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On the calendar today …
- WEBINAR: Accelerating Adaptation: Exploring the Promise and Limitations of NbS for Droughts and Floods from 7am to 815am. The Nature Conservancy invites you to join the launch of a new report exploring the role nature-based solutions can play in mitigating the increasing risks of floods and droughts due to climate change. TNC will share insights from the report and explore a case study from Cape Town, South Africa. Experts from United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) will draw connections to their ongoing work on water-related adaptation strategies around the world. Q&A with panelists to follow. Click here to register.
- MEETING: Delta Lead Scientist Interview Panel from 10am to 3pm. On February 22, 2024, the Delta lead scientist interview panel, an advisory committee to the Delta ISB, will hold a public meeting. Dr. Gary Lamberti, an applicant for the Delta lead scientist position, will present a seminar, titled “The Past, Present, and Future of Water Science.” After the seminar, there will be an opportunity for the public to ask Dr. Lamberti questions on his presentation and general questions related to the Delta lead scientist position during the meet and greet session. Click here for the full meeting notice.
- GRA Central Coast: Changes for Well Permitting in the Central Coast Region of California – Responses to Executive Order N-7-22 from 6pm to 8pm. In March 2022, Governor Newsom signed Executive Order N-7-22 (Order) in response to intensifying drought conditions. Article 9 of the Order requires that a public agency shall not approve a permit for a new groundwater well in a medium or high priority Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) basin without first obtaining written verification from a Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) that groundwater extraction from this new well would not be inconsistent with any adopted sustainable groundwater management program. At our Q1 2024 Meeting, the Groundwater Resources Association (GRA) Central Coast Branch will host a panel with representatives from permitting agencies, hydrogeologic consultants and well drillers to discuss how local permitting agencies’ are responding to the Order. Click here for more information and to register.
In California water news today …
California reservoir managers could sharply limit water to farms and cities this year
“Even after all the rain and snow in California this month, state and federal water managers announced Wednesday that they’re planning to limit deliveries from the state’s biggest reservoirs this year because seasonal precipitation has lagged. Their plans, however, don’t fully account for the recent storms. The State Water Project, with Lake Oroville as its centerpiece, expects to ship 15% of the water that was requested by the mostly urban water agencies it supplies, including many in the Bay Area. The estimate is up from 10% in December but still low. The federally run Central Valley Project, which counts Shasta Lake among the many reservoirs it operates primarily for agriculture, expects to send 15% of the water requested by most irrigation agencies in the San Joaquin Valley and 75% to most in the Sacramento Valley. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle (gift article).
SEE ALSO:
- DWR increases State Water Project allocation to 15%, press release from DWR
- Reclamation announces initial 2024 water supply allocations for Central Valley Project contractors, press release from the Bureau of Reclamation
- Reclamation sets Valley water supplies at 15 percent, from the San Joaquin Valley Sun
- Initial Water Allocation is Good News for Many CVP Contractors, from Ag Net West
- Friant contractors receive 60 percent water allocation, from the Porterville Recorder
- REACTIONS to State Water Project and Central Valley Project allocations: Here’s what folks had to say about the water allocations
The Sierra’s remarkable recovery: ‘Snow drought’ fears overturned in a flash
“Concerns that California might remain in a “snow drought” this winter have eased after a series of storms this month blanketed the Sierra Nevada with a near-average amount of snow for this time of year. The snowpack across the mountain range now measures 86% of normal for the date, according to state data, up from 28% of normal at the start of the year. The latest storms have also brought enough rain to push the state’s total precipitation to slightly above average for this time of year. And California’s major reservoirs, which were filled spectacularly by last year’s historic wet winter, are still at 118% of their average levels. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
SEE ALSO: The North Sierra snowpack is now back to average. A look at water conditions throughout California, from KCRA
California’s rainy season is here. What does it mean for water supply?
“After a dry start to winter, California’s rainy season is finally well under way. December downpours sent water racing through streets in coastal Ventura County and the city of Santa Barbara. Flash floods hit San Diego in late January, and back-to-back atmospheric river-fueled storms arrived earlier this month, causing wind damage in Northern California and hundreds of mudslides in Los Angeles. Yet another storm blew through over Presidents Day weekend. The frequent deluges have fended off a return to the drought that’s plagued the state over the past decade. Some parts of California are so wet these days that even Death Valley National Park has a lake big enough for kayakers. Still, the state is not on pace for a repeat of last year’s epic rain. And the mountains haven’t seen nearly as much snow. … ” Read more from the Associated Press.
California vineyard expects ‘bumper’ crop this year thanks to atmospheric rivers
“Amid all the tragedy wrought by the series of atmospheric river-fueled storms this winter in the West, there is a silver lining. California’s winemakers are expecting a “bumper” crop. “With the rainfall from last year and the high vigor of the canopy in 2023, we are expecting even bigger yields for 2024,” said Jordan Lonborg, Vineyard Manager at Tablas Creek Vineyard. “The rainfall we have received thus far will go a long ways in supporting the crop that will most likely be what we call a ‘bumper’!” The winery is in Paso Robles on the Central Coast of California. Tablas Creek’s owner, Jason Haas shared his vineyard manager’s optimism for the vines but said people have been hit hard. “That last California storm was a dozy,” he wrote in his blog. He said it was “wet, wild and windy” at the vineyard. He posted the video below where the wind can be heard screaming through the vines. … ” Read more from Fox Weather.
Epic downgrade: Hilary was not a tropical storm when it pummeled California, experts say
“A powerful and damaging storm that pummeled portions of Mexico and the American Southwest last year was not a tropical storm when it hit California as originally believed, federal officials have determined. Hilary began as an offshore hurricane before making landfall as a tropical storm in the Mexican state of Baja California on Aug. 20. It then lost strength as it churned north toward San Diego, Los Angeles and the Inland Empire, according to a new report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Hurricane Center. … “On its approach to land — and even more so after it made landfall — the thunderstorm activity became increasingly disorganized and it lost its well-defined center at the surface, and those are two necessary criteria for something to be considered a tropical cyclone,” said Brad Reinhart, the report’s author and a hurricane specialist with the National Hurricane Center. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Looking at the Sierra snowpack ahead of fire season
“The snow in the Sierra is a welcome sight for water managers across the state. California receives the majority of its rainfall from October through April. Reservoirs account for about 70% of the water we store, while the other 30% is the Sierra snowpack. That snowpack plays a vital role in California’s wildfire seasons. Natural habitat and the available water for agriculture. Daniel Swain is one of the leading scientific experts in forecasting California’s weather from season to season. “If we see a low snowpack this year up in the mountains and then it’s warm in spring and maybe hot in summer, as appears that it may be a warmer than average spring and summer, then we’ll probably see a more active fire season than last year,” said Swain. … ” Read more from KSBY.
SEE ALSO:
- California is waterlogged after yet another drenching atmospheric river, from the Washington Post
- How California has captured water from storms, press release from the Office of the Governor
Experts urge California to avoid pitfalls in water deals in the Delta
“Some of the thorniest debates over water in California revolve around the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, where pumps send water flowing to farms and cities, and where populations of native fish have been declining. State water regulators are considering alternatives for new water quality standards that will determine how much water may be taken out, and how much should be allowed to flow through the delta. And one alternative has been especially controversial: a proposal to rely on negotiated “voluntary agreements” in which water agencies pledge to forgo certain amounts of water while also funding projects to improve wetland habitats. Gov. Gavin Newsom and his administration have touted this voluntary path as a solution to break away from the traditional conflict-ridden regulatory approach, but some leading water experts have raised a number of concerns. They say that to be effective and improve the delta’s deteriorating ecological health, the proposed agreements need to come with a list of ingredients. And they warn that without the right measures in place, California faces serious pitfalls, including risks that the delta’s fish populations and ecosystem could continue to decline. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Friant Water Authority (FWA) seeks more money from local groundwater pumping, while demanding that land subsidence cease
Press release from the Eastern Tule GSA: “FWA and Arvin Edison Water Storage District have filed a complaint against the Eastern Tule Groundwater Sustainability Agency (ETGSA) for breach of contract in the Tulare County Superior Court. The complaint seeks damages from ETGSA, along with a declaration from the Court that ETGSA must collect and pay funds to FWA for subsidence along the Middle Reach of the Friant-Kern Canal, while also avoiding or minimizing additional subsidence. The ETGSA Chairman and Tulare County Supervisor Dennis Townsend commented, “It is unfortunate to see resources, both time and money, expended on litigation matters versus collaborative and solution-oriented approaches. The ETGSA was formed in 2017 to improve groundwater management in the context of significant legacy challenges, including overdraft and land subsidence. The Agency will continue honoring the terms of the settlement agreement and will continue on its path to sustainability.” … ” Continue reading this press release from the ETGSA.
SEE ALSO: ETGSA responds to lawsuit, from the Porterville Recorder
NOW AVAILABLE: DWR Releases First Paper on Depletions of Interconnected Surface Water: An Introduction
“To help Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) appropriately address depletions of interconnected surface water (ISW) in their Groundwater Sustainability Plans, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) today released the first in a series of three papers that will discuss the technical aspects of ISW and quantification of depletions of ISW due to pumping. These three papers will form the basis for a guidance document that DWR will publish for GSAs to consider when establishing ISW sustainable management criteria to manage depletions in their groundwater basins. Under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, GSAs must provide their best estimate of the location, quantity, and timing of depletions of ISW and decide the conditions where depletions of ISW, due to groundwater pumping, become significant and unreasonable (i.e. an undesirable result). Further, the GSA must set minimum threshold(s), which are quantitative value(s) that indicate an undesirable result may be occurring. … ” Read more from DWR.
LAO Handout: Overview of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act
Presented to the Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 4 on Climate Crisis, Resources, Energy and Transportation at yesterday’s hearing. Click here for the handout.
State report identifies future desalination plants to meet statewide water reliability goals
“As California continues to adapt to the impacts of a changing climate, the State must work to identify future sources of safe, reliable water for all. This week, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) released a report identifying future planned desalination projects to help meet the brackish water supply goals identified in California’s Water Supply Strategy: Adapting to a Hotter, Drier Future. As a key strategy in the Water Supply Strategy, desalination is the process of removing salts and minerals from brackish water and seawater to produce water suitable for drinking water, irrigation and other supply needs. Brackish water is a mix of freshwater and saltwater and occurs in a natural environment that has more salinity than freshwater, but not as much as seawater. In 2020, over 100,000 acre-feet of brackish water was desalinated for drinking water, which was two-thirds of the desalinated water produced and used in California. … ” Read more from DWR News.
CDFW salmon info webinar to discuss 2023 returns, 2024 ocean abundance estimates
“Will there be salmon seasons this year on the ocean waters off the California Coast and on the Sacramento and Klamath rivers? We will get an idea of the potential for recreational and commercial salmon seasons this year when the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) holds its annual Salmon Information Meeting via webinar at 10 a.m. March 1. The meeting will provide informational presentations on topics including last year’s spawning escapement, estimates of forecasted ocean abundance and management goals for 2024 ocean salmon season. … ” Continue reading at the Stockton Record.
Even very low levels of pesticide exposure can affect fish for generations, study finds
“Fish exposed to some pesticides at extremely low concentrations for a brief period of time can demonstrate lasting behavioral changes, with the impact extending to offspring that were never exposed firsthand, a recent study found. The findings raise concerns not just for fish, but for all vertebrates that are exposed to commonly used pesticides—including humans, said study co-author Susanne Brander, an associate professor and ecotoxicologist in Oregon State University’s Hatfield Marine Science Center. “This exposure is happening not just to these fish, but to all aquatic organisms in areas that are receiving runoff from areas populated by humans,” Brander said. “It’s safe to say that we’re seeing influences at the population level if fish that were exposed for a few days as embryos and larvae are then producing offspring that are developmentally deformed, or males that are not able to produce as much sperm.” … ” Read more from PhysOrg.
New analysis shows widespread PFAS contamination of tap water in CA
“Toxic “forever” PFAS chemicals are a serious environmental health issue in California and across the globe, linked to numerous health harms. California has been a leader in addressing PFAS, including banning PFAS use in multiple products (such as fire-fighting foam and textiles). Yet PFAS continue to be used in hundreds of different consumer and industrial products and our new analysis, released today, shows drinking water sources serving up to 25 million Californians are or have been contaminated with PFAS. A bill by Senator Nancy Skinner, also introduced today, proposes a much needed comprehensive, efficient, and health-protective approach to phasing out the use of these highly problematic chemicals. Such preventative legislation will be key to helping to address the PFAS crisis. We also need to tackle current contamination by setting drinking water standards for PFAS. … ” Read more from the NRDC.
Radius Recycling pollutes California waterways, environmental group says
“A California environmental group has sued Radius Recycling (RDUS.O) alleging the recycled steel company’s operations are polluting the San Francisco Bay and its tributaries with dirty stormwater runoff. San Francisco Baykeeper filed its lawsuit on Tuesday in Oakland federal court, alleging the company has violated the federal Clean Water Act by failing to stop heavy metals and other pollutants from washing away during storms at four of its facilities in the San Francisco Bay area where cars are dismantled. … ” Continue reading from Reuters.
CA Assembly Bill 828 protects vulnerable communities’ drinking water & California’s remaining managed wetlands
“Across the diverse landscapes of California, reliable access to water is often an existential issue of survival. Sustainable water management is critical to the future of the state, for numerous vulnerable communities, and in the preservation of some of our most endangered bird habitat. The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) was enacted to ensure sustainable groundwater supplies for communities, the environment, and other users. However, without proper and additional implementation safeguards, SGMA is on course to deprive small communities of essential water supply and destroy the last remaining wetlands. AB 828 offers a measured and reasonable approach to protect safe and clean water accessibility for all California communities and safeguard the dwindling managed wetland acreage. … ” Read more from Audubon.
California Forever: Tech-billionaire promises for a new city, from roads to water, are worth hundreds of millions of dollars — if they’re binding
“The city-from-scratch that tech billionaires want to build in Solano County is getting the hard sell, with the backers promising new housing, better jobs and more — promises that will cost in the hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars — plus a pledge that county taxpayers outside the new community won’t have to pay for any of it. The backers call these pledges, contained in a proposed countywide ballot initiative, “guarantees.” They say they’ll be legally bound to honor them. But skeptical legal experts and local officials dispute the idea that the project’s developers will be obligated by law to deliver on the so-called guarantees. Because the issues would put California in uncharted territory, odds are some disputes would have to be resolved in court. … ” Continue reading from Cal Matters.
In commentary today …
State Water Resources Control Board counters big lie from Big Ag
“Despite receiving the lion’s share of water from the massive state and federal projects that pump from the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta, Central Valley corporate growers have long complained that the enhanced flows needed to maintain essential ecosystems and valuable fisheries amount to “water wasted to the sea.” They insist they need every drop of available water, and that any reduction in their allocations will result in food scarcity and economic catastrophe. But a draft report from the State Water Resources Control Board undercuts this specious argument. Among the findings in a recently released 6,000-page environmental assessment of the San Francisco Bay/ Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta estuary are data on the impacts to agriculture resulting from different flow regimes. The conclusion: even under the scenarios that provide the greatest river flows, the consequences for Central Valley agribusiness will be minor. … ” Continue reading from C-WIN.
Why California faces an uphill battle to get rid of plastic
“Given its green bona fides, it’s no surprise that California was the first state in the nation to ban single-use plastic bags 10 years ago. Many were hopeful that would make a dent in the plastic pollution crisis, one canvas tote bag at a time. But if you’ve been to a California supermarket recently, you may have noticed that plastic bags aren’t gone — they’re just thicker. What happened? The plastic bag companies got a caveat in the legislation allowing grocery stores and large retailers to sell plastic bags for a minimum of 10 cents each if they are reusable and recyclable in California. The problem is that the terms “reusable” and “recyclable” were bendable. Manufacturers just swapped low-density polyethylene (LDPE) for high-density polyethylene (HDPE), making the bags heftier, and stamped the chasing-arrows recycling symbol on the bottom. (Polyethylene is a hormone disruptor and environmental pollutant.) But few people reuse these bags in practice, and recycling centers in the state don’t typically accept them. … ” Continue reading at the LA Times.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
As massive California dam-removal project nears completion, who gets the once submerged land?
“The nation’s largest dam-removal project, the dismantling of four hydroelectric dams near the remote California-Oregon border this year, may be the end of one story. But it’s the beginning of another. The native Shasta people, who were exiled from the banks of the Klamath River more than a century ago, in part because of dam construction, are expected to acquire a stretch of ancestral land that is emerging along the river as the dams come out and the reservoirs behind them dry up. Tribal members envision a revival of their age-old community on the property, which the state is looking to hand over as acknowledgement of their enduring hardship. The displaced Shasta people never found a place to regroup after the forced diaspora. Many of their descendants, now scattered across California and beyond, hope to come live, work and worship on the riverfront they still call home. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle. | Read via MSN News.
‘A Very Exciting Time’: The Klamath River finds its channel as dam removal proceeds on schedule
“The largest dam removal project in United States history has hit another milestone, completing the initial drawdown of three reservoirs and allowing the Klamath River to find its historic path through their sediment-laden footprints. During a recent press conference, Mark Bransom, CEO of the Klamath River Renewal Corp., the nonprofit created to oversee the dam removal project, said work is on schedule to see the lower Klamath River’s three remaining dams removed by November, restoring it to a free-flowing state not seen in more than 100 years and re-opening hundreds of miles of historic spawning habitat to threatened salmon species. Meanwhile, work has begun to restore the reservoir’s footprints with the planting of billions of native plant seeds, some of which are already sprouting. … ” Read more from the North Coast Journal.
Winter at the largest dam removal project in history
“Millions of pounds of algae-filled sediment. Thousands of fish. Thousands of homes, no longer powered by hydro. Dozens of deer. A handful of residential wells. For some, these are the casualties of the largest dam removal project in history. For others, they are the unfortunate but expected mishaps along a path to restoring an entire river basin, once the third-most productive salmon-bearing river on the West Coast. And even while those casualties make headlines, the seeds of hope are literally beginning to sprout on the Klamath River. … ” Read more from Source Weekly.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Scuba divers looked for trash in a lake near Tahoe. Here’s what they found
“The underwater trash collectors who pulled 25,000 pounds of litter out of Lake Tahoe recently surveyed the bottom of Echo Lake and were pleasantly surprised by what they saw. “It’s in pretty good health. We didn’t see significant signs of invasive species or litter,” said Colin West, founder and CEO of Clean Up The Lake, a local nonprofit that performs underwater remediation work in California’s alpine lakes. During a week in October, the group sent a crew of scuba divers and boaters to scope out parts of the near-shore area in Lower Echo Lake, the small, oblong water body at Echo Summit near South Lake Tahoe. The lake is lightly developed, with a dam at one end where fishers sometimes cast their lines, a small marina, and a scattering of cabins along the granite shoreline that are accessible only via boat or a hiking trail. There are no roads or sand beaches on the lake. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Tahoe National Forest receives $16 million to continue wildfire risk reduction work in the North Yuba watershed
“Yesterday, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the Biden-Harris Administration is investing nearly $500 million from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to expand work on the USDA Forest Service’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy to reduce risk to communities, critical infrastructure and natural resources from the nation’s ongoing wildfire crisis. The Tahoe National Forest is slated to receive $16 million to continue critical wildfire risk reduction work on the North Yuba landscape. Identified as an area at high-risk for wildfire, the North Yuba landscape has now received over $178 million of Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding. … ” Read more from YubaNet.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
On the wave of a wet winter, here’s how North State water supplies are shaping up
“Just two years removed from one of the worst droughts on record for the North State ― when wells went dry, fields turned brown and water agencies received the minimum water supply ― conditions have recovered for most of the region. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which operates Shasta Dam, announced Wednesday that North State lake levels, rainfall and snowpack in the Sierra Nevada are in “good shape” and agencies that serve tens of thousands of Shasta County residents will receive 100% of their water allocations. Much of the good news stems from Lake Shasta filling with water for the second year in a row. Water from the lake is distributed through the Central Valley Project to agencies in Shasta County and throughout the state. … ” Read more from the Redding Record Searchlight.
‘Emergency overflow valve’ at Whiskeytown Lake spills for the first time in 2024
“Recent heavy rains over western Shasta County pushed the level of Whiskeytown Lake so high that for the first time this year, the Glory Hole began spilling over this week. Water last flowed down into the Glory Hole in 2023 and before that in 2019. For most of the year, the 24-foot diameter concrete orifice juts up above the surface of the lake and is visible from near Whiskeytown Dam. But when rains get heavy and the lake level rises high enough, water goes over the top and plunges down 260 feet into the Glory Hole, where it makes a sharp turn and then runs underneath the dam. Lake water then flows out the other side of the dam into Clear Creek. … ” Read more from the Redding Record-Searchlight. | Read via MSN News.
Operators increase water releases from Shasta Reservoir
“The Bureau of Reclamation has announced that it will be continuing releases from Shasta Lake into the Sacramento River on Wednesday. Since Tuesday, dam operators have been picking up outflow levels at Shasta Lake from 11,559 cubic feet of water per second (CFS) at 5 a.m. to 16,055 cfs of water by 7 a.m. By 11 p.m. on Tuesday, outflow releases peaked at 18,904 CFS until release levels jumped at 1 a.m. on Wednesday to 22,631 CFS. … ” Read more from Fox 40.
SEE ALSO:
- Lake Shasta ‘too high’ for February so Shasta Dam to release more water, from the Redding Record Searchlight
- See Lake Shasta transform from nearly bone dry to bountiful over four-year period, from the Redding Record Searchlight
Folsom launches “Water Vision” Project: A 50-year plan to secure water supply and address climate change
“The city of Folsom is embarking on the most ambitious water planning effort in its history, an effort aimed both at expanding the city’s water supply options and adapting to climate change. Marcus Yasutake, Folsom’s environmental and water resources director, said Water Vision aims to plan the city’s water needs for the next 50 years. He said the program is very much in line with the coequal goals of the Water Forum: securing the region’s water supply and protecting the environment of the Lower American River. Jessica Law, executive director of the Water Forum, is a member of the stakeholder group participating in the Water Vision, and the city of Folsom is a member of the forum’s Water Caucus. … ” Read more from the Northern California Water Association.
CENTRAL COAST
County looking to stop Carmel River lagoon flooding by building wall
“A revised “environmental impact report” is now being circulated by the county of Monterey regarding their controversial plan to hold back flood waters from the Carmel River lagoon. The county’s solution; build a 17-foot high flood wall between the lagoon and nearby neighborhoods. “My reaction is I’m not sure that’ll work number one, number two I don’t know what it’s going to look like,” said Lew Greenblatt, who lives two houses down from the Carmel lagoon. “They’ve got to give us more information about exactly what they’re going to do, how they’re going to build it, what the materials are going to be is the parks going to agree?” added Greenblatt. … ” Read more from KSBW.
California American Water’s Aquifer Storage and Recovery Program bolsters community’s water supply
“Building upon over two decades of success, California American Water continues its Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) program during the rainy season to capture and store excess water for use during periods of drought. This innovative initiative captures excess winter flows from the Carmel River, strategically replenishing underground aquifers. ASR is made possible by a well, pump and booster station network along the Carmel River and the award-winning parallel pipeline and booster project California American Water installed along General Jim Moore Boulevard to transport ASR water. “Being prepared benefits our customers and the communities we serve,” said Mike Magretto, Operations Manager for California American Water in Pacific Grove. “Our team works around the clock to monitor our infrastructure and helps ensure that we capture and store as much water as possible for later use.” … ” Read more from Business Wire.
State approves Paso Robles groundwater plan, with pumping limits and monitoring
“Water-pumping limits and monitoring are coming to some areas of the Paso Robles Groundwater Basin after the state approved a plan that aims to re-balance use in the critically overdrafted region. On Thursday, the California Department of Water Resources signed off on the Paso Robles groundwater sustainability plan, along with several others across the state. The plan was previously submitted to DWR in January 2020. However, the state had deemed it “incomplete” and required revisions by July 20, 2021. The basin is the lifeblood of the region, providing water to grow wine industry’s grapes and sustain rural homeowners. … ” Read more from AOL News.
EASTERN SIERRA
Thirty years since Decision 1631 “saved” Mono Lake
““Today we saved Mono Lake,” announced California State Water Resources Control Board member Marc Del Piero back in 1994 upon the unanimous approval of Decision 1631, which established the mandate to protect Mono Lake at the 6,392-foot level. We are celebrating the 30th anniversary of that decision throughout 2024. Its consequences have been tremendous. Without the limitations D1631 placed on DWP’s excessive water diversions, stream habitats and fisheries would be gone, and Mono Lake would have plummeted in level to near 6,335 feet today, raising lake salinity beyond the tolerance of the brine shrimp and alkali flies at the core of the ecosystem and ending the lake’s vital role in the lives of millions of nesting and migratory birds. On the other hand, Mono Lake has yet to recover to the sustainable level required in D1631. … ” Read more from the Mono Lake Committee.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
The rain’s not over — a new storm is brewing for SoCal next week. How much rain could we get?
“Southern Californians should brace for more wet weather next week — a new storm is brewing in the region to cap off a historically wet month. The National Weather Service predicts that another storm is coming between Sunday night and Monday night. It’s not expected to be as significant as past storms, with the most likely result being between 0.25 and 1 inch of rain. There’s about a 20% chance that the region could see 1 to 3 inches of rain. Meanwhile, showers were tapering off in the region Wednesday, although they were expected to continue through the day in some parts, especially the eastern San Gabriel mountains, according to Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
SCV Water calls new allocation ‘good news’
“The State Water Project announced Wednesday the Department of Water Resources is raising its allocation for the 2024 water season, which is good news, according to Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency officials. The forecasted allocation for local agencies is now 15% of requested supplies, up from the 10% initial allocation announced in December. In local terms, the increase represents approximately 5,000 more acre-feet of water to the SCV allotment, according to SCV Water Director of Water Resources Ali Elhassan, which is about 1.7 billion gallons of water. (For reference, 1 acre-foot of water is 325,851 gallons, and an Olympic-sized pool contains about 660,000 gallons.) … ” Read more from The Signal.
The future of California’s drinking water will lean on water recycling
“Water is the lifeblood of our planet and is vital to every aspect of human survival. But climate change affects our access to this necessary resource, causing more severe droughts and floods. “Climate change has really impacted our water supplies,” Rupam Soni said. The race to create a climate-resilient water supply couldn’t be more dire to Soni — the community relations team manager at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. “We need to create new water supplies that are climate independent, and that’s what Pure Water Southern California is. It’s taking water we’re already using and purifying it so we could reuse it,” Soni said. … ” Read more from Spectrum 1.
Orange County captures enough stormwater for more than 300,000 people during February storms
“The winter storm that doused much of Southern California dropped lots of rain in Orange County, but how much of the runoff was captured? The Orange County Water District said since February, it has collected enough water for more than 300,000 people to use over the course of a year. That’s largely due to a partnership with the Army Corps of Engineers at the Prado Dam, and of course, nature. “A few weeks ago, it was looking to be like a dry season, about a month ago, and now we’re above average,” said Ben Smith with OCWD during an interview with Eyewitness News on Tuesday. … ” Read more from KABC.
SAN DIEGO
Thousands of gallons of sewage foul section of Point Loma coast; Cabrillo tidepools closed
“A sewage spill from the Point Loma wastewater treatment plant prompted the closure of a nearby beach and access to the tidepools at Cabrillo National Monument. Approximately 5,875 gallons spilled and a water contact closure was issued due to bacteria levels exceeding health standards, according to the County of San Diego Beach Water Quality website. The open coast rocky embankment is not a recreational use beach, according to the website. … ” Read more from NBC 7.
Local and state electeds call for federal leaders to step up and end the cross-border sewage crisis at the Tijuana River
“It’s not just water flowing into the Pacific Ocean from the Tijuana River. Cloudy wastewater and sewage particulate matter are also being flushed into the ocean and sometimes the air. After a decade of advocacy from affected cities, a contingent of state legislators have introduced a joint resolution supported by Cal Cities urging Congress to provide $310 million to clean up the river. Cross-border pollution has plagued people, the environment, and local economies for decades. A grim report from San Diego State University found the crisis will have large and far-reaching impacts. The pollution has already led to a resurgence of pathogens and antibiotic-resistant bacteria once thought eradicated in California, as well as 700 consecutive days of beach closures. Flooding and extreme storms have only exacerbated the contamination. … ” Read more from the League of California Cities.
Along the Colorado River …
Why extreme rain pouring into Southwest US hasn’t fully eliminated the region’s megadrought
“The record-breaking rain soaking the Southwest U.S. in recent weeks still won’t be enough to eliminate the megadrought status in the notoriously arid region completely, according to researchers. The extra precipitation fueled by several rounds of atmospheric rivers and an El Niño event has improved parched conditions in the Southwest, which was previously suffering from a decadeslong megadrought. The U.S. Drought Monitor is currently indicating no drought throughout the state of California. … However, drought conditions are still persisting in parts of the Southwest, according to maps released by the Drought Monitor. … ” Read more from ABC News.
Winter storms draw melting snowpack, rising water levels at Lake Mead
“Recent winter storms have increased water levels at Lake Mead and with warmer weather on the way, those levels could improve as the snow melts. Officials with the National Weather Service in Las Vegas say Lake Mead has seen an 8% increase as recent rainfall and melting snowpack have contributed to rising water levels. “We have seen the water go down tremendously so every time we see it come up a foot or five feet or ten feet we are so thankful,” said Kathi Schafer who’s been frequenting Lake Mead for years. … ” Read more from Channel 3.
Colorado snowpack up to 96% of normal after February snowstorms
“After this winter’s faltering start, the snowstorms in January and February boosted Colorado’s snowpack from around 10% to nearly 100% of normal accumulation for this time of year. The slow-melting mountain snowpack in Colorado is a key water source during warm and dry months for communities around the state and across the West. Locally, the recent buildup, alongside improved drought conditions and full reservoirs, is a cause for optimism among water managers. Farther afield in the Colorado River Basin, this year’s snowpack is a much-needed drop in a very large bucket. “We’ve made some pretty good gains since being in the 10th percentile back in early January,” said Brian Domonkos, Colorado Snow Survey supervisor, during a meeting of the Water Conditions Monitoring Committee on Tuesday. “Here over the last two, three weeks, we’ve received some pretty good storms in the mountains that have provided a much-needed boost.” … ” Read more from the Colorado Sun.
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
REGISTER NOW: Join DWR During Groundwater Awareness Week March 10-16 as We Celebrate the Upcoming 10th Anniversary of SGMA
NOW AVAILABLE: Racial Equity Action Plan 2023 Annual Update
