A wrap-up of posts published on Maven’s Notebook this week …
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In California water news this week …
Sierra Nevada residents prepare for up to 3 feet of snow
“The first spring storm comes nearly three weeks after a cold weather pattern dropped more than 12 feet of snow across the Sierra. On Wednesday, the National Weather Service issued a winter storm watch for the Northern and Central Sierra. Forecasters expect significant travel delays this weekend on major highways due to snow, icy roads and strong winds. But for outdoor adventurists, another storm is a chance to shred some powder. Resorts like Palisades Tahoe, northwest of Lake Tahoe, expect more than 1 1/2 feet of snow this weekend, especially since the snow year started abysmal at best. In January, snow totals across the Sierra measured around 25% of the average, but now are at 99% of the average for this time of year. … ” Read more from KQED.
Court upholds State Water Board’s revised flow objectives for the San Joaquin River
“The Sacramento Superior Court has ruled in favor of the State Water Board’s 2018 Bay Delta Plan update, denying all 116 claims by petitioners. In December 2018, the State Water Resources Control Plan adopted revised flow objectives for the San Joaquin River and its three major tributaries, the Stanislaus, Tuolumne, and Merced rivers. The new flow objectives provide for increased flows on the three tributaries to help revive and protect native fall-run migratory fish populations. The Board also adopted a revised south Delta salinity objectives, increasing the level of salinity allowed from April to AugustSeveral petitions were filed in several counties challenging the Board’s action. Most hold water rights on the tributaries or represent those reliant on water from the tributaries for ag or municipal uses. A few petitioners represent environmental interests. … Continue reading from Maven’s Notebook.
California policy protecting major rivers upheld in long-awaited court decision
“A state policy that seeks to protect California’s major rivers and creeks by cracking down on how much water is pumped out by cities and farms can move forward despite widespread opposition, the Superior Court has ruled. The long-awaited decision on what’s known as the Bay-Delta Plan denies 116 claims in a dozen separate lawsuits that seek to undo a 2018 update to the policy, most of which are from water agencies saying the limits on their water draws go too far. The 160-page verdict, released Friday by Sacramento County Judge Stephen Acquisto, specifically notes that arguments made by San Francisco against the regulation fell short. The city, which gets most of its water from the Tuolumne River in and around Yosemite National Park, has claimed that regulators showed preference for safeguarding fish and wildlife instead of defending Bay Area water supplies, ratepayers and economic growth. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle (gift article).
Judge denies all 116 claims by petitioners in favor of Water Board’s Bay Delta Plan Update
“The Sacramento Superior Court on March 14 ruled in favor of the State Water Resource Control Board’s 2018 Bay Delta Plan update, denying all 116 claims by petitioners, according to Maven’s Notebook: mavensnotebook.com/… “In December 2018, the State Water Resources Control Plan adopted revised flow objectives for the San Joaquin River and its three major tributaries, the Stanislaus, Tuolumne, and Merced rivers. … Responding to the ruling, Restore the Delta said the recent ruling upholding the Bay-Delta Plan “marks a significant milestone in the ongoing efforts to protect the delicate balance of our state’s water resources and ecosystems. As the court affirmed, science-based flow standards are essential for safeguarding the health of the Delta and its vital ecosystems.” However, amidst this legal validation, the groups said “concerns arise regarding Governor Newsom’s approach to implementing the Bay-Delta Plan. While the court’s decision underscores the importance of prioritizing environmental stewardship, Governor Newsom’s delay in completing and implementing the plan in favor of voluntary agreements raises serious questions.” … ” Read the full article at the Daily Kos.
Trout trouble could shut off the Delta pumps for Valley farmers
“While California’s water year is nowhere close to the records of 2023, a new culprit is threatening to muck up water supplies for the San Joaquin Valley: fish entrainment in the pumps of the Central Valley Project. Now, pumping restriction on flows from the Old and Middle River is forcing a reckoning between Federal water managers and San Joaquin Valley water users. Driving the news: More than 2,500 Central Valley -based steelhead trout have been entrained at State and Federal water diversion facilities, prompting action from the National Marine Fisheries Service to curtail pumping. … ” Read more from the San Joaquin Valley Sun.
State Water Project takes action to protect native fish species
“Spring is an important time for water project operators to fill reservoirs ahead of dry months. It also is an important migration window for many native fish species. Steelhead trout in Central Valley rivers are listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act as threatened. As a result, the State Water Project (SWP) and Central Valley Project (CVP) monitor steelhead at the pumping plants near Tracy that move water to the Santa Clara Valley, San Joaquin Valley, and Southern California. The State Water Project and Central Valley Project have decreased pumping to less than half of maximum capacity since January 1 to protect migrating fish. Now, the SWP and CVP are approaching the maximum number of steelhead trout that can be collected at the pumps from December 1 through March 31 of each year under rules established by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). … ” Read more from DWR.
Balancing water supply resilience and ecology: The Tuolumne River and the Bay Delta Plan
“California’s challenge to balance water supply sustainability and ecosystem health comes to a head in the San Francisco Bay Area. A recent Stanford University study delves into the complexities of the issue, shedding light on the challenges, and offering innovative solutions. The paper focuses on the Bay-Delta Plan, a critical water management strategy drafted in 1996. Declining fish populations and the specter of drought exacerbated by climate change, among other changes, have led to calls to update the plan. Central to the debate is the requirement for unimpaired flow in the Tuolumne River, a vital source for the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC), which serves millions of people. The SFPUC and Central Valley irrigation districts have proposed a voluntary agreement plan that emphasizes interventions such as habitat improvements and predation management, instead of large cutbacks in water withdrawals. … ” Read more from Stanford News.
California’s largest new reservoir project in 50 years gains momentum
“Colusa County is known for sprawling rice farms and almond orchards, wetlands full of migrating ducks and geese, staunch conservative politics, and the 19th-century family cattle ranch where former Gov. Jerry Brown retired five years ago. But the windswept county in the Sacramento Valley — whose entire population of 22,000 people is just one-third of Palo Alto’s — may soon be known for something else: The largest new reservoir anywhere in California in the past 50 years. Last weekend, President Biden signed a package of bills that included $205 million in construction funding for Sites Reservoir, a proposed $4.5 billion project planned for the rolling ranchlands west of the town of Maxwell, about 70 miles north of Sacramento. The funding is the latest boost for the project, which has been discussed on and off since the 1950s. … ” Continue reading from the San Jose Mercury News (gift article).
Congressman Valadao urges Reclamation to increase water allocations for South-of-Delta contractors
“Today, Congressman David G. Valadao (CA-22) took to the House Floor to urge the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) to increase water allocations for South-of Delta agricultural repayment and water service contractors. In February, Reclamation announced an initial allocation of 15% for South-of-Delta agricultural repayment and water service contractors. Congressman Valadao highlighted that every major reservoir in California is above the 15-year average, and the snowpack in the Sierras is at more than 100% of the average for this time of year. “I urge Reclamation to increase these allocations for South-of-Delta water contractors to reflect the record year that we are surviving in right now. Our ability to grow food for the nation will not survive without a reliable water supply for South-of-Delta agriculture,” said Congressman Valadao. … ” Read more from Congressman Valadao.
SCIENCE IN SHORT: Reversing Delta land subsidence with Steven Deverel
“Thousands of years ago, the plants of California’s Delta began sucking carbon out of the atmosphere and storing it in the soil. Today, roughly the weight of the Golden Gate bridge in carbon dioxide is being kept below ground. But as the equilibrium between dry land and water in the Delta is in flux, that stored carbon is being released back into the atmosphere. Not only does this mean that the Delta is becoming a potent greenhouse gas producer, but the land is subsiding at scary rates. Delta science researchers reviewed our existing understanding of current rates and agricultural practices and put forth a recent publication that makes pointed suggestions to restore a healthy equilibrium and keep carbon where it is best, out of our warming atmosphere and safely below ground. … ” Listen to podcast or read transcript at Maven’s Notebook.
Invasive plants pose a threat to the Delta. Here’s how agencies are fighting back
“Invasive plants have taken root in the West Coast’s largest estuary, the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. It’s a problem the Division of Boating and Waterways works to control annually. “They tend to grow out and they tend to push out taking over a lot of the waterways,” said Jeffrey Caudill, a program supervisor for the Aquatic Invasive Plant Control Program. Starting in March, crews work to keep the problem at bay by spraying herbicides and mechanically harvesting some sites. “If you can keep pushing them back and keep them controlled early, they become less of a problem later. In the summers, these plants can double in size, which makes them terribly difficult to control at that stage,” Caudill said. … ” Read more from Channel 10.
State Water Board reduces pumping fees by half but some say it’s still too high
“Members of the state Water Resources Control Board voted unanimously on Tuesday, March 19, to reduce pumping fees for groundwater users in subbasins that come under state control, known as “probationary status.” The controversial fee was lowered from $40 per-acre-foot of pumped water to $20 per acre foot. The board will hold its first probationary hearing on the Tulare Lake subbasin, which covers Kings County, on April 16. The hearing stems from implementation of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), which mandates over pumped regions bring aquifers into balance by 2040. Groundwater sustainability plans (GSPs) for Tulare Lake and five other San Joaquin Valley subbasins were rejected twice by the state as inadequate, which is why they are now coming before the Water Board to determine if they should be put into probationary status. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
The potential for brackish desalination in California
“In 2017, a nationwide assessment by the U.S. Geological Survey found that brackish groundwater in the nation’s aquifers is more than 800 times the amount currently used yearly. California’s Coastal Basin and Central Valley aquifers contain close to 7 billion acre-feet of brackish water, which, if desalinated, could provide enough water for the state’s needs for the next 160 years. Governor Newsom’s Water Supply Strategy’s Action1.2 targets expanding brackish desalination by 28,000 acre-feet by 2030 and 84,000 acre-feet by 2040. The Strategy directed the Department of Water Resources and the State Water Board to identify brackish desalination projects with the potential to be operational by 2030 and no later than 2040, and to determine the volume of water available for brackish groundwater desalination. Last month, the Department of Water Resources released the report, Projected Brackish Water Desalination Projects in California, and the State Water Resources Control Board released the report, Water Available for Brackish Groundwater Desalination, in fulfillment of their charge. … ” Continue reading at Maven’s Notebook.
In commentary this week …
Half measures aren’t enough: California must confront hatchery and harvest impacts to achieve salmon recovery goals
Bradley J Cavallo writes, “In February, Governor Newsom released a plan to recover California’s salmon. The strategy – California’s salmon strategy for a hotter, drier future: Restoring aquatic ecosystems in age of climate change – sets an overarching goal of the recovery of salmon and reduction of extinction risk across the ranges of four salmon species, several distinct Chinook salmon runs, and steelhead. The Governor’s strategy describes a serious commitment to salmon and their habitats, and the diverse ecosystems upon which both depend. For those concerned about California salmon, the strategy is an encouraging and positive conservation development. At the same time, two issues critical to the recovery of California salmon were conspicuous in their omission from the Governor’s salmon strategy. The first issue relates to the need to improve management and monitoring of ocean-harvest; better protections for salmon stocks listed under the federal Endangered Species Act, which include Sacramento winter-run, Central Valley spring-run and Coastal Chinook. The second issue is the need to assure that salmon produced by hatcheries are monitored and managed to improve the productivity, fitness, and life-history diversity of both hatchery-generated and wild fish. … ” Continue reading at the Center for California Water Resources and Management.
It’s time for equilibrium in Calif.’s water policies
William Bourdeau, executive vice president of Harris Farms, writes, “Surrounded by the fields of California’s Central Valley, where generations of farmers have toiled to feed a nation, a quiet battle for survival unfolds. As a cultivator of this land, we stand at the crossroads of tradition and conservation, where every drop of water holds the promise of life and the threat of scarcity. In our quest to sustain the legacy of the valley, we navigate an evolving maze of regulations that shape our destiny.
In this state, where the soil is as diverse as its people, agriculture forms the cornerstone of our economy and culture. Yet, the lifeblood of our fields—water—is entangled in a complex web of environmental, societal, and regulatory challenges. … ” Read more from the San Joaquin Valley Sun.
I’m a California farmer. Other states can learn from our water conservation success.
Stephen Benson, a farmer in the Imperial Valley and board member of Imperial Valley Water (IVH2O), writes, “Last fall, all seven states sharing the Colorado River — Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming — came together and agreed on a short-term fix to alleviate pressing concerns caused by prolonged drought. Nevertheless, the river community is back at the negotiating table to craft a long-term plan to carry us past 2026. While it’s daunting to start from scratch, we believe the basis for a sustainable future will only work if we learn from our past. Everyone involved in Western water is aware that California holds senior water rights on the Colorado River. The Imperial Irrigation District, with senior water rights dating to 1901, shares these present perfected rights with other public water agencies and tribes (Chemehuevi, Fort Mojave, Quechan and Colorado River Indians). Present perfected rights were established prior to and are protected in the Colorado River Compact of 1922. Known as the “Law of the River,” this sizable body of work represents more than 100 years of established water law. As such, it provides the most solid foundation for a stable future. Ignoring it guarantees chaos and years of prolonged court battles that will do nothing to help the millions who rely on the river. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Klamath River Dams – KRRC’s Sediment Plan – A ticking time bomb?
William Simpson, an ethologist living among and studying free-roaming American wild horses, writes, “The Klamath River Renewal Corporation (‘KRRC’) has been misinforming everyone. And when anything goes terribly wrong, they claim it’s “as planned.” The 15-million cubic yards of remaining toxic lake bottom sediments pose a very real and significant threat to the ongoing health and recovery of the Klamath River. Genuine advocates for River restoration might actually be interested in WHY the foregoing is true. And when dam removal advocates learn the scientifically supported truth, they should be very alarmed and upset with Klamath River Renewal Corporation and its staff. There is already arguable evidence that KRRC likely knew that there were toxins and heavy metals in the sediments that would impact human health, safety and welfare as well as the lifeforms in the Klamath River. As a result of the sediments dumped into the main-stem of the Klamath River by KRRC, the Siskiyou County Heath Department has had to issue a press release warning people to stay out of the Klamath River! … ” Continue reading at the California Globe.
In regional water news this week …
Pump station diversion chosen for Potter Valley Project
“Proponents of a post-dam diversion have decided what kind of structure they’ll ask for when PG&E submits its license surrender application for the Potter Valley Project. A number of questions have yet to be answered, especially about sediment management and how much water will continue to flow from the Eel into the Russian River. But after months of committee meetings and analyses across a wide spectrum of interest groups, a new joint powers authority decided unanimously on March 19 to pursue a pump station that would divert water from the Eel River into the Russian River during high flows. The Eel Russian Project Authority consists of representatives from Sonoma Water, the county of Sonoma, Mendocino County Inland Water & Power Commission (or IWPC, which is itself a consortium of local governments and water agencies), and the Round Valley Indian Tribes. It is negotiating with PG&E during the process of decommissioning Scott Dam, which impounds Lake Pillsbury, and Cape Horn Dam, near the tunnel that diverts water from the Eel into the Russian River. It will also have the legal authority to own, build and operate the new diversion facility where Cape Horn Dam is now. … ” Read more from MendoFever.
Nevada Irrigation District to implement conservation measures after PG&E infrastructure emergency
“Due to unanticipated infrastructure repairs in the Sierra Nevada headwaters that have cut off water supply, the Nevada Irrigation District (NID) will be implementing emergency conservation measures. This is a call for a voluntary water reduction of 20 percent by all District water customers for the remainder of 2024. Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) has informed NID of substantial repairs necessary to its water supply infrastructure that serves water to both Nevada and Placer counties. Repairs have begun, but the utility estimates restoration of flows is not anticipated until mid-June. “The lack of access to normal watershed runoff means NID will have to rely upon limited water storage to begin the irrigation season,” said General Manager Jennifer Hanson. “This reduced supply has created an emergency where conservation will be requested from all water customers.” … ” Read more from YubaNet.
Tahoe lead: Community-led effort to remove decades-old lead cables threatening Lake Tahoe
“The drive from South Lake Tahoe to the West Shore is filled with breathtaking views of crisp blue water, rugged alpine shores, and lakefront homes scattered throughout the treacherous landscape; but something is lurking below the lake’s surface that is also present on this majestic tour of Lake Tahoe – lead cables. From Baldwin Beach in South Lake Tahoe to the West Shore in Rubicon Bay, lead cables are present in Lake Tahoe, and have been for decades. In total, these lead cables span nearly 10% of Tahoe’s total shoreline, with a total length of 32,940 feet of cables, located directly below one of the most populated shoreline areas of Lake Tahoe. In an effort to aid in the removal of these dormant lead cables, a new organization is stepping up in the Lake Tahoe community to promptly remove these potentially harmful lead cables from the lake. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
Sacramento water providers harnessed historic 2023 storms to boost groundwater
“Sacramento-area water providers leveraged the historic winter storms of 2023 to boost groundwater levels through in-lieu recharge, banking over 12.3 billion gallons of water during the year, according to a new analysis from the Regional Water Authority (RWA), which represents nearly two dozen water providers serving 2.2 million people in the greater Sacramento region. In-lieu recharge is the combined management of both surface water and groundwater use, resulting in the replenishment of groundwater supplies within the aquifers. Every gallon of surface water served to customers in lieu of groundwater results in water saved in the groundwater aquifer. RWA’s analysis found that water providers opted for 70 percent surface water in 2023 (a very wet year) compared to 53 percent in 2022 (a very dry year). This substantial 17 percent shift allowed the groundwater aquifers to recover, resulting in nearly 38,000 acre-feet (over 12.3 billion gallons) of water stored—enough to serve about 113,700 households for a year. … ” Read more from the Regional Water Authority.
Harmful algae detected in Oakland’s Lake Merritt could be ‘an ominous sign for the Bay’
“Earlier this month, signs posted around Oakland’s Lake Merritt made some joggers stop in their tracks. “Avoid water contact,” they cautioned in bold letters. “Harmful algae may be present.” The warnings came after a mysterious red substance emerged in the water between the Lake Merritt Sailboat House and the Rotary Nature Center on March 7, as the Oaklandside first reported. Subsequent lab testing by the California Department of Public Health and San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board last week confirmed the presence of Heterosigma akashiwo in the water — the same species of harmful algae responsible for the Bay Area-wide red tides and mass fish kills reported in 2022 and 2023. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
Mid-Kaweah GSA navigates state regulatory rapids
“The Mid-Kaweah Groundwater Sustainability Agency reported to the Visalia City Council on March 18 that progress is being made on enacting a plan for future water solutions after years of regulatory setbacks. The initial plan was submitted to the California Water Resources Board in 2020, but the plan was deemed incomplete and was sent back to the MKGSA with orders to revise within 180 days. A revised plan was then submitted in 2022, but that plan also failed. The agency was formed following the passage of a state law known as the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), which aims to create a statewide plan to preserve groundwater levels. The law sets a target of reaching sustainability by year 2040. … ” Read more from the Foothills Sun-Gazette.
Tribal Beneficial Uses proposal for Mono Lake and Mono Basin streams
“Last Friday the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board released a draft report advancing the Mono Basin Tribal Beneficial Uses Designation Project. This project proposes to amend the Water Quality Control Plan for the Lahontan Region to designate Tribal Beneficial Uses for Mono Lake and its tributary streams. Lahontan states that designation “serves to acknowledge and highlight the need to maintain water quality sufficient to protect Tribal cultural and Tribal subsistence uses of waterbodies in the Mono Basin” and adds that “completion of this project will advance efforts towards racial equity.” Tribal Beneficial Uses of state waters were defined by the State Water Board in 2017, and the Lahontan action would represent the first implementation in California. The proposed designation was developed with extensive consultation with the Mono Lake Kutzadika’a Tribe (also spelled Kootzaduka’a) and other area tribes about traditional and cultural uses of Mono Lake and its tributary streams. … ” Read more from the Mono Lake Committee.
The high-tech ways San Diego’s water transmission pipelines are maintained
“It takes a lot of pipelines to get water to all of San Diego County’s nearly three-and-a-half-million people. This story is about large-diameter pipelines. Three hundred eight miles of those big pipes run all through the county, delivering water to the San Diego County Water Authority and its 23 member agencies. So, it’s critical those pipelines are properly maintained. “These large diameter pipelines are known in the industry as transmission pipelines. So they’re like the main arteries in your body,” said Martin Coghill. Sticking with the medical analogy, you might call Martin Coghill the lead physician when it comes to the health of this area’s water transmission pipelines. His actual title is operations and maintenance manager for asset management for the Water Authority. … ” Read more from KPBS.
METROPOLITAN: Committee briefed on Colorado River interim and post-2026 operating guidelines
“At the March meeting of Metropolitan’s One Water and Stewardship Committee, staff updated the committee on the Reclamation’s release of the final SEIS for the interim Colorado River operating guidelines and the Lower Colorado River Basin’s alternative for post-2026 operations. On March 5, the Bureau of Reclamation released a final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) to update the current interim operating guidelines through the end of 2026, when they expire. Engineer Laura Lamdin provided an update on the document and the preferred alternative. … ” Read this article from Maven’s Notebook.
