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On the calendar today …
- MEETING: State Water Resources Control Board beginning at 9am. Agenda items include Racial Equity Action Plan annual update and Consideration of a proposed Resolution adopting the proposed prioritization of drinking water regulations development for calendar year 2024. Click here for the full agenda and remote access instructions.
- MEETING: State Board of Food and Ag from 10am to 2pm. Agenda items include Resilient Food System Infrastructure (RFSI) Program, Alliance for Renewable Clean Hydrogen Energy Systems (ARCHES), BEAM Collaborative; and Renewable Energy Production and California Dairies. Click here for the full agenda and remote access instructions.
- WEBINAR: Seizing the Wet Years from 12pm to 1pm. Climate change is driving weather extremes across the world. In California, we can expect a growing portion of our water supply to come from big storms, like those we just experienced. Drought, too, will intensify. To adjust to this new normal of climate change, are we equipped to capture and store the runoff of big storms? Join us for a candid conversation about how we take advantage of wet times to endure dry times. We’ll unpack this weather whiplash, explore the work underway to seize opportunities, and discuss where we need to concentrate our efforts moving forward. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
California expected to be drought-free through 2025 following epic winter storms
“AccuWeather meteorologists say the state of California will be free of widespread drought through the end of 2025. The major announcement comes on the heels of a blockbuster blizzard that dumped more than 80 inches of snow on the mountains of northern and central California. AccuWeather California Expert Ken Clark says the back-to-back wet and snowy winters are welcome news in the long-term battle against drought, following years of heat waves and lackluster wet seasons that took a toll on reservoirs and underground aquifers. “The combination of the abundance of rain and snow from the winter of 2022-2023, the state of reservoirs currently, and what has happened this winter, gives a high confidence that drought conditions will remain absent in California well into 2025,” said Clark. … ” Read more from AccuWeather.
California snowpack surges after huge storm. Here’s how much
“After a multi-day blizzard dropped 6 to 11 feet of snow across the Sierra Nevada, California’s snowpack has surged to above normal for the first time this year. State data updated Monday morning shows the snowpack at 104% of normal for this time of year. It’s a stunning change from just two months ago, when the state snowpack stood at a paltry 25% of normal on Jan. 2. The snowpack was highest relative to historical averages in the Northern Sierra, where it stood at 111% of normal. Last weekend’s storm buried Lake Tahoe to the point of closing ski resorts. The Northern and Central Sierra was hit hardest, particularly along Interstate 80 at Donner Summit (which reopened Monday morning after a three-day closure). Caltrans measured 9.5 feet of snow in Soda Springs, with 10.5 feet at Sugar Bowl. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
California snowpack now above average, but will it last?
“A blizzard that dumped up to 10 feet (3 meters) of snow on the California mountains in recent days has pushed snowpack levels above average for the first time this year, a welcome bounty before hot and dry weather inevitably returns. But experts warn much of the excess could be washed away by a warm rainstorm, and that snow levels measuring just a few points above average will fail to solve long-term problems. California, home to nearly 40 million people and a $50 billion agricultural industry, keeps a close watch on snowpack in the Sierra Nevada as a reserve for future water supplies. After suffering historic drought for much of this century, the state is on track for a second wet year in a row. … ” Read more from Reuters.
California ski resort workers tunnel their way into the office after getting 10 feet of snow
“Going to the office has been no small feat for Jon Slaughter’s marketing team at Sugar Bowl, requiring the employees to dig down several feet and then tunnel through to the front door after a powerful blizzard dumped more than 10 feet (3 meters) of snow on the Northern California ski resort. It was even more dramatic when they went upstairs and opened another door to the outside on the second level of the office building and were confronted by a solid wall of snow from floor to well above the door frame. His team posted a video of the door opening on X and wrote: “We’ve got some digging to do.” “They’ve been chipping away at it since Friday, and had to tunnel down to the downstairs door to get in,” Slaughter said. “It definitely keeps you on your toes.” … ” Read more from ABC News.
SEE ALSO: Monster blizzard shatters California ‘snow drought’ with up to 10 feet of new snow, from the LA Times
Sinking canal has “everyone’s attention” and could put entire Tule subbasin under state control
“Fallout over the ever sinking Friant-Kern Canal could affect growers throughout the Tule subbasin regardless of whether they get water from the canal. The State Water Resources Control Board already has the subbasin in its cross hairs for neglecting to create a coordinated plan to bring aquifers into balance under the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA). A hearing for the Tule subbasin is scheduled for September. Now, new – and worsened – subsidence (land sinking) beneath the Friant-Kern Canal has prompted the canal’s operator to seek help from the Water Board. “We’re in a corner so yeah we’re talking to the State Board and we’re asking them to review what’s happening and that we need intervention – soon,” said Jason Phillips, General Manager of the Friant Water Authority, which manages the federal canal and has been the lead agency for a massive two-phase construction project to fix a 33-mile sagging section of the canal. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Protests against Delta tunnel change in water diversion must be filed by April 29
“As salmon and Delta fish populations continue to crash due to massive water diversions to corporate agribusiness, the State Water Resources Control Board just issued a public notice regarding the Delta Conveyance Project Change in Point of Diversion (CPOD) Petition that was submitted by the Department of Water Resources (DWR) to the State Water Board on February 22, 2024. This notice acknowledges receipt of the change petition and details the process to submit a protest against the petition. You can expect a wave of formal protests against the change petition by fishing groups, Tribes, environmental justice organizations, conservation groups and Delta region cities and counties. … ” Read more from Dan Bacher at the Daily Kos.
As companies buy up more valley farmland, the wells get deeper, according to new study
“Private companies have been snatching up more and more farmland and drilling deeper wells, according to new research. A newly published study looked at data from 2003-2017 and showed a drastic increase in limited liability companies (LLCs) buying up farmland throughout the state. It also looked at well drilling in the San Joaquin Valley specifically and linked deeper wells with those LLCs. “It’s really essential to understand who accesses groundwater and how,” said Jenny Rempel, lead author of the study and doctoral candidate of energy and resources at UC Berkeley. “And although groundwater access is often determined by farmland ownership, the impacts of land acquisitions on groundwater access are poorly understood.” … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Beyond beauty: Almonds are vital to Central Valley’s multibillion-dollar ag economy
“More than a captivating canopy of white blooming flowers blanketing the Central Valley, almonds are a multibillion-dollar industry in California. Fresno Farm Bureau CEO Ryan Jacobsen knows those snow-like acres of blossoms are an economic juggernaut, supplying almonds to consumers in much of the nation and world. “Those blooms represent more than just beauty. They are truly the economics of the San Joaquin Valley agricultural community right now,” he said. The short-lived blooming window – usually about three weeks around February and March – is crucial to an industry where millions of bees are brought to the Central Valley to help cross-pollinate the crops that will be ready for harvest in August, said UC Cooperative Extension Orchard Crop Farm Adviser Cameron Zuber. … ” Continue reading at GV Wire.
SEE ALSO:
- California may have reached ‘peak almond.’ What happens next?, from the LA Times
- Costs cripple California’s leading crop, some almond growers say game over, from the LA Times
The future of resilient agricultural communities in California is alive in Allensworth
“Over the next 15 years, California will have to repurpose about 1 million acres of cropland, most of it out of the 5.5 million irrigated acres in the San Joaquin Valley. If we do this wrong, it will exacerbate the Valley’s century-long inequities and environmental destruction. But if we do it right, it will have a positive ripple effect that will benefit everyone in California and will make the San Joaquin Valley a positive example around the world for agriculture, energy, and socioenvironmental justice. But how can we do things right? Sometimes telling a story is the best way to explain an idea. This is the story of Allensworth, California, and its wonderful community leaders. … ” Read more from the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Water Blueprint taps Eddie Ocampo as chairperson
“Eddie Ocampo has been elected as the new chairperson of the Water Blueprint for the San Joaquin Valley. The Water Blueprint is an initiative consisting of agriculture, industry, government and nonprofit stakeholders working to develop sustainable water management in the Central Valley. The big picture: Ocampo is currently the Director of Community Sustainability at Self-Help Enterprises, a local organization that develops affordable housing. … ” Read more from the San Joaquin Valley Sun.
‘Impressive’ superbloom season could soon unfold in California. Here’s what to know
“Last year’s vibrant superbloom season in California could soon get a vivid encore. Once the rains subside, state parks officials say, the wildflowers will open up into a rare kaleidoscope of color — starting in Southern California deserts, where landscapes will be covered in densely packed blankets of purple and blue, red, and gold. Superblooms will then unfold in the north state, when temperatures warm past the 60-degree mark. Spectacular but fleeting, the displays are expected to be “impressive” for the second year in a row, California State Parks officials said in a recent news release. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Death Valley’s temporary lake closed to boaters as it quickly evaporates
“Lake Manly, a vast body of water in Death Valley known to disappear as quickly as it pops up, can no longer be boated on, the National Park Service announced on Monday evening. The lake reappeared after torrential rains pounded California in February, flooding Death Valley’s Badwater Basin, the lowest elevation in the country at about 280 feet below sea level, and leaving about a foot of water. The basin, one of the country’s largest salt flats, attracted adventurous boaters and thrill-seekers alike for the approximately 10 days the lake was accessible, drawn by the prospect of paddling around the hottest place on earth. Winds topping 40 mph blew in on Thursday, spreading the water over the vast, extinct lakebed, expediting evaporation and rendering it too shallow for recreation, according to the Park Service. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Scientists use beavers to fight climate change
“As nearly 40% of the country is currently in drought, scientists are looking to the largest rodent in North America for help: the beaver. Researchers in California and Utah found that dams made by the animals can help create drought- and fire-resistant landscapes. “Beavers move in here and they slow this water down,” California State University professor Emily Fairfax told CBS News national correspondent Jonathan Vigliotti. “It goes into recharging the groundwater and that’s what we’re pumping for irrigation. That’s what we use for our food. That’s what we use for our lawns.” … ” Read more from AOL News.
A sea change: Climate change and fisheries
“Change is perhaps the one constant in nature, and it is the long- and short-term changes in climate and landscape that shape ecosystems. Scientists believe that the earth is currently in a period of rapid climate change caused primarily by human activities that began in the industrial revolution. These activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels, have released greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere at a faster rate than ever before. Although humans are having a larger and far more rapid impact on our atmosphere than what has naturally occurred in the past, climatic situations similar to what we are seeing now have happened previously in the history of our planet. Therefore, looking to the past can help scientists predict the effects that elevated carbon dioxide levels, high temperatures, and weather changes may have on the environment and fisheries. … ” Read more from FishBio.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Heavy metals in the Klamath River? Things are still murky post-drawdown
“Three weeks after citizens stood up at a public meeting in Siskiyou County, California, and raised concerns about heavy metals in the Klamath River, the situation is about as clear as the river. And the river’s pretty muddy. The breaching of the Iron Gate, Copco 1 and JC Boyle hydroelectric dams in January was done to draw down the reservoirs behind the dams as a prelude to dam removal later this year. But the drawdown released vast amounts of sediment that had been backed up behind the dams. And some of those sediments contain metals. As a result of the drawdown, which won’t be complete until after spring runoff washes downriver, an estimated 5.5 million cubic yards or more of silt, clay and sand will have been released. … ” Read more from the Capital Press.
830,000 fall-run chinook salmon fry die from gas bubble disease in Klamath River
“The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced this morning that hundreds of thousands of fall-run Chinook salmon fry, released for the first time from its Fall Creek Fish Hatchery in Siskiyou County, are “presumed to have succumbed to gas bubble disease in the Klamath River” as the dam removal process moves forward. The Department said they released approximately 830,000 fall-run Chinook salmon fry on Monday, February 25, into Fall Creek, a tributary of the Klamath River above Iron Gate Dam. “The fish were hatched at CDFW’s new, $35 million, state-of-the-art Fall Creek Fish Hatchery, which represents California’s long-term commitment to supporting and restoring both Chinook and coho salmon runs on an undammed Klamath River,” the Department said in a statement. … ” Read more from Dan Bacher at the Daily Kos.
SEE ALSO: 830k salmon die post historically largest dam removal, the controversy continues, from KRCR
Potter Valley Project decommissioning takes next step
“The impacts to Lake County’s water supply were debated at the Board of Supervisors meeting February 27 with discussion centered over the substantial effects on the county’s future water supply if PG&E’s proposed plans are carried out in full. Consideration was made of: A. requesting a letter of support from the State Department of Water Resources, and B, approval of resolution authorizing the grant application, acceptance and execution of the Potter Valley Project de-commissioning. Such action means probable removal of Scott Dam and maybe elimination of Lake Pillsbury. Asking the Board chair to sign the letter was Matthew Rothstein, Chief Deputy County Administrative Officer along with Patrick Sullivan, treasure/ tax collector. Rothstein and officials from the California Department of Water Resources have regularly met with county staff, Chair Bruno Sabatier and District 3 Supervisor Crandell over last several months to discuss potential consequences of PG&E’s decommissioning proposal. … ” Read more from the Lake Record-Bee.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Unlocking Tahoe’s dirty secret: Data from a multiyear monitoring project
“Clean Up The Lake, the environmental non-profit responsible for the 72-mile cleanup of Lake Tahoe, has recently completed a two-year monitoring effort on the lake. CUTL conservation dive teams revisited 20 litter hotspots in the 0 to 25-foot depths along the Nevada shoreline that were identified during the 72-mile cleanup of Lake Tahoe in 2021. The primary purpose of this project was to survey these nearshore zones along the Nevada shoreline to observe changes in litter accumulation and perform surveillance for aquatic invasive species (AIS) that may have progressed since 2021. By revisiting places that were already cleaned, the data collected helped determine the status of litter accumulation in Lake Tahoe, its rate of change since the 72-mile cleanup, and the efficacy of CUTL!s SCUBA-enabled cleanup methodology. A secondary purpose of this monitoring project was to perform 40 additional deep dive surveys between the 35 and 70-foot depths near each hot spot location to better assess litter loads and AIS at deeper depths. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
Tahoe firefighters take a unique approach to getting hydrants dug out of the snow
“South Tahoe Fire firefighters are offering an incentive for residents to help shovel snow away from their local hydrants. “Find your closest fire hydrant and adopt it by digging it out this upcoming storm,” the utility district said in a social media post. “Once you dig it out, make sure to post a photo and tag either South Lake Tahoe Fire Rescue or Lake Valley Fire Protection District (official) to receive a free mug!” When fighting a fire, every second can be vital to a positive outcome. A buried fire hydrant could slow the response for emergency officials and impact whether or not firefighters can quickly get the upper hand on a blaze. “Clearing your hydrant saves firefighters precious time!,” Lake Valley Fire said. … ” Read more from Yahoo News.
Why are people leaving broken sleds all around Lake Tahoe?
“Beyond the pull of Tahoe’s ski resorts, the region’s “snow play” areas and sledding hills attract tens of thousands of people this time of year. But visitors are leaving behind more than tracks in the snow. They’re abandoning large numbers of broken plastic sleds. These aren’t classic wooden toboggans or metal saucers. They are distinctly flimsy candy-colored polyethylene that sell for between $5-15 at grocery stores and outdoorsy shops around the basin – convenient and affordable enough to function as single-use disposables. When ridden down a cold slope they can become brittle and easily crack and shatter. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
NAPA/SONOMA
The good flood, restoring a Sonoma creek
“Wooden fence posts poking just above the surface and tall oaks with their trunks submerged are sure signs that the land is flooded. That word, “flooded,” has a negative connotation, an association with destruction. But here it is positive – even protective. And if the San Francisco Estuary Institute, Sonoma County Water Agency, and Laguna de Santa Rosa Foundation get what they want, more water, not less, is destined for this place. The Laguna de Santa Rosa drains much of urban Sonoma County, a watershed of 250 square miles, and is the largest tributary of the mighty Russian River. The more water that this creek and its floodplain can slow and absorb, the less water will rush downstream to threaten truly catastrophic flooding in Guerneville, Monte Rio, and Rio Nido. But echoing a familiar Bay Area story, more than a century of development and channelization of the 22-mile Laguna de Santa Rosa and its tributaries – including Mark West, Santa Rosa, and Copeland creeks – significantly impaired the historical carrying capacity and ecological function of the system. The city of Sebastopol discharged its sewage directly into the Laguna until 1978. … ” Read more from Knee Deep Times.
BAY AREA
Pleasanton council to review potential bond sale to finance water infrastructure projects
“The Pleasanton City Council will be reviewing a staff presentation on the city’s proposed plan to authorize and approve a bond sale for as much as $19 million to finance a portion of planned water infrastructure upgrades during Tuesday’s meeting. According to the March 5 staff report, staff will be presenting a debt financing overview and a resolution for the council to approve, which will declare the city’s intent to “reimburse expenditures relating to capital improvement projects from the proceeds of tax-exempt obligations.” … ” Read more from Pleasanton Weekly.
At Coyote Hills, 300 acres of farmland are transforming
“There is nobody more excited about the Coyote Hills Regional Park restoration than the birds and the plants, the former of which recently took their first chance to explore their new home. More than 100 different species—everything from American bitterns and ruddy ducks to marsh wrens and dowitchers—have visited the native salt grass and sprawling, stubby tubes of pickleweed that have already settled into the seasonal wetland constructed here in the East Bay’s city of Fremont as of last year. “It’s almost like they’re on the lookout,” says Chris Barton, restoration project manager for the East Bay Regional Park District, about the birds that have flown over the newly restored habitat—“‘Hey, did you see that?’—and then all their buddies, they’re there. They’re on it. It being so close to the [San Francisco] Bay, I think they know what’s in the neighborhood.” … ” Read more from Bay Nature.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Cummings water allocations approved; SWP allocation increased to 15%
“Water allocations were the big items on the agenda for the Feb. 21 meeting of the Board of Directors of Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District. There were no comments during a public hearing on annual groundwater allocations for the Cummings Basin, and the board approved the draft allocation prepared by General Manager Tom Neisler. In the Cummings Basin, court action in early 2021, known as the “amended and restated judgment,” established the natural safe yield of the basin as 2,990 acre-feet per year. … ” Read more from the Tehachapi News.
EASTERN SIERRA
Water officials give updates for key issues at Economic Development Conference
“The state of our local water supply is on the forefront of everyone’s minds these days. Joining the Ridgecrest Chamber of Commerce’s annual Economic Outlook Conference to discuss hot topics concerning our water supply were guest speakers George Croll, general manager of the Indian Wells Valley Water District (IWVWD) and Carol Thomas-Keefer, general manager of the Indian Wells Valley Groundwater (IWVGA). First to speak was Croll who informed attendees that Ridgecrest has made huge strides towards water conservation to keep in step with all the new regulations imposed by the state, as well as a collective effort on the community’s part to protect our own water supply. … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
On the brink: California’s luxe clifftop mansions in peril after record rain
“The torrents of water coming from the sky are having ripple effects on the cliffs that hold up some of California’s most expensive real estate. In the first two months of the year, nearly 18in of rain has fallen in the southern California area, about 8in above normal to date – and more is on the way this week. The California governor, Gavin Newsom, declared a state of emergency in eight counties covering more than 20 million people, and flash-flood warnings were issued for parts of Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. In wealthy coastal cities such as San Clemente and Dana Point, homeowners watch hour by hour as multi-million-dollar houses on cliffs dangle above landslides brought on by the storms. Homeowner Alan Ashavi told Reuters he was checking on his property every day after his swimming pool was on the brink of collapse. … ” Read more from the Guardian.
SAN DIEGO
EPA approves water quality program at North County reservation
“The Environmental Protection Agency has granted approval to a North County tribe to administer a water quality standards program on its reservation. The Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians has become the 11th tribe to secure the right to uphold its own water quality standards out of the 148 federally recognized tribes in the Pacific Southwest region, which is comprised of Arizona, California and Nevada. The move means the tribe can operate in a manner akin to a state, allowing it to implement and manage specific environmental regulatory functions and the ability to secure grant funding to support its programs. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Along the Colorado River …
Colorado River states ready separate cut plans
“Dueling state factions are set to submit separate plans over how to share the drought-stricken Colorado River to the Biden administration this month, but top water officials from one side of the divide on Monday vowed they will nonetheless return to the negotiating table in coming weeks. Officials from across seven states — Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming in the Upper Basin and Arizona, California and Nevada in the Lower Basin — are drafting new operating plans for the 1,450-mile-long river, including how to share the pain of any future cuts as climate change continues to shrink its flows. Colorado River Commissioner Becky Mitchell of Colorado said Monday that the four Upper Basin states are preparing for a March 11 target date to submit a plan to the Bureau of Reclamation. … ” Read more from E&E News.
Landmark deal offers Upper Basin tribes a long-awaited foothold in Colorado River discussions
“Tribal nations in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming are one step closer to having a seat at the table in Colorado River discussions thanks to a historic interstate agreement. Native American tribes have over the past century been left out of key agreements that manage the river. The Upper Colorado River Commission, an agency at the nexus of many Colorado River discussions in the Upper Basin, voted Monday to back a new proposed agreement that would, for the first time in the group’s 76-year-history, make regular meetings with tribes mandatory. “This is a big deal. It is the start, not the finish line. It is the beginning of doing better,” Colorado commissioner Becky Mitchell said during Monday’s Upper Colorado River Commission meeting. … ” Read more from the Colorado Sun.
The Colorado River’s hydrology is changing. Can we adapt?
“The Colorado River is changing. Nobody knows that better than JB Hamby, chairman of the Colorado River Board of California, and Bill Hasencamp, manager of Colorado River Resources for the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. We sat down with them to find out how the Colorado River’s doing—and what’s next for the states that rely on its dwindling supplies. Despite a wet winter in 2023, the Colorado River basin is still in trouble. Why? Bill Hasencamp: Since the year 2020, the entire western US has experienced a similar hydrology: three hot, dry years followed by one wet, cold year. In California, those dry years have seriously depleted storage. On the Colorado River, Lake Powell and Lake Mead dropped significantly, though there was enough storage to avoid massive cuts. In a short-term drought, the Colorado is extremely resilient because it has so much storage. But we know that long-term there’s a supply-demand imbalance, and that’s our focus. … ” Read more from the PPIC.
Snowpack on track for normal year with a month to go, good news for Colorado River
“The Colorado River got a little boost from recent snowfall, pushing snowpack levels above normal with less than a month left before the expected peak on April 1. Information from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation on Monday shows the Upper Colorado River Basin at 105% of normal snow water equivalent (SWE) levels compared to the 30-year average. Precipitation for the region is at 102% of normal … ” Read more from KLAS.
Can you fix a Phoenix water shortage? A new drought simulation game lets players try.
“Anyone can be a water resources manager in Phoenix, where the community is coping with a drought that has stretched on since the turn of the century. At least that’s the premise of a new role-playing game created by water resource specialists on the Phoenix Water Services Department’s conservation team. Winning the game, which is geared toward high school students, requires players to get out of a water shortage within three years — without going over budget or causing too many negative economic or social impacts. Each year, a player gets to select three water management decisions to implement. The game is built in Microsoft Excel, and the user interface is basic: With each decision, values in the spreadsheet update to show players the resulting cost, amount of water conserved, and impacts on their society and economy scores — measures of public opinion and the local economy’s health, respectively. … ” Read more from Smart Cities Dive.
If trees could talk: Tree rings show recent decades warmest in 500 years
“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 the Cronkite News.
Water in the West: Documenting the change
“Dead fish line the sun-baked shore of Neenoshe Reservoir in eastern Colorado. Water in the sandy Arkansas River bed inches slowly eastward. Exposed rock, water lines, marooned boats and fresh green growth illustrate dramatic changes to the Colorado River and its tributaries happening at this very moment. Two Colorado photojournalists on the front lines of Western water’s decline have captured these pivotal scenes — and in doing so, RJ Sangosti and Elliot Ross convey the consequences of hundred-year-old legal agreements, showcase what’s at stake and start conversations that will shape not only the future of Western water, but the rights of the people who rely on it. “Drought, climate change and water issues in the West — no matter if it’s in the Colorado or Arkansas river basin, it’s all tied together,” said Sangosti. … ” Read more and view pictures at the Coloradan Alumni Magazine.
Opinion: Glen Canyon Dam has created a world of mud
David Marston, Writers on the Range, writes, “When the San Juan River flows out of the San Juan Mountains in Southwestern Colorado, it contributes 15% of Lake Powell’s water. But there’s a problem: The river carries a hefty 55% of the sediment entering the reservoir, and that mud is piling up. The sediment-heavy river flows south into New Mexico before jogging into Utah, then it joins the Colorado River close to the Arizona border. The confluence is submerged under Lake Powell. After decades of drought, the reservoir created by Glen Canyon Dam has dwindled to just a third full. Now, as the San Juan River flows toward Lake Powell, it rambles over a huge pancake of mud that’s 49 miles long, a mile wide in some places, and as much as 120 feet deep in the final reaches of the San Juan River. … ” Read more from the Salt Lake Tribune.
In national water news today …
Trillions of gallons leak from aging drinking water systems, further stressing shrinking US cities
“Trillions of gallons are lost from aging drinking water systems across the U.S., underscoring an economic and public health reckoning after decades of deferred maintenance and disinvestment that leave some communities struggling to provide reliable service. The problem is especially acute in older industrial and rural areas in the eastern half of the country that have experienced significant population and industrial decline that leave behind poorer residents, vacant neighborhoods and too-large water systems. In the Detroit enclave of Highland Park, where the population halved in the past 20 years, an estimated 70% of the water is lost from pipes up to 120 years old. Several Chicago suburbs likely are losing more than 40% of water. And some Georgia systems are losing more than 80% of their treated drinking water, said Sunil Sinha, a water researcher at Virginia Tech. … ” Read more from the Washington Post.
Introduced bill intends to protect water resources after wildfires in national forests
“The Watershed Protection and Forest Recovery Act would create a new Emergency Forest Watershed Program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture to aid and streamline watershed recovery efforts on U.S. Forest Service lands. The bill is intended to help communities protect their water supply after natural disasters on U.S. Forest Service lands. The bill was introduced by U.S. Senators Michael Bennet, D-Colo., Mitt Romney, R-Utah alongside U.S. Representatives Joe Neguse, D-Colo., Celeste Maloy, R-Utah, Yadira Caraveo, D-Colo. and John Curtis, R-Utah. According to a press release sent by Bennet’s office, following the East Troublesome Fire, water providers faced obstacles that limited their ability to protect drinking water supplies for communities downstream of the fire. The existing Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Emergency Watershed Program was designed to help non-federal lands recover, While, the U.S. Forest Service’s Burned Area Emergency Response Program focuses on the protection of federal assets, which can leave drinking water supplies for communities downstream at at risk. … ” Read more at Summit Daily News.
How a warming climate is setting the stage for fast-spreading, destructive wildfires
“Texas is no stranger to winter wildfires, but the ferocity of the Smokehouse Creek fire — the state’s largest on record after burning through more than 1 million acres — caught even the experts off guard. Its severity was due to a perfect storm of environmental factors: highly flammable grasses and strong winds combined with record-high temperatures and dry conditions — the kind of extreme weather often exacerbated by climate change. This fire adds to an ever-lengthening list of rapidly spreading, destructive wildfires in the US and elsewhere. As humans continue to heat up the world with fossil fuel pollution, scientists warn these kinds of fires will only become more common. … ” Read more from AccuWeather.
