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In California water news this weekend …
Additional storms eyeing the West Coast to end March
“The rain and mountain snow sweeping across the Western states this weekend will become a familiar sight across the region as March comes to a close. Mother Nature will provide a stormy one-two punch to send off the month, AccuWeather forecasters say. A storm that arrived at the end of the week provided a not-so-pleasant first weekend of spring for those hoping to enjoy the new season outdoors, with areas of rain and mountain snow stretching from Washington to California. In the wake of this storm, which is expected to go on and produce a blizzard in the northern Plains and severe weather farther south, chilly, showery weather will linger across the Western states for the early part of the new week. … ” Read more from AccuWeather.
Forecasted State Water Project water supply allocation doubles following February storms
“The Department of Water Resources (DWR) today announced a second increase in the State Water Project (SWP) allocation forecast for 2024. The forecasted allocation is now 30 percent of requested supplies, up from the 15 percent allocation update announced last month. The State Water Project is a critical water source for 29 public water agencies that serve 27 million Californians. The revised allocation forecast is based on snow survey measurements and data up until March 1 and spring runoff forecasts outlined in the latest Bulletin 120, which was released on March 8. The next possible allocation update would come after the next round of snow surveys around April 1. Currently, the statewide snowpack is 98 percent of average for this date. … ” Read more from Maven’s Notebook.
California doubles State Water Project allocation thanks to February storms
“On the heels of a soaking start to 2024, state water managers on Friday announced a considerable increase in their forecasted water allocation for the year. The California Department of Water Resources said it expects to provide 30% of requested supplies from the State Water Project, a massive network of reservoirs, canals and dams that supplies 29 water agencies serving about 27 million people. The increase is double the initial projection issued in February of 15%. … “Mid- to late February storms have since improved hydrological conditions particularly for Northern California, allowing for a more robust water supply allocation,” the agency said in a statement. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via Yahoo News.
Reclamation increases 2024 Central Valley Project water supply allocations
“Today, the Bureau of Reclamation announced an increase in Central Valley Project 2024 water supply allocations. After below average precipitation in January, Reclamation announced an initial water supply allocation for the CVP on Feb. 21. Mid to late February storms have since improved hydrological conditions particularly for Northern California, allowing for a more robust water supply allocation. “Thanks to the improved hydrology, we are pleased to announce a bump in water supply allocations for the Central Valley Project,” said California-Great Basin Regional Director Karl Stock. “While the series of storms in Northern California improved the water supply outlook, a number of factors, particularly anticipated regulatory constraints throughout the spring, continue to limit the water supply allocation for south-of-Delta agriculture.” … ” Read more from Maven’s Notebook.
Fresno Co. farmers disappointed after water allocation results
“Fresno County farmers are disappointed following the announcement of the Bureau of Reclamation regarding an update to the water allocations for the Central Valley Project water users. Officials say the initial allocation for South of Delta agricultural contractors, including Westlands Water District, was set at 15 percent of the total water contract. Friday’s announcement revises the previous allocation to 35 percent for South of Delta agricultural contractors. “Inadequate and unpredictable water supplies have a direct impact on the communities and farms in the San Joaquin Valley and their ability to feed the nation and the world,” said Allison Febbo, General Manager, of Westlands Water District. … ” Read more from Your Central Valley.
Central Valley rivers see robust steelhead returns this year
“California’s Central Valley rivers have seen what the California Department of Fish and Wildlife has described as “incredibly strong” steelhead returns this year. This is in contrast to the record low fall-run Chinook salmon returns on the mainstem Sacramento River that have led to another year of severely limited salmon fishing opportunities or closures. A new record for the number of steelhead returning to the Mokelumne River was set this year. A total of 1,749 steelhead, including 968 adults and 781 fish under 18 inches, have come back to the system this season, reported William Smith, manager of the Mokelumne River Fish Hatchery. … ” Read more from the Daily Kos.
Legislation to safeguard salmon and steelhead trout from lethal storm water contaminant authored by Assemblymember Papan approved by committee
“Today, legislation to protect California’s iconic salmon and steelhead trout authored by Assemblymember Diane Papan (D-San Mateo) was approved by the Assembly Committee on Transportation with a bipartisan vote. The S.A.L.M.O.N Act (Stormwater Anti-Lethal Measures for Our Natives Act), would mandate the development and implementation of a regional strategy by the Department of Transportation (Caltrans) to eliminate 6PPD from stormwater discharges into specified salmon and steelhead trout-bearing surface waters of the state. “The S.A.L.M.O.N Act will begin the process of safeguarding California’s native salmon species and the $500 million fishing industry that relies upon it,” said Papan. “The threat posed by 6PPD is significant and this legislation provides the first step to protect our environment, economy, and cultural heritage.” … ” Read more from Assemblymember Diane Papan.
Racial discrimination complaint names State Water Board as partly to blame for fertilizer contamination in Central Coast drinking wells
“This week, Latino community groups were joined by Monterey Waterkeeper and the Environmental Justice and Common Good Initiative at Santa Clara University in filing a Civil Rights Complaint with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) against the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board). The complaint addressed the racially disproportionate impacts caused by the State Water Board’s failure to regulate water pollution from nitrogen fertilizers used by the agricultural industry in California’s Central Coast region. According to an analysis of census and well monitoring data completed by Santa Clara University scientists, groundwater in the Central Coast region is 4.4 times more likely to contain nitrate levels above state drinking water standards in Latino communities as compared to non-Latino communities. Further, nitrate levels in Latino communities are likely to be almost 150% higher than those in mostly white communities. … ” Continue reading this press release at Maven’s Notebook.
Reclamation announces $3.4 million to improve the safety of Sisk Dam
“Reclamation today announced a $5.5 million investment from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to repair the Willow Creek Dam in Montana and the B.F. Sisk Dam in California as part of the Investing in America agenda. B.F. Sisk Dam in California will use $3.4 million to modify the Phase 1 contract, to adapt to delays caused by high precipitation levels in 2023. Reclamation worked with the contractor to adapt to these difficult conditions by modifying the contract to allow for the utilization of construction methods that could be safely executed at higher reservoir elevations. The project previously received a $100 million investment from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. “Through President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, Reclamation is able to fund vital dam repairs, safeguarding local water supplies and paving the way for sustainable, reliable infrastructure for generations to come,” said Commissioner Camille Calimlim Touton. “Reclamation’s dam safety program has been improving the safety of dams for decades, and these new investments are vital to ensure the maintenance and advancement of this essential program.” … ” Read more from the Bureau of Reclamation.
How big a climate threat are atmospheric rivers?
In 1862, a flood of biblical proportions hit California. In the state’s Central Valley region, the “Great Flood” spawned lakes that grew to be 20 miles wide and 250 miles long. It killed thousands, devastating entire towns and huge swaths of farmland. In Sacramento, the state capital, flood waters forced Leland Stanford, the newly elected governor, to travel in a rowboat to his inauguration. Some scientists suspect that atmospheric rivers, plumes of water vapor that transport water from the poles and dump heavy rain or snow when they hit land, caused the extreme flooding in 1862. These rivers in the sky have become increasingly powerful in the decades since, pummeling California and the western United States the past few winters. They will likely grow even more severe in a warming world. Western states need to prepare accordingly. … ” Read more from the Council on Foreign Relations.
Legal analysis: Sacramento County Superior Court rules in favor of the State Water Board’s Substitute Environmental Document for Phase I of the Bay-Delta Plan
“On March 15, 2024, the Sacramento County Superior Court found that the State Water Board’s substitute environmental document did not violate the Porter-Cologne Act, the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”), the public trust doctrine, or article X, section 2 of the California Constitution. (State Water Board Cases, Super. Ct. Sacramento County, 2024, No. JCCP5013.) The court found that the State Water Board sufficiently evaluated the impacts of the updated plan for the San Francisco Bay/Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary (“Bay-Delta Plan”) and complied with its obligations under the Porter-Cologne Act and CEQA when it established a 40% unimpaired flow objective to protect San Joaquin River watershed fish populations. … ” Read more from Downey Brand.
DWR releases a resource guide for funding SGMA implementation
“The Department of Water Resources (DWR) today released its Resource Guide for Funding Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) Implementation. The purpose of this high-level funding resource guide is to provide Groundwater Sustainability Agencies (GSAs) with information that will support the selection and development of self-funding streams for funding Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) implementation. This funding primer outlines common funding mechanisms available to GSAs and provides a general approach that agencies can consider when developing a funding mechanism. … ” Read more and download guide at Maven’s Notebook.
California Forever denies accusations of tricking voters to sign initiative
“California Forever is collecting signatures in an attempt to appear on Solano County’s November 2024 ballot. They need just over 13,000 signatures from voters registered in Solano County to get to the ballot, but the process is already off to a rocky start. A signature sheet for the “East Solano Homes, Jobs and Clean Energy Initiative” by California Forever has been making its way around Solano County and generating concern from some. The Solano County Registrar of Voters Office says they’ve been receiving many reports of “voters being misinformed by circulators collecting signatures” and put out a statement Thursday to inform voters of their rights. … California Forever said in a statement Friday that the hired signature gatherers are professionals who have done this job for many other statewide and local ballot initiatives. … ” Read more from Channel 10.
SEE ALSO: California Forever accuses opponents of ‘misinformation’, from the Daily Reporter
In commentary this weekend …
Drain the reservoirs, return California’s stolen land
Edward Ring, Director, Water and Energy Policy at the California Policy Center, writes, “The logical extension of California’s environmentalist policies is to end civilization as we know it. But California’s progressive elites are not crazy or stupid. So what is their actual motivation? The destruction of dams on the Klamath River provides an encouraging precedent for progressives throughout California. As was breathlessly reported in the San Francisco Chronicle and elsewhere, indigenous tribes are now able to recover their sacred land and revive their ancestral villages and way of life. It is time for California’s progressive supermajority to do the right thing and return all stolen land to the first peoples. They can start by draining the rest of California’s reservoirs. Not only is demolishing California’s dams, draining all of its reservoirs, and returning the restored riverfront property to their rightful claimants an appropriate reparatory gesture, but it will also set the rivers themselves free. Unshackled, they will again be welcoming habitats for salmon and other aquatic life, able to send torrents of nurturing fresh water into California’s Central Valley and ultimately into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. … ” Continue reading at the California Policy Center.
Sinking thinking – Contrasts in approaches to water law & policy
“Angeles Chapter’s Water Committee’s newer member Shirley Nixon, a former public interest environmental lawyer from WA state, ponders her continuing discoveries of differences between Washington & California’s approaches to water management. “As I drove south from Seattle in a car loaded with items too precious to entrust to the moving van, the startlingly depleted level of Lake Shasta, seen from the I-5 bridge, forewarned of unfamiliar water issues ahead. Seasoned water warriors generously helped teach me about California water law, and wondered about differences between WA and CA approaches. Where to begin?!? … ” Read more from the Sierra Club.
In people news this weekend …
Promotions, passings, profiles – submit people news items to maven@mavensnotebook.com.
Joe Bodovitz, Pioneer who helped save San Francisco Bay and California coast, dies at 93
“In the 1950s and 60s, San Francisco Bay was a different place. It was polluted daily with millions of gallons of poorly treated sewage. Almost all the shoreline — a hodgepodge of ugly industrial sites, garbage dumps and warehouses — was off limits to the public. Developers had already filled in one-third of the bay for projects like Foster City, and had plans to fill in much of the rest. Then the tide began to turn. Environmental groups sprang up. Conservation laws were passed. And Joe Bodovitz, a 35-year-old former newspaper reporter, switched careers at the request of former Sunset magazine and books publisher Mel Lane to become executive director of a new state agency aimed at protecting the bay. Bodovitz helped build that agency, the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC), and later became the first executive director of the California Coastal Commission in 1973, where he established groundbreaking rules to guarantee public access to oceanfront beaches that millions of people enjoy today. He died March 9 in San Francisco. He was 93. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
Women of the Delta: Hidden no more
“The role women have played in Delta history has been somewhat invisible, said Maryellen Burns, president of the Sacramento River Delta Historical Society: “They’re the ones who did the interviews, they’re the ones who transcribed them, but the people they interviewed were men.” The Society took steps to remedy that Tuesday with its program, “Hidden Figures – Women of the Delta,” at the Walnut Grove Library. The program highlighted four historical figures using the Readers Theater Method, with modern women acting out their roles. … ” Continue reading at the Delta Protection Commission.
Podcasts …
WE GROW CALIFORNIA:How ya doin’?
Darcy and Darcy are all alone this week discussing everything water and AG. From potential So Cal Water rate increases, Climate Adaptation Management Planning, tomato planting, and pricing, to allocations. These two have been busy this last week, joining the conversations locally and at the state level, farming, and doing what they do. If you make this one to the end, the Darcy’s have instructions on how to get a very special “gold star.” Join the conversation!
WATER IS A MANY SPLENDOR’ED THING PODCAST: A Respect for Water
Water is life to the Winnemem Wintu People; from the beginning of mankind’s time on Earth to the future that is yet to be revealed. Chief Caleen Sisk describes the meaning of water and how their ceremonies support the People and the Earth. Water is a Many Splendor’ed Thing brings you another water relationship that has a personally significant impact to your life. Produced by Steven Baker, Bringing People Together to Solve Water Problems, water@operationunite.co 530-205-6388
ECONEWS REPORT: Can we clean up Humboldt Bay before the sea rises?
The industrial legacy of the 20th Century left many contaminated sites around Humboldt Bay. Our second special episode on communities at risk from sea level rise features local residents talking about several of the most vulnerable sites, including Tuluwat Island, Butcher Slough in Arcata, and the nuclear waste storage site above King Salmon. Many thanks to Hilanea Wilkinson, Adam Canter, Jerry Rohde, Nate Faith, and to Jessie Eden, who produced this episode with funding provided by the California Coastal Commission Whale Tail Grant Program.
In regional water news this weekend …
NORTH COAST
The Klamath River’s dams are being removed. Inside the effort to restore a scarred watershed
“Near the California-Oregon border, reservoirs that once submerged valleys have been drained, revealing a stark landscape that had been underwater for generations. A thick layer of muddy sediment covers the sloping ground, where workers have been scattering seeds and leaving meandering trails of footprints. In the cracked mud, seeds are sprouting and tiny green shoots are appearing. With water passing freely through tunnels in three dams, the Klamath River has returned to its ancient channel and is flowing unhindered for the first time in more than a century through miles of waterlogged lands. Using explosives and machinery, crews began blasting and tearing into the concrete of one of the three dams earlier this month. While the massive dismantling project advances, a parallel effort to restore the river to a natural state is just beginning. “It’s a beautiful thing, and a beautiful feeling, that that process of healing has begun,” said Leaf Hillman, a member of the Karuk Tribe who spent more than two decades campaigning for the removal of dams, and who said he’s overjoyed to see the process finally underway. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via Yahoo News.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Dangerous chemicals found in Friendly Acres Mobile Home Park groundwater supply well
“Unsafe levels of dangerous chemicals were discovered in the drinking water of residents in the Friendly Acres Mobile Home Park in Red Bluff this year. This prompted the state water resources control board to hold a meeting in Red Bluff to look for answers and solutions. The chemicals detected are called Per- and Polyfluorinated Substances (PFAS) studies have revealed associations between exposure to specific PFAS and a variety of adverse health effects including altered immune and thyroid function, liver and kidney disease, adverse reproductive and developmental outcomes, and cancer. … ” Read more from KRCR.
Lake Oroville at 866 feet elevation; total Feather River releases at 10,000 cfs
“Lake Oroville is at 866 feet elevation as of Friday, the Department of Water Resources said, which is up three feet from March 16. This is 86% of Lake Oroville’s storage capacity and 125% of the historical average. Feather River water flows through Oroville are at 1,000 cubic feet per second. Releases from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet are at 9,000 cfs. … ” Read more from Action News Now.
Exploring the rich history and ecological significance of Putah Creek
“Lake County possesses numerous creeks that lazily wind around our watershed. Putah Creek is a key creek in our county. It can be found zigzaging down from the headwaters in the Mayacamas Mountains where it originates down to the Yolo Bypass tributary. The creek’s source is attributed to springs found on Cobb Mountain’s eastern side, set among the native alder and willow trees that shade the charming, cool pools which are ideal for trout. This watercourse surges through three counties: Lake, Napa and Solano. The name for Putah Creek has several origin stories. The Lake Miwok Indigenous people called it puta wuwwe, or “grassy creek.” An account from documents of Mission San Francisco Solano, or Sonoma Mission explain that the Indians of this area were named Putto or Puttato. … ” Read more from The Bloom.
CENTRAL COAST
Judge hears testimony in Monterey Peninsula water battle
“A critical set of oral testimonies will help a state regulator determine whether or not the Monterey Peninsula needs a desalination project to generate water supply over the next few decades, or whether the Pure Water Monterey Expansion project will get the job done. The recent evidentiary hearing was set up much like a virtual courtroom. The testimonies and cross examinations lasted five days, ending March 15. The testimonies were heard by California Public Utilities Commission Administrative Law Judge Robert Haga. Many of the testimonies were highly technical, but came down to which contrary estimates of water supply and future demand Judge Haga will believe. Once he’s reached a decision it will then be taken up by the five-member CPUC commissioners. The transcript of the March 14 hearing, the fifth day, alone runs 142 pages. The total transcript of the hearings runs 688 pages. … ” Read more from the Monterey Herald.
Monterey Bay fishermen brace for possible cancelled Salmon fishing season
“Central Coast Salmon fishermen are bracing for another rough salmon season. The last two California salmon fishing seasons were canceled, and this year, a similar scenario could happen. The Pacific Fishery Management Council announced they are considering more drastic measures for the upcoming fishing season, including restricting the season or possibly shutting it down altogether, but those that rely on the salmon fishery said options are frustrating. “There’s only so much as fishermen which we can do. We can stop harvesting the fish, but we really need to step up and rebuild the stock,” said Tim Obert, president of the Commercial Fishermen’s Association. … ” Read more from KSBY.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Mid-Kings River GSA holds meeting ahead of state probationary hearing
Geoff Vanden Heuvel, Director of Regulatory and Economic Affairs at the Milk Producers Council, writes, “It was a big week in Hanford, California for the Mid-Kings River Groundwater Sustainability Agency (MKRGSA), one of the five Groundwater Sustainability Agencies in the Tulare Lake Subbasin. Three identical public workshops were held where landowners learned what the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) is all about, what MKRGSA’s plan is going forward and how this plan is going to impact farmers in this area with groundwater pumping restrictions and costs. The reason I am writing about this, and the reason so many other people outside of the area are watching, is because the Tulare Lake Subbasin is the FIRST subbasin that is having a formal State Water Resources Control Board (State Board) Probationary Hearing. This Probationary Hearing was triggered when the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) declared last year that the Tulare Lake Subbasin Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) was “inadequate.” The hearing is scheduled for April 16, 2024. … ” Read ore from the Milk Producers Council.
Dead fish piling up in pockets along the western reach of the Kern River concern Bakersfield residents; may prompt return to court
“After taking a bike ride along the Kern River recently, Bakersfield resident Jonathan Vegas was dismayed by what he found the farther west he pedaled. “More of the river has dried up, and the smell of death goes on for miles from the dead fish carcasses throughout the riverbed,” he wrote in an email. “It’s almost unbearable out there.” Flows reaching the McClung Weir, about 3 miles west of Allen Road, have, indeed dropped. They had been about 14 cubic feet per second in January. But through most of March, they’ve gone down to about 5 cfs. The shrinking river hasn’t gone unnoticed by the plaintiffs in a lawsuit who won an injunction last fall ordering the city to keep enough water in the river to “keep fish in good condition.” … ” Read more from SJV Water.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Editorial: L.A. may not get another wet winter for a while. We should prepare for drier times
The LA Times editorial board writes, “It’s the second straight year of above-average rain and snow in California, amid the state’s driest period in 1,200 years. The respite from drought is certainly welcome, despite flooding, mudslides and associated miseries. Now meteorologists and oceanographers are watching possible La Niña conditions develop in the Pacific, perhaps signaling a return to drier times. It’s an appropriate time to take stock — of how we weathered the last two winters, what we’ve learned and what’s ahead. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Gusty winds, rainy conditions to continue across Southern California through the weekend
“Gusty winds and rainy conditions will continue across Southern California this weekend, with intermittent showers expected through Sunday morning. Steady rain will continue in Los Angeles County until about noon, followed by sporadic showers in some areas throughout the day, according to Mike Wofford, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Oxnard. Most areas will see about a quarter to a half-inch of rain, he said. “For some areas this may be it. For some other areas we will be seeing additional rain,” he said. Gusty wind conditions are expected along the coast, with winds of 30 mph Saturday, increasing to 30 to 40 mph on Sunday. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
South County looks to diversify water portfolio with desalination, direct potable reuse
“South Orange County is heavily reliant on imported water, with the price of that water continuing to rise. Without readily available water to help the area through emergency situations, water districts serving South Orange County residents such as South Coast Water District and Moulton Niguel Water District are looking to diversify their water supplies with ocean water desalination and direct potable reuse. Ocean desalination’s growing role in Southern California’s water supply is “a positive move towards overall regional reliability by having a new local source of supply in an area that currently is limited on water resources,” South Coast Water District Assistant General Manager Marc Serna said. … ” Read more from the Dana Point Times.
Along the Colorado River …
Tribes to feds: Don’t take our Colorado River water unless you replace it
“In 1922, the Colorado River Compact that divided the river’s water rights among seven U.S. states and Mexico left tribes out of the picture. No water was allocated to them, even though the U.S. Supreme Court had already issued a precedent-setting 1908 ruling that a Montana-based tribe had rights to use enough water to fulfill the purposes of its reservation. Tribes were left out of the process again in 2007, when the states and the U.S. government drew up operating guidelines for the river that remain in force today. Despite this history of exclusion, a number of tribes scraped their way, through lawsuits, threats to sue and pushing Congress, to obtaining water rights — to the point that they now control about one-fourth of all rights on the river. But they’re worried state and federal officials will squeeze them out in trying to deal with the long-term drought and climate change imperiling the Colorado’s future. … ” Read more from the Arizona Daily Star.
Cox optimistic Utah will end up with ‘fair’ Colorado River allocation as negotiations continue
“Gov. Spencer Cox says he’s “optimistic” Utah and the six other Colorado River Basin states will be able to reach an agreement on how to share the river’s vital water supply after the Lower Basin states said they’ve been unable to reach a “consensus” plan that would go into effect in 2027. The states are expected to meet in the coming weeks while the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation shifts its focus to a post-2026 plan for the Colorado River, Lake Powell and Lake Mead, after selecting a near-term plan the seven states had proposed to the federal government last year. While the states have different proposals on the table, Cox said he believes the Upper Basin states of Utah, Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming have had a “far better” relationship with the Lower Basin states of Arizona, California and Nevada over the past few years. He says both sides agree the future of the Colorado River is not a “zero-sum game.” … ” Read more from KSL.
Also on Maven’s Notebook this weekend …
NOTICE: Regulation Rulemaking on the Model Water Efficient Landscape Ordinance (MWELO): Comments due by April 3
