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In California water news today …
‘Like a World War II battlefield’: How one of Northern California’s most polluted properties may finally be cleaned up
“The legacies of California’s 1849 Gold Rush and the relentless search for gold that continued decades later are well known: the rise of San Francisco; statehood; Wells Fargo; Levi’s jeans; a Bay Area football team named after the fortune-seeking miners. But along the shores of Clear Lake, just north of Napa Valley’s famed wineries, is another gold-rush legacy: toxic pollution. From the 1860s until it closed in 1957, the Sulphur Bank Mine was one of the largest mercury mines in the United States. Gold miners in the Sierra Nevada used the mercury dug from its deep tunnels and craggy cavities to separate gold from the ore that held it. Today, what’s left is a rocky, open pit as large as 20 football fields, filled with murky blue-green acidic water 90 feet deep and surrounded by a barbed wire fence adorned with “Danger EPA Superfund Site” signs. Massive piles of mining waste around the rest of the 160-acre landscape enough to fill 250,000 dump trucks are contaminated with arsenic, mercury and other toxics. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
Arsenic in landfills is still leaching into groundwater − 20 years after colleagues and I learned how the ‘king of poisons’ could escape trash dumps
“Arsenic has long been considered “the king of poisons.” Films such as “Arsenic and Old Lace” by Frank Capra and “The Name of the Rose” by Jean-Jacques Annaud illustrate the deadly effect that a high dose has on people But when someone experiences arsenic poisoning, it’s usually not the direct result of a diabolical plot – in fact, it usually isn’t. So how do you figure out how the arsenic got into someone’s bloodstream? That’s the question a team of fellow chemical engineers and I tackled more than 20 years ago after an abrupt jump in the number of U.S. cases of arsenic poisoning. We later published a peer-reviewed study documenting the investigation. Finding the source of arsenic poisonings is not always easy, but it’s extremely important for public health. Scientists often need to combine science and detective work, which led us to conclude that landfills could be a significant source of contamination. Yet nearly 20 years later, landfills in the U.S., Europe and around the world remain important sources of arsenic poisoning. … ” Continue reading from Lake County News.
Major winter storm to bring up to 10 feet of snow in Sierra Nevada this week
“After a warm weekend of 70-degree temperatures in San Francisco, Sacramento, San Jose, Los Angeles and San Diego, a big change is coming this week. A major winter storm is expected to impact Northern and Central California from Thursday through Sunday. Whiteout conditions are likely in the Sierra Nevada, where 4 to 10 feet of snow is expected above 6,000 feet. The snow line could drop below 2,000 feet in the Sierra and parts of the Bay Area on Saturday. “It could be comparable to some of the storms last winter where we measured snow in feet rather than inches,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Dave Rowe. “Foothill locations (such as Grass Valley) could have over a foot of snow, and up above 6,000 feet we’re looking at potentially 10 feet of snow from Thursday through Sunday.” … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle (gift article).
A new scientific resource to better understand the global impacts of hatchery fish on wild salmonids
“Across the world, hatcheries have been used for over a century to produce salmon, trout, and char to support harvest opportunities in commercial, subsistence, and recreational fisheries; mitigate for habitat loss and overfishing; and aid in the recovery of wild salmonid populations. These programs vary widely in size and purpose, from targeted efforts to prevent extinction or reintroduce extirpated populations, to large-scale fishery-focused production programs releasing fish in freshwater or directly into the ocean. Some draw upon wild, native fish for broodstock and others have introduced non-native species or non-local stocks into watersheds. While hatcheries can enable fisheries that were lost when dams were built and habitat degraded, or create popular fisheries where they hadn’t previously existed, they can also harm wild salmonid populations through genetic impacts on fitness and diversity, and ecological impacts such as increased predation, competition for food and spawning sites, and susceptibility to disease. … The tension between the scientific evidence and reliance of managers and fishing interests on hatcheries has led to controversy and confusion around their widespread use. To provide clarity to this critical conversation and serve as an important resource for decision-makers, resource managers and the public, a team of researchers brought together by Trout Unlimited recently published a new global review examining over 50 years of peer-reviewed scientific literature on the topic. … ” Read more from Trout Unlimited.
Mapping Earth’s atmospheric rivers could help improve predictions for intense rain
“Scientists have developed the world’s first real-time map showing the flow of atmospheric rivers in the sky, which transport intense moisture and drive extreme rainfall, an advance that may lead to better flood predictions. … Until now, detecting atmospheric rivers using satellite observations has been challenging due to a lack of data on winds. Researchers have now developed an approximate real-time 3D view of winds using satellite records of temperature distributions across several points on the globe. They combined this data with Nasa’s satellite moisture detection system to reveal a global distribution of atmospheric currents carrying moisture. … ” Read more from The Independent.
Minimum flow laws in California and Chile
“California and Chile share a history of water allocation with little regard for instream uses of water, especially environmental uses. In California, for example, many water rights were obtained with no consideration of the environmental impacts of the water use, often because few environmental laws existed or were enforced when users obtained the rights. Similarly, in Chile, environmental considerations in the granting and exercise of water rights weren’t expressly included in the Water Code until 2005. More broadly, both places traditionally required diversion and use as key elements of water rights, making it difficult or impossible to use water rights to keep water instream. As a result, both Chile and California struggle to protect the minimum instream flows needed for ecosystems and other instream uses. … ” Read more from the California Water Blog.
Wildfires are killing California’s ancient giants. Can seedlings save the species?
“On a late autumn day, a team of forestry workers spreads out among the burned trunks of giant sequoia trees. The 1,000-year-old trees in the grove are dead but still standing, killed in an extreme wildfire that raced through Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks. In the shadow of one of the trees, the crew gets to work, pulling tiny, 4-inch seedlings out of bags clipped to their belts and tucking them into the dirt. “Wish it some luck and that’s it,” says Micah Craig of the Eastern Sierra Conservation Corps, standing back to look at the young sequoia. He then grabs another seedling, part of a historic planting effort that the National Park Service hopes will be enough to preserve one of the world’s most iconic species. … ” Read more from Idaho Public Radio.
In commentary today …
In California, momentum around removing dams that do more harm than good is growing
Curtis Knight, executive director of Cal Trout, writes, “Earth is sending us a message: It’s time to heal watersheds that 20th Century engineers fundamentally disrupted when they thought they could outsmart nature and control wild rivers. The removal of four Klamath River dams along the California-Oregon border is in the spotlight — and for good reason. It is the largest dam removal in our nation’s history and represents the culmination of decades of advocacy, politicking and negotiations led by tribes and supported by a broad swath of non-profit organizations and commercial fishermen. Yet more is happeing. At the other end of the state, a series of smaller dam removals is moving forward with less fanfare. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee. | Read via AOL News.
A San Francisco carve out could wreck California’s landmark coastal protections
“If the coast of California is a state asset worth trillions of dollars — and it is — why is the state agency that has successfully protected that asset for 50 years under assault? The answer — “unnecessary permitting delays” — is unfounded. Yet California’s exceptional history of coastal protection is in greater jeopardy today in the halls of our state Capitol than it has been for generations. Like water flowing downhill, California’s incomparable coast has always been a magnet for development. In 1972, with this in mind, the voters of California overwhelmingly approved Proposition 20, a ballot initiative that set in motion the 1976 California Coastal Act. … ” Continue reading at the LA Times.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Shasta dam opens its top level water outflows for the first time in 7 years
“In response to the Northern California skies unleashing torrents of rain, Shasta Dam has opened its top-level water outflows for the first time since 2017, creating a spectacular flow into the Sacramento River. Shasta Lake is experiencing a significant rise in water levels, with an increase of nearly 27 feet at the Shasta Dam since the beginning of 2024. With the dam now holding water at an impressive 87% of its full capacity, the water release out of the dam aligns with the stringent flood control regulations set by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Sacramento to manage the surging influx. … ” Read more from Active NorCal.
Landslide strikes Fleener Creek Beach near Ferndale
“Saturday, a sudden landslide collapsed an area of Fleener Creek Beach near Centerville Beach west of Ferndale, California. The incident, which occurred in the early hours of 2/24/24, raised alarms about the stability of the coastline and the safety of beach goers, hikers and nearby residents. Large masses of earth and rock cascaded down onto the beach below, blocking access to parts of the beach and posing a potential threat to nearby properties. … ” Great pictures! Check it out at the Redheaded Blackbelt.
CENTRAL COAST
Where sea otters go, erosion rates slow
“Elkhorn Slough is a special place. Snaking 7 miles inland from Moss Landing, the protected tidal marshland encompasses over 4,200 acres of diverse ecosystems. Mark Silberstein was living on a ranch on the banks of Elkhorn Slough back in the 1980s. During the winter, record-breaking El Niño storms rocked coastal communities around the world and sent sea otters swimming for cover. “A few otters took refuge in Elkhorn Slough,” Silberstein remembers, “and they discovered that it was like an open buffet.” They never left. In the 1980s, the Monterey Bay Aquarium started releasing rehabilitated sea otters into Elkhorn Slough. The population boomed. Today, it’s home to somewhere around 100 otters.Elkhorn Slough’s resident otters were singled out when a team of scientists published a cover story in the prestigious journal Nature describing how they protect against erosion in coastal estuaries by eating burrowing crabs. … ” Read more from the Monterey Herald.
CSU Monterey Bay team studies water from the sky
“In October, CSU Monterey Bay received a $1.13 million grant from the U.S. Geological Survey to support their ongoing role in a project called OpenET. The tool uses satellites to calculate how much water is lost to the air after being applied to farmland. “There are still gaps in the information and understanding between how much water we need and how much we are actually using,” said Dr. AJ Purdy, a senior research scientist at CSUMB working on the project. “This project fills a big gap.” OpenET uses satellites from NASA, USGS, and others to measure evapotranspiration, or the amount of water that evaporates from soil combined with the water that transpires through plants — traveling from the roots and evaporating off the leaves. The satellites measure reflectance — energy from the sun that bounces off the Earth, which hits the satellites in different wavelengths that correspond to color. OpenET measures plant coverage, so it looks for green. It also takes the temperature of the land. … ” Read more from the Monterey Herald.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Fresno’s Assemi family preps exit from farming, shops $2bil sale of farms, pistachio business
“Fresno’s Assemi family, one of the region’s largest in the ag business, is looking to divest from its farming operations, seeking a buyer for tens of thousands of acres of farmland, as well as Touchstone Pistachio Company, a major nut processor it owns. The move comes as Farid Assemi – who has headed up the family’s farming operations – has faced declining health over the past few years and an intense intra-family legal battle over control of the family’s farming enterprise. Both Maricopa Orchards, the Assemi’s principal farming trade name, and Touchstone are up for sale by the Assemis, according to a confidential presentation for potential buyers obtained by The Sun. … ” Read more from the San Joaquin Valley Sun.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Orange County captures 8.3 billion gallons of stormwater in February
“The Orange County Water District (OCWD) successfully captured 25,500 acre-feet of water during February storms so far, equivalent to 8.3 billion gallons — enough water for 204,000 people for a year. The achievement comes in the wake of a powerful series of storms that brought 7.28 inches of rain to the region, totaling 13.54 inches of rain since July 1, 2023, the beginning of the water year. OCWD said that its ability to capture this water stems from meticulous planning, substantial investments in water infrastructure, a robust partnership with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and the dedication of its staff, who worked tirelessly through inclement weather to ensure the maximum capture of stormwater. … ” Read more from Stormwater Solutions.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Momentum is building for a new national monument near the Salton Sea
“On the north edge of the Salton Sea, a movement is gaining steam to create a new national monument that would protect swaths of recreational land used by the valley’s communities of color. A coalition of environmental groups and tribes, including the Fort Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe, Audubon California, Consejo de Federaciones Mexicanas and the Center for Biological Diversity are urging the federal government to designate large sections of land there with similar protections to national parks. National monuments are typically shielded from mining and drilling and can also open the door for tribes and federal agencies to work together to manage the land. … ” Read more from KPBS.
SAN DIEGO
San Diego’s First Aqueduct to shut down for yearly inspections and maintenance of water pipelines
“Portions of San Diego’s First Aqueduct will shut down this week for yearly inspections and maintenance of water supply pipelines for the region, the San Diego County Water Authority announced this week. The San Diego County Water Authority’s historic First Aqueduct delivers treated and untreated water from just south of the Riverside County/San Diego County border to the San Vicente Reservoir near Lakeside, transporting up to 120 million gallons of water per day to the San Diego region. Portions of the San Diego County Water Authority’s historic First Aqueduct are scheduled to shut down from Feb. 25 to March 5 as the Water Authority works to maintain a safe and reliable water supply for San Diegans. … ” Read more from Fox 5.
Along the Colorado River …
Facing a dwindling water supply and a federal deadline, Western states have yet to agree on Colorado River management plan
” … The rules that currently guide the river’s operations are set to expire in 2026. The Bureau of Reclamation, an agency housed within the U.S. Department of the Interior that oversees water projects across the country, is in the process of developing post-2026 operations for the Colorado River and its reservoirs. The states are negotiating their preferred plan for those operations for Reclamation to consider. Their plan has to consider extreme drought and climate change in the American West, which make for a shrinking river. Reclamation asked the states to submit their plan in March so the agency would have time to analyze it. In January, the states’ water negotiators expected to make that deadline. But now, Amy Haas, executive director of the Colorado River Authority of Utah, told The Salt Lake Tribune that she thinks it is unlikely that the seven states will have a unified plan by then — which means the feds won’t yet be able to consider their proposal. … ” Read more from the Salt Lake Tribune.
Water returns to 2021 level, but Lake Mead’s health remains fragile
“Lake Mead’s water elevation climbed back to 2021 levels this month thanks to winter precipitation and resulting snow melt, but experts stress the challenges of managing the region’s water supply remain because of the hotter, drier climate that’s been persistent in the ongoing drought in the Western United States. The lake’s surface reached 1,075 feet above sea level last week, according to the website lakelevels.info, to return to levels not seen since May 2021, when they measured at 1,073 feet. Water cuts and the unusually heavy snowfall last winter helped the lake rally, said Bronson Mack, a spokesman for Southern Nevada Water Authority. But, he stresses, the higher water levels aren’t projected to last. “We could see about a 20-foot swing in elevations this summer,” he said. … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Sun.
How bad is the Western megadrought? Scientists look at tree rings to find context from history
“The current Western megadrought is unlike any other dry period the region has experienced over the past 500 years. That’s according to a new study in which scientists looked at tree rings to track changing temperatures going back to 1553. Researchers found that human-fueled climate change is driving temperatures higher, which makes soil drier and droughts more frequent, intense and widespread. Karen King, an assistant professor at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville and the study’s lead author, said it shows the role of temperature in shaping modern drought. “We know that extreme heat has consequences,” King said. “We know that drought has consequences. So when they’re compounded together, we can expect that those vulnerabilities are only going to be magnified and the consequences are going to be more wide reaching.” … ” Read more from KUNC.
USGS provides easy access to Colorado River science with new online portal
” … Since 2000, the Colorado River Basin has been experiencing a historic, extended drought that has not only impacted the river, snowpack and groundwater supplies, but also forest health, habitat and fire risk. It is the worst drought in the region in recorded history, with an estimated $28 billion in damages to agricultural products alone. The portal is part of a new integrated science effort that brings together expertise and regional data sets to deliver actionable information that supports decision making related to drought impacts in the Colorado River Basin. USGS experts continue to work with federal, state, Tribal and local stakeholders to improve delivery of actionable science that will help manage, adapt to and mitigate for long-term drought impacts and future challenges in the basin. … ” Read more from the USGS.
In national water news today …
Climate change is throwing the water cycle into chaos across the U.S.
“The water cycle that shuttles Earth’s most vital resource around in an unending, life-giving loop is in trouble. Climate change has disrupted that cycle’s delicate balance, upsetting how water circulates between the ground, oceans and atmosphere. The events of 2023 show how significant these disruptions have become. From extreme precipitation and flooding to drought and contaminated water supplies, almost every part of the U.S. faced some consequence of climate change and the shifting availability of water. The water cycle controls every aspect of Earth’s climate system, which means that as the climate changes, so too does nearly every step of water’s movement on the planet. In some places, the availability of water is becoming increasingly scarce, while in others, climate change is intensifying rainfall, floods and other extreme weather events. … ” Read more from NBC News.
Scientists warn that a crucial ocean current could collapse, altering global weather
“Scientists are sounding the alarm that a crucial component of the planet’s climate system is in gradual decline and could one day reach a tipping point that would radically alter global weather patterns. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or AMOC, is a system of ocean currents that circulate water in the Atlantic Ocean like a conveyor belt, helping to redistribute heat and regulate global and regional climates. New research, however, warns that the AMOC is weakening under a warming climate, and could potentially suffer a dangerous and abrupt collapse with worldwide consequences. “This is bad news for the climate system and humanity,” researchers from Utrecht University’s Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Research wrote in a new study published in the journal Science Advances. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
NOW AVAILABLE: Department of Water Resources Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Report for the Pulse Flows Component of the Water Storage Investment Program Groundwater Projects Now Available for Public Review and Comment
More news and commentary in the weekend edition …
In California water news this weekend …
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The Tower Bridge a vertical lift bridge over the Sacramento River that links West Sacramento and Sacramento, California. Built in 1935 the bridge is on the National Register of Historical Places and was originally painted silver, but 1976 was painted ochre. Photo taken November 27, 2012. Florence Low / DWR Say goodbye to El Niño, California. What does new weather pattern mean for the state?
- How have recent California storms impacted the Sierra snowpack?
- California reservoir levels: Charts show water supply across the state
- Los Angeles just showed how spongy a city can be
- The latest unfounded conspiracy theory: Cloud seeding is to blame for California’s storms and flooding
- Hilary was not a tropical storm when it entered California, yet it had the same impact, study shows
- The ‘phantom’ lake that engulfed California’s Central Valley is gone. But the toll lingers
- History: Water Board ruled against delaying twin tunnels CPOD hearing for Bay-Delta Plan update
- HOA Homefront: New law restricts watering of HOAs ‘nonfunctional turf’
- Juvenile salmon and steelhead are immediately using reconnected habitat on California’s North Coast
- San Francisco Bay Shallow Water Strategic Placement Pilot Project
- Indian Wells Valley Groundwater Authority legal explains victory in replenishment fee case
- It’s not just toxic chemicals. Radioactive waste was also dumped off Los Angeles coast
- Facing future of shortages, Colorado River users dream of making more water
- Colorado River impasse could lead to legal chaos
- And more …
Click here to read the weekend digest.
