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On the calendar today …
- LEG HEARING: Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife beginning at 9am. Click here for more information.
- LEG HEARING: Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water beginning at 9am. Click here for more details.
In California water news today …
California announces first new state park in a decade and sets climate goals for natural lands
“California will open its first new state park in a decade this summer, Gov. Gavin Newsom and state officials announced Monday, as the state sets targets for cutting planet-warming emissions on natural lands. The 1,600-acre (648-hectare) Dos Rios tract in the state’s crop-rich Central Valley is set to open June 12 as California’s 281st state park. Located near the confluence of the Tuolumne and San Joaquin rivers, it is surrounded by vast almond orchards and dairy pastures. Californians will be able to use the park for hiking and picnicking, with plans for swimming and boating access in the future. Ali Manzo, a Central Valley native and California State Parks interpreter, said the new park will help bring people together and allow them to develop a deeper respect for nature. “Dos Rios is not just a park,” Manzo said. “It’s a community treasure that offers peace, adventure and a vital connection to nature.” … ” Read more from the Associated Press.
SEE ALSO: First new California state park in a decade gets opening date, from SF Gate
DR. MICHAEL ANDERSON: Climate change and California’s water resources
“California’s climate is changing, with atmospheric rivers and extreme events occurring more frequently. This is not the new normal; we’re just getting started, says state climatologist Dr. Michael Anderson in this presentation at the California Irrigation Institute’s 2024 annual meeting. In this presentation, Dr. Anderson talked about how climate change is altering water availability, the rise in extreme events, the increasing variability of the climate, and the importance of flexible water management strategies. … ” Continue reading at Maven’s Notebook.
Steelhead trout listed as endangered in California
“The Southern California steelhead trout was listed as endangered after decades of man-made water projects decimated its population. The organization Cal-Trout estimates that only about 500 steelhead adults are remaining in a region that stretches from San Luis Obispo to the Mexican-American border. Steelhead trout migrate to the ocean and return to freshwater to spawn. To do so, the fish species require unimpeded waterways as they are vulnerable to many stressors and threats. Listing the species as endangered, gives the species added protections that can affect future water projects. … ” Read more from NBC 4.
SEE ALSO: Steelhead trout, once thriving in Southern California, are declared endangered, from the LA Times
Making every day Earth Day: Analyzing data with the National Center for Ecological Analysis & Synthesis
Senior Environmental Scientist Miranda Tilcock with the Delta Stewardship Council, writes, “Every year on April 22, we celebrate Earth Day, which originally started in the 1970s with a focus on recycling, using less electricity, and conserving water. Fast forward to today, Earth Day has become so much more and is everything from mitigating the impacts of climate change to environmental justice. For environmental scientists like me, doing research in various ecosystems on all sorts of species, every day can begin to feel like Earth Day. After all, in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, we are doing everything we can to improve our corner of the world. This can feel tedious at times, and like we are not making much progress, but every bit counts, or in my case, every piece of data collected and analyzed is an important step forward. One way to make a difference in the science community is by synthesizing long-term data sets. … ” Continue reading from the Delta Stewardship Council.
Molecular marvel: eDNA in fisheries science
“Humans have developed an untold number of ways to catch fish, but no matter how many traps, electrofishers, snorkel surveys, and even good ol’ fashioned fishing poles a fisheries biologist may employ, these sampling methods never guarantee the capture of every individual. This can make it difficult to obtain a complete assessment of a fish community. But while fish may evade fykes, hooks, and nets, they still leave telltale traces in the environment in the form of DNA. Collecting environmental DNA (eDNA) is a promising modern approach to fisheries sampling, and has the potential to revolutionize the way fisheries biologists measure aquatic biodiversity. Metabarcoding and qPCR have emerged as two particularly effective techniques for eDNA sample analysis that are capable of detecting species present in a water body from just a sample of water, making it harder for rare and wily fish to go undetected. … ” Read more from FishBio.
Why this summer may be especially hot in the United States
“A new outlook for summer from the National Weather Service is a toasty one: Hotter-than-normal conditions are favored almost everywhere, except for a small portion of the northern Plains. The highest odds for a hot summer stretch from Texas into the Pacific Northwest, as well as much of the Northeast. This forecast sets the stage for bouts of record-challenging high temperatures throughout the nation and the possibility of the hottest summer ever observed. In the central states and Rocky Mountains, the combination of heat and an expectation for drier-than-normal weather will increase drought potential. It will also raise the fire threat in some areas. Weather Service officials and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Monday stressed the importance of preparation for the heat as they unveiled a heat forecast guide that will be used across the United States for the first time this year. … ” Read more from the Washington Post (gift article).
In commentary today …
Article misses the mark in describing impacts of operations of California water projects on protected salmon and steelhead
Paul S. Weiland writes, “The Sacramento Bee offers its readers a series of articles presented under the moniker “Reality Check,” which the editors describe as “holding officials and organizations accountable and shining a light on their decisions.” That certainly is a laudable and much needed endeavor in this era when partisanship has infected a number of the major outlets that Americans turn to for news and where citizen journalists produce content absent editorial oversight. Unfortunately, the Bee’s reality check article “California water agencies broke own rules, possibly killing thousands of endangered fish” damages the paper’s credibility by misstating and distorting the facts of the matter. The article is rife with misstatements and mischaracterizations; a few of the more egregious examples of the article’s false and misleading content need to be called out. … ” Read more from the California Water Policy Center.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
NOAA announces $6 million grant to Humboldt County restoration project
“Humboldt County residents have something new to celebrate this Earth Day, with the announcement of a $6 million grant from the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, to fund long-planned efforts to restore the Elk River watershed. The funding will support the first of several phases of the Elk River Recovery Program which includes a suite of restoration actions along approximately 14 miles of river channel from Highway 101 to portions of the North and South Forks of the river. Nonprofit lead California Trout collaborated with Elk River communities, local advocacy organizations, agencies, consultants, and the Wiyot Tribe to develop the Recovery Program. … ” Read more from the Lake County News.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Reclamation announces schedule for Sacramento River spring pulse flows
“The Bureau of Reclamation, NOAA Fisheries, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service announced the plan today for pulse flow releases from Keswick Dam into the Sacramento River. Additionally, Reclamation has coordinated with state, federal, and local agencies and Tribes to develop a Pulse Flow Study Plan. Pulse flows are rapid increases and decreases in dam-released flows, occurring over the course of a week and are intended to improve juvenile Chinook salmon survival as they migrate to the ocean. Spring-run Chinook salmon juveniles typically experience the worst outmigration conditions due to their later outmigration timing. To support the outmigration success of this year’s spring-run Chinook salmon juveniles, April and May pulse releases provide the greatest species benefit. In addition, the timing of these pulses may also benefit the Coleman National Fish Hatchery juvenile fall-run Chinook salmon, which were released recently. … ” Read more from the Bureau of Reclamation.
Home school students release steelhead fry into Feather River
“After watching steelhead trout grow from eggs to alevin and then into fry in an aquarium at the Butte Environmental Council office, home school students from throughout Butte County congregated at Riverbend Park Monday to release the baby fish into the Feather River. “I didn’t know about their life cycle,” said Maya Johnson, 8, as she watched the fry she released into the river swim away. “Of all the stages, I like fry the best.” The trip to the park for the pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade students was the culminating activity in their participation in the California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s statewide Classroom Aquarium Education Program which, is designed to help students learn the value of watersheds, habitats and fish biology. … ” Read more from the Chico Enterprise-Record.
State leaders and Sacramento-area agencies collaborate on watershed resilience strategies
“State and local water leaders recently came together to explore strategies for increasing climate change resiliency on a watershed level. Representatives from the Department of Conservation, Department of Water Resources (DWR), and Wildlife Conservation Board heard from local water managers and environmentalists about their holistic approach to water management on a “supershed” level. The Sacramento region’s supershed approach addresses the threats of flood, fire, and drought projected with climate change while prioritizing environmental stewardship and meeting the water needs of communities. It encompasses the entire watershed—from the snow-covered Sierra mountain tops to the groundwater basin below the urban core. Over the past 20 years, local water providers have integrated projects funded independently by each agency into the supershed, leveraging approximately $250 million in state funding to enhance water reliability and environmental sustainability. … ” Read more from the Regional Water Authority.
Sacramento celebrates Earth Day with live bats, salmon life cycle and composting
““Oh man, you’ve just been eaten by catfish,” California Department of Fish and Wildlife interpreter Molly Shea told 6-year-old Sebastian Alvarez after he spun the salmon wheel of survival for a tenth time on Sunday afternoon. Each spin, and the number it landed on, represented another possibility in a salmon’s “tough life,” explained Shea. Salmon lay up to 5,000 eggs, with only about two surviving their entire life cycle. As Sebastian found out with each spin, salmon can be eaten by predators, caught by a fisherman or stuck in an irrigation pump. Humans add to the already high odds stacked against these fish. Sebastian was among the hundreds of children who spent their Sunday learning about the human affects on wildlife and the environment as part of Sacramento’s annual Earth Day celebration. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Water district manager laments low State Water Project allocation during high water year
“Water continues to flow over the spillway at Oroville Dam, but so far, the Department of Water Resources has not increased the Table A allocation to State Water Project contractors, including the Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District. General Manager Tom Neisler told members of the district’s board on April 17 that the outflow from Lake Oroville has ranged from 5,000 to 14,000 cubic feet per second since late January. “Virtually all of this water has flowed through the (Sacramento-San Joaquin River) Delta and out to the ocean with little to no beneficial use,” he said. … ” Read more from the Tehachapi News.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Major freshwater lake hits record-breaking levels after years of chronic drought, but issues persist: ‘It’s changed’
“Recent heavy rains in Southern California pushed Lake Elsinore water levels to record highs. As KTLA reported in February, the surge, which raised the lake level to its highest mark in at least a decade, has prompted hopes of increased tourism but also concerns about flooding. Newsweek said atmospheric rivers were the source of the rain and that snowmelt drives the lake level. The state had been in a prolonged drought, but the lake level, as of April 22, is just shy of 1,250 feet. … ” Read more from The Cool Down.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Salton Sea Authority approves $2.7M budget
“The Salton Sea Authority Board accepted public comments for a follow-up meeting invitation in the coordination of hydrology safety, and the implementation of funds toward Salton Sea restoration during their virtual meeting on Thursday, April 18. Following public comments, the board approved the consent calendar and discussed the Review and Approval of the Salton Sea Authority 2024/2025 Budget of $2,750,000. The fiscally conservative budget didn’t incorporate grant revenues expected from the Department of Water Resources or the Bureau of Reclamation-Desert Shores Revitalization but anticipated that 5% of outside revenues would support the balance of the Authority’s work. There was a call for community engagement to move the full implementation of the feasibility study on community stakeholders over the North Lake pilot and demonstration projects. … ” Read more from the Desert Review.
Along the Colorado River …
The sinking Arizona town where water and politics collide
“In Arizona’s deeply conservative La Paz County, the most urgent issue facing many voters is not inflation or illegal immigration. It is the water being pumped from under their feet. Giant farms have turned Arizona’s remote deserts about 100 miles west of Phoenix as green as fairways — the product of extracting an ocean of groundwater to grow alfalfa for dairy cows. Water experts say the pumping is sinking poor rural towns. The ground in parts of La Paz County has dropped more than five feet during three decades of farming. Pipes and home foundations are cracking. Wells are running dry. “What’s going to happen if they take all the water?” asked Luis Zavala, 48, who emigrated from Mexico two decades ago to pick cantaloupes, another water-intensive crop that has been mostly replaced by hay for cows. Now, he works at a water and ice business in Salome, population 700, selling five-gallon jugs. Even as political battles over abortion consume Arizona’s Capitol, Democrats have seized on water as a life-or-death election issue that they hope gives them an opening — however slight — to reach out to rural voters who abandoned the party. … ” Read more from the New York Times (gift article).
Powerplants are lighting the way to zero emissions
“Reclamation, like all other federal agencies, is required under the Federal Building Performance Standard to cut energy use and replace fossil-fuel systems and appliances with efficient, non-pollutive electric equipment and appliances in buildings owned by the federal government. The goal is to achieve zero emissions in 30% of the buildings by 2030. Why exactly is this important? Because buildings are a major source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States and fossil fuels used in federal buildings account for over 25% of all federal emissions. The Upper Colorado Basin Region is committed to taking the necessary steps to reduce our carbon footprint, whether it is construction of a new project or updating existing facilities. A few of these modernization projects have recently taken place at the powerplants at Glen Canyon and Flaming Gorge. … ” Read more from the Bureau of Reclamation.
In national water news today …
New water quality standards will result in billions being spent to remediate PFAS contamination
“Recently, the U.S. EPA announced long-awaited water quality standards outlining the maximum contaminant levels for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contaminants in drinking water. This marks the first time national standards for a new contaminant have been added to the Safe Drinking Water Act since 1996. It represents, without doubt, an ominous alert that should be noted. The new standard coincided with an announcement of $1 billion in federal funding in 2024 for projects designed to remediate PFAS from drinking water. Additionally, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law included a total of $9 billion through 2026 to address PFAS specifically, in addition to other funding for water infrastructure in general. … ” Read more from Water Online.
Biden marks Earth Day by going after GOP, announcing $7 billion in federal solar power grants
“President Joe Biden marked Earth Day by announcing $7 billion in federal grants for residential solar projects serving 900,000-plus households in low- and middle-income communities — while criticizing Republicans who want to gut his policies to address climate change. Seeking reelection in November, Biden said, “Despite the overwhelming devastation in red and blue states, there are still those who deny the climate is in crisis.” He took specific aim at supporters of former President Donald Trump’s “Make America Great Again” movement. “My MAGA Republican friends don’t seem to think it’s a crisis,” Biden said Monday during a visit to Virginia’s Prince William Forest Park, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) southwest Washington. “They actually want to repeal the Inflation Reduction Act, which provides the funding for the vast majority of these projects, and roll back protections for clean air and clean water.” … ” Read more from the Associated Press.
