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In California water news today …
Friant lawsuit over sinking canal altered but moving forward
“One of multiple charges in a lawsuit that pins blame for the perpetually sinking Friant-Kern Canal on a single Tulare County groundwater agency was recently removed. The Eastern Tule Groundwater Sustainability Agency (ETGSA) hailed the move as vindication. But plaintiffs, the Friant Water Authority and Arvin-Edison Water Storage District, said the change was simply meant to narrow the complaint in order to get faster action against Eastern Tule. The stakes could not be higher as the entire Tule subbasin, which covers the southern half of Tulare’s valley portion, is looking down the barrel of a possible pumping takeover by the state Water Resources Control Board. The Water Board, the enforcement arm of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, has scheduled a “probationary hearing” for the subbasin Sept. 17. If it’s put on probation, that could be the first step toward state bureaucrats, not local water managers, setting pumping limits, requiring well meters and issuing new fees and fines. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Third San Joaquin Valley groundwater basin recommended for state probation
“Subsidence has reared its head again as a key factor cited by state Water Resources Control Board staff for recommending that the Kaweah groundwater subbasin be placed on probation – the first step toward possible state takeover of groundwater pumping. The recommendation was contained in a draft report released May 6, which set Nov. 5 for Kaweah’s hearing before the Water Board. Subsidence was listed as a major factor in similar staff reports for the Tulare Lake and Tule subbasins. Tulare Lake was, indeed, placed on probation by the Water Board April 16 and the Tule subbasin comes before the board Sept. 17. The Kaweah report identified additional challenges for water managers in the subbasin, which covers the northern half of Tulare County’s valley portion into the eastern fringes of Kings County. Those challenges include the need to better protect domestic wells from lowered groundwater levels; reduce impacts to wetlands and rivers; and improve water quality, among others. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
Last year’s wet winter gave California Central Valley groundwater levels a major boost
“California’s groundwater reservoirs got a major boost during last year’s record wet season, offering a glimmer of hope for the depleted underground aquifer’s that remain in a long-term deficit. The 2023 water year, which was marked by above average rainfall and a concerted effort to recharge reservoirs, led to the addition of at least 4.1 million acre-feet of water underground, according to data released by the California Department of Water Resources. That’s more than what Lake Oroville, the state’s second largest reservoir can hold — which is now 100% full. An acre-foot is the amount of water it takes to cover an acre with 1 foot of water and is generally enough to supply two California households for a year. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee. | Read via AOL News.
SEE ALSO:
- A wet year boosted California’s groundwater, but not enough to address long-term declines, from the LA Times | Read via AOL News
- California Increases Groundwater Supply, from the Office of the Governor
Water risks to agriculture: Too little and too much
“Water is among the most precious resources on the planet. Some areas don’t get enough; some get too much. And climate change is driving both of those circumstances to ever-growing extremes. Two UC Merced experts in civil and environmental engineering took part in a recent report by the Environmental Defense Fund examining the issue and potential solutions. Associate Professor of Extension Tapan Pathak and Professor Josué Medellín-Azuara co-authored the report, “Scarcity and Excess: Tackling Water-Related Risks to Agriculture in the United States,” and wrote the section pertaining to California. In addition to climate change, disruptive human interventions such as groundwater over-extraction, sprawling drainage networks and misaligned governance are driving up water-related agricultural costs, particularly in Midwestern and Western states, the researchers found. The problem is magnified in California, which hosts the largest and the most diverse agricultural landscape in the United States, Pathak and Medellín-Azuara wrote, with gross revenues from farms and ranches exceeding $50 billion. … ” Read more from California Agriculture.
California wine is in serious trouble
“Megan Bell felt certain that her winery was going bankrupt. When she released a new batch of wines in August, only three of her 19 distributors agreed to buy any. She was running $65,000 over budget on opening a tasting room in Santa Cruz. And she owed $80,000 to grape growers. Sales in the second half of the year were the worst Bell had seen since starting her small business, Margins, eight years ago. “2023 was a disaster,” she said. And she knows she wasn’t the only winemaker feeling it: “If anybody’s not telling you that, they’re lying.” The entire $55 billion California wine industry is, like the wine industry worldwide, experiencing an unprecedented downturn right now. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Fast-growing asparagus once flourished on California farms. Why is it disappearing?
“It was a late March morning and dozens of women and men descended on a San Joaquin Valley asparagus farm — one of the last in the state. The workers walked along the furrows, cutting the newly sprouted spears at precisely nine inches, a market standard.Later that morning, farmer Aaron Barcellos surveyed the land peppered with the perennial that for many announces the arrival of spring. … “Every spear of asparagus you see in the store is hand cut by an individual,” he said, referring to his own 120 workers. The labor required to harvest the crop is partly why Barcellos fears for the future of asparagus. Once considered the king of vegetables in California agriculture and a seasonal delicacy exported worldwide, asparagus is on the decline here. A handful of growers endure, farming the prized vegetable, but the state’s asparagus industry overall is succumbing to the pressures of the global market, largely because of labor costs. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
As climate change amplifies urban flooding, here’s how communities can become ‘sponge cities’
““When it rains, it pours” once was a metaphor for bad things happening in clusters. Now it’s becoming a statement of fact about rainfall in a changing climate. Across the continental U.S., intense single-day precipitation events are growing more frequent, fueled by warming air that can hold increasing levels of moisture. Most recently, areas north of Houston received 12 to 20 inches (30 to 50 centimeters) of rain in several days in early May 2024, leading to swamped roads and evacuations. Earlier in the year, San Diego received 2.72 inches (7 centimeters) of rain on Jan. 22 that damaged nearly 600 homes and displaced about 1,200 people. Two weeks later, an atmospheric river dumped 5 to 10 inches (12 to 25 centimeters) of rain on Los Angeles, causing widespread mudslides and leaving more than a million people without power. … ” Read more from The Conversation.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Klamath River dams removal gets green light for majority of remaining work
“The Klamath River Renewal Corporation began deconstruction of the Iron Gate embankment dam in Northern California last week after receiving recent approval from the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to remove the first 13 feet of the earthen dam and complete other major portions of the project. “This is a milestone among milestones,” said Mark Bransom, CEO of the KRRC. Bransom said crews are currently in the process of removing the sheet pile. “Over the next few days, I think we’ll probably see that first 13 feet completely gone,” Bransom said, noting that KRRC is “going to move fast.” … ” Read more from the Capital Press.
Coastal Commission to consider Humboldt Bay seawater intake system upgrades needed for Nordic Aquafarms project
“The California Coastal Commission will hold its monthly three-day meeting up in Crescent City this week, and on Wednesday commissioners are set to consider permitting some major upgrades to old seawater intake systems located in Humboldt Bay. The permit is being sought by the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation and Conservation District, but expect some Norwegians to tune in to the livestream feed. That’s because the infrastructure upgrades are necessary for the operation of Nordic Aquafarms’ planned onshore fish farm, which is slated for development on the Harbor District-owned Redwood Marine Terminal II property. … ” Read more from the Lost Coast Outpost.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Yuba Water approves grants for flood reduction, infrastructure
“The Yuba Water Agency Board of Directors approved $912,000 in community impact grants on Tuesday to support water infrastructure improvements, water safety and continued flood risk reduction work in South Yuba County. Among these grants was $605,000 awarded to the Olivehurst Public Utility District (OPUD) to support a sewer consolidation project, which will help convert nearly 150 homes from septic to sewer. Officials estimate that the utility district will save more than $5 million in implementation and construction costs by combining water and sewer upgrades into a simultaneous effort rather than separate construction projects. “It’s great to see OPUD leveraging funds from Yuba Water to improve efficiencies and help save millions down the line – that’s exactly how our grant program is designed to work,” Yuba Water Agency Vice Chairman Gary Bradford said in a statement. … ” Read more from the Appeal Democrat.
Is it safe to swim in Northern California rivers? Here’s what to do as the weather warms
“As temperatures begin to warm up in Northern California, you might be tempted to take a dip in local waterways. “Keep in mind that the area rivers and streams will continue to run COLD as a product of mountain snowmelt,” the National Weather Service posted Monday afternoon on X, formerly known as Twitter. The weather service is forecasting temperatures in Sacramento to reach 90 degrees by Sunday, for the first time in 2024. “We will be going from below-normal temperatures to above-normal temperatures for this time of the year,” Scott Rowe, a senior service hydrologist at the weather service in Sacramento, said Monday. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
San Juan Water District prevails in CEQA litigation
“The Sacramento County Superior Court ruled yesterday in favor of San Juan Water District (San Juan), thus ending the litigation filed on Sept. 14, 2023 by two of its Wholesale Customer Agencies – Citrus Heights Water District (CHWD) and Fair Oaks Water District (FOWD). The lawsuit alleged that San Juan had violated the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in March 2023, when the San Juan Board of Directors delegated to their General Manager the ability to enter into future transfer agreements with Sacramento Suburban Water District (SSWD), as long as those transfers were exempt from
CEQA and met other requirements. Sacramento Superior Court Judge Jennifer K. Rockwell ruled yesterday that San Juan does not have to pay any of the $93,000 in attorneys’ fees that CHWD and FOWD claimed to have expended in pursuing the complaint. … ” Continue reading from the San Juan Water District.
NAPA/SONOMA
Federal judge: Russian River dam releases are violating Endangered Species Act
“A federal judge ruled Monday that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has violated the Endangered Species Act by disturbing salmon populations through flood-control releases from Coyote Valley Dam into the Russian River. Those releases, which relieve pressure upstream from the 66-year-old dam during rainy months, kick up sediment from the bottom of Lake Mendocino, a reservoir that serves as critical water storage for Sonoma County. The sediment increases turbidity in the river that harms and harasses coho and chinook salmon and steelhead trout in violation of the Endangered Species Act’s mandate to protect the imperiled species, U.S. District Court of Northern California Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley ruled. … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
CENTRAL COAST
Steelhead protections could bring new water restrictions
“A state determination that Southern California steelhead trout merit additional protections could mean tighter water restrictions, according to agricultural groups and water districts. California Farm Bureau environmental policy analyst Justin Fredrickson said strengthening protections for the Southern California steelhead under the California Endangered Species Act “is going to ratchet things up regulatorily for affected water users.” Though actions to protect steelhead will vary for different affected watersheds, Fredrickson said, “the state endangered listing will be used to maximize flows in the rivers and minimize or restrict diversions and groundwater pumping.” The California Fish and Game Commission April 18 unanimously agreed with a staff recommendation that listing the Southern California steelhead as endangered under the state ESA is warranted. … ” Read more from Ag Alert.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
No-tillage, surface residue retention, and cover crops improved San Joaquin Valley soil health in the long term
“A long-term annual crop study in Five Points, California, shows that the combined use of no-tillage, surface residue retention, and cover crops improves soil health compared to conventional practices common to the region. Several chemical, biological, and physical soil health indicators were improved when these practices were combined. Our data suggest that farmers stand to gain multiple synergistic benefits from the integrated use of these practices by increasing soil structural stability, water infiltration and storage, and agroecosystem biodiversity, and improving the efficiencies of the carbon, nitrogen, and water cycles of their production systems.” Read the full story from California Agriculture.
Delta College’s Aqua Ducks are big winners at H2O Hackathon
“A San Joaquin Delta College student squad called the Aqua Ducks emerged top prize winner May 4 at the end of a 10-hour coding and presentation competition focusing on state water issues. The seventh annual H2O Hackathon drew more than 200 high school and college students and their coaches to the San Joaquin County Office of Education (SJCOE) to compete for shares of cash prizes totaling $18,500 awarded to nine out of 52 school teams. Under the theme “Hack the Flood,” coding teams built apps to help flooded communities dispatch rapid rescue and emergency response services. Multimedia teams created outreach campaigns using social media and other tools to keep communities in flood-prone areas informed of risks and resources. The Aqua Ducks multimedia team won its division’s $2,000 top prize and a $5,000 Cal Water Golden Spigot award for overall excellence. … ” Read more from Stocktonia.
SEE ALSO: Students Hack the Flood at H2O Hackathon, from San Joaquin County Office of Education
Fresno County farmers waiting for higher water allocation
“California farmers are still waiting for their fair share of water allocation after the state had above-average precipitation over the past few years. “I’ve got communities that are literally drying out, and these past two years, we’ve had very good water years,” said Congressman David Valadao. Congressman David Valadao is fighting for higher water allocations for California farmers. He even took the fight to the nation’s capital. “Every major reservoir in our state is above a 15-year average and our snowpack in the Sierras is at more than 100% average this time of year,” said Valadao. … ” Read more from Your Central Valley.
Panels that make water of thin air finally getting fixed in tiny Allensworth
“Residents of Allensworth are finally getting attention from a company that installed and then abandoned hydropanels, which make water out of thin air, several years ago. As SJV Water reported in March, residents were frustrated they couldn’t get support from Source Global, the company behind the panels, after the panels had fallen into disrepair. Following SJV Water’s story, Source Global dedicated a staff person to oversee operations in Allensworth, said Kayode Kadara, a community leader in Allensworth. “As it stands right now, I think they’re making a concerted effort to address some of the poor performance they have out here,” said Kadara. … ” Read more from SJV Water.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Angelenos may soon pay higher sanitation fees
“The Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation plans to increase sewer fees by almost 20%, adding yet another price hike for the cost of water in L.A. According to the Bureau, the first increase is expected to be one of seven, contingent on support from the Los Angeles City Council. By 2028, Angelenos could see their bill nearly double, affecting both single-family dwellers and apartment renters alike. The spike could cost upward of $150 by 2028 if approved, according to the Los Angeles Times. … ” Read more from KTLA.
Along the Colorado River …
Listen: How Southern California has influenced the state’s lead negotiator on the Colorado River
“The newest season of Imperfect Paradise is about the negotiations to keep a hugely important source of California’s water, the Colorado River, from drying up. In Part 2, how growing up in a desert farming region shaped the way JB Hamby, California’s 28-year old lead negotiator, thinks about water — and how his perspective has changed after a year of working on the river. Why it matters: The Colorado River provides about 30% of SoCal’s drinking water. The Imperial Valley, where Hamby grew up, raises almost all the vegetables we eat in the winter — using exclusively Colorado River water. … ” Read more from the LAist.
Listen: Colorado River users face a big deadline to come up with new rules. Here’s where things stand
“Last summer was brutal for the Colorado River – low water levels underscored the rising threats from a changing climate. Now, we’re waiting on next moves from state and federal governments ahead of a quickly approaching 2026 deadline. Several states have proposed new ways to divvy up water from the river, which serves about 40 million people in the southwest United States and Mexico. Tribes that use the river also want a seat at the negotiating table. And the federal government has said it’s up to the seven states that rely on its water to agree on how to use less of it. Alex Hager covers the Colorado River for KUNC. He joins host Erin O’Toole to break down what different groups are proposing, why they can’t agree, and what comes next.” Listen at KUNC.
Colorado River might recover from two-decade drought thanks to precipitation
“The American Southwest and its drinking water may not be in as bad of shape as originally thought. A new study coming from researchers at CU Boulder, reveals that precipitation, not temperature, will keep the Colorado River fuller than previous research told us. The Journal of Climate published the study Tuesday as a guide for policymakers, water managers, states and tribes to figure out how to monitor the river until 2050. New guidelines are going to replace regulations from 2007, which are set to expire at the end of 2026. Comprehensive climate models from CIRES, an institute of the University of Colorado Boulder, forecasting precipitation for the next 25 years, shows a 70% increase compared with the last two decades, which brought the Colorado River to a devastating drought. … ” Read more from CBS News Colorado.
Listen: Climate change will make Arizona more urban and more expensive, author says
“The effects of climate change could lead 100 million Americans to leave their homes and move to a different part of the country over the next 30 years. In addition, more than 850 counties across the United States could see more than a million dollars-worth of economic damage because of climate change by 2040. Those are among the findings Abrahm Lustgarten writes about in his new book. Lustgarten is a reporter covering climate change for ProPublica; his book is called “On the Move: The Overheating Earth and the Uprooting of America.” He joined The Show to talk about what he found — and what it could mean for Arizona and the Southwest.” Listen at KJZZ.
Study brings new accounting of Colorado River water uses
“Journalists and water managers may have to revise one of the most-often-repeated shorthand expressions of how water is used in the Colorado River basin —that nearly 80% of the water is used by agriculture — after a new study by 12 scientists put a finer point on the numbers. Published at the end of March, “New water accounting reveals why the Colorado River no longer reaches the sea” finds that irrigated agriculture is responsible for just 74% of direct human use and 52% of overall water consumption. Still, water consumed for agriculture remains far and away the biggest water use on the river — about three times all other direct human uses (cities and industry) combined. … ” Read more from Aspen Journalism.
Water that used to irrigate Granby hay fields to return to Colorado River and Grand County lakes
“Grand County and Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, otherwise known as Northern Water, have agreed to work together on an operational framework that will give Grand County’s waterways as much as 7,000 acre-feet of additional controllable water from the Colorado-Big Thompson Project for stream enhancement. The volume available for streamflow improvement will be dependent on annual river conditions and C-BT Project storage levels. The agreement was approved by the Grand County Commissioners on April 23. Water made available under this agreement to the county will be released to the Willow Creek Reservoir or the Colorado River. This water will supplement existing flows and could accumulate to nearly 40,000 acre-feet over the course of a decade, according to a joint news release from Grand County and Northern Water. … ” Read more from Ski Hi News.
In national water news today …
In millions of homes, high fluoride in tap water may be a concern
“The town of Seagraves sits on the high plains of West Texas, not far from the New Mexico border. Nearby, water pumped from the Ogallala Aquifer irrigates fields of peanuts and cotton. Dissolved in that West Texas water are copious amounts of fluoride. The tap water in Seagraves contains levels of the mineral that many experts believe could have neurotoxic effects, lowering children’s IQs. The science on that effect is unsettled, and most experts say better research is needed. But nearly everyone agrees that at some point, high fluoride levels ought to be a matter of greater concern — even if they don’t always agree on what that point is. Many cities add low levels of fluoride to drinking water in a bid to prevent tooth decay, but the policy has long been controversial. Lost in that debate are the roughly 3 million Americans whose water naturally contains higher concentrations of fluoride — often at levels that even some fluoridation advocates now acknowledge could have neurodevelopmental effects. … ” Read more from Undark.
Warmest April on record extends planet’s hot streak to 11 months
“Earth’s simmering hot streak has stretched 11 months, with April breaking yet another global temperature record. It was warmer than any April on record, with an average surface temperature of 59.05 degrees, officials with the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service announced this week. It was about 0.25 of a degree warmer than the previous April high, in 2016. April was 2.84 degrees warmer than the estimated average for the month from 1850 to 1900, the designated pre-industrial reference period against which current warming is measured. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via Yahoo News.
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
NOTICE of Extension of the Public Comment Period for the Proposed Rulemaking for Delta Plan Ecosystem Regulations
