A wrap-up of posts published on Maven’s Notebook this week …
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In California water news this week …
Dual storms to renew flooding, landslide risk across California
“Two consecutive storms slated to move into California this weekend into early next week will renew travel concerns and the threat of flooding across the state, AccuWeather meteorologists say. After a brief dry stretch during the day Friday across the West Coast, the first of the two storms will arrive along the Northern California and southwestern Oregon coast Friday night then spread inland through Saturday night. The heaviest precipitation will focus across Northern and Central California, where a general 0.50-1.50 inch of rain can fall with localized amounts as high as 3 inches in some of the higher terrain near the coast. … ” Read more from AccuWeather.
California storm pattern returning with flood, mudslide threats beginning Saturday
“California is facing another multi-day siege of stormy weather for several days starting Saturday, which could result in the potential for flooding rainfall, landslides, heavy mountain snow, strong winds and coastal flooding. A series of low pressure systems will approach the West Coast beginning Saturday. Multiple atmospheric river events are possible, which will increase flooding concerns. Heavy flooding rain, mountain snow, gusty winds and coastal flooding are expected. … ” Read the full forecast at The Weather Channel.
La Niña on the horizon? California’s wild weather year could get even weirder
“Storm-soaked California is still in the clutches of a wet El Niño winter, but in an unexpected plot twist, La Niña could be hot on its heels. The El Niño-La Niña Southern Oscillation, or ENSO, is a climate pattern in the tropical Pacific that can influence weather worldwide and across the Golden State, although its outcomes are never guaranteed. Typically, El Niño is associated with warm, wet winters in Southern California, while La Niña is associated with cooler and drier conditions. So far this year, El Niño has delivered on that promise. The pattern intensified in recent months, becoming what is now believed to be the fifth-strongest El Niño on record, according to an advisory the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued this week. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via AOL News.
California isn’t ready for a megaflood. Or the loss of Daniel Swain.
“Powerful storms drenched California last week, as massive rivers in the sky unleashed destructive downpours and winds that caused widespread flooding and mudslides, toppled trees that killed four people in Northern California, cut power to nearly 900,000 people statewide and dumped record-setting rainfall on Southern California, which is under a state of emergency. Last month, leading up to the meteorological onslaught, anxious Californians hoped to allay fears amplified on social media about an impending megaflood by checking in with the man they rely on to deliver the unvarnished facts. Hundreds logged on to the online “office hours” of Daniel Swain, a climate scientist with joint appointments at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, where he’s based. Swain, the rare climate scientist with training in meteorology, has become the Carl Sagan of extreme weather, translating highly complex science into plain language. “If you’ve been on TikTok, or if you’ve been following certain Twitter accounts, you might well believe that California is gonna get washed off the map in the next seven to 10 days,” Swain told his audience in late January. He quickly set the record straight. … ” Read the full story from Inside Climate News.
No more Delta smelt? The Delta tunnel project threatens their extinction for good
“A project to move water from the Sacramento region down to Southern California was recently approved by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR). The $16 billion Delta Conveyance Project is causing major controversy around environmental concerns. This is a very complex issue, Californians are in need of water all over the state. But with a project like the delta tunnel, environmentalists say the 50 species of fish in the delta are at risk as well as the wildlife and people who depend on the fish. “I don’t think it’s gonna make the situations we already have goin’ any better i think it’s probably gonna make it worse,” said recreational fisherman Hayden Kell. … ” Read more from CBS Sacramento.
Train derailment spills coal into popular Northern California river
“A train carrying coal derailed on Sunday, spilling into a scenic Northern California river outside the town of Blairsden, officials said. The train derailed shortly before 7 a.m. near the Middle Fork of the Feather River in Plumas County because of a “track defect,” according to a hazardous materials report from the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. Fifteen of the cars on the train derailed, the report said, all of them “fully loaded” with 118 tons of coal each. Of those cars, 13 of them released an “unknown amount” of coal into the river, the report said. At least one railcar also fell into the river, and officials are on the scene conducting cleanup, the report said. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
- SEE ALSO: Train Carrying Coal Derails in Feather River Canyon, from Dan Bacher at the Daily Kos
World Ag Expo: Water seminar lands with a thud as speaker details “devastating” amount of acreage expected to go out of production
“The sun was shining and blue skies reigned over the 57th World Ag Expo in Tulare County Tuesday but inside seminar trailer No. 2 the mood was gloomy to dismal as panelists discussed the San Joaquin Valley’s water outlook. The upshot is that with surface supplies from the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta shrinking and increased groundwater pumping restrictions looming, more than 900,000 acres in the Central Valley will have to go out of production, according to Michael Ming, a broker with Alliance Ag Services LLC, which has been tracking ag land valleys with respect to water for nearly 20 years. The bulk of that fallowing will be in Kern, Kings and Tulare counties, he said. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Judge rules to allow Arrowhead Spring bottler to continue taking water from San Bernardino mountains
“A judge ruled last month to allow the company that bottles Arrowhead Spring Water to continue taking water from the San Bernardino National Forest. Activists are now calling on the Forest Service to stop the company’s operations. Fresno County Court Judge Robert Whalen on January 25 ruled to pause the state water board’s cease and desist order against BlueTriton Brands. BlueTriton took over Nestle’s operations in the national forest in 2021. … ” Continue reading from KVCR.
PRESS RELEASE: US Forest Service Chief allows company to drain water from San Bernardino National Forest. Taxpayers demand answers.
“Corporate accountability group Ekō installed a giant billboard and hand-delivered over 85,000 petition signatures at the US Forest Service headquarters in Washington DC today. Ekō staff also attempted to meet with US Forest Service Chief Randy Moore, but were denied entry to the building. The petition demands that the Forest Service deny bottled water giant BlueTriton’s permit to occupy public lands and order the company to remove all pipes, boreholes, and tunnels from the San Bernardino National Forest. When Ekō Sr. Campaign Manager Lacey Kohlmoos attempted to enter the Forest Service headquarters office for the routine petition delivery, security officers stopped her and told her to leave the building immediately. She requested that they call the US Forest Sevice office to send someone down to accept the signatures, but her request was denied. After calling and emailing the staff members whom Kohlmoos had previously contacted about the petition delivery, the Forest Service office finally sent down a member of the communications team to accept the petition on the sidewalk in front of the building. … ” Continue reading this press release from Ekō.
Physics to fish: Habitat restoration for native fish populations in California’s Central Valley
“The Central Valley Project is a complex network of dams, reservoirs, canals, hydroelectric powerplants and other facilities that extends 400 miles across central California. It reduces flood risk for the Central Valley and supplies water to major urban centers in the Greater Sacramento and San Francisco Bay area. The Central Valley Project has an ongoing need for scientific improvements in adaptive management. The cooperative project between BOR and USGS aims to provide the necessary scientific information to evaluate the effectiveness of current and future adaptive management actions. The overarching goal is to enhance the scientific basis for more flexible CVP operations that ensure water-supply reliability, while also protecting native fish species such as the federally endangered Delta smelt, endemic to the San Francisco Estuary. … ” Read more from the USGS.
Science spotlight: Managing a Cyanobacteria Harmful Algae Bloom “hotspot” in the Upper San Francisco Estuary
“At the January meeting of the Delta Stewardship Council, interim Delta Lead Scientist Dr. Lisamarie Windham-Myers highlighted recent research on Harmful Algal Blooms, and highlighted upcoming Delta science events. This month’s article spotlight focuses on research funded by the Delta Science Program on the harmful algal blooms in 2022, a uniquely bad year for the toxic menace. The research, led by Ellen Preece, focused on how nutrient loading affected cyanobacteria harmful algae blooms (CHABs) in the Deep Water Ship Channel and the Stockton waterfront area in the summer of 2022 and considered four categories of management actions to mitigate the occurrence and impact of the blooms. … ” Continue reading at Maven’s Notebook.
Dan Walters: Will cataloging California’s top policy issues inspire politicians to think long term?
“California’s public policy issues tend to stretch across multiple years or even decades, while the attention spans of politicians are abbreviated by election cycles and term limits. The short-term mentality of governors and legislators undermines the continuity that’s needed to deal with long-term issues. Many examples of the syndrome exist but a classic is a project that has been kicking around in one form or another, with multiple name changes, for at least six decades – moving water from the Sacramento River around, through or under the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to the head of the California Aqueduct. It was touted as the last major link in the state’s water system, and originally it was to be a 43-mile-long “peripheral canal” around the Delta when first proposed in the 1960s. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
California introduces rule to end fracking in the state
“The California Conservation Department on Friday released a proposed to stop issuing permits for well stimulation treatments, commonly known as fracking, in the state. “This regulatory proposal aims to protect life; property; public health and safety; and environmental quality, including mitigating greenhouse emissions associated with the development of hydrocarbon resources by prohibiting new permits to conduct WST across California’s oil and gas sector,” the department’s Geologic Energy Management Division said in a statement. Most fracking operations in California are carried out in oil fields in Kern County in the state’s Central Valley, where more than 2,200 have been permitted, according to the state. About 12% of oil and 17% natural gas extracted in the state comes from wells that have undergone fracking at some point. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
In commentary this week …
Water policy in California is missing a north star
Heather Dyer, General Manager of San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water District, and Craig Miller, General Manager of Western Water, writes, “Water policy in California is missing a north star. Think of the last time you started on a difficult journey without a plan for where you wanted to end up. Seems silly right, how could you possibly succeed if you don’t know where you are headed? Did you know that unlike in other sectors, we have no clear, single target that defines what makes up a sustainable, statewide water supply for 40 million-plus Californians? As a result, new proposals come out piecemeal, and we find ourselves trying to do the right thing in silos, without a clear idea of the big picture. With a statewide target in mind, hundreds of water agencies in California could begin working in unison to reach unprecedented heights. … ” Read more from the OC Register.
A smart alternative: Agreements to support healthy rivers & landscape
Jennifer Pierre, General Manager of the State Water Contractors, and Tom McCarthy, General Manager of the Kern County Water Agency, write, “The Central Valley, and Kern County specifically, is a cornerstone of California’s thriving economy. One of the top oil and agriculture-producing counties in the nation, Kern’s success depends on reliable, affordable water supplies. The State Water Project (SWP) — an engineering feat that relies on the Sacramento San-Joaquin Delta (Delta) and delivers high-quality water to 27 million homes and businesses and irrigates 750,000 acres of farmland annually — supplements Kern River supplies, provides water for groundwater recharge and banking, and helps to mitigate the impacts of recurring droughts and groundwater overdraft in Kern County. If the State Water Project service area were its own nation, it would rank as the world’s eighth largest economy. Yet, for decades, flows to and from the Delta have been rigidly managed based on outdated science and with limited success. Important species have continued to decline and water supply reliability has not improved. … ” Read more at Water Wrights.
Wade Crowfoot on desalination, and the opportunity cost of the Delta tunnel
Edward Ring, senior fellow with the California Policy Center, writes, “Last week in Sacramento at Cal Desal’s annual conference, one of the highlights was an appearance by Wade Crowfoot, California’s Natural Resources Secretary. In his remarks, and in answer to questions from the audience, Crowfoot sought to create the impression the Newsom administration is supporting desalination projects. “The last thing we want to do is put cost-prohibitive constraints on desal,” he said, adding that the state needs to “clarify the permitting pathway.” He even said that California’s “regulatory agencies are getting the message that desal is good.” But reality preempts rhetoric. In May 2022, Newsom’s appointees to the California Coastal Commission unanimously denied approval to construct a large scale desalination plant in Huntington Beach. At a capacity of 55,000 acre feet per year, this proposed twin to the Carlsbad plant, along with other investments already made or planned in runoff harvesting and wastewater recycling, would have made Northern Orange County, population 2.5 million, completely independent of imported water. … ” Continue reading from the California Globe.
As storms dump rain on California, most goes to the sea. Why?
Kenneth Schrupp writes, “Thanks to a second year of torrential rains, California has already passed its annual rainfall average. But with decades-long shortfalls in water storage expansion, most of that water is going right to the sea, leaving the state ill-prepared for the next drought in the typical drought-storm cycle that has long-defined the state’s climate. California experienced 31 atmospheric rivers during the 2022-2023 October-March rainy season, leaving the state drought-free for the first time in three years. As a result of the drought’s end, the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power finally ended its 13-month water restrictions limiting outdoor watering to just two times per week. Despite the drought’s official end, everyday Californians have continued to curtail their water consumption, with CalMatters reporting a 6% decline in urban water use since July 2021. … ” Read more from the Mountain Democrat.
The Fish and Wildlife Service should go back to drawing board on the Longfin Smelt listing
Paul S. Weiland writes, “Over the past decade and a half, a persistent collection of petitioners has pressed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) to list the Bay-Delta population of longfin smelt under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). The longfin smelt spawns in freshwater tributaries that feed the Bay, including lower portions of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Rivers Delta. Although the scarcity of longfin smelt in surveys that record pelagic fishes in the Bay and Delta is readily explained — the surveys poorly sample the habitats of longfin smelt during its two-year rearing period and do not at all sample its spawning habitat — data from those surveys have been used to support the notion that the longfin smelt population is greatly imperiled and may be verging toward extinction. Other data and analyses undercut this notion. Nonetheless, in October 2022, the Service proposed listing the Bay-Delta population of longfin smelt as an endangered species in response to litigation pressuring the agency to act. … ” Read more from the Center for California Water Resources and Management.
Here’s why nobody can accurately predict the weather in California
“Harris K. Telemacher was a Los Angeles TV weathercaster with an ocean of knowledge — he had a doctorate in humanities and quoted Shakespeare — but no real meteorological training. So, assuming California weather was predictable, he taped his televised forecasts weeks in advance. This worked until an unexpected Pacific storm deluged Southern California during one of his pre-recorded forecasts. Telemacher also was a fictional character invented by Steve Martin in the film “L.A. Story.” But the fake forecaster embodied a real-life cliché that needs retiring. California weather has never been as predictable as a TV weathercaster gag — especially when it comes to the rain and snow of Golden State winters like this one. … ” Continue reading at the San Francisco Chronicle.
In regional water news this week …
Farmers, tribes reach ‘historic’ Klamath River deal
“The Interior Department on Wednesday announced an armistice in the battle over the Klamath River, unveiling an agreement between farmers reliant on the waterway for irrigation and tribal nations seeking to restore the region’s fisheries. The memorandum of understanding between the Klamath Water Users Association, which represents farmers in the Pacific Northwest, and the Klamath Tribes, Yurok Tribe and Karuk Tribe will guide future negotiations over the Pacific Northwest waterway. The document, also signed by Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, states that all parties will work on both improving the ecosystem of the Oregon-California waterway and improving “water supply reliability” for agricultural users. “The collaboration and cooperation reached today in the Klamath Basin is a critical step forward as we work to support healthy ecosystems and water reliability in the region for generations to come,” Haaland said in a statement. … ” Read more from E&E News.
Klamath Basin reacts to water agreement
“Reaction to Wednesday’s announcement by the Department of Interior came in quickly from a range of groups and individuals. Clayton Dumont, chairman of the Klamath Tribes, said he is pleased with the agreement, saying, “I think it’s a positive step forward.” But he also noted, “It’s really an agreement to try to agree. I think it’s a positive step forward.” “I truly believe making a maximum effort to restore some semblance of health to this complex ecosystem running from the headwaters here in our homeland to the ocean is the best shot we will have, ever, for tribal and agricultural communities to ensure a healthy and sustainable future for our coming generations,” Dumont said in a statement. “All of us who have been involved in these difficult discussions for many, many months owe a debt of gratitude to Matthew Strickler, assistant deputy secretary for Fish and Wildlife. Secretary Haaland and the Department of Interior picked the right guy for the job.” … ” Read more from the Herald & News.
PG&E’s hesitation casts shadow on Eel-Russian River diversion plan
“The plan to continue a diversion from the Eel River into the Russian after the Potter Valley dams are removed hit a snag last week, when PG&E balked at the proposed permitting strategy. PG&E owns and operates the hydropower facility, and is eager to get rid of it in the wake of mechanical failures and a report of earthquake hazards at Scott Dam, which impounds Lake Pillsbury. But a regional coalition of local governments, CDFW, and conservation organizations is planning for life after dam removal by designing a method to continue diverting water when the Eel River is high. There are two partially designed alternatives for the diversion facility, one of which has garnered an open legal threat from a national river conservation non-profit. … ” Read more from the Mendo Fever.
‘A significant existential threat to us and our water supply’: Mendocino County leaders on the Eel-Russian River diversion
“Mendocino County 1st District Supervisor Glenn McGourty spoke before his colleagues at the February 6, 2024 Board meeting with a troubling development about the Potter Valley Project, the disputed water diversion infrastructure that keeps the Russian River flowing year-round. He reported that PG&E had seemingly disregarded Mendocino County water users in their rush to decommission meaning “if they wanted to, they could probably just shut the water off and that would be the end of the Potter Valley Diversion.” In McGourty’s words: “Last week was a very big shock to us . . . in regards to water transfer from the Eel River. . . . We had the first meeting of the new JPA, the Eel-Russian Project Authority. This would be the group that would be taking over the diversion from PG&E and designing a new one that would move Eel River water and continue the flow of Eel River water to our region.” … ” Read more from MendoFever.
Commentary: Following the money on Scott Dam removal
Adina Flores writes, “As plans for the full and expedited removal of the Scott and Cape Horn Dam on the Eel River in Potter Valley move forward, our natural resources are in danger. The larger Scott Dam is located where water is stored at Lake Pillsbury, and the smaller Cape Horn Dam constitutes the creation of the Van Arsdale Reservoir. District 2 Congressional candidates Tief Gibbs and Jared Huffman have touted their support for providing an upgraded fish passageway while completely disregarding the impact on stakeholders. According to their congressional opponent, Chris Coluombe, the dam removal will cost the taxpayers an estimated $500 million, constituents and firefighters will face further fire risk due to reduced water availability, and agricultural producers will face the impact of starving our land of water. … ” Read more from the Lake County News.
Amid cost increases, Valley Water continues to progress with Anderson Dam and other priority projects
“Valley Water is responsible for operating and maintaining large infrastructure that serves Santa Clara County’s water needs. The existing water supply infrastructure was built decades ago. Dams such as Anderson in Morgan Hill were built in the 1930s and 50s. Water treatment plants were built in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. Valley Water is making investments to repair and replace the existing infrastructure and to prevent outages or disrupted service. Our agency also needs to invest in new projects to ensure a reliable water supply for future generations. Currently, Valley Water’s largest project is fixing Anderson Dam. This reservoir is an essential source of water storage for Santa Clara County. Built in 1950, Anderson is the largest of Valley Water’s ten reservoirs and could fit the other nine reservoirs inside it. … ” Read more from Valley Water News.
Southern California’s flood defenses held this time, but they are weakening
“Los Angeles averted a flooding disaster during torrential rains this past week, thanks to an elaborate system of bulwarks that drivers hardly notice as they speed down freeways and course through canyons. It seldom rains in Southern California, but when it does, history has shown that the result can be deadly. A 1938 Los Angeles flood killed more than 100 people and destroyed more than 5,000 buildings. So engineers have created reservoirs and debris basins to capture the water, mud and boulders that can come tumbling down the 10,000-foot San Gabriel Mountains, and have encased streams and rivers in concrete to quickly carry raging waters out to the Pacific Ocean. This system is showing its age and wear, and engineers and other experts are warning that it could crack as storms become more extreme as a result of a changing climate. “The infrastructure is optimized to move water quickly to the ocean, and it did its job,” said Brett Sanders, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of California, Irvine. “But had we had another storm right after that, we might have gotten close to the limits of that system.” … ” Read the full story at the Wall Street Journal (gift article).
Key Colorado River negotiator says talks must shift away from status quo amid ‘crisis’
“As Colorado River Basin stakeholders scramble to formulate a long-term water conservation plan, the Centennial State’s main negotiator urged those at the table to be adaptable to change in an increasingly arid West. “Some may like to continue the status quo or some version of it,” Becky Mitchell, Colorado’s Upper Colorado River commissioner, said at a Thursday webinar. “We can’t do that,” Mitchell said. The negotiations in question involve mandatory revisions to the Colorado River’s 2007 Interim Guidelines for Lower Basin Shortages — set to expire at the end of 2026 — which detail the quantities of water that users must conserve and when they must do so. … ” Read more from The Hill.
Lake Mead’s water levels measure highest since 2021 after ‘Pineapple Express’ slams California
“Amid a historic water shortage, Lake Mead’s water levels rose this week to the highest point in nearly three years. According to measurements taken at the end of January by the Bureau of Reclamation, Lake Mead’s water levels were reported to be 1,072.67 feet, the highest levels since May 2021, when they were measured at 1,073.50 feet. California experienced heavy rain, winds and snow last week from an atmospheric river, also known as a “Pineapple Express,” although experts told Newsweek that it would depend on the previous storm and future storms to fill the reservoirs in Lake Mead and Lake Powell in Utah and Arizona. … ” Read more from the USA Today.
Announcements, notices, and funding opportunities …
WATER TRANSFERS: Identification of Parties Interested in Potential 2024 Temporary Transfers
