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On the calendar today …
- CONFERENCE: The Future of Water from 8:30am to 4:30pm. This interactive symposium is designed for audience engagement, with adequate time for questions and answers during sessions and panel discussions. Attendees will leave feeling inspired and well-informed. You will learn from several leading practitioners in the fields of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Sustainable Remediation and Climate Change. Two panels will provide opportunities to discuss Tribal Ecological Knowledge and innovations to address evolving challenges in the groundwater industry for the future. The program will conclude with an opportunity to network with other professionals working in the California groundwater space. Click here for more information.
- MEETING: Central Valley Flood Protection Board from 9am to 3pm. Agenda items include Multi-Benefit Flood Projects Progress Update and the Sacramento and San Joaquin Drainage District Assessment District Feasibility Study. Click here for the agenda and meeting materials.
- WEBINAR: National Invasive Species EDRR Framework: focus on tools for early detection from 11am to 12pm. Invasive species are a substantial threat to native plants and wildlife, human health and economies, cultural heritage, and commercial, agricultural, and recreational activities. A national early detection and rapid response (EDRR) framework for invasive species is a coordinated and strategic set of actions to find and eradicate initial invasive species infestations before they spread and cause harm, thereby protecting the Nation’s lands and waters and the communities they support. To help advance such a framework, the Department of the Interior (DOI) is working across its bureaus and with other federal agencies, states, tribes, territories, and other partners to identify, enhance, and collaborate on EDRR activities, build new tools, and support coordinated processes to proactively find and eradicate new invasive species before they establish, spread and cause harm. This presentation will focus on the early detection portion of the framework. Providing project updates on the global horizon scans to identify potentially risky species in trade, an invasion hotspot assessment for the U.S., and the Southeast U.S. pilot surveillance project to implement the framework. Access link will be on this page.
In California water news today …
Future extremes: New models zoom in on California snowpacks and storms
“When it comes to water, winter is a time of promise and peril in California. Our fate is uncertain―and can swing wildly―from year to year. Will mountain snowpacks be plentiful enough to get us through the dry season? Will they melt so fast in the spring that we’re down to a trickle by summer? Will too many atmospheric river storms in a row cause devastating floods like those we suffered last year? To help us prepare for what is to come, researchers are developing new models that zoom in on the Sierra Nevada snowpack and on individual atmospheric river events. Snowmelt from the Sierra Nevada provides, on average, about one-third of California’s annual water supply, and atmospheric rivers provide about half of the rain and snow statewide. Until recently, historical records helped state water managers and planners know what to expect for a given year. But this approach is no longer reliable as the world warms. … ” Read more from Maven’s Notebook.
DWR submits change in point of diversion petition for the Delta Conveyance Project to State Water Board, appeals bond validation decision
“The Department of Water Resources (DWR) has submitted a Change in Point of Diversion Petition for the Delta Conveyance Project to the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board). The State Water Board will now review the petition for accuracy and completeness and then issue a public notice detailing their public review process. … The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) has filed an appeal in California’s Court of Appeal, Third Appellate District, in response to the January 16, 2024, Sacramento County Superior Court ruling denying the department’s request for an order validating bond resolutions to finance the Delta Conveyance Project. … ” Read the full article from DWR.
Restore the Delta and San Francisco Baykeeper respond to DWR submitting petition for Delta Conveyance Project
“The Department of Water Resources (DWR) under the Newsom Administration announced today that it has submitted a petition to the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) to change water rights for implementation of the Delta Conveyance Project, also known as the Delta tunnel, despite the SWRCB being under investigation by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for a Title VI Civil Rights complaint. The complaint, filed by the Delta Tribal Environmental Coalition (DTEC), comprised of the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, the Winnemem Wintu Tribe, Buena Vista Rancheria, Restore the Delta, and Little Manila Rising, was accepted by the EPA in August 2022. … ” Continue reading at Maven’s Notebook.
February’s storms doubled California snowpack, March could bring more wet weather
“At the start of the year, the California snowpack sat at an abysmal 25% of average, but after a series of storms, the Sierra is glittering white — over the last week, storms added up to 4 feet of snow to the range. “We were in pretty, pretty bad circumstances earlier this year, and we’ve come a long way,” said Andrew Schwartz, lead scientist with the UC Berkeley Central Sierra Snow Lab. “We’ve kind of clawed our way back into being a decent year.” Statewide, the snowpack is now 86% of normal for this time of year. And 70% of the April 1 average, which is the end of the water year and the typical height of the state’s frozen reservoir. Storms over the last month more than doubled the size of the snowpack. … ” Read more from KQED.
The good news, bad news on California’s water supplies, drought after record rainfall
“Let’s start with the good news. The record-setting rain that’s pummeled Southern California over the past few days, coupled with solid water storage from last year’s wet winter, has Harvey De La Torre, head of the Municipal Water District of Orange County, offering this reassuring prediction: “I’m very confident that we will not need drought restrictions in 2024.” After a run of historically dry years, no part of California has been under drought conditions since September, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The new storm is likely to reduce water demand for weeks, with most Californians well trained to turn off sprinklers during storms. Also, state records show that both rainfall and snowpack levels — which were far below average just a couple weeks ago — are now much improved. But in not-so-great news, water experts say conditions in this “Pineapple Express” storm haven’t been ideal for bolstering the state’s water supply. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
SEE ALSO:
- California storms bring optimism for state water reserves, from the Courthouse News Service
- California close to meeting snowfall total goals for 2024, experts say, from Fox 40
- California’s stunning snow drought turnaround, in three charts, from the LA Times
- California’s unusually average wet season lessens worries of drought, from CBS Sacramento
Valley growers hope for more rain & snow to boost irrigation supplies
“This is the time of year when residents in California’s water-challenged cities and farmers keep their fingers crossed that more rain and snow are on the way. That’s because the state’s snowpack typically peaks in April, providing an important indication of how much water will flow throughout the summer. On Wednesday, the Bureau of Reclamation announced its initial 2024 water supply allocations for Central Valley Project water users. Those allocations are based on an estimate of water available for delivery and reflect current reservoir storage, precipitation, and Sierra snowpack. “The wet hydrologic conditions we experienced during the 2023 water year left most of our reservoirs in good shape as we progressed to the 2024 water year,” said California-Great Basin Regional Director Karl Stock in a news release. … ” Read more from GV Wire.
Torrential storms and a rising ocean are eating away at California
“A wave of intense rainstorms has accelerated landslides and contributed to damaging coastal erosion in California, leaving multimillion-dollar homes on cliffs’ edge, sending hundred-foot palm trees toppling into the surf and forcing the closure of a historic chapel. The state is now drying out, but impacts from a second season of extreme rainfall could be felt for years to come. Climate change, which is intensifying rates of rainfall, spurring sea level rise and making droughts more severe, is contributing to some of the forces reshaping the California landscape. This season’s storms have offered Californians a dramatic reveal and a preview of the consequences of a warming world, as slow-moving processes that scientists have warned about accelerate in plain view. Mike Phipps, a geologist with the geotechnical engineering firm Cotton, Shires and Associates, said landslide risk and sea level rise are combining to reshape the California coastline. … ” Read more from NBC News.
California to fight invasive plants in Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta with herbicide treatments
“In its fight against invasive aquatic plants in the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, the California State Parks’ Division of Boating and Waterways says it will begin a regiment of herbicide treatments that will last through the end of 2024. Agency officials announced Wednesday that workers will start work on the Delta and its southern tributaries beginning March 6. The herbicide is meant to kill nonnative plants such as hyacinth, South American spongeplant, Uruguay water primrose, Alligator weed, Brazilian waterweed, curlyleaf pondweed, Eurasian watermilfoil, coontail, ribbon weed, and fanwort. The process is expected to last through December, state parks officials said. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee. | Read via Yahoo News.
Senator Portantino introduces legislation to study health impacts of microplastics in drinking water
“Senator Anthony J. Portantino (D – Burbank) introduced SB 1147, a measure that will require the study of the health impacts of microplastics in drinking water. “SB 1147 is an important public health measure that will increase the safety of drinking water,” stated Senator Portantino. “Microplastics have been identified in rain, drinking water, soil, and air. That’s why more research and action is necessary to understand how to deal with their impact on our health.” In 2018, there was an average of 325 pieces of microplastics identified in a liter of bottled water. SB 1147 would require the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) to study the health impacts of microplastics in drinking water, including bottled water, in order to identify safe and unsafe levels of microplastics. The bill would also require that public health standards and goals be developed and delivered to the state board by January 1, 2026. In addition, SB 1147 would require the California State Water Board to adopt and implement those public health standards and goals by January 1, 2028, and to provide those public health standards and goals to local water agencies. SB 1147 would also require the state board to establish testing and reporting requirements for an annual testing of microplastics in bottled water sold in or into California.”
California’s polluted communities could miss out on billions under state’s flawed system
“The system that California uses to screen neighborhoods at risk of environmental harm is highly subjective and flawed, resulting in communities potentially missing out on billions of dollars in funding, according to new research. The study, by researchers who began the project at Stanford University, investigated a tool that the California Environmental Protection Agency developed in 2013 as the nation’s “first comprehensive statewide environmental health screening tool” to identify communities disproportionately burdened by pollution. Communities that are designated “disadvantaged” by the system, called CalEnviroScreen, can qualify for significant government and private funding. The tool has been used to designate vast swaths of the Central Valley, communities around the ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles, and neighborhoods in the Bay Area cities of Richmond and Oakland, among others. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
Air pollution hides increases in rainfall: As aerosol emissions diminish, average and extreme rains may ramp up
“We know that greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide should increase rainfall. The emissions heat the atmosphere, causing a one-two punch: warmer oceans make it easier for water to evaporate, and warmer air can hold more water vapor, meaning more moisture is available to fall as rain. But for much of the 20th century, that increase in precipitation didn’t clearly show up in the data. A new study led by researchers at the Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) finds that the expected increase in rain has been largely offset by the drying effect of aerosols – emissions like sulfur dioxide that are produced by burning fossil fuels, and commonly thought of as air pollution or smog. The research is published today in the journal Nature Communications. “This is the first time that we can really understand what’s causing extreme rainfall to change within the continental U.S.,” said Mark Risser, a research scientist at Berkeley Lab and one of the lead authors for the study. … ” Read more from Berkeley Lab.
Feds sued to halt logging projects in California’s Sequoia National Forest
“The U.S. Forest Service could fell tens of thousands of trees and place nearby wildlife at risk if two new logging projects in California’s prized Sequoia National Forest go forward, environmentalists say in a federal lawsuit. The nonprofit organizations Sierra Club, Earth Island Institute and Sequoia Forestkeeper sued the federal government Thursday to fight what they say are two destructive large logging projects in the national forest. They say the feds pushed for the projects under the guise of ecological restoration of two areas burned in wildfires in 2020 and 2021, but that the logging will put nearby wildlife and threatened species at serious risk. In a 42-page complaint, the groups say the feds authorized tree felling and removal this past December, including by commercial timber sale, within the footprint of two recent fires in the forest. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
USDA investing in western wildfire reduction
“USDA is investing more money into reducing wildfire risks in California and other Western states. Gary Crawford has more in This Land of Ours. The USDA is investing another half a billion dollars to expand efforts to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires. “This will continue our work in terms of hazardous fuel reduction, prescribed burn, and other treatments,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack told reporters Tuesday. … ” Read more from Ag Net West.
New publication looks at wildfire policy in the US
“Extreme wildfire events like the 2018 Camp Fire, the 2020 August Complex, and the 2021 Dixie Fire are part of a larger trend of increasing wildfires in the western United States that have been exacerbated by climate change. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) released an Environment Policy Paper examining wildfire risk, policy, and strategy in the United States. The report, “Taming wildfires in the context of climate change: The case of the United States,” contains input from U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service, and was authored by the U.S. Geological Survey National CASC Chief Scientist Shawn Carter and former National CASC AAAS fellow Emily Orzechowski. … The report summarizes the history and risks of wildfire in the United States and outlines the nation’s organizational structures, policy frameworks, and management tools that are advancing wildfire adaptation efforts through this report … ” Continue reading from the USGS.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Record-setting Mid-Pacific Water Conference has strong Klamath Basin flavor
“The 2024 Mid-Pacific Water Users Conference – held Jan. 24-26 at the Silver Legacy Resort in Reno, Nev. – brought in the largest audience in the 56-year history of the event. This annual event is attended by managers, directors, O&M personnel, consultants, and government agency representatives from districts served by Bureau of Reclamation facilities in California, Nevada, and Oregon. Over 340 attendees made the trip to Reno to participate in this year’s conference. The Klamath Basin was well-represented at this year’s conference, with more than two dozen local irrigation district representatives, Reclamation staff, and water association leaders in attendance. … ” Read more from the Herald & News.
With Klamath dams down, will ranches survive?
Theodora Johnson writes, “The largest, most devastating dam removal experiment in modern history has reached the point of no return. As of January 23, 2024—despite opposition by a majority of local residents—the four hydroelectric dams on the Klamath River have been officially breached. Ironically, dam removal proponents claimed the project would help salmon, but now the Klamath River is being polluted with millions of cubic yards of decomposed algae, organic deposition, chemicals, and fine silt that has built up behind the dams. Dead steelhead trout and other species are floating to the banks. Any salmon spawning beds in the Klamath River were undoubtedly destroyed. At press time, conditions in the Klamath River were not likely survivable for the salmon juveniles that were beginning to emerge from the tributary rivers and creeks on their way to the ocean. … ” Continue reading from Cattle Magazine.
PG&E drops diversion options
“Mendocino County officials said they will continue working on options for maintaining water diversions between the Eel and Russian rivers that were created more than 100 years ago for the Potter Valley Project, despite the announcement by the Pacific Gas and Electric company last week that it will no longer include plans being formulated by a regional group for modification of the hydroelectric plant’s infrastructure in its proposal for decommissioning the facility. “It’s a shock, and we’re still kind of reeling from it,” 1st District Mendocino County Supervisor Glenn McGourty told the Board of Supervisors during its Feb. 6 meeting, describing the announcement from the utility company as “very much like Lucy (pulling the football out from under) Charlie Brown every time we deal with PG&E.” … ” Read more from the Anderson Valley Advertiser.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Commentary: Proactive action is key to balancing future water demands with supply
“The South Yuba River Citizens League (SYRCL) and our partners are currently working through a tangle of water issues which stretch from the highest reaches of our beloved Yuba River all the way to the Golden Gate Bridge. This issue promises to impact how Yuba water flows into the Bay-Delta system which will have a notable impact on the health of the Yuba watershed’s ecology, especially for salmon. Join us as we work through the challenges we face together in four acts. Act One: What Are We Trying To Protect – We begin with a mental picture of the Yuba. It’s spring and there’s still snow on the Sierra Buttes above Downieville. … ” Continue reading at the South Yuba River Citizens League.
Monster avalanche on California mountain forms 60-foot walls of snow
“An avalanche at Mount Shasta over Presidents Day weekend moved a “mind-boggling” amount of snow, forming 60-foot-tall walls, according to the Mount Shasta Avalanche Center. The center’s forecasters estimated the slab avalanche happened around 2 p.m. Monday, two days into a heavy storm that brought snow for four straight days, dumping upward of 2½ feet on Mount Shasta, according to the avalanche center. A backcountry skier discovered its aftermath two days later and reported it, according to Nick Meyers, director of the avalanche center. The slide started around 12,000 feet up the mountain in Avalanche Gulch and ran for more than 3 miles, the center estimated. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Cal Water begins project to enhance fire safety by upgrading 70-year-old Chico water main
“Butte County residents can expect to see an update to a nearly 70-year-old water main in Chico. California Water Service (Cal Water), has begun work on a water infrastructure upgrade that will improve water supply reliability as well as fire protection in Northwest Chico. Installation will take place at Cohasset Road between Esplanade and Manzanita Court. This upgrade has a few different purposes, most importantly to improve Chico’s overall fire protection. … ” Read more from KRCR.
BAY AREA
Endangered coho salmon make a major comeback in Bay Area creek
“An endangered species is making a “surprisingly strong” return to a Bay Area creek. Last year, the San Francisco Bay Area Inventory & Monitoring Network coho and steelhead monitoring team was alarmed to find that not a single live coho salmon had returned to spawn in Marin County creeks amid the historic winter storms, only discovering a few carcasses as they washed ashore. But after the spawning season wrapped up earlier this month, surveys recorded by biologists are indicating a promising return for the species. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
CENTRAL COAST
San Benito: The importance of groundwater
Shawn Novack, water conservation program manager with the Water Resources Association San Benito County, writes, “National Groundwater Awareness Week is celebrated from March 10-16. It is an annual week of awareness, education, and advocacy focusing on one of the nation’s most precious resources. Groundwater is the water found underground in the cracks and spaces in soil, sand, and rock. It is Stored in and moves slowly through geologic formations of soil, sand and rocks called aquifers. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has identified 68 regionally extensive aquifers that can be used as a source of drinking water across the country. Groundwater pumped from these aquifers provide nearly 50 percent of the nation’s drinking water. Our local groundwater basin (North San Benito Basin) acts as an underground reservoir and is of utmost importance to our community. It helps us weather droughts and years with low allocations of imported Central Valley Project (CVP) water. The basin’s storage capacity is approximately 500,000 acre-feet of water. … ” Read more from Benito Link.
State lawmakers urge continued prioritization of Pajaro River levee project
“Four California lawmakers recently advocated for sustained federal investment in the Pajaro River Flood Risk Management Project in a letter to the Biden Administration. U.S. Representatives Jimmy Panetta, CA-19, and Zoe Lofgren, CA-18, along with U.S. Senators Alex Padilla, D-CA, and Laphonza Butler, D-CA, urged the continued prioritization of the flood risk reduction project critical to protecting disadvantaged communities along California’s Central Coast. The Pajaro River’s levees are about 12-miles long, were built in 1949 and have broken several times in the decades since, causing flooding and damage to communities and farmland. … ” Read more from the Monterey Herald.
Large swath of California’s Central Coast land to be preserved with $10.3 million grant
“A large swath of ranchland just inland along California’s Central Coast has been designated for preservation through a $10.3 million grant that will protect a wildlife corridor for threatened and endangered species, the California Wildlife Conservation Board announced. The grant, awarded by the state agency to the Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County, will allow the nonprofit to purchase a conservation easement for Camatta Ranch, a working cattle ranch — adding to protected lands its 27,512 acres, an area more than than three times the size of nearby San Luis Obispo. The acreage will extend an open space corridor that runs from Carrizo Plain National Monument at the southern reach to Big Sur at the north. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
District in disarray: The San Simeon CSD discusses divesting water and wastewater services due to millions in capital project costs
“Since early 2023, the San Simeon Community Services District (CSD) has been in a tailspin. “We are in the middle of a crisis, and there is no way for this to work unless we get help,” interim General Manager Patrick Faverty told the board at the last meeting on Feb. 1. “I am urging the board to pass an urgency resolution to begin the efforts of divestment.” Residents of the small coastal town just south of Hearst Castle have witnessed their special district struggle to provide water, wastewater treatment, road repair, and consistent leadership. The resolution Faverty was advocating for would mean the San Simeon CSD would remove one or more of its responsibilities to transfer to another entity—in this case, San Luis Obispo County. … ” Read more from New Times SLO.
Central Coast Groundwater Sustainability Agencies will use $5.5 million from DWR for local groundwater conservation, water quality, and sustainability projects
“As part of our continued partnership with local experts to make strategic investments in water supply resilience projects across the state, the Department of Water Resources (DWR) presented a $5.5 million grant to the Santa Ynez River Water Conservation District to support groundwater resilience in Central Coast communities, including disadvantaged communities and Tribes. The award, funded by the Sustainable Groundwater Management Grant Program, will support efforts by eight Santa Ynez River Valley Groundwater Basin agencies to manage and monitor groundwater for drinking water quality and quantity, study the impacts of current groundwater use, and reduce groundwater reliance by exploring potential stormwater runoff projects and developing water use efficiency plans. … ” Read more from DWR News.
Goleta Beach closed due to 500,000-gallon sewage spill
“Santa Barbara County Public Health Department has closed Goleta Beach to recreational water contact after approximately half a million gallons of untreated sewage spilled into Goleta Slough during the recent rainstorm and made its way to the beach, according to a beach closure noticed issued by Public Health on Thursday, February 22. The source of the spill was a force main sewer line near the Santa Barbara Airport that was damaged in this week’s storm, according to Public Health. According to a statement released by the Goleta Sanitary District (GSD) this Thursday evening, the Goleta West Sanitary District contacted GSD on Saturday, February 17, at 10:10 a.m. “for assistance with a sewage spill from one of their sewer pipes on the Santa Barbara Municipal Airport property.” … ” Read more from the Independent.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Update: Federal irrigation water is now at 100% for all of western Stanislaus County
“Allotments now stand at 100% for every last acre that gets federal water in Stanislaus County. The April 20 announcement followed a winter that brought far-above-average rain and snow to California. Some irrigation districts on the West Side got zero federal water in 2021 and 2022 due to drought. The announcement was from the Central Valley Project, which delivers water from several reservoirs in the mountains flanking the region. It includes the Delta-Mendota Canal, serving farms from San Joaquin to Kern counties. This system does not involve suppliers that tap local rivers, such as the Modesto, Turlock, Oakdale and South San Joaquin irrigation districts. They also are making full deliveries in 2023. … ” Read more from the Modesto Bee via AOL News.
Valley almond grower declares bankruptcy
“Just months after Prima Wawona, the nation’s largest peach producer, declared bankruptcy, another major farming operation filed for bankruptcy this week. Trinitas Farming LLC, an almond grower in the Central Valley, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Monday and declared around $188 million in debt. Trinitas Farming is operated by private equity firm Trinitas Partners, based out of Redwood City. Trinitas Partners began acquiring almond ranches throughout the Central Valley in 2015 and now operates 17 ranches over nearly 8,000 acres. … ” Read more from the San Joaquin Valley Sun.
SEE ALSO: Trinitas Partners farming declares bankruptcy, from Valley Citizen
Farmland values fall as inventory expands — including from big bankruptcies
“It was a turbulent 2023 for the commercial real estate market, and Central Valley farmland was no exception. And 2024 is starting off with an offering prompted by a company failure described as “once in a lifetime.” Scott Schuil, vice president of Schuil Ag Real Estate in Visalia, said implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) has sparked significant change in the market. SGMA introduced new rules and regulations to limit groundwater pumping, creating Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSA) that have become a new way to evaluate farm properties. … ” Read more from The Business Journal.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
EPA: Chiquita presents ‘imminent and substantial endangerment’
“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ordered Chiquita Canyon LLC to take immediate steps to protect human health and the environment at its Castaic landfill, as the governmental heat continues to increase on the embattled landfill that has drawn thousands of complaints over the past year due to odors and toxic liquid related to subsurface smoldering. The order Thursday morning came on the same day that attorneys for nearby residents impacted by the landfill’s stench filed a petition in L.A. County Superior Court asking the court to order the landfill closed. The petition alleges that L.A. County government, in allowing the landfill to continue operating, has violated the California Environmental Quality Act and anti-discrimination laws intended to ensure environmental justice. … ” Read more from The Signal.
Stormwater capture in Los Angeles hits new high
“As Angelenos experience more extreme weather patterns, stormwater capture is stepping into the spotlight as a viable, and valuable, source of local water for Los Angeles. Between October 1, 2022 and April 4, 2023 the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (DWP) reported capturing an impressive 108,570 acre-feet of stormwater. That’s roughly 20% of the city’s entire water use for a year. For perspective, LA’s current average annual capture is in the ballpark of 60,000–80,000 acre-feet, and the City has a goal of 150,000 acre-feet of stormwater capture per year by 2035. The 2022–2023 water year was also impressive for rain; LA County Public Works reported it to be the seventh-highest rainfall season in the past 150 years. … ” Read more from the Mono Lake Committee.
SAN DIEGO
For Sale: Water Authority’s de-salted ocean water
“In its bid to become a water dealer across the West, the San Diego County Water Authority is exploring selling off some of its most expensive supplies to a small Orange County water district. Dan Denham, the Water Authority’s new general manager, got unanimous approval from his board Thursday to pursue selling some of the region’s de-salted ocean water to Moulton Niguel Water District. Moulton Niguel serves 172,000 customers to six cities in southern Orange County including parts of Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano. The agency is mostly dependent on imported water from places like the Colorado River and the Sierra Nevada snowpack and it’s looking to diversify its sources. “I see no harm in exploring this. If anything, we’ll learn whether this could be a great deal for both regions,” said Joone Kim-Lopez, general manager at Moulton Niguel Water District. Her board will consider the agreement next week. … ” Read more from the Voice of San Diego.
Cabrillo National Monument tidepools back open after sewage spill
“The Cabrillo National Monument on Thursday announced the reopening of its tidepool area following a sewage spill along the Point Loma shoreline. On Tuesday, San Diego County officials were forced to issue a water contact closure after around 5,875 gallons of sewage leaked into the ocean from the Point Loma Wastewater Treatment Plant, according to the county’s Beach and Bay Water Quality Program. The water contact closure, which was one quarter-mile north and south of the spill site, impacted a portion of the coastline within the boundaries of Cabrillo National Monument, San Diego’s only national park said in a press release. … ” Read more from Fox 5.
Stormwater tax one step closer to making it on November ballot
“A stormwater tax is one step closer to making its way on the November ballot after a San Diego City Council committee voted unanimously Wednesday to direct staff to take a closer look at what this measure would look like. Several people from environmental groups, as well as some San Diegans, spoke out in favor of this tax during the Rules Committee meeting. If the measure is approved by voters, it would provide a source of funding specifically for stormwater. According to the city, it would be a special parcel tax, which is a form of property tax. … ” Read more from Channel 8.
Sweetwater responds to floating solar opposition
“The Sweetwater Authority learned of and greenlighted the design of a floating solar array on its reservoir all in the same day. The swiftness of the approval after considering only a single company put some members of its governing board and the public ill at ease. But the leader of the water district says the rules are different for energy projects. And slapping solar on a reservoir is “taking a step in the right direction” on decarbonizing the energy-intensive process of treating water, said Sweetwater Authority General Manager Carlos Quintero. … ” Read more from the Voice of San Diego.
Commentary: When water rates soar, ratepayers deserve clear communication
Karen Larson Henry, licensed civil engineer, writes, “The San Diego County Water Authority hopes to leverage last year’s wet winter to switch to a cheaper water supply and sell their more expensive water. Those savings would be passed onto its member agencies in smoothed future rates. Similarly, local water agencies lucky enough to have local reservoirs leveraged last year’s abundant rainfall by budgeting less for wholesale water purchases this fiscal year. This action shielded their customers from the immediate impact of the San Diego County Water Authority’s contentious rate hikes. New water rates went into effect last month for roughly 200,000 residents and businesses served by the Sweetwater Authority including National City, Bonita, Lincoln Acres, and portions of Chula Vista. Rate structure adjustments will significantly impact the majority of customers. Yet, the Sweetwater Authority presented the amounts and reasons so poorly in its rates notice, I’d be surprised if many ratepayers understand it. … ” Read more from the Voice of San Diego.
Along the Colorado River …
On the Colorado River, there are no simple disputes
“One of the commentors to our January 19th, 2024, blog post titled “Are We headed for the First Colorado River Compact Tripwire?” – John C. (who, by-the-way runs a very talented water resources engineering firm) raised several finer points to explore further: The first point deals with obligations of each Basin to contribute water needed to meet U.S. obligations to Mexico under the 1944 Treaty. The second deals with the question of how to measure, and therefore manage, in the context of overall Colorado River Basin management, the use of tributary water in the Lower Basin. Both represent unresolved legal questions with enormous potential impacts on the allocation and distribution of the shrinking Colorado River – questions we have avoided dealing with by draining the Basin’s reservoirs. We no longer have that option. The two issues have been disputed for decades. … ” Read more from the Inkstain blog.
Corporate water stewardship in the Colorado River Basin
“The Colorado River is the lifeblood of the American West. It supports cities, farms, and ecosystems across seven US states and two in Mexico. However, the overallocation of water and climate change have exacerbated a structural deficit where more water leaves the system than enters it, at the expense of reservoirs that were nearly full at the start of the century. To advance water resilience in the Colorado River Basin (the Basin), accelerated action and investment are required from all sectors. Corporations can play a role by improving water efficiency and reuse in their operations and supply chains, and by co-funding water resilience projects. While some leading companies are engaging in corporate water stewardship (CWS) in the Basin, more is needed to meet the magnitude of the water crisis at hand. The Pacific Institute is working to advance CWS in the Basin by demonstrating the need and potential for CWS; driving greater alignment between private, public, and philanthropic water investments; and highlighting and helping to scale good practices. … ” Continue reading at the Pacific Institute.
Maybe Arizona’s efforts to regulate water use aren’t totally DOA
Columnist Joanna Allhands writes, “Outwardly, a fierce battle is raging over how to manage water supplies in areas of Arizona that lack regulation. Critics on both sides are pressing lawmakers to abandon competing bills that promise to provide the locally focused option that many in these areas say they want. But behind the scenes, the bills’ sponsors and other groups are meeting in hopes of finding common ground — and are cautiously optimistic that they can find it. I know. It’s tempting to say, “Yeah, right,” and brace for the fallout when everything falls apart. … ” Read more from the Arizona Republic.
