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On the calendar today …
- EVENT: Salinity Management Workshop Day 1 beginning at 9am. The Delta Science Program is hosting a two-day virtual workshop to discuss tools and strategies, identify knowledge gaps, and build shared goals for adaptively managing ocean saltwater intrusion in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Today, the workshop will focus on tradeoffs involved with salinity management and who is impacted by different management actions. Click here to register.
- WEBINAR: Dirt in the Ditches: A Practical Look at How the Sackett Decision Affects WOTUS Permitting Nationwide from 12pm to 1pm. Join Nossaman for a webinar exploring the practical ramifications of the Sackett decision. We will provide a brief overview of the history of and controversy surrounding the definition of WOTUS and a panel discussion on how the Court’s narrowing of the WOTUS definition has and will continue affecting permitting under the CWA. Click here to register.
- WEBINAR: Nature-based Solutions for Climate Resilience from 12:30pm to 2pm. As climate change continues to impact both natural systems and communities, nature-based practices can provide an important solution for building climate resilience and provide other benefits. This webcast features professionals from across the country that are conducting nature-based projects to promote climate resilience. Speakers will discuss a variety of work related to the restoration, protection, and management of natural and modified ecosystems.Speakers include Dan Constable and Erin Mullin with the Delta Stewardship Council. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
Back-to-back storms to soak West Coast, trigger flood threat in California
“March came in like a lion across Southern California and is set to go out in a similar fashion as an atmospheric river storm aims at the region by the end of the week with the potential for flooding rain. It’ll be the second storm to strike the West Coast this week. A first storm will roll through the Pacific Northwest late Wednesday into Thursday. Widespread rain will cover the Interstate 5 corridor, with 6-12 inches of snow possible in the higher elevations of the Washington and Oregon Cascades. For the lowlands, Seattle in Washington and Portland in Oregon have received less than half of their average rain for March, so this rain will be welcomed and get them closer to average. … ” Read more from Fox Weather.
SEE ALSO: California could be hit by potent late-season storm this week, from the San Francisco Chronicle
Closer water monitoring needed as wildfires increase
“With climate change leading to increases in the size and frequency of wildfires, UC Santa Cruz researchers warn that such natural disasters can change the chemistry of nearby streams that people and wildlife depend on for drinking water. However, the researchers found that the baseline water-chemistry data needed to detect such changes aren’t always available. “Wildfires are becoming more common, yet the effects of wildfire on streams and their water quality remain unclear,” they explain in their recently published study. “Changes in stream water quality following a wildfire can have consequences for drinking water and aquatic ecosystems.” … ” Read more from UC Santa Cruz.
UC Santa Cruz researchers study impacts of CZU fires on local streams
“After the CZU Lightning Complex fires tore through the counties of San Mateo and Santa Cruz in 2020, over 86,000 acres of land were left ravaged in its wake. Now, scientists from UC Santa Cruz are looking into the aftermath of the wildfires in nearby watersheds. One month after the fires, coastal hydrologist Christina Richardson organized a team and scoured the mountains to assess any variance in the stream water composition. They spent over two years taking samples and analyzing water chemistry across four different sources: San Lorenzo River, Laguna Creek, Majors Creek and Scott Creek. The post-fire results were then compared with pre-fire data obtained from partnerships with organizations such as the Santa Cruz Water Department. “With climate change, wildfires are becoming more common,” said Richardson. “There’s just a paucity of pre-fire data that has impaired our understanding of how fires are actually impacting stream water composition. And because streams are often used for drinking water, this is particularly important to understand.” … ” Read more from the Monterey Herald.
Yes, beavers can help stop wildfires. And more places in California are embracing them
“A vast burn scar unfolds in drone footage of a landscape seared by massive wildfires north of Lake Tahoe. But amid the expanses of torched trees and gray soil, an unburnt island of lush green emerges. The patch of greenery was painstakingly engineered. A creek had been dammed, creating ponds that slowed the flow of water so the surrounding earth had more time to sop it up. A weblike system of canals helped spread that moisture through the floodplain. Trees that had been encroaching on the wetlands were felled. But it wasn’t a team of firefighters or conservationists who performed this work. It was a crew of semiaquatic rodents whose wetland-building skills have seen them gain popularity as a natural way to mitigate wildfires. A movement is afoot to restore beavers to the state’s waterways, many of which have suffered from their absence. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via AOL News.
California farmers could save a lot of water — but their profits would suffer
“California farmers could save massive amounts of water if they planted less thirsty — but also less lucrative — crops such as grains and hay instead of almonds and alfalfa, according to new research by scientists who used remote sensing and artificial intelligence. Such a seismic shift in the nation’s most productive agricultural state could cut consumption by roughly 93%, researchers with UC Santa Barbara and the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory reported Monday. But Anna Boser, the study’s lead author, acknowledged that replacing all of California’s water-intensive crops with the least-intensive ones is an unrealistic economic scenario. “In reality, that is not going to happen,” Boser told CalMatters. “Grain and hay crops aren’t really super economically viable in California, which is why everybody is growing crops that are more water intensive.” … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
California’s farms have a good chance of navigating the water crisis
“California is synonymous with sunshine and abundance – its fertile soil and ideal climate make it the nation’s agricultural breadbasket. Here, over a third of the country’s vegetables and nearly three-quarters of fruits and nuts are grown. Yet, a water crisis looms in California. Declining groundwater levels, exacerbated by a changing climate, threaten the very foundation of this agricultural powerhouse. Drastic measures might be needed – but could smarter farming practices help avoid the worst? … ” Read more from Earth.com.
What uses most of California’s water supply?
“Does the public sector need the private sector’s help to address the freshwater crisis? That’s the controversial thesis of Stanford law and environmental social sciences professor Barton “Buzz” Thompson’s provocatively titled new book: Liquid Asset: How Business and Government Can Partner to Solve the Freshwater Crisis. (Buzz is also a member of the PPIC Water Policy Center’s research network.) We sat down with him to hear more. Q: How is the private sector currently involved in water? A: The private sector is already involved in water in many ways, some more controversial than others. The private provision of water and water marketing are the most controversial because they impact how water is allocated—who gets it, and who doesn’t. … ” Read more from the PPIC.
Millions of bizarre, blue sea creatures wash up on Northern California shores
“Going to the beach in Northern California is a little more, let’s say, “interesting” this spring, as the sand in many places has been replaced with squishy, electric-blue carpets of jellylike sea creatures. Sightings of the bizarre animals, known as Velella velella or “by-the-wind sailors,” run as far north as Tomales Bay and south as Monterey. “Millions dead down here in Monterey,” one person reported this weekend on Facebook. “Up and down the beach for as far as you can see in both directions.” By-the-wind-sailors typically live and feed farther out in the Pacific. But some years around spring, the wind and likely warmer ocean waters drive them in spectacular numbers to the West Coast. They were out in force in Southern California last April, for example, and before that during the warm El Niño years of 2014 through 2016. … ” Continue reading from the San Jose Mercury News.
Pioneering project to restore bull kelp forests in Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary
“Bull kelp forests, one of Earth’s most productive and biodiverse habitats, are in decline globally. Off the coast of Northern California, NOAA and the Greater Farallones Association are embarking on a critical mission to restore bull kelp in the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary. NOAA’s Office of Habitat Conservation awarded the Greater Farallones Association $4.9 million through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act for this effort. Like coral reefs, or forests on land, kelp forests are self-sustaining ecosystems. Hundreds of marine species—including invertebrates, fish, and marine mammals—find food and shelter within kelp forests’ towering stems and dark canopy. Kelp also captures carbon—20 times more than terrestrial forests—making it a crucial player in the fight against climate change. However, over the last decade, marine heat waves and a surging population of kelp-devouring purple sea urchins decimated bull kelp forests. … ” Read more from NOAA Fisheries.
Western U.S. hydropower generation fell to a 22-year low last year
“According to preliminary data from our Electricity Data Browser, the least hydropower was generated in the western United States during the 2022–23 water year (October 1 through September 30) since at least 2001. Western region hydropower generation dropped by 11% from the previous water year to 141.6 million megawatthours (MWh). Hydropower generation in the western United States can vary significantly from year to year because the amount of precipitation influences generation. Precipitation mostly accumulates in the fall and winter months in the form of snow at higher elevations. Snowpack accumulated during the winter serves as natural water storage that starts to melt in the springtime as temperatures gradually increase. The western United States—Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming, California, Oregon, and Washington—produced most (60%) of the country’s hydroelectricity last water year (2022–23). … ” Read more from the US Energy Information Administration.
SEE ALSO: Heat and drought are sucking US hydropower dry, from The Verge
In commentary today …
A better alternative for saving the Colorado River
The California Farm Water Coalition writes, “As the lifeblood of the arid American Southwest, the Colorado River stands as both a symbol of vitality and a testament to the intricate balance between human necessity and environmental stewardship. Flowing through seven U.S. states and Mexico, its waters sustain over 40 million people, vast agricultural lands, tribal interests and a myriad of ecosystems. Yet, despite its crucial role, the Colorado River faces an unprecedented challenge: water supply shortages driven by climate change, urban development, and allocations that no longer match the decreasing supply from the river. Over roughly the past 20 years, the Colorado River’s once robust flow has dwindled, signaling a looming crisis for 40 million people and millions of acres of critical farmland. The Upper Basin consisting of Wyoming, Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico while the Lower Basin, comprised of California, Arizona and Nevada, have a combined interest in solving the crisis, and everyone that relies on the river must be part of the effort to ensure its long-term viability. … ” Read more from the California Farm Water Coalition.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Water sent to Lower Klamath NWR through Tule Lake Tunnel
“The Tulelake Irrigation District turned on Pumping Plant D on March 25th, sending water from the Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuge through the Tule Lake Tunnel to the Lower Klamath NWR for the first time in four years. According to the Klamath Water Users Association (KWUA), Pumping Plant D operated continuously for close to 70 years as the primary water source for Lower Klamath NWR. But regulatory restrictions on water availability for the Klamath Project prevented water from pumping through the tunnel. Brad Kirby, Manager of the Tulelake Irrigation District (TID), says there’s been a lack of water in the Klamath Project, which wouldn’t allow TID to maintain the Tule Lake and Lower Klamath NWRs. Draining these lands meant habitat for animals like waterfowl and fish was decimated. He says this year, there was finally enough water from this winter to refill the sumps. But he says it’s going to take work to maintain it. … ” Read more from KOBI 5.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
FERC notified PG&E in August of issue at Spaulding powerhouse
“The outage at PG&E’s Spaulding #1 powerhouse, first reported by us on March 9th, was described by PG&E as follows: “During a routine inspection at PG&E’s Spaulding 1 powerhouse on March 6, a leak was discovered adjacent to a pressure relief valve.” A search of public documents on the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) website shows the pressure relief valve being flagged by FERC during a dam safety inspection in July 2023, according to a letter sent to PG&E on August 24, 2023. … ” Read more from YubaNet.
Tahoe ski resorts extend 2024 season as snow keeps falling
“Despite concerns at the start of the winter that this year’s ski season in Tahoe would be a disappointment, things have turned around in the Sierra Nevada, with two resorts extending their opening dates into the spring. In mid-December, the snowpack was sitting at a meager 28% of the average, but some big storms in January and February changed the outlook. This week, both Sugar Bowl and Kirkwood announced plans to lengthen their seasons. “Kirkwood Mountain Resort will be adding two full weeks to our already memorable ski and ride season, remaining open until Sunday, April 28,” Ashlee Lambert, a Vail Resorts spokesperson told SFGATE over email Monday. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
NAPA/SONOMA
Water Audit California questions Napa County decisions
“Water Audit California has voiced concerns about Napa County in recent months, appealing two Planning Commission decisions and calling new county plans for storing paper records a “black hole.” The environmental advocacy group appealed a Dec. 20 county Planning Commission decision approving a Nova Business Park project. But its bigger claim is that the county fails to do adequate due diligence, something the county denies. … Nova Business Park North is a 93-acre property in the Napa County Airport industrial area. The commission approved reconfiguring lots and installing roads, sewer, electrical and other infrastructure. Buildings will require separate approvals. … ” Read more from the Napa Register.
BAY AREA
Tightened wastewater regulations could cost Bay Area cities billions
“At least $11 billion would be needed to upgrade wastewater treatment facilities across the Bay Area if regulators impose anticipated stricter environmental rules, according to a regional water board that seeks to protect the San Francisco Bay. The upgrades at dozens of sewage treatment plants, needed to prevent toxic algae blooms and protect fish, would cost an average of $4,000 per household, and consumers may end up funding the improvements, the Bay Area Clean Water Agencies — a group of the five largest wastewater treatment agencies in the Bay Area — said in a statement. … ” Read more from the San Jose Mercury News.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Valley farmers hope for more rain as water allocations are scarce
“Water is liquid gold to Valley farmers. But getting some of it partly depends on geography. “You’re looking at the tale of two sides of the Valley when it come to what’s going on in the water situation right now. For those east side districts that rely upon that water from the Sierra above us, from the San Joaquin River watershed, Kings River, those are below average but still looking to be a decent year because of the carryover from last year,” said Fresno County Farm Bureau CEO Ryan Jacobsen. The west side, on the other hand, could be doing better. “They are looking pretty dismal as far as what the current allocation is. It was updated to 35% last week, we would expect it to be much better, given the circumstances,” said Jacobsen. … ” Read more from KFSN.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Ready for more rain in SoCal? Rare late-season storm to hit during Easter weekend
“For the third straight weekend, it will be wet in Southern California. A potentially significant storm could arrive in the region this weekend — a rare sight for this time of the year, according to the National Weather Service. The storm is expected to land in Los Angeles County late Friday afternoon and continue through Easter Sunday, said National Weather Service meteorologist Robbie Munroe. Much of the Los Angeles Basin could get 1 to 2 inches of rain, with a possible 3 to 4 inches in the foothills and mountains. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
California city to get nearly month’s worth of rain in four days
“An approaching storm is expected to soak Southern California this weekend, bringing nearly 2 inches of rain to Los Angeles over four days—nearly the city’s average monthly allotment. California has faced an abnormally wet winter as moisture-laden storms and atmospheric rivers dumped a deluge of rain on the state beginning in January. Many California cities have already surpassed their average annual rainfall, including Los Angeles. … ” Read more from Newsweek.
Glendale Water and Power, critics grapple with state water proposal
“State water regulators are one step closer to cementing new conservation rules for California cities, a move that will define how Glendale Water and Power grapples with water supply constraints over the next two decades. The State Water Resources Control Board released updated draft regulations for urban water conservation on March 12, signaling that the state will implement “water budgets” for local agencies such as Glendale Water and Power. California has historically experienced large swings between dry and wet weather, and because of climate change, those seasonal differences are becoming more severe, according to the State Water Board. Hotter and drier periods which are increasing in frequency, reduced snowpack and drier soils are making state water supplies more vulnerable. … ” Read more from the Glendale News-Press.
SAN DIEGO
Broken border sewage plant gets its fix
“Despite fears of last-minute Republican pushback, Congress agreed to send more money to fix a broken wastewater treatment plant in San Diego along the U.S.-Mexico border.There was some speculation from San Diego Democrats that Republican Rep. Darrell Issa would woo his GOP counterparts into stalling the funding if he wasn’t satisfied with explanations about why the South bay International Wastewater Treatment plant had fallen into such disrepair. But the $103 increase to the International Boundary and Water Commission’s budget – the federal agency that manages the plant and other water infrastructure at the border – passed both houses in the $1.2 trillion government spending bill early Saturday morning. … ” Read more from Voice of San Diego.
Along the Colorado River …
It’s been a good year for snow — which bodes well for water negotiations
“Spring is officially here, winter is over — but the snow is still coming down in the Colorado mountains, where the Colorado River starts. It’s been a good year for snowpack up north, and we’ve seen a lot of rain in Phoenix as this El Niño year lives up to its name. A lot of snow in the Colorado Mountains isn’t just good news for skiers and snowboarders. It’s also good news for all of us as we rely on the Colorado River for much of our water in the Southwest. Alex Hager covers the Colorado River for KUNC in Colorado and joined The Show to talk about it. … ” Listen to the show or read the transcript from KJZZ.
Arizona panel OKs secrecy in negotiations to import water using taxpayer money
“A Senate panel voted to shut the public out of the key business of the state agency tasked with finding new water for Arizona. HB 2014 authorizes the Water Infrastructure Finance Authority to enter into agreements to facilitate the construction of a project that would bring water from outside the state into Arizona. It also empowers the agency to negotiate deals with others to agree to purchase the water once it becomes available. But what HB 2014 also would do is exempt all communications and information gathered related to water augmentation from all provisions of the state’s Public Records Law. And the only time anyone could get information would be “on the consent of the authority.” … ” Read more from the Arizona Daily Sun.
