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In California water news this weekend …
Say goodbye to El Niño, California. What does new weather pattern mean for the state?
“Following a wet El Niño, experts are forecasting a new climate pattern will arrive in the Pacific Ocean. In early February, the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center announced that El Niño is transitioning to a neutral pattern of the El Niño Southern Oscillation, or ENSO, with conditions leaning toward La Niña by the summer. ENSO-neutral means the climate pattern is neither El Niño or La Niña, according to National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration. “Even though forecasts made through the spring season tend to be less reliable, there is a historical tendency for La Niña to follow strong El Niño events,” the Climate Prediction Center said in the announcement. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee. | Read via Yahoo News.
How have recent California storms impacted the Sierra snowpack?
“California’s Sierra Nevada snowpack, one of the state’s most crucial water sources, was paltry at the start of the state’s wet season. The fall months were abnormally dry, and many of the early winter storms brought more rain than snow.Things improved in February. A series of storms, some of them colder, swept the Golden State, piling up powder, especially in the northern half of the mountain range. The snowpack has made remarkable gains, experts said, squashing concerns that the season could end with a severe snow drought. The California Department of Water Resources provides some heartening numbers: The snowpack was 85% of normal on Feb. 23, compared to 28% of normal on Jan. 1. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
SEE ALSO: NASA satellite images tell the story of California’s growing snowpack, from GV Wire
California reservoir levels: Charts show water supply across the state
“California has a vast network of local, state and federal reservoirs that store and supply water to cities and farms across the state. Water stored in the reservoirs typically makes up about 60% of the state’s total water supply. Rain and snowfall during the rainier months of the year between November and March are critical for the reservoirs and their ability to supply water during drier months. Following consecutive years of drought, many of the reservoirs remain thirsty. The Chronicle is tracking daily water storage levels at 48 of the state’s major water supply reservoirs compared with their historical averages (1991 to 2020). The storage level is shown as percentages of total storage capacity for each reservoir. The charts are updated daily at 8:00 a.m. to reflect the most recent data. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Los Angeles just showed how spongy a city can be
“Earlier this month, the future fell on Los Angeles. A long band of moisture in the sky, known as an atmospheric river, dumped 9 inches of rain on the city over three days — over half of what the city typically gets in a year. It’s the kind of extreme rainfall that’ll get ever more extreme as the planet warms. The city’s water managers, though, were ready and waiting. Like other urban areas around the world, in recent years L.A. has been transforming into a “sponge city,” replacing impermeable surfaces, like concrete, with permeable ones, like dirt and plants. It has also built out “spreading grounds,” where water accumulates and soaks into the earth. With traditional dams and all that newfangled spongy infrastructure, between February 4 and 7 the metropolis captured 8.6 billion gallons of stormwater, enough to provide water to 106,000 households for a year. For the rainy season in total, L.A. has accumulated 14.7 billion gallons. … ” Read more from Grist.
The latest unfounded conspiracy theory: Cloud seeding is to blame for California’s storms and flooding
“When a water agency for most of California’s Inland Empire and parts of Orange County started a pilot program to seed clouds in the region in November to see if it could increase water supplies, officials expected to face some questions and skepticism. What officials didn’t expect was to be wrongly accused by conspiracy theorists and critics of causing one of California’s strongest storms in recent history — or, worse yet, trying to poison the region. Shortly after Southern California was hit by two major storms in February, dropping more than a foot of rain in some areas and causing floods and landslides, conspiracy-peddling accounts on social media have tried to blame the strength of the storms on the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority (SAWPA), a joint-power agency tasked with overseeing and protecting the Santa Ana River Basin that includes San Bernardino, Riverside and Orange Counties. In videos and social media posts, the accounts suggest — without evidence — that the agency’s new cloud-seeding program caused the two February storms. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Hilary was not a tropical storm when it entered California, yet it had the same impact, study shows
“Former Hurricane Hilary was actually no longer a tropical storm but essentially had the same impact when its destructive remnants entered California last August, according to a new National Hurricane Center report. Damage from Hilary was estimated at $900 million in the United States. Three deaths were directly related to the storm, including two in Mexico and one that occurred in California when a woman was washed away in her home. Hurricane Hilary moved north off Mexico’s Pacific coast and weakened to a tropical storm before making landfall in northern Baja California in Mexico, where its center became less defined as it encountered mountainous terrain and other atmospheric conditions, the report said. … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
The ‘phantom’ lake that engulfed California’s Central Valley is gone. But the toll lingers
“The long-dormant lake that roared to life in California’s San Joaquin Valley last winter, eventually swelling to nearly the size of Lake Tahoe, has all but disappeared. Almost a year after historic storms fueled its rebirth, Tulare Lake endures today only as several small stretches of standing water. The vast expanses of farms, roads and buildings unexpectedly engulfed by the lake ever since March, between Bakersfield and Fresno, have mostly resurfaced, albeit wet and very muddy. As of early this month, water pooled sporadically over a total of a few square miles, in contrast to the uninterrupted 180-square mile lake that fanned out last spring, according to data from the Kings County Office of Emergency Services. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle (gift article).
History: Water Board ruled against delaying twin tunnels CPOD hearing for Bay-Delta Plan update
“In 2015, the Department of Water Resources filed a petition for Change in Point of Diversion with the State Water Resources Control Board for the WaterFix /twin tunnels project. Environmental, fishing, and Delta groups strongly protested the Water Board proceeding with the hearing before the Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan Update. But the Hearing Officers, Felicia Marcus and Tam Doduc ruled against a delay of the hearing. The Hearing Officers’ ruling stated in part: We do not agree with some parties’ assertion that the State Water Board cannot proceed with a water right decision prior to updating the Bay-Delta Plan. The Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Reform Act of 2009 (Delta Reform Act) establishes additional requirements related to the WaterFix that are distinct and separate from the Bay-Delta Plan. … ” Read more from California Water Research.
HOA Homefront: New law restricts watering of HOAs ‘nonfunctional turf’
“Q: Can you address Assembly Bill 1572, which will have a huge effect financially on our HOA? — B.W., San Diego A.: Even though 2024 is expected to be a drought-free year, California is historically prone to periods of drought. On Oct. 13, 2023, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law AB 1572, creating Water Code Section 10608.14. (So now, in addition to civil, government, corporations and vehicle codes, there are also water code sections specifically affecting HOAs.) This new statute requires various property owners, including common interest development associations, to remove “nonfunctional turf” or irrigate it with reclaimed water. HOAs are required to stop using potable water to irrigate nonfunctional turf or to remove such turf from common areas by the end of 2028. … ” Read more from the OC Register.
In commentary this weekend …
It’s taken California too long to get serious about protecting the Bay-Delta ecosystem
Felicia Marcus and Michael Kiparsky write, “California’s Bay-Delta is in trouble, and its outdated water regulations need to catch up with the challenge. For a generation, the State Water Resources Control Board has not updated legally required and much needed rules for sharing water between the environment and other water uses throughout the Bay-Delta watershed. These new rules should result in additional flows for this water-starved system to protect fish and wildlife and improve water quality. Instead of finishing more than a decade of work and establishing long-overdue protections for the Bay-Delta ecosystem, the state is banking on voluntary agreements among water users to guide its actions. Some voluntary agreement proponents suggest there must be a choice between such agreements to provide flows and habitat and updated environmental protections. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee. | Read via Yahoo News.
CA Department of Water Resources files petition to change Delta water rights to build Delta Tunnel
Dan Bacher writes, “Like a brain-eating zombie that never dies, the Delta Tunnel project keeps rising from the dead, despite massive opposition from the people of California. In the latest episode in the revival of this undead project by the Newsom Administration, the Californian Department of Water Resources (DWR) on Feb. 22 submitted a Change in Point of Diversion Petition for the Delta Conveyance Project to the State Water Resources Control Board. In her letter to the Water Board accompanying the petition, DWR Director Karla Nemeth stated, “Specifically, the petition seeks to add two points of diversion and rediversion to the water rights for the State Water Project (SWP) necessary for the construction and operation of new SWP water diversion and conveyance facilities. The Project is a critical element of a broader State effort to protect the reliability of statewide water supplies from earthquakes and weather-driven climate extremes.” … ” Read more from the Daily Kos.
In people news this weekend …
Promotions, passings, profiles – submit people news items to maven@mavensnotebook.com.
Tom Cannon, author of the California Fisheries Blog and C-WIN analyst nominated for Jean Auer Environmental Award
Tom Cannon, an estuarine fisheries ecologist and biostatistician and an analyst and policy strategist for the California Water Impact Network (C-WIN), has been nominated for the prestigious Jean Auer Environmental Award. The award, named after Bay Area environmentalist and water policy activist Jean Auer, is presented biennially by the San Francisco Estuary Partnership “…to an outstanding individual to honor their significant contribution toward improving environmental quality in the Bay-Delta Estuary…” The nomination by Richard Morat, a former assistant director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, cited Cannon’s deep expertise in Central Valley riverine and estuarine fisheries, his proposals for the restoration of California’s depleted salmon runs, and his skill as a communicator; Cannon’s California Sportfishing Protection Alliance blog ( https://calsport.org/
The TreeGazer, Willie Whittlesey
“His neck bent backward allowing his eyes the chance to follow the bark line to the top of the towering pines reaching toward the majestic blue above. Beneath his gaze flowed a forest green ocean of pine needles pinching the branches as so they would not be lost to the wind. The whistling sound the breeze made as it forced itself between tree gaps sung in harmony with the crackle of the splintered sticks and shattered leaves that fell victim to a pair of Danner boots exploring the forest floor. Whether he was searching for it or not, Willie had found it. The beauty and peace this place offered burrowed itself deep into Willie soul, leaving an impression that would remain for a lifetime. Still in his teenage years, Willie’s career was not a chart-topping concern consuming the brain, but there was little doubt that “out here” is where Willie Whittlesey needed to be. … ” Continue reading at the Northern California Water Association.
Podcasts …
THE EXCERPT: Restoring the Klamath River and a way of life: Tribal nations hold hope
According to a 1908 U.S. Supreme Court decision known as the Winters Doctrine, Native American reservations are entitled to enough water to meet their tribe’s needs. That doctrine was recently invoked during a push by tribes to restore the Klamath River, which flows through Oregon and California. The goal, in part, is to restore the spawning grounds for fish for the first time in more than 100 years. Indigenous Affairs Reporter Debra Krol from the Arizona Republic, part of the USA TODAY Network, joins The Excerpt to discuss the ongoing battle over Indigenous water rights.
ECONEWS REPORT: Is Humboldt Bay the canary in the coal mine for sea level rise?
Join us for the first in a special series on communities at risk from sea level rise featuring local residents who share their thoughts on the challenges and potential solutions facing our region. Many thanks to Marnie Atkins, Jerry Rohde, Nate Faith, Troy Nicolini, Adam Canter, and to Jessie Eden, who produced this episode with funding provided by the California Coastal Commission Whale Tail Grant Program.
ENGINEERING WITH NATURE: A personal journey to make NBS “just part of the fabric” in the San Francisco District
Our guest is a scientist and innovator who brings new thinking and new applications of nature-based solutions (NBS) into her work every day. In Season 7, Episode 3, host Sarah Thorne is joined by cohost Jeff King, National Lead of the Engineering With Nature Program (EWN), and Julie Beagle, Environmental Planning Section Chief for the USACE San Francisco District. Julie joined USACE three years ago desiring to make the biggest impact possible. Jeff notes that, since then, Julie’s leadership on EWN has been absolutely outstanding and her passion for NBS to address a whole range of projects in the San Francisco Bay and throughout the district is inspiring. She’s moving the needle when it comes to advancing the practice of integrating NBS into project decision-making.
WATER IS A MANY SPLENDOR’ED THING PODCAST: Every Drop Counts
Latinos are a valuable demographic in California. They are tied to water reliability and need to have and maintain a voice when it comes to water. Mario Santoyo sat down with me back in 2010 to discuss how water impacts Latinos, especially in the farming and construction areas when drought has impacted California. How far have we gone in solving the vulnerabilities of Latinos when water shortage or loss of water quality exists? This issue goes well beyond the Latino population. Give it some thought. Water is a Many Splendor ’ed Thing brings you another water relationship that has a personally significant impact to your life. Produced by Steven Baker, Bringing People Together to Solve Water Problems, water@operationunite.co 530-205-6388
GOLDEN STATE NATURALIST: TEK (Traditional Ecological Knowledge / Indigenous Ecological Knowledge) with Frank Lake
Indigenous people have lived in the place now known as California since time immemorial and are still here today. In this episode, join me and Frank Lake as we discuss mutualistic relationships between Indigenous Californians and the land, traditional burning, oak orchards, the powerful ways Indigenous and Western knowledges can come together, common misconceptions about pre-colonial California, reciprocity, and how we can move from a mental model of scarcity to cultivating a shared abundance that leaves no one behind.
In regional water news this weekend …
NORTH COAST
Juvenile salmon and steelhead are immediately using reconnected habitat on California’s North Coast
“In September 2023, after years of planning and fundraising, TU’s North Coast Coho Project and their partners completed a fish passage and habitat improvement project on Dry Dock Gulch, a tributary of Northern California’s Big River. The team replaced two small culverts blocking fish migration with a ten-foot wide, 68-foot-long culvert that will restore tidal waters to the mouth of Dry Dock Gulch and allow salmon, steelhead and lamprey to access reconnected habitat. They also excavated a side-channel alcove that will provide important rearing habitat for coho and refuge for fish during heavy storms. The new culvert greatly improves local infrastructure by creating a durable road crossing that is better able to withstand large rain events. In late December, on the heels of a large coastal rainstorm, the partners returned to Dry Dock Gulch with seine nets and waders to see if fish were taking advantage of the reconnected habitat. … ” Read more from Trout Unlimited.
Local water districts and the city of Ukiah create new Ukiah Valley Water Authority
“Millview County Water District, Redwood Valley County Water District, and the City of Ukiah took a series of votes this week to consolidate their water districts into a new joint powers authority. The Ukiah Valley Water Authority (UVWA) will provide more efficient and reliable water service throughout the region. Additionally, the agreement allows UVWA to potentially access millions in state grant funding to modernize water infrastructure throughout the Ukiah Valley, building new interties and upgrading pipelines where needed. UVWA integrates the governance and water infrastructure of Millview County Water District and Redwood Valley County Water District with the City of Ukiah. This will provide access for residents and businesses within Millview and Redwood Valley to eventually have access to more reliable water supplies. The lack of water reliability has limited the local economy and imposed restrictions on residential development that is needed to meet housing demands. But with infrastructure modernization and increased coordination, UVWA will be able to move water from where it is available to where it is needed. … ” Continue reading from the city of Ukiah.
SEE ALSO: New Ukiah Valley Water Authority Unites Districts for Enhanced Water Services, from Mendo Fever
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Shasta Dam water releases into the Sacramento River flooded trails, closed roads
“The Sacramento River ran deeper, wider and faster this week after officials who operate Shasta Dam kicked water releases into the river up to 35,000 cubic feet per second. As a result, shorelines disappeared, roads were closed and riverside trails were flooded as the amount of water flowing down the river through Redding and beyond more than doubled from last week. … ” Read more from the Redding Record Searchlight.
Enrollment opportunity for habitat program on idled rice acres — reminder
“As part of our ongoing programs funded by Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), we are interested in enrolling rice fields that will be idled during the 2024 growing season and have cover crops or significant volunteer vegetation on them. If selected, this program will pay eligible rice farmers $33.78/acre to leave vegetation undisturbed for the waterfowl nesting season (April 1 – July 15) and allow access to monitor nesting activity. To sign up, please get in touch with Kristin Sesser (contact info below) and visit your local NRCS office to ask about this practice. Application deadline is April 5, 2024. See the important policy note below explaining that this practice is allowed on fields that are also included in a water transfer program. … ” Continue reading from California Rice News.
BAY AREA
Marin City slated for water pipeline overhaul
“The Marin Municipal Water District is planning to replace several miles of leaking pipes in Marin City at an estimated cost of about $5.9 million. The district will soon be reviewing bids for the first phase of the project, which officials say is needed to reduce water loss and improve the resilience of the area’s drinking water system. “This is an underserved community,” said Jed Smith, a district board member, said during an operations committee meeting on Feb. 16. “We’re replacing 40% of their pipes, which is a massive, massive move for Marin City, but I think even more importantly this is the beginning of helping understand other issues that are going on in the community in regards to health and safety issues with water and others.” … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
San Francisco Bay Shallow Water Strategic Placement Pilot Project
“In a groundbreaking pilot initiative to address sea level rise, coastal erosion, and habitat preservation in San Francisco Bay, researchers from USGS are monitoring a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Port of Redwood City project to test the efficacy of strategically placing dredged material in areas where natural wave energy and currents can redistribute mud to wetlands, bolstering resilience against rising seas. The San Francisco Bay Area has invested hundreds of millions of dollars over the past 25 years to restore former tidal wetlands that provide critical habitat for fish and wildlife, improve water quality, and provide coastal protection benefits for Bay communities. However, the long-term success of these efforts is at risk due to a deficit of sediment needed for wetlands to keep pace with rising seas. Just as the region faces a critical need for sediment, mud that accumulates in San Francisco Bay ports, marinas, and navigation channels is periodically removed via dredging and disposed of primarily outside of the Bay. … ” Read more from the USGS.
Perpetuating California’s and Tri-Valley’s fresh water supply myths
Greg Scott of Livermore writes, ““When solving a problem, one should clearly define both the problem and constraints on potential solutions.” (Alan Burnham, “Zone 7 Water Challenges,” Mailbox, 2/15/2024). We have a few problems with the Sites Reservoir. In a 2023 report by Tell The Dam Truth, the current design of the Sites Reservoir will emit around 362,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, averaged over the 100-year life of the reservoir. . Do we care about our radiative reactive gas emissions? “We spent a century trying to conquer the Sacramento River. When we finished conquering it (or not), we killed the San Joaquin. Of the crimes of the System, this is the one that cannot be forgiven.” (Mark Arax, “The Dreamt Land: Chasing Water and Dust Across California,” 2019). Mr. Burnham doesn’t mention the collapse of the San Joaquin Aquifer in his letter. … ” Read more from the Livermore Independent.
CENTRAL COAST
How did winter rains affect Paso Robles groundwater basin? There’s ‘really good news’
“Heavy winter rains did some good for the dire groundwater conditions in the Paso Robles area, new data show. According to the San Luis Obispo County Groundwater Sustainability Department, 79% of the wells measured in April on the Paso Robles groundwater basin had higher levels than the same time the year before. Some wells had water levels rise more than 50 feet — a difference that could mean those households may be able drink their own water again. “It’s really good news,” agency director Blaine Reely said. “I’m excited to see even more improvement as the water continues to percolate down.” … ” Read more from AOL.
Central Coast storm closes Goleta, Miramar beaches after massive sewage spill
“More problems arose on the Central Coast following a wild storm Monday that flooded the region and transformed the runways at the Santa Barbara Airport into a flooded plain.The Santa Barbara County Public Health Department announced Thursday that it was closing two beaches in the county indefinitely, after waterways were contaminated by thousands of gallons of sewage spilling from a sewer line and manhole that were damaged due to the storm. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
EASTERN SIERRA
Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority legal explains victory in replenishment fee case
“At the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority meeting on February 14, IWVGA legal counsel reported on a legal victory in defending litigation from Mojave Pistachios. In addition, the board voted to approve a $75,000 deposit to Antelope Valley East Kern to cover work happening for the IWVGA’s imported water pipeline project. IWVGA defends litigation from Mojave Pistachios. Each IWVGA meeting opens with a session closed to the public as the IWVGA board and staff discuss non-public matters, usually regarding ongoing litigation. The IWVGA is involved in multiple legal cases, almost all regarding groundwater rights and the legality of charging its fees for developing and enforcing a groundwater sustainability plan for the IWV groundwater basin. … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Another storm is coming to Southern California early next week. How big will it be?
“Southern Californians can brace for another round of wet weather, with a storm expected to hit the region early next week to cap off a month of historically wet weather. The slow-moving storm is expected to reach the Los Angeles area by Monday night or Tuesday morning before tapering off later Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. It’s projected to drop between a quarter of an inch and half an inch of rain in coastal areas and valleys and up to an inch in the mountains. The storm isn’t expected to pack the same punch as the storms earlier this month. “It’s considerably weaker,” said Mike Wofford, a NWS meteorologist in Oxnard. “This would be a light storm even in a fairly quiet winter pattern.” … ” Read more from the LA Times.
It’s not just toxic chemicals. Radioactive waste was also dumped off Los Angeles coast
“For decades, a graveyard of corroding barrels has littered the seafloor just off the coast of Los Angeles. It was out of sight, out of mind — a not-so-secret secret that haunted the marine environment until a team of researchers came across them with an advanced underwater camera. Speculation abounded as to what these mysterious barrels might contain. Startling amounts of DDT near the barrels pointed to a little-known history of toxic pollution from what was once the largest DDT manufacturer in the nation, but federal regulators recently determined that the manufacturer had not bothered with barrels. (Its acid waste was poured straight into the ocean instead.) Now, as part of an unprecedented reckoning with the legacy of ocean dumping in Southern California, scientists have concluded the barrels may actually contain low-level radioactive waste. Records show that from the 1940s through the 1960s, it was not uncommon for local hospitals, labs and other industrial operations to dispose barrels of tritium, carbon-14 and other similar waste at sea. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Big Bear resort records snowiest February in decades thanks to persistent storms
“For outdoor enthusiasts, the series of powerful winter storms that have pummeled Southern California has provided at least one tangible benefit — an epic snow month at local mountains. Big Bear Mountain Resort, which operates the Snow Summit, Bear Mountain and Snow Valley resorts, reported this week that it’s the snowiest February on the mountain since at least 2000. And more fresh powder is on the way early next week. Snow Valley, which has a peak elevation of about 7,800 feet, has clocked 121 inches or about 10 feet of fresh snow this month. Snow Summit and Bear Mountain, which have peak elevations of 8,200 feet and 8,850 feet, respectively, have received 99 inches or about 8.25 feet of snow. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Lithium: Deadline to appeal Hell’s Kitchen project near Salton Sea pushed back
“A local community health organization and a national environmental group said they are negotiating with the developer of the Hell’s Kitchen lithium and geothermal power projects and have won an extension of at least 15 days to appeal Imperial County approvals of Controlled Thermal Resources’ first phase construction near the Salton Sea. “Comite Civico del Valle and Earthworks have reached an agreement with CTR to extend the filing deadline for litigation and we are currently in negotiations,” Luis Olmedo, executive director of Comite Civico del Valle based in Brawley, said in a statement Thursday. Earthworks, headquartered in Washington, D.C., focuses on helping communities end fossil fuel use while ensuring a safe and equitable transition to clean energy. … ” Read more from the Desert Sun.
Along the Colorado River …
Facing future of shortages, Colorado River users dream of making more water
“How does one generate more water in a desert? For Pilar Harris, senior director for corporate social responsibility and government relations at Formula 1, the question arose while she planned for the Las Vegas Grand Prix’s first drag race around the city’s famed Strip. A Formula 1 race typically requires tens of thousands of gallons of water to prepare the track — but “what if we could have a net zero water impact?” recalled Harris, who relocated to Vegas from New York to help organize the event last October. Facing an already tight timeline and many sleepless nights ahead, Harris knew if there was any way to offset the race’s water use, she had to find it fast. The issue of water conservation is particularly consequential in Las Vegas, one of many communities that depends on water from the increasingly strained Colorado River. Today, the 1,450-mile-long river hydrates 40 million people living in the southwest U.S. and Mexico, including 30 Native American tribes and thousands of farmers who together cultivate 5.7 million acres of crops. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
Ignoring an inconvenient Colorado River Basin risk
“It is agonizing to watch this, but here we are. With efforts by the Colorado River Basin states to craft an agreement to share the river’s water skidding, brakes screeching, toward a cliff, we appear on the brink of repeating the disastrous mistake the authors of the Colorado River Compact made a century ago: ignoring inconvenient truths about the risks we face, washing away genuine uncertainties with convenient talking points. As Eric Kuhn carefully documented in a post here yesterday, there is once again a genuine risk that we will ignore inconvenient truths about a huge uncertainty in our understanding of how much water the river can offer us, and for whom. We are pretending that an uncertainty literally at the scale of millions of acre feet in how we measure and manage water does not exist. … ” Read more from the Inkstain blog.
Colorado River impasse could lead to legal chaos
“For more than a century, the Colorado River Compact has been the legal force setting up allocations of river water that persist even though all parties now realize the seven river basin states were promised for more water than the river normally carries. But now, as drought and climate change have slashed flows in the already over-allocated river, the states including Arizona are getting “too close for comfort” to reaching what two river experts call a “Colorado River Compact tripwire.” Simply put, in a few years the four Upper Basin states may no longer meet their legal obligations to deliver river water to the three Lower Basin states, including Arizona, say the two researchers, Eric Kuhn and John Fleck. The concern arises as the seven states appear likely not to reach a federal goal of agreeing to a comprehensive, long-term settlement by the end of March on how to curb overuse of the river water. … ” Continue reading from the Arizona Daily Star.
Power plant closures to bring water reallocation
“Thousands of acre-feet of water from the Colorado River and state groundwater will no longer be used at Arizona coal plants after the four plants shut down by 2032, leaving resources to be redistributed among the states using the Colorado River basin. Due to Arizona drought conditions, not all the water will immediately be reallocated to another source after the closure of the plants; factors such as legal obstacles, environmental remediation, economic benefits, and overdraft risks affect when and where the water will be used. “It’s enough to be significant solutions at a community level, not enough to solve all Colorado River’s problems,” said Sarah Porter, director of the Kyl Center for Water Policy. … ” Read more from the Arizona Capital Times.
The water from leaky pipes in Phoenix could supply a small city, but there’s no cheap fix
“Like a lot of homeowners in neighborhoods with decades-old plumbing, Ken Hoag experienced a leak in the pipe leading under his yard from the curbside city meter to his house. Only this was no trickling stream, but a gusher that would cost him more than $1,000. City meter readers must check meters manually or, at homes with updated meters, they must at least drive through the neighborhood for it to ping their equipment with current water volumes. In Hoag’s case last fall, that took long enough that no one from the city alerted him of unusual readings until 160,000 gallons had drained away under his yard over parts of two billing cycles. He hadn’t noticed so much as a puddle to suggest a problem and was shocked when he got the first of those bills on Nov. 22. … ” Read more from the Arizona Republic.
Judge puts brakes on water transfer from rural La Paz County to City of Queen Creek
“A judge has put the brakes on a transfer of water from a farm along the Colorado River in rural La Paz County to the city of Queen Creek near Phoenix, a win for a coalition of western Arizona counties who came together to fight the move. In 2018, GSC Farm near Cibola agreed to sell and transfer its entitlement to around 2913 acre-feet of Colorado River water every year to the City of Queen Creek, a growing urban area near Phoenix, for around $21 million. Practically, this would entail diverting the water further upstream, at the Mark Wilmer Pumping Plant north of Parker, through the Central Arizona Project canal system. GSC Farm and Queen Creek then filed for approval of the transfer from the federal Bureau of Reclamation. Reclamation prepared a Finding of No Significant Impact, which allows the transfer to proceed on the basis that it would “not have a significant effect on the human environment.” … ” Read more from Parker Live.
In national water news this weekend …
EPA expands water program to help more disadvantaged communities apply for grants
“The Biden administration announced Thursday that it will be expanding a program offering small disadvantaged communities help in applying for $50 billion in infrastructure act funding to improve drinking water, wastewater and stormwater services. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, disadvantaged and underserved communities often struggle to access federal funding because they lack the money to do the assessments required to apply for grants. To try to help, the EPA said it will now be offering engineering assistance to communities to identify water challenges, develop plans, build capacity and develop their application materials through its WaterTA program. The program is free, and local governments, water utilities, state and tribal governments, and nonprofits are eligible for the assistance. … ” Read more from Route 50.
