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On the calendar today …
- EVENT: Sierra Day at the Capitol from 9am to 5pm. Sierra Day at the Capitol is an event coordinated by Sierra Nevada Alliance, Sierra Business Council, The Sierra Fund, and League to Save Lake Tahoe to advocate for resource investments and specific budget asks to support our collective conservation and restoration goals benefiting the Sierra Nevada and the state’s water supply, air quality, carbon-storing forests, and premier recreation. Members of the conservation community and the interested public are invited to attend. Together, we will advocate for critical actions to bring more protection, support, and funding to the vastly underfunded Sierra Nevada region. Register today to support the Sierra Nevada region and California’s water, biodiversity, recreation, and air quality. Registration is required. Click here to register.
- LEG HEARING: Senate Committee on Environmental Quality beginning at 9am. Click here for more details.
- MEETING: State Water Resources Control Board beginning at 9am. Agenda items include Consideration of adoption of a proposed Resolution to revise the Interim Mitigation Calculation for the Water Quality Control Policy on the Use of Coastal and Estuarine Waters for Power Plant Cooling, and Consideration of a proposed Resolution adopting a Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) for Hexavalent Chromium and certifying final Environmental Impact Report. Click here for the full agenda and remote access instructions.
- WEBINAR: Southern California Planning for Unsheltered Populations Workshop from 9am to 12pm. The California Silver Jackets Team cordially invites you to a FREE virtual workshop focused on the intersection of flood risk management, emergency action planning, and advocacy for unsheltered communities across Southern California. The goal of this workshop is to provide cross training and develop recommendations for future care driven management of flood systems. Click here to register.
- MEETING: CA Water Commission beginning at 9:30am. Agenda items include an update on the Kern Fan Groundwater Storage Project, an update on the Pacheco Reservoir Expansion Project, and discussion of key topics for strategic plan. Click here for the meeting agenda and remote access instructions.
- WEBINAR: Turf Wars: How Drought Safe Lawns Might be the Answer for California Communities from 11:30am to 1:00pm. California City and County News will present a webinar on water issues and drought-tolerant turf, including how local agencies can improve conservation with minimal impacts to aesthetics and other health and ecological concerns. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
California acts to halt Kings County’s groundwater overpumping
“Kings County growers will face millions of dollars in fees and a mandate to report groundwater pumping after California officials voted unanimously today to put local agencies on probation for failing to protect the region’s underground water supply. The unprecedented decision is a first step that could eventually lead to the state wresting control of a groundwater basin in a severely depleted part of the San Joaquin Valley. Before issuing the probation order, the State Water Resources Control Board had repeatedly warned five groundwater agencies in Kings County that their management plan for the Tulare Lake basin is seriously deficient, failing to rein in the dried-up wells, contaminated water and sinking earth worsened by overpumping. … ” Read more from the Cal Matters.
California state water board places Tulare Lake Subbasin on probation
“California’s state water board Tuesday placed the Tulare Lake Subbasin on a probationary status, a first-of-its-kind move that will impose fees and reporting requirements on those who take water from the area. The probationary status — imposed after a day-long hearing involving water board staff and local agency presentations, as well as public comment — stems from a groundwater sustainability plan that sought to remedy the critical overdraft from the basin. More water is pulled from the basin than rain and other sources can recharge, which leads to subsidence, a sinking of land that can damage infrastructure, as well as lowered aquifers. A 2014 law, the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, requires certain groundwater agencies to submit sustainability plans. Five water agencies that manage the Tulare subbasin submitted a joint plan, which didn’t meet muster last year. That failure triggered the State Water Resources Control Board to step in and, at the end of Tuesday’s day-long meeting, follow its staff’s recommendation and place the subbasin on probation. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
SEE ALSO:
- State will take over groundwater pumping in Kings County, from SJV Water
- California farming area placed on probation over declining groundwater and sinking land, from the LA Times | Read via Yahoo News
- California places Tulare Lake Subbasin on probation — one year after historic flooding in the region, from KVPR
- California initiates first-ever crackdown on groundwater pumping by farms, from the San Francisco Chronicle
- California’s most waterproof water fight, from Politico
Delta coalition files lawsuit demanding State Water Board action on DWR’s outdated water rights before considering Delta Conveyance Project approval
“After waiting 14 years, water rights protestants to a 2009 proceeding filed a complaint against the State Water Resources Control Board (State Board) alleging it has given preferential treatment to the Department of Water Resources (DWR) regarding antiquated water rights claims, and failed to implement state laws requiring the reasonable and equitable development of water diversions and the protection of water resources in the State. DWR is still relying on water rights permits for the development of the controversial Delta Conveyance Project that were issued in 1955 and 1972, despite dramatic changes in the population size of California and in the hydrological cycle due to climate change. The complaint alleges that DWR has failed to comply with state water rights law requiring water rights be timely put to full beneficial use; the purpose of this requirement is to safeguard the public interest. … ” Continue reading this press release.
Water pollution is fueling ocean acidification. Environmentalists urge California to act
“As the burning of fossil fuels and other human activities continue to increase the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, the ocean is absorbing a large portion of the CO2, which is making seawater more acidic. The changing water chemistry in the ocean has far-reaching effects for plankton, shellfish and the entire marine food web. And here’s one important fact about ocean acidification: It’s not happening at the same rate everywhere. The California coast is one of the regions of the world where ocean acidification is occurring the fastest. And researchers have found that local sources of pollution are part of the problem. In particular, effluent discharged from coastal sewage treatment plants, which has high nitrogen levels from human waste, has been shown to significantly contribute to ocean acidification off the Southern California coast. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Environmental groups call for action to curb California’s coastal hot spots caused by ocean acidification and hypoxia
“Recently, California Coastkeeper Alliance, the Natural Resources Defense Council, and a coalition of environmental organizations called on Governor Newsom, the State Legislature and state agencies to take immediate and decisive action to protect California’s coast from the alarming impact of ocean acidification and hypoxia. Recent research has shown that land-based nutrients discharged to the ocean from large coastal wastewater facilities are linked to ocean acidification and the loss of oxygen, creating ocean acidification and hypoxia hot spots. During late summer months, magnified by daily coastal sewage treatment plant discharges, ocean acidification and hypoxia hot spots form, causing marine habitat compression on average of 20% but up to 60% (vertically) for 25% (horizontally – over 1,000 square miles) of the Southern California Bight; even at distances of up to 50 miles offshore. … ” Continue reading this press release.
Land-use bill taps farmland for solar sites
“Proposed state legislation to modify California’s longstanding farmland conservation law could pave the way for large swaths of farm acreage to be repurposed as sites for renewable energy projects. The California Land Conservation Act of 1965, commonly known as the Williamson Act, preserves farmland by assessing property taxes based on the land’s agricultural value rather than its full market value. Landowners with Williamson Act contracts, which cover about half the state’s 30 million acres of farm and ranchland, generally see a 20% to 75% reduction in property taxes. The contracts are agreed between landowners and counties or cities and can only be dissolved by paying a fee of 12.5% of the land value or through a nonrenewal process that takes nine years. … ” Read more from Ag Alert.
The west has a new way to save water
“Solar panels could one day help ease water shortages in the Colorado River Basin, and its integral reservoirs such as Lake Mead in America’s West, a professor has told Newsweek. A University of California Merced study showed how covering 4,000 miles of canal with the panels in the state could result in huge savings for the state in water as well as energy. Researchers say 63 billion gallons of water could be conserved annually, enough for the needs of 2 million people and irrigation across 50,000 acres of agricultural land. “Covering open canals in the Colorado River basin should be as effective as in California,” Roger Bales, a distinguished professor of engineering, at UC Merced, who worked on the study, told Newsweek. … ” Read more from Newsweek.
How cloud seeding works and why it’s wrongly blamed for floods from Dubai to California
“In a place as dry as the desert city of Dubai, whenever they can get rain, they’ll take it. United Arab Emirates authorities will often even try to make it rain—as they did earlier this week when the National Center of Meteorology dispatched planes to inject chemicals into the clouds to try to coax some showering. But this time they got much more than they wanted. … The UAE government media office said it was the heaviest rainfall recorded in 75 years and called it “an exceptional event.” More than a typical year’s worth of water was dumped on the country in a single day. Now, many people are pointing a finger at the “cloud seeding” operations preceding the precipitation. “Do you think the Dubai floods might have something to do with this?” popular social media account Wide Awake Media asked on X, alongside a clip of a news report on the UAE’s weather modification program. … ” Read more from Time Magazine.
NRCS initiatives support avian populations on California’s agriculture lands
“The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in California is taking applications for both the NRCS Migratory Bird Resurgence Initiative (MBRI) and Tricolored Blackbird Initiative through May 24, 2024. California has $500,000 available for each initiative statewide for agricultural producers. “It is our mission to support producers in addressing their resource concerns as well as protect our wildlife,” said NRCS California State Conservationist Carlos Suarez. “These two important initiatives help our California producers improve their operations to keep habitat for critical avian species healthy, safe, and abundant, while keeping our farmers farming.” … ” Continue reading from Morning Ag Clips.
Fifth District Appellate Court revisits King & Gardiner farms, now finding agricultural conservation easements may be required under CEQA as partial mitigation for project’s conversion of agricultural land
“In a partially published opinion—V Lions Farming, LLC v. County of Kern (2024) 100 Cal.App.5th 412—the Fifth District Court of Appeal held that even though agricultural conservation easements (ag easements) may only partially mitigate a project’s conversion of agricultural land, those easements are not obsolete under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). As background, agricultural land is defined by CEQA as “prime farmland, farmland of statewide importance, or unique farmland, as defined by the [USDA] land inventory and monitoring criteria, as modified for California.” (Pub. Resources Code, § 21060.1 (a).) In 2015, Kern County approved an ordinance streamlining the permitting process for new oil and gas wells, and the environmental impact report (EIR) prepared for that ordinance used a no-net-loss threshold of significance for agricultural land. … ” Read more from Somach Simmons & Dunn.
In commentary today …
Beavers are our partners in protecting and restoring California
Kate Lundquist and Brock Dolman, Co-Directors of the Watershed Advocacy, Training, Education, & Research (WATER) Institute and the Bring Back the Beaver Campaign at the Occidental Arts & Ecology Center, write, “If you’re like us, you’re inspired by the natural world and eager to see California’s beautiful mountains, forests, and lakes protected for future generations. You also might be surprised to hear that the health and survival of these places depends on one species more than most: beavers. Put simply, beavers are our partners in protecting and restoring California. Beavers are known as a “keystone species,” meaning they create, modify, and maintain critical ecosystems for insects, birds, mammals, fish, plants, and trees. In fact, 50% of North America’s threatened or endangered species are highly dependent upon beavers for their survival. Beavers primarily live in riparian areas such as rivers, wetlands, and mountain meadows, areas which are similarly known as “keystone ecosystems.” When these habitats are healthy and thriving, this has disproportionate benefits for other ecosystems too. As a result, preserving riparian areas can have an outsized impact on conservation efforts locally and statewide. … ” Read more from Capitol Weekly.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Klamath irrigators express frustration over allocation
“Despite favorable conditions in the Klamath Basin, irrigators say the initial federal water allocation falls short of what farmers in the Klamath Water Project should receive this year. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which manages the project, announced this week that Klamath Basin irrigators will receive an initial allocation of 230,000 acre-feet from the lake. That is 35% less than estimated needs, said Paul Simmons, executive director and counsel for the Klamath Water Users Association. “Within a few weeks, Upper Klamath Lake will be completely full for the first time in seven years, and the snowpack is in good shape for this time of year, yet we are looking at the fifth-worst allocation in the 120 years since the Klamath Project was authorized,” said Simmons, who called the allocation “deeply disappointing.” “Because of the way the internal distribution of water works, we are looking at family farms that will go without water for the fifth straight year.” … ” Read more from Ag Alert.
SEE ALSO: Water managers announce 2024 allocations for Klamath Basin agriculture, from Jefferson Public Radio
Siskiyou County asks federal agency to monitor dam removal project
“The Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors is asking a federal agency to monitor the Klamath River dams removal project. Earlier today, the board approved a written request to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. It formally outlines concerns about the four Klamath River dams removal project. … ” Read more from Channel 12.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Commentary: Acquisition of motel property a key victory for Tahoe’s quality, clarity
Cory Ritchie, board chair of the Tahoe Fund; Amy Berry, CEO of the Tahoe Fund; Steve Spurlock, board chair of the League to Save Lake Tahoe; and Dr. Darcie Goodman Collins, CEO of the League to Save Lake Tahoe; writes, “Efforts to improve Lake Tahoe’s clarity got a major boost last month with the California Tahoe Conservancy’s acquisition of the Motel 6 property and surrounding 31 acres within the Upper Truckee River watershed in South Lake Tahoe. Whether you live in Nevada or California, if you love Lake Tahoe, this is something to celebrate. Following the development boom of the 1950s and ’60s, Lake Tahoe lost nearly 30 feet of water clarity and saw damage to the marshes, meadows and wetlands that serve as its natural water filters. This property acquisition will put the Upper Truckee River watershed on a course to revitalization, improving lake clarity and the habitat for local wildlife. … ” Read more from the Reno Gazette-Journal.
Blessing the Bear River is the highlight of upcoming Community Celebration
“Friends of the Bear River (FBR) are gathering together to celebrate the living water at the River of the Roundhouses, also known as K’umim Seu, for a day of fun and enlightening activities. The Bear River Community Celebration Day will be held on Saturday, April 6 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Bear River Public Access and Fishing Access in Colfax. “It is a time for opportunity and vision,” Richard Marks from Friends of the Bear River said. “All the river loving groups are invited, as well as the public who may want to add to the visioning.” The meet-up will be highlighted by a blessing by Clyde Prout, Tribal Chairman for the Colfax-Todds Valley Consolidated Tribe sometime after 10:00 a.m. The Bear River fishing Access day use sites are easy to access for young and old, with gentle flow of the river to enjoy. … ” Read more from The Union.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Water agency implementing new ways to address American River water security
“One of the biggest challenges California faces is sustaining a reliable water supply for nearly 40 million people. The El Dorado Water Agency (EDWA) is addressing this threat in their new Programmatic Watershed Plan (PWP). Rebecca Guo, General Manager of the EDWA, says they convened 17 different agencies from the local and federal level, to tribal communities and non-profits called the Upper American River Watershed Group (UARWG). The collaboration was an effort to recognize everything is interconnected and work together on sustainable strategies. Guo says they identified eight overarching challenges like: wildfires, environment and workforce. The PWP creates a roadmap to address and actively manage those challenges in the upper American River watershed. … ” Read more from Channel 10.
NAPA/SONOMA
Commentary: Saving rainwater for sunny days to come
Grant Davis, General Manager of Sonoma Water, writes, “The current water year, which began Oct. 1, has been wetter than usual, with the Russian River watershed accumulating 119% of the yearly average rainfall, totaling 49.38 inches since October. In the past, we might have celebrated our good fortune and watched lake levels rise only to watch much of it sent downriver to the Pacific Ocean as reservoirs reached an inflexible upper threshold. Today, we get to continue enjoying that ample rainfall long after summer sunshine arrives. With almost a decade of data under its belt, the Russian River Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations program has been making great strides by demonstrating the viability of this strategy to operate reservoirs more effectively using modern technology and forecasting. … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Work to repair damage from deluge continues
“From Sequoia Park to the old Tulare Lake bed, local authorities recount the same story. A deluge of biblical proportions, including heavy rain and storm runoff, in the past year in the Kaweah, Kings and Tule basins has caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to the region’s road and bridge infrastructure. A series of atmospheric rivers, particularly in March 2023, sent floodwaters from the foothills streaming down to the valley floor, gushing through the streets of small communities in Tulare and Kings County and into the western part of the basin, re-creating historic Tulare Lake near Corcoran. At its peak last summer, the lake sprawled over 111,000 acres, still a fraction of its historical size of nearly 512,000 acres (800 square miles), and five to seven feet deep. “We all prayed for rain. We just all prayed a little too hard,” one source remarked. … ” Read more from the Foothills Sun-Gazette.
California Water Service finds potential ‘forever chemicals’ in 22 Bakersfield wells
“The California Water Service in Bakersfield has found that 22 of its water wells could be contaminated with ‘forever chemicals’, also known as PFAS. The water utility company came across these findings when they tested several of their wells ahead of the Environmental Protection Agency’s introduction of new PFAS guidelines. The EPA has grown increasingly concerned over forever chemicals. Long-term exposure has been linked to health problems such as kidney cancer. This is why the EPA created new rules that water utility companies, including Cal Water Bakersfield, must meet. … ” Read more from Bakersfield Now.
Group files motion to compel city to comply with order for more water in Kern River
“Frustrated with the amount of water dribbling down the western reach of the Kern River, plaintiffs in an ongoing lawsuit over the river filed a motion Tuesday asking the judge in the case to intervene. The motion says the City of Bakersfield has not maintained flows required to keep fish in good condition, particularly in the areas of the river from Allen Road westward. “Fish have died and habitat has dried up and the Bakersfield community has lost much of the living river that it had enjoyed for almost all of 2023,” it says. The motion seeks to compel the city to keep the flow at a specified level based on water levels where the river enters the city’s jurisdiction. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
‘Save our water’ campaign comes to CSUB because ‘water is gold’
“Just as the morning tides ebb and flow, Hope Flint said times of deluge and drought come and go in California. Anxieties about water, she said, are nothing new; it’s been a fixture throughout her life, as early as the morning showers before school. “I remember my dad would have us turn the water on, get wet and turn the water off, soap on, rinse off and get out,” Flint said, doing rapid scrubbing gestures with her hands. “We literally had a five-minute window.” It’s part of the reason Flint, with the Office of Community Partnerships and Strategic Communications at the state, was outside the student union at California State University on Tuesday, to profess water-saving practices as part of the “Central Valley Together for the Planet” Regional Week. … ” Read more from the Bakersfield Californian.
EASTERN SIERRA
‘We’re not here to take somebody’s water rights’: Water District clarifies stance in ongoing water litigation
“At the Indian Wells Valley Water District board meeting on April 8, Water District board members stated that their intention with the ongoing comprehensive water adjudication is to have an official legal opinion on the water rights for all stakeholders in the Indian Wells Valley in order to help in securing a fair and sustainable way to manage the IWV’s resources. This came up in the meeting as a response to comments made at the IWV Groundwater Authority meeting on March 29 suggesting that the adjudication could threaten the water rights of domestic well owners and of the Navy at NAWS China Lake. This is a concern now as a court ruling denied an exception for domestic well users, meaning each well owner would effectively have to represent themselves in the adjudication–an act unlikely to happen for many of them. … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Federal appeals court upholds SCV Water judgment
“A federal appeals court this week upheld a $68.5 million June 2022 judgment in favor of the Santa Clarita Valley Water Agency, according to water officials. The agency also claimed a win in its effort to obtain additional declaratory relief under CERCLA, or the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, in a news release Monday evening. The legal win under the 1980 federal law means the water retailer does not need to establish liability for future costs related to remediation at the Whittaker-Bermite site. … ” Read more from The Signal.
Nutrient chemistry in the Elizabeth Lake subwatershed—Effects of onsite wastewater treatment systems on groundwater and lake water quality, Los Angeles County
“Nutrient (nitrogen [N] and phosphorus [P] chemistry) downgradient from onsite wastewater treatment system (OWTS) was evaluated with a groundwater study in the area surrounding Elizabeth Lake, the largest of three sag lakes within the Santa Clara River watershed of Los Angeles County, California. Elizabeth Lake is listed on the “303 (d) Impaired Waters List” for excess nutrients and is downgradient from more than 600 OWTS. The primary objective of this study was to develop a conceptual hydrogeological model to determine if discharge from OWTS is transported into shallow groundwater within the Elizabeth Lake subwatershed and contributes nutrients to Elizabeth Lake in excess of the total maximum daily load limit. … ” Continue reading from the USGS.
Metropolitan Water commits up to $250 million for previously untapped water sources
“The Metropolitan Water District plans to spend up to $250 million on four non-traditional water projects that, combined, could supply up to 100,000 Southern California households over the next few years. Wastewater recycling, rainwater reclamation and transforming ocean water into drinking water are some of the technologies that could get money in the coming wave of funding from MWD. The Los Angeles-based wholesaler, which helps transfer water from Northern California and the Colorado River to 26 retail water districts in the Los Angeles region, has spent about $700 million on smaller, non-traditional water projects since launching its Local Resources Program in 1990. The amounts announced Monday, April 15, represent some of MWD’s biggest investments in water innovation to date. … ” Read more from the San Bernardino Sun.
Along the Colorado River …
New Colorado River proposals put environmental needs front and center in deciding river’s future
“Environmental groups and water experts say the Bureau of Reclamation should give nature a say in how it manages the Colorado River for years to come. In March, seven states, including Colorado, released two competing proposals for how to manage two enormous reservoirs in the Colorado River Basin and make painful decisions about cutting back on water use once current operating rules expire in 2026. But they’re not the only ones throwing out ideas: Water experts and environmental advocates have submitted two proposals of their own. They want to make sure endangered fish, Grand Canyon ecosystems and more aren’t left out of the conversation. … ” Read more from the Colorado Sun.
Arizona water leaders proposing possible changes to assured water supply rules
“In June of 2023, Governor Katie Hobbs announced that she was placing a moratorium on building additional subdivisions in Valley communities that relied solely on one source of water, groundwater in this case, saying that they could not prove they had a 100-year water supply. However, a plan is in the works that the governor’s Water Policy Council endorses, giving these communities the chance to keep building. “What the governor’s Water Policy Council recommended is to find a way to get more water providers designated as having an assured water supply,” said Kathleen Ferris, who serves on the council. Late last year, the council and the Arizona Department of Water Resources were given the task of finding a solution. … ” Read more from Channel 15.
Saguaro population decline in Arizona
“Saguaro National Park is a mainstay for those who come to visit southern Arizona, however, the iconic plant has seen a decrease in young cacti in recent years. Saguaros are one of the least understood plants by experts even though they have been studied closely at Saguaro National Park since the early 40’s. The big reason why is because they grow very slowly and many are decades old. Drought has an impact on the cactus, but it’s a combination of a couple of different factors that could affect the plant. Don Swann is a biologist at the park and he said, “Drought is a combination of both temperatures and rainfall. That can exacerbate the effects of not having too much rain. Saguaros really need moisture when they are little and when they are very tiny they can barely store any water at all.” … ” Read more from Channel 4.
Native American voices are finally factoring into energy projects – a hydropower ruling is a victory for environmental justice on tribal lands
“The U.S. has a long record of extracting resources on Native lands and ignoring tribal opposition, but a decision by federal energy regulators to deny permits for seven proposed hydropower projects suggests that tide may be turning. As the U.S. shifts from fossil fuels to clean energy, developers are looking for sites to generate electricity from renewable sources. But in an unexpected move, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission denied permits on Feb. 15, 2024, for seven proposed hydropower projects in Arizona and New Mexico. The reason: These projects were located within the Navajo Nation and were proposed without first consulting with the tribe. FERC said it was “establishing a new policy that the Commission will not issue preliminary permits for projects proposing to use Tribal lands if the Tribe on whose lands the project is to be located opposes the permit.” … ” Read more from The Conversation.
Plumbing problem at Glen Canyon Dam brings new threat to Colorado River system
“Plumbing problems at the dam holding back the second-largest reservoir in the U.S. are spurring concerns about future water delivery issues to Southwestern states supplied by the Colorado River. Federal officials recently reported damage to four tubes known as “river outlet works” at Glen Canyon Dam on the Utah-Arizona border. The dam is responsible for generating hydropower and releasing water stored in Lake Powell downstream to California, Arizona, Nevada and eventually Mexico. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, which operates the major dams in the Colorado River system, is evaluating issues related to Glen Canyon Dam when Lake Powell reaches low levels. Those issues include problems with the four tubes such as sedimentation and cavitation — when tiny air bubbles develop while water passes through plumbing. Cavitation can cause tears in metal and other mechanical damage. … ” Read more from the Associated Press.
Interior Department delivers nearly $30 million for drought resilience in the Upper Colorado River Basin from president’s Investing in America agenda
“The Department of the Interior today announced a $29.7 million investment from President Biden’s Investing in America agenda to help states in the Upper Colorado River Basin – Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming – with drought planning, as part of the all-of-government approach to make western communities more resilient to drought and climate change. This is the second year of funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, with a $38.4 million distributed so far. The Colorado River Basin provides water for more than 40 million people, fuels hydropower resources in seven U.S. states, supports 5.5 million acres of agriculture and agricultural communities across the West, and is a crucial resource for 30 Tribal Nations and two states in Mexico. Despite improved hydrology in recent months, the historic 23-year drought has led to record low water levels at Lake Powell and Lake Mead. The Biden-Harris administration has led a comprehensive effort to address the ongoing drought and strengthen water security across the region now and into the future. … ” Read more from the Department of the Interior.
In national water news today …
Removing PFAS from public water will cost billions and take time – here are ways to filter out some harmful ‘forever chemicals’ at home
“
Chemists invented PFAS in the 1930s to make life easier: Nonstick pans, waterproof clothing, grease-resistant food packaging and stain-resistant carpet were all made possible by PFAS. But in recent years, the growing number of health risks found to be connected to these chemicals has become increasingly alarming. PFAS – perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances – are noweither suspected or known to contribute to thyroid disease, elevated cholesterol, liver damage and cancer, among other health issues. They can be found in the blood of most Americans and in many drinking water systems, which is why the Environmental Protection Agency in April 2024 finalized the first enforceable federal limits for six types of PFAS in drinking water systems. The limits – between 4 and 10 parts per trillion for PFOS, PFOA, PFHxS, PFNA and GenX – are less than a drop of water in a thousand Olympic-sized swimming pools, which speaks to the chemicals’ toxicity. The sixth type, PFBS, is regulated as a mixture using what’s known as a hazard index. … ” Continue reading at The Conversation.
