Several news sources featured in the Daily Digest may limit the number of articles you can access without a subscription. However, gift articles and open-access links are provided when available. For more open access California water news articles, explore the main page at MavensNotebook.com.
On the calendar today …
- WEBINAR: Effectiveness of Nutrient Management for Reducing Nutrient Losses from Agricultural Fields from 11am to 12pm. Nutrients in agricultural areas are managed based on the 4Rs of nutrient stewardship: apply the right nutrient source, with the right rate, at the right time, in the right place. However, nutrient discharge is an ongoing environmental concern, and management practices for water quality improvements present many challenges due to complex processes and mechanisms in nutrient cycling and other factors associated with agricultural conservation practices such as residue and tillage management. This presentation will discuss two investigations focused on nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) and emphasizes the need for government agencies to work together to address potential economic losses due to implementation of lower fertilizer rates for water quality improvement. Click here to register.
- SoCAL WATER DIALOG: As the Skies Open Up Are We Taking Advantage of All This Rainfall? from 12pm to 1:30pm. As the skies open up again in 2024, interest is renewed regarding how we can better capture and manage deluges for both local water agencies and the environment. Speakers representing LADWP, San Diego County Water Authority, and the southern Sierra will share perspectives on taking advantage of the abundant supplies. While LADWP managed a huge amount of water from the southern Sierra in 2023, how much was recharged into groundwater basins and what projects can expand recharge in the future? The San Diego County Water Agency worked with partners – IID, MWD, and USBOR – to take advantage of abundant SWP supplies with an innovative water exchange to boost Lake Mead water levels and create a new template for water management in the arid west. Click here to register.
- VIRTUAL PUBLIC MEETING: Delta National Heritage Area Management Plan from 6pm to 8pm. Members of the public are invited to review and comment on the draft Management Plan for the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta National Heritage Area at this virtual meeting. Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84720669857?pwd=xs0ZBAkt1m1KBYbYTay563BoLpeale.1 Password: 705382 Or Telephone: Dial: USA (404) 443-6397 USA (877) 336-1831 (US Toll Free) Conference code: 5220885
In California water news today …
Intense storm with blizzard conditions, up to 10 feet of snow takes aim at California
“Prolonged and intense snowfall, high winds and chilly air will be the theme across portions of the West into this weekend, AccuWeather forecasters warn. Blizzard conditions and potentially the biggest snowstorm of the season are setting up for California’s Sierra Nevada during the second half of the week with several feet of snow in the forecast. Through the end of the week, stormy conditions and a cooler air mass will advance southward into California. Snow levels are expected to come crashing down over the upcoming days, falling to 2,000-3,000 feet across Northern and Central California by late week. … ” Read more from AccuWeather.
Winter storm headed to California could bring historic snowfall. Here’s what to expect
“As California braces for a major winter storm, another tranquil day is expected before the big weather shift. Wednesday’s highs in Northern California are forecast to be in the upper 50s at the coast and lower to mid-60s inland, under mostly sunny skies. Increasing high clouds in the afternoon and evening will signify the changes in the atmosphere ahead of the approaching storm. A prolonged storm will begin Thursday and is anticipated to continue through Sunday. In the Sierra Nevada, blizzard warnings are in effect for potentially historic snowfall, with up to 12 feet possible. While the mountains will take the brunt of the impacts, the Bay Area can expect the same weather system to bring periods of heavy rain, gusty winds and accumulating snow above 2,500 feet. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
SEE ALSO:
- 12 feet of snow possible for California mountains as West gears up for potentially biggest snowstorm of season, from Fox Weather
- Biggest storm of the year to bring up to 10 feet of snow and “near to impossible” travel conditions to Sierra this week, from the San Jose Mercury News
- Blizzard warning issued for Lake Tahoe area ahead of ‘biggest storm of the season,‘ from the Sacramento Bee
Where did the water go? ‘Environmental lawsuits have had a very chilling effect’ on CA water resiliency efforts
“With a boost from the wettest January on record, California’s megadrought is over. But with torrents running out to sea, relief may be as short-lived as the next dry spell. Intensifying the problem is that California has not built a reservoir in approximately 50 years, and many water supply plans—if they survive strict governmental review—get tied up in court by environmental lawsuits. As this litigation takes its toll, California finds itself with limited ammo for its war against recurrent droughts, which has hurt agriculture and forced rationing at times in the South. The most recent example involves a lawsuit filed last December targeting the Sites Reservoir, northwest of Sacramento, which several groups say will upset the ecosystem, according to a report published by Courthouse News Service. Edward Ring, author of The Abundance Choice: Our Fight for More Water in California, has studied the issue intensively as senior fellow with California Policy Center and director of the CPC’s Californians for Energy and Water Abundance. In a recent interview with Northern California Record, Ring agreed these lawsuits are crippling and need to be curtailed. … ” Read more from the Northern California Record.
Salmon Information Meeting to outline any possibility of a 2024 salmon season
“Recreational and commercial fishermen are holding their breath for this Friday’s California Department of Wildlife’s annual Salmon Information Meeting to be held by webinar only. Although the escapement of fall-run salmon in the Sacramento River Basin exceeded the minimum of 122,000 returning hatchery and natural spawners, 133,638 returners fell short of the projected spawning escapement of 164,964 salmon. The 2023 salmon closure below Cape Falcon in Oregon throughout California was devastating to commercial salmon fishermen along with coastal communities due to the loss of economic activity by recreational anglers. According to the Golden State Salmon Association, Central Valley salmon have provided over $2 billion in economic activity to communities in California and Oregon along with 23,000 jobs in California and half that again in Oregon. The salmon closure also had the unintended consequence of increased pressure on other gamefish species resulting in the daily bag limit for California halibut reduced to two-fish per day and perhaps increased pressure on rockfish leading to an early closure on nearshore fishing. … ” Read more from Western Outdoor News.
REPORT: Fresno State report details how Shallow Subsurface Artificial Groundwater Recharge can recharge clean water to aquifers
“To address declining groundwater levels throughout the State, the legislature in 2014 enacted the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, which required groundwater users in medium and high-priority basins to form Groundwater Sustainability Agencies and develop plans to bring their basins into balance within 20 years. Several tools are available to accomplish SGMA’s goal. These include reducing groundwater use through fallowing agricultural land and agricultural and urban water conservation, and adding water to the aquifer through groundwater recharge. Groundwater recharge methodologies include recharge basins, flood-managed aquifer recharge (FloodMAR), and shallow subsurface artificial groundwater recharge (SSAGR). A new report from Fresno State’s California Water Institute focuses on SSAGR and how it compares to traditional recharge basins. … ” Continue reading from Maven’s Notebook.
Padilla leads joint hearing on microplastics in water
“Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Chair of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Subcommittee on Fisheries, Water, and Wildlife, convened a joint hearing with Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chair of the EPW Subcommittee on Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight, to explore the impacts of nanoplastics and microplastics in drinking water and wastewater. During the hearing, Padilla highlighted California’s first-in-the-nation microplastics monitoring program for drinking water and raised the alarm about recent findings regarding the potential harms of microplastics on human and environmental health. The hearing, entitled “Understanding the Presence of Microplastics in Water,” was the fourth subcommittee hearing Padilla has convened this Congress. … ” Read more from Senator Padilla’s office.
Experts urge federal action to keep microplastics out of drinking water
“Congress needs to step in to address the growing prevalence of microscopic plastic filaments and other plastic waste in U.S. water sources, a panel of environment and conservation experts told lawmakers Tuesday. Scientists have for years been sounding the alarm about microplastics, small-scale plastic debris that can include fibers from synthetic clothing, plastic pellets used in manufacturing or broken-down fragments of larger plastic goods. The minuscule plastic waste has found its way into ecosystems, drinking water and even the human body — recent studies have found plastic particles circulating in human bloodstreams and embedded in the placentae of pregnant women. During a hearing Tuesday in the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, a panel of witnesses warned lawmakers that while experts are still learning about the potential adverse health effects such plastic waste could have on humans, the possibilities are concerning. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
Boiling, filtering water can get rid of microplastics, study finds
“A new study finds that boiling and then filtering tap water can remove up to 90 percent of microplastics. Minute particles of plastic, no larger than a grain of sand, have been found in every corner of the globe, from the bottom of the Tyrrhenian Sea, in the Mediterranean, to the clouds floating over Mount Fuji, in Japan. Shed from car tires, fleece sweaters, and myriad other plastic items, microplastics and even smaller nanoplastics are getting into our food and drinking water, and even the air we breathe. Scientists have found microplastics in blood and breast milk and in the lungs of people undergoing surgery — all troubling discoveries as microplastics have also been shown to damage human cells. … ” Read more from Yale e360.
Despite storms, water-delivery pledges remain low
“State and federal water officials last week announced preliminary water deliveries of 15% of requested supplies for 2024 from the State Water Project and the federal Central Valley Project. But both the California Department of Water Resources and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation said the water-delivery pledges don’t take into account recent and anticipated storms expected to add to California’s water supply. The recent storms boosted water levels in some key reservoirs and snowpack in the Sierra Nevada. … ” Continue reading from Ag Alert.
Number of farms continues to drop in state and nation
“Small-scale farmers continue to struggle to stay in business in California and across the country, according to the results of the 2022 Census of Agriculture, which was released earlier this month by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In California, the overall number of farms decreased 10% from 2017 to 2022, while the average acreage per farm increased 10%. The USDA conducts the census every five years. The disappearance of small farms reflected in the most recent census continued a decades-long trend. Within the past 30 years, the number of farms in California peaked at 87,991 in 1997. Since 2007, the number of California farms has declined in each census, falling to 63,134 in 2022. … ” Read more from Ag Alert.
Biden-Harris Administration announces over $1 billion to start new cleanup projects and continue work at 100 Superfund sites across the country
“Today, Feb. 27, 2024, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced a third and final wave of more than $1 billion for cleanup projects at more than 100 Superfund sites across the country as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda. This funding is made possible by the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and will launch new cleanup projects at 25 Superfund sites and continue other cleanups at over 85 Superfund sites. Thousands of contaminated sites exist nationally due to hazardous waste being dumped, left out in the open, or otherwise improperly managed. These sites can include toxic chemicals from manufacturing facilities, processing plants, landfills and mining, and can harm the health and well-being of local communities in urban and rural areas. More than one in four Black and Hispanic Americans live within three miles of a Superfund site. Today’s investment is the final wave of funding from the $3.5 billion allocated for Superfund cleanup work in the President’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. So far, EPA has deployed more than $2 billion for cleanup activities at more than 150 Superfund National Priorities List sites. … ” The list of projects includes Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine in Clearlake Oaks, Lava Cap Mine in Nevada City, and Southern Avenue Industrial Area in South Gate. Read more from the EPA.
California Year In Fire Report
“On behalf of CLEE and the Climate and Wildfire Institute (CWI), and with additional support from the Moore Foundation, I am pleased to announce publication of the California Year in Fire Report. Wildfire and the risk of wildfire impact far more than acres burned. This Report is an effort to provide a more multi-dimensional view of those impacts, incorporating measures of resilience, public health, and environmental impact. The Report was conceived of, researched, and written by Leana Weissberg, who is now the California Director of American Forests. Leana undertook the project at the instigation of CWI when she was a research fellow at CLEE. … ” Read more from the Legal Planet.
In regional water news and commentary today …
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
EPA announces Nevada City cleanup project
“As part of U.S. President Joe Biden’s Investing in America agenda, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced on Tuesday a third and final wave of more than $1 billion for cleanup projects nationwide at more than 100 Superfund sites, including in Nevada City. Officials said thanks to funding made possible by Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, new cleanup projects at 25 Superfund sites will be launched nationwide, including California’s Sulphur Bank Mercury Mine in Clearlake Oaks, the Lava Cap Mine in Nevada City, and the Southern Avenue Industrial Area in South Gate. At the Lava Cap Mine site in Nevada City, a 33-acre former gold and silver mine just east of Grass Valley that operated from 1861 to 1943, federal officials said funding will be used to construct a wetland treatment plant to treat water discharging from the former mine area. … ” Read more from the Appeal Democrat.
BAY AREA
Ecological revival returning life to Laguna, removing contaminants, easing flood danger
“In Northern California, before European settlement it’s been said that clouds of birds would block out the sun and one could cross a river by walking across the backs of fish. According to historic accounts, the Laguna de Santa Rosa was once such a place. That’s the 22-mile-long network of wetlands that drains the Santa Rosa plain. After a century of degradation, restoration is underway. Historic dumping of untreated sewage, industrial and agricultural waste and cities growing up around it have all taken a toll. State health officials still recommend limitations on eating certain fish caught there, due to mercury and PCB contamination. But things are turning around. Once a thriving wetland, history hasn’t been kind to the Laguna de Santa Rosa. … ” Read more from Northern California Public Media.
CENTRAL COAST
Biden-Harris administration announces $74 Million WIFIA loan to Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency in Santa Cruz
“Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced two Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) loans totaling $74 million to the Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency in Santa Cruz County, California. EPA’s loan will support alternative water supply projects to reduce the demand for groundwater. “Investing in local water infrastructure is one of the best bets a community can make to secure a climate resilient future,” said EPA Acting Assistant Administrator for Office of Water Bruno Pigott. “Santa Cruz will see firsthand the benefits of EPA’s work to invest in America while creating 500-plus jobs and saving millions of dollars for the community. In drought-stricken regions, water utilities look for ways to ensure water supplies are resilient. The Pajaro Valley Water Management Agency’s Water Sustainability Projects are improving system resilience by investing this WIFIA loan into projects that will provide alternative surface water supplies and reduce demand on the existing groundwater supply by nearly 25% by 2040. … ” Read more from the EPA.
Getting to bottom of Goleta’s million-gallon sewage spill
“The cause of Santa Barbara County’s biggest offshore sewage spill in recent memory — north of one million gallons — remains the subject of an ongoing investigation, the county supervisors were told in an informational briefing this Tuesday morning. The supervisors were most interested in figuring out why it took six days for its Department of Public Health to get the news of a leak that was first detected late Friday, February 16. It wouldn’t be until Thursday, February 22, that the Department of Public Health issued its first press release warning the public off a 1.5-mile stretch of Goleta Beach. The answer, obliquely reported at the supervisors’ meeting, was the Goleta West Sanitary District officials first called and left a phone message on a Public Health telephone line on the morning of Saturday, February 17. That message would not be checked until the following Wednesday, February 21. … ” Read more from the Independent.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Underwater junkyard: Sunk in Stockton
New water well under construction in Weldon aims to increase clean water supply
Corey O’Leary writes, “I’m off 178 just West of Fay Ranch Road at the construction site of a new water well that is planned to provide an extra 450 acre-feet per year of water to this community. The new well is implemented by Long Canyon Water Company and is funded by Proposition 1 funds through the Integrated Regional Water Management program. The well is part of a plan to improve drinking water in Weldon and consolidate five small water companies that operate in Weldon into the Weldon Regional Water District. … ” Read more from Channel 23.
EASTERN SIERRA
Will DWP increase Mono Basin diversions this year?
“Water diversions to Los Angeles—and away from Mono Lake—began just after noon on January 31. With the turn of a control wheel, the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (DWP) opened the aqueduct, sending Mono Basin water into the Mono Craters tunnel and on a 300-mile journey down the aqueduct system. Mono Lake, of course, would be better off with that water flowing down Rush Creek instead, entering the lake and helping maintain the significant—but far from complete—lake rise of last year. This spring DWP faces an even bigger choice. On April 1, the maximum limit on water exports will increase nearly fourfold. Will DWP choose to maintain the same export level as recent years? Or will it choose to quadruple its water diversions—and push Mono Lake’s level downward? … ” Read more from the Mono Lake Committee.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
‘Spongy’ LA soaked up tons of water from atmospheric river
“From Feb. 4 to 7, an atmospheric river passing through the skies of California unleashed 9 inches of rain on Los Angeles. Fortunately, the city has spent years preparing for this type of deluge by mimicking one of the simplest organisms in the animal kingdom: a sponge. By installing a mosaic of green spaces and shallow basins with porous soil known as “spreading grounds,” the city was able to soak up 8.6 billion gallons of water during the storm, which is enough to support over 100,000 households for a year, Wired reported last week. … ” Read more from Inside Climate News.
Recent rainfall brings Lake Elsinore’s water level to near record totals
“Record-setting amounts of rainfall dousing the West Coast in recent weeks have caused the water level at Lake Elsinore to reach near record totals, and with plenty more rain on the way, city officials expect to see that number grow even farther in the coming months. Lake Elsinore, the largest natural body of fresh water in Southern California, is well-known amongst water sport enthusiasts for its sprawling expanses of water and serene setting in the middle of the Inland Empire. The Launch Pointe public beach, which can usually be seen crowded with people during summer months as they look to escape the heat, is currently sitting underneath around four feet of water after a series of powerful storms that doused the area. “We’re up almost eight feet in the last four months,” said Jonathan Skinner, the Community Services Director of Lake Elsinore. … ” Read more from CBS LA.
Caltrans looking at addressing PCH flooding issues near Bolsa Chica wetlands
“Pacific Coast Highway closing during high tides or heavy rainstorms near the Bolsa Chica wetlands is a common problem for drivers in the area, and Caltrans officials say they are looking to address the flooding problems in the future. When asked if Caltrans had plans to address the flooding concerns along that stretch of road at a recent Huntington Beach City Council meeting, Caltrans District 12 Asset Manager Bassem Barsoum said officials are working on a plan. Storms earlier this month forced a 93 hour closure of the road in town to traffic. “The short answer, yes, there’s something coming, in the work, that we are putting together,” Barsoum said. … ” Read more from the OC Register.
Along the Colorado River …
Colorado River Basin drought and the 2023 water year
“Over the last two decades, the Colorado River Basin has been in an extended drought. This has resulted in substantial changes to the basin, including increased wildfire activity, vegetation shifts, and the depletion of streamflows and water levels in major reservoirs along the Colorado River, notably Lake Powell and Lake Mead. In the winter of 2022-23, a series of storms traversed the western U.S. bringing multiple rounds of snow and rain, contributing to a Rocky Mountain snowpack that grew to near-record levels at some locations – making it feel like the drought was over. But how wet was it really, when compared to historical averages? … ” Read more from the USGS.
One-on-one with Gov. Hobbs: Water security is key to Arizona’s economy
“Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs says she has made groundwater a top priority in part because the states’ water security plays a fundamental role in our future economic development and continued growth. “The strength of our current protections are what brings people to invest in our state—families and businesses alike,” Gov. Hobbs told me. “We have to expand and take action on those protections to ensure that rural folks—who don’t have the same protections as urban areas—have that.” I sat down with the governor here in Tucson as part of our streaming-only online special Running Dry: Arizona’s Groundwater Crisis. … ” Read more from Channel 9.
Central Arizona Project proves essential in getting water to Tucson
“It is an amazing engineering marvel that bisects the state 336 miles, starting at Lake Havasu and ending up south of Tucson. It’s called the Central Arizona Project, a $4 billion endeavor that provides Colorado River water to more than 80% of the state’s population, in Pima, Pinal and Maricopa counties. It’s also one of the ways in which we have good water management in Arizona, according to its Director of Operations, Power and Engineering, Brian Buzard. Construction of CAP started in 1973 and took nearly two decades to complete its system of tunnels, pumping plants, pipelines and aqueducts. … ” Read more from Channel 9.
Tucson’s water re-use helps long term groundwater outlook
“The way the Tucson community sources and uses water has changed significantly over the last several decades. As we look ahead, experts say our best bet is to plan and prepare. “We’re looking at a growing state with limited water supplies, and so we’re trying to figure out how to have good quality, reliable water all the time for everybody. And that’s a challenge,” said Dr. Sharon Megdal. She’s the director of the Water Resources Research Center at the University of Arizona. She’s on one of the governor’s boards for water policy, and she has spent years focusing on managing water both here and internationally. Based on everything she knows about our current water situation, she says she’s not too concerned about it. … ” Read more from Channel 9.
No small potatoes: Federal funding will help tribes expand electric service, irrigation
“Biden administration officials toured the Ak-Chin Indian Community last week and used the visit to outline new funding for Arizona tribal projects ranging from electric service to irrigation. Ak-Chin Chairman Robert Miguel and tribal farm officials took Bryan Newland, assistant Interior Secretary for Indian Affairs, senior White House advisor Tom Perez and other administration officials on a whirlwind tour of Ak-Chin’s farms and water treatment center. The 1,500-member tribe recently received $44.5 million for water projects from the $2.5 billion Indian water rights settlement fund. … ” Read more from the Arizona Republic.
Coloradans could spend $2 billion-plus replacing water-hungry grass in the name of conservation
“One of Colorado’s leading urban water conservation strategies — turf replacement — could require up to $2.5 billion to save 20,000 acre-feet of water, according to a recent report commissioned by the state’s top water policy agency. Colorado communities are facing a drier future with water shortages and searching for ways to cut down water use. The idea of replacing thirsty, unused grassy areas with more drought-resistant landscaping has gained momentum in recent years, even prompting proposed legislation this session. Despite a potentially high cost and relatively low savings, water experts, landscape professionals and some legislators are backing the idea. … ” Read more from the Colorado Sun.
In national water news today …
Investment in water emerges as top issue for Biden campaign
“As Republicans slam President Joe Biden’s policies on electric vehicles and natural gas, the White House is flaunting progress and steering attention to a less polarizing environmental issue: clean water. The Biden administration has touted its credentials on water issues, with Vice President Kamala Harris stopping last week in Pittsburgh to highlight billions in federal funding to make drinking water safer and improve water infrastructure. It was the third time in two years that the vice president visited the swing state to call for an end to lead pipes, which have caused major public health crises in cities like Newark, New Jersey, and Flint, Michigan. … ” Read more from E&E News.
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
PUBLIC COMMENTS WANTED: Draft Delta Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms Monitoring Strategy
