California hit by atmospheric river; hundreds of thousands without power, from the Washington Post
Assemblywoman Soria introduces Assembly Bill 2060 to boost groundwater recharge
“Today, Assemblywoman Esmeralda Soria introduced AB 2060 to help divert local floodwater into regional groundwater basins. AB 2060 seeks to streamline the permitting process to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in support of Flood-MAR activities when a stream or river has reached flood-monitor or flood stage as determined by the California Nevada River Forecast Center or the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB). This expedited approval process would be temporary during storm events with qualifying flows under the SWRCB permit. … ” Read more from Assemblywoman Soria’s website.
Sacramento River winter-run chinook salmon remain endangered, review finds
“Partners have pulled together to support the recovery of endangered Sacramento winter-run Chinook salmon in the last few years. However, the species still faces threats from climate change and other factors. That is the conclusion of an Endangered Species Act review that NOAA Fisheries completed for the native California species. It once returned in great numbers to the tributaries of the Sacramento River and supported local tribes. The review concluded that the species remains endangered, and identified key recovery actions to help the species survive climate change. While partners have taken steps to protect winter-run Chinook salmon, blocked habitat, altered flows, and higher temperatures continue to threaten their survival. While threats related to habitat destruction have eased, those related to disease and climate change have increased. … ” Continue reading from NOAA Fisheries.
If you (un)build it, they will come: Studying impacts of fish passage barrier removal on Big Chico Creek
“During the past summer, FISHBIO continued a tradition that began in 2013 by partnering with the Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve (BCCER) to conduct snorkel surveys along a stretch of Big Chico Creek. Big Chico Creek flows into the Sacramento River near Chico and is one of few tributaries of this river that remains largely unaltered by human development. This creek provides important habitat for threatened anadromous fishes like spring-run Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and steelhead (the ocean-going form of O. mykiss), which migrate to sea to grow to maturity but return to the freshwaters of Big Chico Creek to spawn. In addition to these charismatic salmonids, Big Chico Creek is home to several other non-game species of native fishes, including California roach (Hesperoleucus symmetricus), Sacramento sucker (Catostomus occidentalis), pikeminnow (Ptychocheilus grandis), riffle sculpin (Cottus gulosus), hardhead (Mylopharadon conocephalus), and Pacific lamprey (Entosphenus tridentatus). … ” Continue reading from FishBio.
Green Sturgeon aren’t Salmon: Updated life cycle models for management
“Over 65 million years ago, as Tyrannosaurus rex roamed the great plains, green sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) were already roaming the world’s waters. While these ancient fish survived the fall of dinosaurs, they are now in danger of extinction largely due to habitat degradation and losses from water management infrastructure and its operation (e.g., impairing flow, disrupting thermal regimes). While you would think the potential loss of a prehistoric giant (up to 8 feet long and hundreds of pounds) would capture the world’s attention, the imminent sturgeon extinction has unfortunately been under the public radar. Reasons for the lack of attention include their cryptic behavior (moving unseen through deep murky waters) and their late maturity (not reproducing until around 15 years old). These traits make it harder to notice and document population declines. To combat these challenges, we are working on a life cycle model that could shed some light on sturgeon ecology. … ” Read more from the California Water Blog.
OpenET study helps water managers & farmers put NASA data to work
“As the world looks for sustainable solutions, a system tapping into NASA satellite data for water management has passed a critical test. Called OpenET, the system uses an ensemble of six satellite-driven models that harness publicly available data from the Landsat program to calculate evapotranspiration (ET)—the movement of water vapor from soil and plant leaves into the atmosphere. OpenET does this on a field-level scale that is greatly improving the way farmers, ranchers, and water resource managers steward one of Earth’s most precious resources. Researchers have now conducted a large-scale analysis of how well OpenET is tracking evapotranspiration over crops and natural landscapes. … ” Read more from Clean Technica.
Solano Coalition opposing new city California Forever launches
“A new coalition opposing the creation of a new city in Solano County was launched Sunday. California Forever, which would be between Suisun City and Rio Vista, is backed by Silicon Valley billionaires. Representatives from across Solano County spoke at a community event. An opportunity to share concerns about the project California as it gets closer to the November election, where Solano county residents will be asked to vote on the proposed city if the ballot initiative gets enough signatures. … ” Read more from Channel 10.
In commentary today …
Preparing for impact: The need for more resilient water infrastructure
Jordanna Rubin, vice president, disaster resilience and equity at AECOM, writes, “Evidence highlighting the effects of climate change – and its increasing impact on our societies – is indisputable. 2023 saw a flurry of extreme weather events across the world. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) recorded 28 weather and climate disasters in the United States alone, topping the previous high of 22 events during 2020; these disasters also left a huge economic toll – to the tune of at least $92.9 billion spent on disaster recovery. As scientists predict a potentially even warmer climate in 2024 (and beyond), we face an imperative to make significant investments in disaster resilience projects and planning to protect the people living in these vulnerable communities and the infrastructure they rely upon. … ” Read more from Water Finance & Management.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Lake County Supervisors to discuss Water Resources restructuring
“The Board of Supervisors will have another discussion on how to structure the Lake County Water Resources Department when it meets this week. The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 6, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport. In an untimed item, the board will consider proposed structural changes to the Water Resources Department. The board is considering the changes in the wake of Public Works Director Scott De Leon’s announcement that he intends to retire at the end of June. He currently also oversees Water Resources, which is part of Public Works. … ” Read more from the Lake County News.
BAY AREA
Corte Madera marsh menaced by invasive plants
“Invasive weeds are threatening a recently restored section of Corte Madera marsh and officials say they’re dealing with it before the problem plants spread. Since the marsh restoration, which was completed in 2021, workers have found invasive plants in the 9 to 12 acres surrounding the 4 acres of restored tidal wetlands along San Francisco Bay. The Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District, which owns the land, approved a treatment plan in August that includes plant removal and site monitoring through 2028. An addendum was approved at the board’s Jan. 25 meeting to allow for manual weed removal instead of herbicides. With these new approvals, the project cost has escalated by more than $800,000, to $3.3 million. … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
Zone 7 constructs new monitoring wells at Ken Mercer Sports Park
“The Zone 7 Water Agency completed the construction of two new monitoring wells at the Ken Mercer Sports Park in Pleasanton in early January that representatives said will help the agency detect PFAS contamination before it spreads any further. While there haven’t been any contaminants found in the area around the sports park along Hopyard Road, having these two wells will help warn the water agency before any contaminants seep into any wells with actual drinking water. “Installing this multi-zone monitoring well allowed us to fill a data gap in our regional water quality monitoring network,” Zone 7 General Manager Valerie Pryor told Embarcadero Media Foundation. “It will help us monitor groundwater quality in general and PFAS in particular. In addition, this new well will give us forewarning should the western edge of the existing PFAS plume migrate further west.” … ” Read more from Pleasanton Weekly.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
LA, Montecito and Malibu under landslide threat from heavy rain
“Los Angeles and the wealthy enclaves of Montecito and Malibu face life-threatening landslides and flash flooding on Monday as an intense atmospheric river blankets Southern California. “We have an atmospheric firehose pointed right at Southern California,” said Ryan Truchelut, president of commercial forecaster WeatherTiger LLC. “Today is really the key day.” Parts of Southern California are facing a “high risk of excessive rainfall,” a prediction the National Weather Service uses sparingly across the US, according to Truchelut. An “extremely dangerous situation” is unfolding in those areas, according to a Monday post from the agency on X. … ” Read more from Bloomberg.
‘There’s still a lot of rain to come’: Storm-battered SoCal faces two more days of pain
“After being battered by record rainfall Sunday, Southern California is far from out of the woods with this major storm. Officials say rain will continue through Monday and into Tuesday, with some showers possible on Wednesday. The saturation will likely cause more mudslides, flooding and inundated roads. “There’s still a lot of rain to come,” Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard, said Monday morning. “There’s a lot of rain left.” … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Will Southern California ski resorts survive climate change?
“In the not-so-distant future it might not be possible to attempt a uniquely Southern California tradition: surfing and skiing in the same day. Snowfall, which was nonexistent this season until just this week, has long been sporadic in local mountains due to our trademark warm and sunny weather. That inconsistency is one reason why Big Bear’s Snow Summit resort helped pioneer the art and science of man-made snow more than 60 years ago. But a new study out of Dartmouth shows those conditions have also made snowfall in our mountains particularly sensitive to climate change. So sensitive, in fact, that ski resorts might be hard pressed to stay in their current business. … ” Read more from the OC Register.
SAN DIEGO
San Diego residents consider suing city after Jan. 22 storm
“After nearly two weeks since a storm flooded their homes on Beta Street, neighbors are coming together to talk about potential legal action against the City of San Diego. Angela Hampton, one of the affected residents, said she had to swim through floodwaters with her two dogs. Now, as a civil defense attorney, she is taking on the role of educating neighbors about their legal rights. … ” Read more from Channel 10.
Along the Colorado River …
Water regulation in Arizona has now devolved into a game of chicken
Columnist Joanna Allhands writes, “Water regulation in Arizona has devolved into a game of chicken. The governor and farmers are rivals revving their engines, hoping their opponent will flinch first. Caught in the middle is Gila Bend, a groundwater basin south of Buckeye, where the state could decide to impose its most stringent form of regulation, whether folks like it or not. Both sides are using Gila Bend as a bargaining chip to win support for competing legislative proposals. But to what end? … ” Read more from Arizona Central.
Cattle are a part of Arizona’s history. Climate change, overgrazing concerns cloud their future
“When you drive through parts of rural Arizona, it’s hard to imagine that cattle ranchers once came here for the grass. But Eduardo Pagan, a history professor at Arizona State University, says the state looked different a couple of centuries ago. “You know the state that we see today when we look out our window is really not the environment that existed if you go back 200 or 300 years,” Pagan said. Cattle ranching helped shape rural Arizona into what it is today. It was one of the five C’s that once formed the backbone of the state’s economy, along with copper, citrus, cotton and climate. But many ideas we have about the history of grazing are wrong, and researchers say that cattle have emerged as a major driver of climate change. Conservationists say it’s time to re-examine grazing on public lands. … ” Read more from KJZZ.
Federal agency releases Topock Marsh project info
“Temporary pumps will supply an important wetland habitat between Arizona and California with 5,000 acre-feet of Colorado River water while the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation builds an $8 million pumping station to keep the water level consistent for the long haul, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said. Topock Marsh, a 4,000-acre wetland, is a popular spot for boating, fishing, birding and hunting. It is located along the Colorado River in the Havasu National Wildlife Refuge in Arizona. Situated between the Mojave and Sonoran deserts, it is part of a major migratory route and habitat for 318 bird species, including the endangered Yuma Clapper Rail. … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Sun.
Senate hearing next week on Tribal access to clean water: it takes more than just a pile of money
“The U.S. Senate Indian Affairs Committee is holding an important hearing Thursday on S. 2385, a bill to refine the tools needed to help Tribal communities gain access to something that most non-Indian communities in the western United States have long taken for granted: federally subsidized systems to deliver safe, clean drinking water to our homes. Inkstain readers should find these numbers familiar: 48 percent of households on Native American reservations don’t have the sort of basic plumbing we all mostly take for granted – piped (and clean!) water into our houses, sanitation systems to take away waste; and per the Universal Access to clean water for Tribal Communities project, “Native American homes are 19 times more likely than white households to lack indoor plumbing.” … ” Read more from the Inkstain blog.
More water news in the weekend edition …
In California water news this weekend …
-
McWay Creek (Big Sur) by W. Tipton California emergency officials bracing for dangerous storm, flooding as atmospheric river approaches
- Rapidly strengthening Pacific storm to bring damaging windstorm to Central California, major flash flood risk to SoCal, and a big Sierra snowstorm
- Farmers in Tulare County set to test groundwater market they hope could help keep them in business and replenish the aquifer
- Delta Conveyance Project faces stronger headwinds with court ruling rejecting financing scheme and new environmental litigation
- DWR’s groundwater models provide valuable resources for managers of California’s critical water supply
- Tesla agrees to pay $1.5 million over hazardous waste violations
- How bad is Tesla’s hazardous waste problem in California?
- Shasta Lake jumps 1 foot in 24 hours, 5 feet in 7 days as rainstorms continue
- Rare Bay Area storm to bring extreme rain, more damaging impacts than earlier forecasts
- El Niño and climate change are supercharging incoming storm, SoCal’s biggest this winter
- And more …
Click here for the weekend edition.
