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In California water news this weekend …
La Niña expected to return. What does that mean for California?
“As California’s wet season comes to a close, forecasters are already starting to talk about next winter: A La Niña weather pattern is expected to develop. La Niña — the inverse of El Niño — impacts weather around the world and is often associated with wetter conditions in Northern California and drier weather in Central and Southern California. That said, Jan Null, a meteorologist and former lead forecaster for the National Weather Service, wouldn’t bet money out of his own wallet on the “typical” scenario playing out. “We’ve really seen a mixed bag with La Niña,” he said. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
Ten visuals that show how climate change is transforming the West’s snow and water supply
“A recent federal synthesis of climate change research paints a grim portrait of snow’s future in the American West and warns that the fast-growing region’s water supply is vulnerable. “Climate change will continue to cause profound changes in the water cycle, increasing the risk of flooding, drought, and degraded water supplies for both people and ecosystems,” according to the Fifth National Climate Assessment (NCA5) released in November. The congressionally mandated report concludes there is “widespread consensus” that warming will “decrease the proportion of US precipitation that falls as snow, decrease snow extents, advance the timing of snowmelt rates and pulses, increase the prevalence of rain-on-snow events,” and transform the runoff that is vital for farms, cities and ecosystems. Climate change has already diminished the West’s snowpack, with warming global temperatures leading to earlier peaks and shorter seasons, especially at lower elevations and in areas closer to the coast. … ” Continue reading from the Water Desk.
Water contractors disappointed, frustrated by small increases in allocations
“Increased water allocations from systems that move water from northern to southern California were met with disappointment and frustration from contractors. Both the Department of Water Resources and Bureau of Reclamation increased allocations this week to 40% of contracted amounts, going up 10% and 5%, respectively. With nearly all the state’s reservoirs filled to above average levels, the increases were seen as stingy, at best. “This allocation increase is incredibly disappointing and should be much higher,” said Kern County Water Agency Board of Directors President Ted Page in a press release. The problem is fish, according to a DWR press release. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
ACWA staff, members show support for agreements to support healthy rivers and landscapes
“ACWA staff and members addressed the State Water Resources Control Board Thursday in support of the Agreements to Support Healthy Rivers and Landscapes (Agreements) during the second of a three-day public workshop. The workshop was organized to provide a more detailed overview of the Agreements and an opportunity for State Water Board members to ask questions. Formerly known as Voluntary Agreements, ACWA supports the Agreements as the best available approach within the Bay-Delta watershed for water supply reliability, the environment, communities, agriculture and more. … ” Read more from ACWA’s Water News.
Eat? Or be eaten?
“Did you know that one female threadfin shad can lay 5,000 to 20,000 eggs at once?! The California Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Fall Midwater Trawl, which surveys the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta and upper San Francisco Estuary, caught 1,551 threadfin shad in 2022. If half of those were female, they could have produced three to fifteen MILLION baby fish. But in 2023 the Fall Midwater Trawl only caught 1,922 threadfin shad. What happened to all the baby fish? Apart from the number of parents, fish populations (and other populations) are usually controlled by a combination of three ecological processes: 1) Individuals cannot find enough food or nutrients to survive and reproduce (what’s known as a ‘bottom-up’ process), 2) they are eaten by predators (what’s known as a ‘top-down’ process), or 3) they encounter unfavorable environmental conditions such as high water temperatures that lower survival. It is frequently very hard to tell which process is dominating, but understanding whether lack of food or too many predators is controlling a population can be very helpful in figuring out how to recover populations. … ” Continue reading from the Interagency Ecological Program.
Do Californians have a constitutional right to a healthy environment? This lawmaker thinks so and tells us why
“As climate change is impacting California’s environment, a state lawmaker is proposing adding the right to a healthy environment to the California Constitution. Known as Assembly Constitutional Amendment 16, or simply just ACA-16, it would change Article 1 of the state constitution by adding: “The people shall have a right to clean air and water and a healthy environment.” Essentially, the so-called “green amendment” would enshrine the right to a healthy climate for current and future Californians. If it passes out of the Assembly and Senate with a two-thirds majority, it would then be added to the November ballot for the voters to decide on. … Democrat Issac Bryan, whose assembly district includes south Los Angeles, is the author of ACA-16. Bryan spoke with ABC10 about the bill on Thursday. … ” Read more from Channel 10.
Podcasts …
HERE & NOW: California’s oldest water rights exist only on paper. A new project aims to change that
College students in California have begun scanning 2 million pages of water rights records on paper to make them more easily available in digital form to the public as part of a $60 million project. The idea is to make it easier to determine who has the right to use water in the state, and from what stream and when, especially in times of drought. Here & Now’s Peter O’Dowd learns more with Erik Ekdahl, deputy director of the California State Water Board’s Division of Water Rights.
WE GROW CALIFORNIA: Is safe drinking water now unaffordable?
Darcy and Darcy are back in the studio this week and tackle water affordability. With the USEPA finalizing the PFOS Maximum Contaminant Level at 4 PPT (Parts per trillion), California setting the Hexavalent Chromium 6) level at 10 PPB (Parts per billion), lead service line replacement costs, lower Arsenic standards coming, revised Lithium standards on the horizon, and microplastics regulations looming, how will Californians and Americans afford safe drinking water? Darcy B. shares the impacts of the costs of these treatment options including capital investments, operations, and disposal and what that might look like on your monthly water bill; let’s just say it’s not pretty. The Darcys discuss possibilities on other ways to cover costs, including some crazy tourism tax ideas, and hope you, our listeners, might have some answers. Join the conversation!
WATER IS A MANY SPLENDOR’ED THING PODCAST: Responding to Drought
Experiencing drought has been for the most part a temporary climate condition that turns our field of crops and water supplies into empty regions where little more than wind sweeps across the parched landscape. How would our communities respond if droughts became much longer in duration than we have previously experienced. 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
WATERLOOP: San Francisco’s on-site recycling resolution
As the Western United States grapples with water scarcity, onsite recycling is becoming a crucial solution. San Francisco has positioned itself at the forefront of this initiative. This episode explores the city’s pioneering efforts in onsite water recycling with Paula Kehoe, Director of Water Resources at the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. Delving into the city’s adoption of advanced recycling systems that set global standards, it highlights residential, commercial, and district-scale projects like the Salesforce Tower and Mission Rock, which aim to reduce potable water use and enhance urban resilience. With 48 operational systems and 29 more in planning, San Francisco’s proactive approach serves as a model for cities globally dealing with similar challenges.
RIPPLE EFFECT: Solar panels over canals
Jon Parry, Assistant Manager for Weber Basin Water Conservancy District, joins us to discuss the many benefits of their solar panel demonstration project over the Layton Canal. This project is so cool on so many levels and has some serious potential for scalability win-win-wins all over the place. Great discussion about an exciting development in Utah.
TALKING UNDER WATER: What do the new PFAS MCLs mean for the water industry?
On April 10, 2024, the EPA announced the final National Primary Drinking Water Regulation (NPDWR) for six PFAS contaminants. This is the first brand new Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL) set by the EPA since arsenic was updated in 2001. In this episode, four industry professionals; Miles Menyhert, liquid phase applications engineer at Jacobi Carbons; Ken Sansone, partner at SL Environmental; Kyle Thompson, national PFAS lead at Carollo Engineers and; Tom Muilenberg, chemical engineer and the global product manager at De Nora, discuss what this means for the water industry.
Sunday video …
Fly with the Fresno Bee over stunning Ruth McKenzie Table Mountain
Take a hike in the Sierra Foothill Conservancy’s Ruth McKenzie Table Mountain Preserve and see the breathtaking views from above its volcanic formations as well as its wildflowers and vernal pools. Video by Craig Kohlruss/The Fresno Bee
In regional water news this weekend …
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Canal repairs prompt calls for TUD customers to conserve water
“Pacific Gas and Electric Co. is shutting down its 15.5-mile-long Main Tuolumne Canal, the chain of flumes and ditches that conveys 95% of Tuolumne Utilities District’s drinking water supply, this Sunday, April 28, to next Sunday, May 5, and TUD is urging all of its customers to limit water use for the temporary shutdown. “Conservation during this period is necessary to ensure adequate water supply for drinking, sanitary usage and fire protection,” TUD staff advised in recent messages to customers. “Please conserve water by limiting outside watering, avoid washing vehicles, turn off automatic lawn and drip sprinkler timers, and repair water leaks.” … ” Read more from the Union Democrat.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Lake Oroville storage at 3.37 million acre-feet
“Lake Oroville is at 889 feet elevation as of Friday, the Department of Water Resources said. Lake Oroville’s storage is at around 3.37 million acre-feet, which is 95% of its total capacity and 125% of the historical average. Feather River water flows through Oroville are at 650 cubic feet per second. Releases from the Thermalito Afterbay River Outlet are at 3,350 cfs. The DWR said total Feather River water releases may be increased on Saturday and Sunday to “meet downstream water quality requirements.” … ” Read more from Action News Now.
Tehama County makes appointments to well mitigation working group
“The Tehama County Groundwater Commission appointed three members to the well mitigation working group on Wednesday. The three appointments were Commissioners Seth Lawrence, Todd Hamer and Martha Slack. As part of the GSP determination response, the Board of Directors adopted two resolutions committing to developing Well Mitigation Programs. The committee will create and set the final terms of the program. According to Public Works Deputy Director Justin Jenson, the well mitigation working group will play a crucial role in determining chronic versus more extended migration, how the county prioritizes well applications, and what activities the district is willing to undertake for mitigation. It is determined to have this program go into effect on Jan.1, 2026. … ” Read more from the Red Bluff Daily News.
CENTRAL COAST
Marina Coast water users may face rate hike
“Marina-area residents are looking at a jump in the cost of their water that can be as high as 20% a year in order to raise money for repair and replacement of dilapidated infrastructure like pipes and pumps. The Marina Coast Water District board of directors approved an increase on April 22 but has to hold a special meeting Monday to correct errors in what it calls its 2024 Five-Year Rate Study. It also approved a Proposition 218 mailing, which requires special districts in California to send out notices to every property owner within the district service area notifying them of a rate change and allowing them to protest the change. Before any increase can legally take effect, the district board of directors need to hold a public hearing in mid-June. If approved, the rate change will go into effect July 1, the beginning of the district’s 2024-2025 fiscal year. … ” Read more from the Monterey Herald.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
$2 million in federal aid to improve Madera’s storm drainage and sewage system
“The City of Madera is getting $2 million in federal aid to improve the city’s critical storm drainage and sewage system. “The City of Madera has been asking for these funds for four years and thank god that today we’re going to get the system in place to get this done because nobody wants to see flooding in our streets or our sewer system to be backed up,” said Mayor Santos Garcia. The city experiences flooding often in the winter and congressman John Duarte, who helped get the funding, saw that firsthand. “Mayor Santos Garcia sent me a photograph in the torrential floods of January 2023 where the sewer line for Madera just blew a hole in it and he was looking for federal help to get that fixed,” Congressman Duarte said. On Friday, that federal help arrived. … ” Read more from Channel 30.
Levee issues prompt flooding concerns along San Joaquin River
“According to the San Joaquin Area Flood Control Agency, the area’s current levees do not meet state requirements for 200-year flood protection and soon may not meet the federal requirements. “In that case, properties would be mapped into a special flood hazard area, and any property owner with a federally backed mortgage would be required to purchase flood insurance,” said Kim Floyd, public outreach manager for San Joaquin Area Flood Control Agency. Premiums in those special flood hazard areas average about $1,700 yearly, but if the project is approved, those same property owners would have to pay, on average, about $85. … ” Read more from KCRA.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Here’s why steelhead trout’s endangered status could pump life into Southern California rivers
“When the state attached endangered species status to the iconic Southern California steelhead trout last week, it was like giving an aging Hollywood starlet new billing. But will the klieg lights bring attention, money and fame, or ready them for their final close-up? Known simply as Southern California steelhead, they once teemed in the tens of thousands in streams and rivers from Santa Barbara to the Mexican border. But after rivers were mummified in concrete, dams were erected and habitat turned into roads and housing tracts, their numbers dwindled, with a recent survey verifying only 177 in existence. Nonetheless, from the biologists at the California Fish and Game Commission who granted the status under the California Endangered Species Act, and the folks at California Trout who successfully petitioned for it, to historians, tribal leaders and fish lovers in general, the recognition brings a chance for a happy ending to this fish story. … ” Read more from the OC Register (gift article).
Along the Colorado River …
Colorado River tribes, Haaland sign historic agreement granting right to lease water off-reservation
“A historic water rights agreement was signed between the U.S. Department of the Interior, the state of Arizona and the Colorado River Indian Tribes, or CRIT, along the banks of the Colorado River at the BlueWater Resort and Casino on Friday. Congress passed the Colorado River Indian Tribes Water Resiliency Act in 2022, authorizing CRIT to lease, exchange, store or conserve portions of its decreed water entitlements in Arizona for off-reservation users. Now, two years later, a historic, trilateral agreement has been established between the state, tribe and federal government, with three signatories: Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs, CRIT Chairwoman Amelia Flores and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland. “The celebration today is the beginning of a new chapter for tribal sovereignty and self-determination,” said Hobbs. “Tribal leaders have the freedom to manage their resources and by extension their futures.” … ” Read more from KJZZ.
SEE ALSO: Arizonans celebrate Colorado River tribes’ landmark water agreement, from the Arizona Department of Water Resources
In national water news this weekend …
NASA-led study provides new global accounting of earth’s rivers
“The novel approach to estimating river water storage and discharge also identifies regions marked by ‘fingerprints’ of intense water use. A study led by NASA researchers provides new estimates of how much water courses through Earth’s rivers, the rates at which it’s flowing into the ocean, and how much both of those figures have fluctuated over time — crucial information for understanding the planet’s water cycle and managing its freshwater supplies. The results also highlight regions depleted by heavy water use, including the Colorado River basin in the United States, the Amazon basin in South America, and the Orange River basin in southern Africa. For the study, which was recently published in Nature Geoscience, researchers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California used a novel methodology that combines stream-gauge measurements with computer models of about 3 million river segments around the world. … ” Read more from NASA.
Also on Maven’s Notebook this weekend …
NOW AVAILABLE: Draft Sacramento River Temperature Plan
NEW RESOURCES: Water Right and Reporting Requirement Fact Sheets Available from the Water Board
NOTICE: Public Comment Period Opens for Six Resubmitted Groundwater Sustainability Plans Given ‘Incomplete’ Determinations in October 2023
NOTICE: San Joaquin River Restoration Program to release pulse flow for salmon
YOUR INPUT WANTED: Delta ISB Review of Food Webs in the Delta
