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 …
- MEETING: California Advisory Committee on Salmon and Steelhead Trout from 10am to 4pm. Agenda items include Fisheries Restoration Grant Program Peer Review Committee, Legislative update, Newsom’s salmon strategy, Central Valley Salmon Science Updates, and and update on Southern CA steelhead CESA listing petition. Click here for the full agenda and remote access instructions.
- WEBINAR: Groundwater Sustainability Plan Reporting Process and Requirements from 12pm to 1pm. Join us on Thursday during Groundwater Awareness Week for presentations from DWR’s SGMO staff about the groundwater sustainability plan reporting process, annual reporting process, and the expectations for how these various documents, required by SGMA regulations, are submitted by GSAs to DWR. Staff will also provide information on the periodic update guidance document released in the fall of 2023, as well as other regulatory reporting process items. Registration link: https://stantec.zoom.us/
webinar/register/WN_- QiBai51SAqlPywoub54ow
In California water news today …
Climate change takes a hidden toll on California water supplies
“California’s notorious droughts are a major concern for farming communities and water policymakers, but a new study emphasizes that it’s not just precipitation rates taking a toll on the agricultural water balance: Crop water demand is exacting an “invisible water surcharge” that explains half of the cumulative deficits of that water supply since 1980. The amount of water a plant needs is determined by the rate of its evapotranspiration, which is the combination of evaporation from soil and plant surfaces and water absorbed by plant roots that is released through the leaves as a vapor. As temperatures increase due to climate change, the atmosphere can hold more moisture creating a vapor pressure difference that can draw moisture from plant and soil surfaces. These climate-induced changes to evapotranspiration are playing an increasing role in the growing water deficit in San Joaquin Valley, according to new study published Wednesday in the Public Library of Science Water journal. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
An invisible water surcharge: climate warming increases crop water demand
“University of California researchers from the USDA-funded Secure Water Future project recently found that increases in crop water demand explain half of the cumulative deficits of the agricultural water balance since 1980, exacerbating water reliance on depleting groundwater supplies and fluctuating surface water imports. California’s San Joaquin Valley is home to some of the most fertile soil on Earth. Crops grown here are exported around the world. … Growing those crops requires water. To compensate for the lack of precipitation during the growing season in the Valley’s Mediterranean climate, irrigation is provided through a combination of surface and groundwater sources. There is increased reliance on groundwater pumping for agriculture where surface water supplies are limited – such as during droughts – and when crop water demands are high. Both conditions are often present in the San Joaquin Valley, where the region has been subject to accelerating the depletion of groundwater reserves over the past several decades. … ” Read more from UC Merced.
SEE ALSO:
- California’s farm belt sees thirstier crops — and more pressure on water supplies, from the San Francisco Chronicle
- ‘Invisible’ water losses in California’s agricultural heartland now match volume of giant reservoir: Study, from the Hill
State recommends huge cut to Solano water allocation
“A new recommendation from the California State Water Quality Control Board in its Bay-Delta Water Quality Control Plan (Bay-Delta Plan) for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary could see Solano County forced to adapt to a fraction of the water it is currently allocated from Lake Berryessa. The implications for Solano County cities could be enormous, leaving Solano County with about 25 percent of its current allocation. Spanning hundreds of miles from north of Lake Shasta to Fresno, the tributaries of the Sacramento and Sac Joaquin rivers that feed into the San Francisco Bay reach well into the Sierra Nevadas and Central Valley. The State Water Quality Control Board has noted that diminished river flows in these areas are harming fish habitats and are detrimental to the water system as a whole ecologically. … ” Read more from the Vacaville Reporter.
“We’re finished”: Some small Kings County farmers fear state’s groundwater law being used against them
“Last-ditch revisions being considered for the groundwater plan covering Kings County are not only “too little, too late” to avoid state intervention, according to one observer, they could be a death knell for smaller farmers. “We’re finished,” small farmer Doug Freitas said, of how the proposed revisions would affect his farm. The heart of Freitas’ fear involves how pumping from the various aquifers beneath Kings County, designated as the Tulare Lake subbasin, may be divvied up. In an effort to address state Water Resources Control Board concerns about potential damage to domestic wells, Tulare Lake water managers are considering restricting annual pumping amounts from the most shallow aquifer, dubbed the A-zone, to just a half acre foot, per acre. The A-zone aquifer is about 100 feet below ground level. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
State board to vote on reducing extraction fees for probationary basins
“On the eve of its first subbasin probationary hearing, the state Water Resources Control Board announced it will vote on whether to reduce a controversial groundwater extraction fee. The board will vote at its March 19 meeting on whether to cut the fee from $40 to $20-per-acre-foot for well owners in a subbasin placed on probation. It will hold its first probationary hearing on the Tulare Lake subbasin, which covers Kings County, on April 16. Then the Tule subbasin, in the southern half of the valley portion of Tulare County, will come up for hearing Sept. 17. The extraction fee would only be charged if the Water Board had to step in and administer a subbasin in cases where it finds local groundwater agencies aren’t up to the job. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Sacramento, other California cities would have to conserve far less water in new rules
“Sacramento and cities across California caught a break from the state’s water regulator this week after the agency faced criticism that its water conservation rules were too complicated and costly to meet. Regulators at the State Water Resources Control Board proposed new conservation rules Tuesday that would ease water savings requirements for urban water suppliers and will ultimately lead to less long-term water savings than initially planned. Under the new rules, the city of Sacramento would have to cut its overall water use by 9% by 2035 and 14% by 2040, far less than an initial proposal that would have required it to cut back water use by 13% by 2030 and 18% by 2035. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee. | Read via AOL News.
Federal council announces California ocean salmon season alternatives
“The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) has produced three options for ocean salmon seasons beginning May 16, 2024. Two of the three alternatives would authorize short ocean salmon season dates and establish small harvest limits for commercial and sport fishing off California in 2024. The third alternative would close the ocean fisheries off California for a second consecutive year. The alternatives were approved by the PFMC for public review Monday. In response to several years of drought over the past decade, key California salmon target stocks are forecast to have 2024 abundance levels that, while higher than last year, are well below average. The 2024 stock abundance forecast for Sacramento River Fall Chinook, which is often the most abundant stock in the ocean fishery, is 213,600 adults. Meanwhile, abundance of Klamath River Fall Chinook is forecast at 180,700 adults. At this level of abundance, the Pacific Coast Salmon Fishery Management Plan authorizes only low levels of fishing on these stocks, and requires management be designed to allow most of the adult population to return to the river to spawn. … ” Read more from the Department of Fish & Wildlife.
PFMC adopts three alternatives for very limited or closed salmon seasons in California
“In another disastrous year for salmon fisheries in California, the Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) at its meeting in Fresno on Monday, March 11 adopted three alternatives for 2024 ocean salmon fisheries off California including two options for an extremely limited season and one for a complete closure. “California fisheries offer very limited opportunity in 2024 due to the low forecasts for Klamath River and Sacramento River fall Chinook, and constraints surrounding California Coastal Chinook,” according to the PFMC. “Two alternatives for both commercial and sport fisheries offer limited opportunity coastwide, with the third alternative proposed being closed in all areas. … ” Read more from the Daily Kos.
Diverse habitats help salmon weather unpredictable climate changes
“Restored salmon habitat should resemble financial portfolios, offering fish diverse options for feeding and survival so that they can weather various conditions as the climate changes, a new study shows. The researchers looked at threatened spring-run Chinook salmon in tributaries of the Sacramento River. They found that restored sites that produce lots of fish may be especially vulnerable to changes such as drought. Such sites should be coupled with other varying sites that support the salmon population in diverse ways. “The fish need all the different opportunities,” said Flora Cordoleani, a NOAA Fisheries and University of California Santa Cruz researcher who led the research published this week in Ecosphere. “Fish with one life history that favors certain habitat are not going to save the population in the long term. We need diverse habitats to support diverse life histories that help provide resilience.” … ” Read more from NOAA Fisheries.
California Delta salmon, habitat restoration projects getting millions in state grant funding
“California is awarding $50 million in grants to an array of projects to support salmon populations and habitat restorations in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and statewide. The grants from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) will support 15 projects as part of the $200 million it is distributing for restoration, including $100 million for protecting salmon against drought and climate change, the department said in a press statement. The projects address water and habitat impacted by climate, restoration of wetlands and mountain meadows, and the creation of wildlife corridors, the department said. Several projects will directly support Gov. Gavin Newsom’s salmon strategy that outlines priorities for future years of heat and drought. “These new investments are a key component to how we will restore California’s salmon population for the long-term, and we’re doing it in partnership with the local communities and tribes who have been dealing with these issues for generations,” Newsom said in a prepared statement. … ” Read more from CBS San Francisco.
SEE ALSO: California Distributes $50 Million to Boost Salmon Population, from the Office of the Governor
A California wetland program’s flood of new funding lifts hopes for shorebirds
“When John Brennan makes the short drive from his home in Davis, California, to the rice farms he manages along the Sacramento River, he always brings a laminated guide to the region’s shorebirds and waterfowl. These creatures have long been of interest to Brennan and there are few better places to see a dozen or more species at once than in a flooded rice paddy. He pulls his Ford pickup to the side of a dirt road bisecting the property and points at a winged visitor touching down in the shallow water. “That’s a Long-billed Curlew that just came in—that’s like the prize of the floodplain,” Brennan says, handing his binoculars to me. It’s September, when many migratory birds are returning south from their Arctic and boreal breeding grounds, and Brennan points out American Avocets, White-faced Ibises, Long-billed Dowitchers, American White Pelicans, Snow Geese, and Western Sandpipers. … ” Read more from Audubon.
Funds secured for aerial snowpack observation program
“After the recent record-setting winter storms in the region, snowpack levels for the Northern Sierra shot up to 114 percent of the normal level, and snowpack for the Central Sierra was at 101 percent. Unfortunately, corresponding with that snowpack, is the risk of flooding later this spring. To that end, area Congressman Josh Harder (CA-9), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, announced this past week that he helped secure $6.5 million for a critical program to monitor California snowpack levels in real-time in the House-passed government funding bill. Inaccurate snowpack information can result in wasted water, catastrophic flooding, and massive financial losses for area farmers and water districts. Rep. Harder has championed the Airborne Snow Observatory (ASO) Program to make sure accurate snowpack information is available in real time. … ” Read more from the Riverbank News.
This state program offers assistance with your water bill
“Many families across California are struggling to afford their residential water and sewage bills. A state program offers help in paying those bills, but the deadline to apply is fast approaching. “With energy costs going up, your water bill is going to go up as well,” said Keith Taylor, UC Davis professor of cooperative extension and community economic development. It’s why there’s a state program to help called the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program. It’s federally funded and offers one-time support to help low-income households pay past due or current water and sewage bills to keep their water on. “The impact is huge,” said Taylor. “It keeps them from going into debt. It keeps them from having bad credit, and it allows them to get the basics…paying for their rent, paying for medication, paying for their food.” … ” Read more from Channel 10.
Column: Water is life. It’s also energy — whether you like dams or hate them
Columnist Sammy Roth writes, “The rain and snow that have drenched California and much of the American West over the last few months — at least relative to some of the hellishly dry years we’ve gotten recently — are a blessing not just for water supplies, but for energy. Or maybe they’re a curse (for energy, not for water). It depends on whom you ask. Much of the electricity powering our lights and refrigerators and cellphones comes from rivers, their once free-flowing waters backing up behind dams and trickling through hydropower turbines. The Colorado River, the Columbia, the Sacramento, the San Joaquin — they generate about one-quarter of the region’s power. In the dry years becoming drier with climate change, less water flows through those rivers. As a result, power companies burn more natural gas, a fossil fuel, making climate change even worse. So it’s a good thing that we’ve gotten relatively more rain and snow this year. Right? … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Cities on both coasts struggled to remain above water this winter as sea levels rise
“Within the span of about six weeks this winter, a trio of fishing shacks were swept away in Maine, a piece of the backyard vanished from an oceanfront home Kid Rock owns in Florida and high tides in California sent beachgoers running for their lives. With every inch of sea level rise, communities along coasts and rivers near the sea face greater risks and events like the king tides and severe storms this winter further illustrated the growing threat. “The start of this year has been absolutely incredible,” said John Dickson, president and CEO of Aon Edge, a private flood insurance provider. “The weather is changing rapidly and the consequences are dramatic.” … ” Read more from USA Today.
In commentary today …
Newsom’s stealthy divide and conquer Delta tunnel campaign
Barbara Barrigan-Parilla, Executive Director of Restore the Delta, writes, “Gavin Newsom’s stealthy divide and conquer tactics are pushing marginalized communities against each other in a war over water. Newsom, his administration and State Water Contractors are appropriating environmental justice language to sway public opinion in Southern California about the Delta Conveyance Project – also referred to as the Delta tunnel. They argue that the Delta tunnel is essential for Southern California’s disadvantaged communities, yet misrepresent the harm the project continues to have on the tribal communities along California’s major rivers and on communities in the Delta watershed. Pitting disadvantaged communities from different regions of the state against each other is a cynical strategy, and is all the more egregious when considering it’s done in the interest of serving only one sector of California’s economy that these players have deemed all-important – special interests in Southern California and portions of Silicon Valley. In this “Hunger Games” narrative for California water management, the areas with water resources will be sacrificed for the benefit of those with privilege, wealth, and power. … ” Read more from Capitol Weekly.
Who is behind the removal of the four Klamath Dams?
Katy Grimes, Editor in Chief of the California Globe, writes, “In November 2022, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission approved the removal of four dams on the Lower Klamath River. The Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC) is already removing the dams, as the Globe has reported here, and here, and here, and here. The Klamath River flows 257 miles through Oregon and northern California, and empties into the Pacific Ocean. Non-profit organization, American Rivers is in the dam removal business – at least it appears that it is. AmericanRivers.org is proud enough of their influence, that in their 2023 report, they bring the receipts – which are damning. They proudly proclaim, “We are excited to announce that Oregon and California’s Klamath River is the 2024 River of the Year, celebrating the biggest dam removal and river restoration in history.” As William Simpson of Siskiyou County recently reported in Siskiyou News, “The nonprofit American Rivers, who unknown to most people, is a board member of the Klamath River Renewal Corporation (KRRC) and the orchestrator of the Klamath dams removal project, indirectly gave themselves an award for ‘River of the Year’.” … ” Read more from the California Globe.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Klamath fish reintroduction effort receives additional capacity
“The 2024 Oregon legislative session ended last week, and Trout Unlimited is pleased to share that the Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife (ODFW) Klamath Fish Reintroduction effort received important funding to fully monitor the first returns of anadromous fish to the Upper Basin this fall. The largest dam removal project in history is underway on the Klamath River. This monumental effort will reconnect over 400 miles of salmon, steelhead and lamprey spawning and rearing habitat in the watershed’s upper basin, much of which is in Oregon. After being blocked for over a century, fish will pass through the former dam sites this fall. To oversee and ensure a positive fish response to dam removal, ODFW and the Klamath Tribes co-authored an “Implementation Plan for the Reintroduction of Anadromous Fishes into the Oregon Portion of the Upper Klamath Basin.” … ” Read more from Trout Unlimited.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Lake Tahoe coalition urges congress to renew restoration act
“Local leaders and tribal representatives gathered today with an urgent request, to renew funding to protect Lake Tahoe. Tahoe is known for its clear water and beautiful views and for over 15 years, the Lake Tahoe Restoration Act has put money into projects to keep it that way. All that could come to a stop without action from Congress. Serrell Smokey with the Washoe Tribe noted their people have stewarded the land for thousands of years. “We need to keep our efforts going to maintain this place for generations to come,” he said. Since the Act passed back in 2016, the Lake Tahoe Environmental Improvement Program (EIP) partners have started hundreds of projects to help with forest health, water infrastructure, watershed restoration, water quality, invasive species control, and accountability. … ” Read more from News 4.
SEE ALSO:
- Tahoe restoration efforts set to lose $301 million; state officials urge Congress to act, from the Reno Gazette-Journal
- Nevada, California leaders gather in D.C. to discuss importance of extending Lake Tahoe Restoration Act, from KUNR
Planning grant awarded to NID and the Tahoe National Forest for 3,000-acre forest management project
“The Nevada Irrigation District (NID), in partnership with the USDA Forest Service, Tahoe National Forest, has received a planning grant to complete environmental surveys and compliance for a forest management project to return the Middle Yuba headwaters region to a healthier state. The project will complete the surveys and assessments that are needed to begin forest restoration and fuels reduction work on up to 3,000 acres in the Middle Yuba headwaters, which are an important source of water for NID’s water system. The project area is located on Washoe tribal homelands near Jackson Meadows and Milton reservoirs on the Tahoe National Forest in Nevada and Sierra counties. … ” Read more from YubaNet.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Vitalizing our healthy rivers, landscapes and communities
The following is an excerpt from Bryce Lundberg’s chairman’s remarks at the NCWA Annual Meeting on March 8, 2024: “As we think about 2024, let us discuss how each of us—as the water leaders in the region—continue to adapt to our climate reality by vitalizing our healthy rivers, landscapes, and communities in the Sacramento River Basin—from ridgetop to river mouth. We all live, work, and play in this dynamic region with a community of engaged, active, energetic, committed people—a place that continues to evolve and integrate fresh new ideas for water management into our priorities. We have a riverscape vision for the Sacramento River Basin that looks at the entire region and blends the wisdom of leading scientists, our fore-farmers, and local knowledge from today to better understand our water resources. Not just to understand, but to initiate ACTIONS to integrate our wonderful rivers and creeks into our landscapes and communities in a way that brings the entire region to life through our precious water resources. … ” Read the full remarks at the Northern California Water Association.
Water releases benefiting some Sacramento Valley farms
“The Western Canal Water District started in December 1984. The district said releases not only provide flood protection but also benefit agriculture in southern Butte County. Northern California has seen a wet winter again this year and in areas like Oroville, water releases have been ongoing. While some water is allocated to communities down south, releases are also a benefit for some local agricultural communities. “The Feather River watershed that comes into Lake Oroville, that’s our gem of the State Water Project is doing exactly what it needs to do right now,” Owner of JAKS Farming Josh Sheppard said. … ” Read more from Action News Now.
Remains of destructive dam failure to be cleared from the American River after 60 years
“After nearly 60 years of being submerged in the clear waters of the American River, chunks of concrete and steel will be removed from the river in the Auburn State Recreation Area, but how did they get there? Before the current State Route 49 bridge straddled the American River, a similarly placed bridge provided the vital connection between Auburn and the communities of northwest El Dorado County. That bridge, named the Georgetown Bridge, was built in 1948 and ended its time of providing safe passage for motorists on Dec. 23, 1964. According to the Association of State Dam Safety Officials (ASDSO), Hell Hole Dam breached, releasing 30,000 acre-feet of water down the Rubicon River, into the Middle Fork of the American River and down to the confluence with the North Fork of the American River near Auburn. … ” Continue reading from Fox 40.
BAY AREA
San Francisco dumps millions of gallons of sewage into Bay every year – Baykeeper issues notice to sue
“San Francisco Baykeeper recently issued a notice of intent to take legal action against the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) and the City and County of San Francisco for repeated violations of the Clean Water Act. The nonprofit watchdog organization obtained information through public records requests from SFPUC, the US Environmental Protection Agency, and the Regional Water Quality Control Board, and identified hundreds of Clean Water Act violations over the last five years. These violations include repeated discharges of mixed sewage and trash-filled urban runoff into San Francisco Bay during heavy rains. SFPUC documents estimate that in a typical year, the agency discharges 1.2 billion gallons of combined stormwater runoff and sewage, which contains feces, bacteria, viruses, chemicals, and trash. In a wet year, the volume of discharge can exceed 2 billion gallons. … ” Continue reading this press release from Baykeeper.
San Francisco dumps large amounts of sewage into creek during storms, environmental group says
“When heavy rain overwhelms wastewater treatment plants in San Francisco, causing stormwater to overflow onto streets and into the bay, sewage is an unfortunate part of the mix. After heavy rain, the largest recipient of the potent brew of stormwater and sewage in the city is Mission Creek – a channel to the bay that is home to houseboats, walking trails and a kayak launch. At Mission Creek, Islais Creek, another channel at India Basin, and a few locations in between, the city discharges 1.2 billion gallons of “combined sewer discharges” in a typical year, according to the environmental group S.F. Baykeeper, which has notified the city it intends to sue over how such discharges impact the environment. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
CENTRAL COAST
Farmers file lawsuits against County of Monterey, Caltrans and others over 2023 Pajaro flood-related damages.
“Following a lawsuit filed by hundreds of Pajaro Valley residents and business owners, farmers and agricultural landowners and tenants have filed two lawsuits against local, regional and state agencies they claim are liable for damages connected to the 2023 Pajaro levee breach and subsequent flooding. One suit is filed by about a dozen business entities (and roughly 50 people who are trustees); another by Willoughby Farms. Each case, filed on March 4 in Monterey County Superior Court, names a long list of defendants: the counties of Monterey and Santa Cruz; the Monterey County Water Resources Agency; Santa Cruz County Flood Control and Water Conservation District; Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency; State of California; and Caltrans. (The Willoughby Farms suit also names the City of Watsonville and others.) The Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office reported that winter storms in 2022-23 resulted in $600 million worth of damage to the agricultural sector. … ” Read more from Monterey Weekly.
Peninsula’s water supply drama is now playing out in court
“David Schmalz here. I do all I can to stay on top of water issues throughout Monterey County, which is a constant hurdle I’m never able to fully clear—the county is vast, and there are a multitude of regionally specific challenges. Most recently I’ve been trying to stay on top of all that’s happening in the Monterey Peninsula’s water supply drama, which has played out for years but finally seems to be coming to a head this year. The question that will be answered is: Will residents on the Peninsula, who get their water from investor-owned utility Cal Am, have to pay for a desalination project to get out from under a state-imposed cease-and-desist order regarding pumping from the Carmel River? … ” Read more from the Monterey Weekly.
LA Superior Court rules on Cuyama Valley Groundwater Basin boundaries
“A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge confirmed that the Cuyama Valley Groundwater Basin is one connected basin—not separate subbasins—allowing for the groundwater adjudication to move forward following a year and a half of delays and litigation. “The court has been scrupulous to confine phase 1 of this adjudication to the boundaries of the court’s in rem [personal property] jurisdiction,” the judge wrote in the ruling. “Later phases of this adjudication may be used to determine whether management areas should be utilized (or not) and whether the basin should be differentially or homogeneously managed.” … ” Read more from New Times SLO.
Federal grant helps fund Goleta’s first new groundwater well in 40 years
“It doesn’t look like much from the surface, but the Goleta Water District has a lot of reasons to be excited about its new groundwater well. General Manager David Matson said it’s the first well built in 40 years, and it’ll be the biggest one in the district when it starts operating in 2026. Matson, board members and district staff showed off the well to Deputy Secretary of the Interior Laura Daniel-Davis during a West Coast visit on Tuesday. The $6.5 million project was partially funded with a $2 million grant from the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSMART program, part of the huge federal infrastructure bill. … ” Read more from Noozhawk.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Dry well program in Chowchilla has “fallen short” of applicants
“A program to help residents with dry wells in the Chowchilla subbasin, which covers the northwestern toe of Madera County, has only spent about a tenth of its budget so far. That’s partly because the valley had an exceptionally wet year in 2023, so fewer domestic wells went dry. And it’s partly because the program just hasn’t made it on the public’s radar, according to Brandon Tomlinson, General Manager of Chowchilla Water District, which administers the program on behalf of subbasin. “We fell way short,” said Tomlinson. “And then there’s also the concern that maybe we’re not reaching our target audience.” To that end, staff is working on building a website and mailing out fliers, he added. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Allensworth residents feel abandoned by company that makes water out of thin air
“Allensworth is one of the testing grounds for a hydropanel that creates drinking water out of thin air. But two years into the program, community members say the hydropanel company has left them high and dry while many of the hydropanels have broken down. Allensworth has struggled with arsenic-laced groundwater for decades. In 2021, Source Global, the company behind the hydropanels, installed two in Allensworth to test out the technology. Each panel generates about a gallon of drinking water per day by condensing water vapor in the air into liquid form. In 2022, a philanthropic organization bought 1,000 hydropanels to be installed throughout the Central Valley. Allensworth now has about 42 panels, according to Source Global. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Wildflower watchers have reason to believe a ‘superbloom’ is waiting to erupt in Southern California
“For most of the year, the hills around Southern California are characteristically brown. Los Angeles’s Mediterranean-type climate survives on an average of less than 15 inches of rain a year, and in areas that are classified as desert, it’s even less. But near-record winter rainfall has turned those often-brown slopes into seas of undulating green — and in places, a sleeping beauty is slowly awakening. While a wildflower “superbloom” is hard to predict, experts say a heavy seed load in previous years, combined with the rainfall, could soon make for a must-see kaleidoscope of color in the weeks ahead. In places like the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in San Diego County, the bloom is already underway — though it’s too soon to define it as “super.” … ” Read more from NBC News.
San Clemente’s delayed sand project set to resume end of April
“A major sand replenishment project aimed at bolstering San Clemente’s beaches near the pier area will resume by the end of April, following a pause in operations since mid-January due to rocks being pumped onto shore instead of sand. The $14 million, US Army Corps of Engineers-led project more than two decades in the making is expected to add 251,000 cubic yards of sand between T-Street south of the pier and Linda Lane beach to the north, one of several ways the beach town is attempting to keep its eroding beaches intact. Mason Construction kicked off the project in December, but was met with troubles after the dredge site off Oceanside produced more rocks and shells than expected, instead of fluffy sand. The city sent a letter asking the operator and Army Corps of Engineers to halt the project until a better sand source could be found. … ” Read more from the OC Register.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
The impact of farming and lithium water demand on the Salton Sea
“It’s being called the 4th industrial revolution, the advancement of technology and the creation of batteries. All of that is made possible by lithium, and a large quantity can be found in the Salton Sea region.” Watch video at NBC Palm Springs.
SAN DIEGO
Sand replenishment project in Encinitas aims to combat beach erosion
“Brian Renner and his son Maverick are Encinitas locals, and they came to the beach to watch phase 2 of the sand replenishment project, which was formerly called the Encinitas-Solana Beach Coastal Storm Damage Reduction Project. “[Maverick] literally has a little place at home that has sand and miniature versions of what we see behind us,” Renner said. The process starts with a dredge bringing in the sand from a borrow site just south of Solana Beach. … ” Read more from NBC 7.
Senator Padilla, local & environmental leaders, announce legislation to collect fee from multinational corporations responsible for polluting Tijuana River and block a new landfill in that watershed
“On Monday, March 11, Senator Steve Padilla (D-San Diego), joined by community leaders, labor leaders, and environmental advocates, held a press conference announcing a new package of environmental justice legislation addressing cross border pollution from trash and human waste (Senate Bill 1178) as well as halting development of a landfill that would only cause further harm to the impacted communities (Senate Bill 1208). According to a press release from the office of Senator Padilla, generations, billions of gallons of contamination, pollution, and wastewater, stemming from failing infrastructure, have ravaged California’s southern coastline. San Diegans are suffering from the health, economic, and environmental impacts of these continued transboundary flows. … ” Read more from the Imperial Valley Press.
Feds won’t tell public what’s wrong with its border sewage plant
MacKenzie Elmer writes, “The people in charge of a broken sewage treatment plant along the U.S.-Mexico border won’t tell the public exactly what’s wrong with it. And even though they haven’t fully explained how the plant fell into ruin, it hasn’t stopped them from asking Congress for more money to fix it. In the last few years I spent covering the Tijuana sewage crisis, I heard staff from the International Boundary and Water Commission or IBWC (a little known binational federal agency with commissioners in both the U.S. and Mexico which runs the plant) hint that something was very wrong with this key piece of border infrastructure that’s responsible for keeping sewage out of San Diego. They would quote from the results of a “facilities assessment,” but I never saw the full report. … ” Continue reading from the Voice of San Diego.
Along the Colorado River …
Gila River Indian Community says it doesn’t support latest Colorado River sharing proposals
“The Gila River Indian Community says it does not support a three-state proposal for managing the Colorado River’s shrinking supply in the future. The community, which is located in Arizona, is instead working with the federal government to develop its own proposal for water sharing. The tribe is among the most prominent of the 30 federally-recognized tribes that use the Colorado River. In recent years, it has signed high-profile deals with the federal government to receive big payments in exchange for water conservation. Those deals were celebrated by Arizona’s top water officials. But now, it is diverging from states in the river’s Lower Basin — Arizona, California and Nevada. … ” Read more from KUNC.
Hobbs opposes GOP groundwater plan, touts power of the executive water department
“Gov. Katie Hobbs says she won’t sign a bill championed by some Republicans to conserve rural groundwater, calling it “convoluted” and “beyond unacceptable.” She also warned that the state water department has the power to implement its own plans. Hobbs spoke at the University of Arizona on Wednesday on water, and said she agrees with proponents of the bill that rural communities need a new method of groundwater conservation. Her water policy council pitched an idea to create rural groundwater protection areas, but it hasn’t advanced at the legislature as introduced by Democrats. The bill that Republicans have pushed forward would do something similar, but would also require several more steps and the unanimous consent of local politicians. … ” Read more from KJZZ.
Gov. Hobbs says AZ can manage water and growth
“It’s no exaggeration to say water is life but even in the desert we may take it for granted. University of Arizona is a leader in water research.It has been hosting a conference this week where scientists are concentrating on making sure we have water far into the future. Governor Katie Hobbs spoke to the conference Wednesday morning. This year’s conference is dedicated to Professor Thomas Meixner. An expelled graduate student is charged with shooting and killing Meixner in the office he held as department head of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences. Governor Hobbs talked about the challenge of negotiating with other states to preserve Arizona’s share of water from the Colorado River. … ” Read more from Channel 9.
Powering forward: The journey of transformer replacement at Glen Canyon Powerplant
“After more than 5 years of hands-on work, the transformer replacement project at Glen Canyon Dam is officially complete. The last of the generator step-up (GSU) transformers to be replaced became fully operational March 1. “The completion of this impressive project is a great reflection of the many dedicated and highly talented people who have been involved with the project over the years. This project serves as a testament to our collective efforts towards environmental sustainability, with its incorporation of eco-friendly practices and technologies,” said Upper Colorado Basin Deputy Power Office Manager Bob Martin. “It is also a reflection Reclamation’s commitment to its mission of managing, delivering and protecting water in the West. We are incredibly proud of the work we have been able to accomplish here.” … ” Read more from the Bureau of Reclamation.
In national water news today …
New forever chemical rules could escalate water bills, cities warn
“Hastings, Minnesota, is staring down a $69 million price tag for three new treatment plants to remove PFAS chemicals from its water supply, ahead of new US federal regulations limiting the amount of so-called forever chemicals in public drinking water — which could come as early as this month. For a town of less than 22,000 people with an operation and maintenance budget of $3 million a year for its water system, the project amounts to a “budget buster,” says city administrator Dan Wietecha. Operation and maintenance costs for the new plants could add as much as $1 million to the tab each year. The costs will likely be passed down to the public, unless the city can obtain funding through other means. … Cities across the US are bracing for costly upgrades to their water systems as the Environmental Protection Agency moves to finalize the first-ever enforceable national drinking water standards for PFAS — or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — a large group of man-made chemicals used for decades in manufacturing and in consumer products. … ” Read the full story from Bloomberg (gift article).
Climate engine launches new website to facilitate drought and vegetation monitoring
“ClimateEngine.org is an innovative tool that provides satellite and climate data in a user-friendly manner to facilitate water conservation, wildfire risk management, agricultural productivity monitoring, and ecological restoration. Created through a partnership between researchers at Desert Research Institute, the University of California Merced, Google, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Bureau of Land Management, and other federal partners, Climate Engine allows users to create maps and time series plots for visualizing complex climate data. Now, the team is launching a new publicly accessible platform designed to produce comprehensive and detailed reports for all BLM-managed lands in the contiguous United States. The reports combine scalable drought summaries and near real-time vegetation conditions to help inform planning and decision-making. … ” Read more from the Desert Research Institute.
