Several news sources featured in the Daily Digest may limit the number of articles you can access without a subscription. However, gift articles and open-access links are provided when available. For more open access California water news articles, explore the main page at MavensNotebook.com.
In California water news today …
Agencies scramble to meet SGMA regulations
“Local water agencies are facing pressure from the State Water Resources Control Board to correct deficiencies in their groundwater management plans. The Tulare Lake Subbasin recently became the first subbasin in the state to be placed under probation by the water board, according to the California Farm Bureau. Other critically overdrafted subbasins deemed by the state to have inadequate plans included the Tule, Kaweah, Kern County, Delta-Mendota and Chowchilla subbasins, the Farm Bureau noted. The water board is set to consider probation for the Tule Subbasin on Sept. 17. … ” Read more from the Western Farm Press.
Multiple motions filed for preliminary injunction against the Delta Conveyance Project
“Today the County of Sacramento and Sacramento County Water Agency (County and SCWA) filed a motion for preliminary injunction against the State of California to stop geotechnical drilling and other exploratory activities related to the Delta Conveyance Project (DCP). The State’s own environmental documents identify such activities as a component of the DCP and concede the DCP constitutes a “covered action” within the meaning of the Delta Reform Act of 2009 (Act). The Act, which was enacted to protect and enhance the Delta, requires the State to file a written certification of consistency with the Delta Stewardship Council (Council) prior to initiating implementation of the DCP. The certification of consistency must be supported with detailed findings as to whether the DCP is consistent with the Delta Plan. Once the State files the certification of consistency for the DCP, any person may file an appeal with the Council, which would automatically stay implementation of the DCP until resolution of the appeal. … ” Continue reading at Maven’s Notebook.
California water utilities ask state’s top court to reverse elimination of surcharges
“Two California water utilities went before the state’s Supreme Court on Wednesday to argue that the Public Utilities Commission cut corners when it decided to discontinue the use of surcharges to compensate the utilities for sales shortfalls from water conservation efforts. The Golden State Water Co. and the California-American Water Co. claim that the commission made the decision to eliminate the so-called decoupling mechanisms without giving them adequate notice that it was considering this option as part of a yearslong rulemaking procedure. As a result, the utilities argue, they had no opportunity to provide evidence to support their case that these mechanisms — which allow them to impose a surcharge on their customers when they face a revenue shortfall because of California’s efforts to conserve water in drought-plagued years — were serving their purpose. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
Sites Reservoir would bring water to 24 million people
“California’s reservoirs are not only vital to the state’s complex water systems, providing millions of people and the state’s agricultural economy with needed access to water; they’re also important gauges for how healthy the state is overall. … Enter Sites Reservoir, a long-in-the-works project that aims to be the biggest reservoir development in nearly half a century. It’s been a massive dream for decades, an idea first worked up by landowners and water districts northwest of Sacramento. Thanks to a new infusion of federal cash, the proposal is closer than ever to actually happening — but not without a very real cost. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
Incredible before-and-after images of reservoirs are proof of California’s winter deluges
“After another wet winter, record rainfall has turned California green and replenished the state’s reservoirs, which had been perilously low during the worst days of the drought. Lake Oroville, the state’s second-biggest reservoir, often serves as a rainfall barometer. As of Tuesday, Oroville was at 100% capacity, according to data from the state Department of Water Resources. “This is great news for ensuring adequate water supply for millions of Californians and environmental needs and we continue to manage both while maintaining flood protection for downstream communities,” the department wrote on Facebook. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Snow drought expands in parts of the West with early and rapid snowmelt
“Western snowmelt season is well underway. Tracking snow drought during this time period helps to evaluate potential impacts to summer water supply, soil moisture, and vegetation conditions. The most severe snow drought remains in the northern Rocky Mountains and Washington, where the snowpack at many lower elevation sites melted one to four weeks early. A stretch of warm and dry weather in mid-April triggered rapid snowmelt in the Southwest, especially in southern Colorado and New Mexico. The NOAA National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center’s Seasonal Drought Outlook projects drought development and expansion in the above regions. … ” Read more from NIDIS.
San Diego: East County planning group wants to tap brakes on Muslim cemetery in remote Pine Valley
Too interesting to leave in the regional section … “It’s a tale as old as the American West: folks fighting over water. This time, however, the battle brewing in a remote California community is one you’ve likely never heard before. The clash is centered in the normally sleepy community of Pine Valley, which, according to most recent U.S. Census Bureau figures, has a population of 1,645. Although you don’t have to live in town to sign, that figure is close to how many people signed a petition boasting 1,800 signatures that was circulated to Stop SD Crescentwood Cemetery. … The problem with locating the cemetery there, though, argue some local residents and the voting members of the Campo/Lake Morena Community Planning Group, is that “effluvium” from decomposing human bodies could leach into the ground, eventually making its way down and contaminating the aquifer. … ” Read more from NBC 7.
Two state agencies take far different approaches on how to manage sea level rise
“What a difference 14 miles can make when it comes to how the state expects local jurisdictions to address sea level rise. In San Francisco, the Army Corps of Engineers is developing a $13.5 billion plan to radically reshape the city’s bayfront by raising the Embarcadero by as much as 7.5 feet, “floodproofing” Fisherman’s Wharf and adding numerous protective systems in the southern part of the city. … But along those 1,100 miles of coastline, another state agency sees things much differently. The California Coastal Commission, which holds immense power over land use up and down the Pacific coast, believes the best solution in most instances is simply to let the ocean take over – euphemistically referred to as “managed retreat.” … ” Read more from the Del Norte Triplicate.
Study: People ‘alarmed’ and ‘concerned’ about climate changed has doubled the last decade
“Climate change is becoming increasingly important for voters, according to a study from Yale University. The Yale Climate Opinion Map split people into several categories. (An updated version of the poll, which breaks down those opinions by state and congressional district, was released on May 8.) Those who are “alarmed” and “concerned” almost doubled over the past decade to nearly 30%. About 16% are “doubtful” or “dismissive.” The study showed 73% of adults think global warming is happening. And, in our region, it’s especially concerning to residents in Nevada (65% of residents are concerned), Colorado (66%) and New Mexico (67%). … ” Read more from Boise State Public Radio.
Little Hoover Commission offers recommendations for CEQA reform
“The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) remains an essential tool to protect the state’s environment, but can be improved through targeted, limited reforms, the Little Hoover Commission concluded in a recent report. The new report, CEQA: Targeted Reforms for California’s Core Environmental Law, recommends six reforms to CEQA, including a raising of the standing requirement for filing a CEQA lawsuit, a restriction on late submission of public comment, and a broad exemption for infill housing. The Commission also recommended in-depth study of several issues related to CEQA. … “CEQA is a successful landmark law that gives Californians a voice in how best to protect our great state,” said Commission Chair Pedro Nava. “With this report, the Commission seeks to identify small adjustments that could be made to help improve CEQA and ensure it is accomplishing what it was meant to.” … ” Read more from the Little Hoover Commission.
SEE ALSO: Little Hoover Commission Releases Flawed CEQA Report, from the Legal Planet
In commentary today …
Water czars ignore solutions to scarcity
Edward Ring, senior fellow and co-founder of the California Policy Center, writes, “The Delta Tunnel proposal exemplifies California’s political dysfunction. It will probably never get built, but it promises to dominate all discussions of major state and federal spending on water infrastructure for the next decade, preventing any other big ideas from getting the attention they merit. Like the bullet train and offshore wind, it is a grandiose megaproject that checks all the political boxes while flunking any reasonable cost/benefit analysis. But it creates jobs for California’s construction trades union members at the same time as it manages to keep California’s environmentalist lobby neutral if not actually supportive. Why would anyone take on the state’s all powerful environmentalists if they didn’t have to? And thanks to the remaining environmentalist groups that will oppose the Delta Tunnel no matter what, expect endless litigation. … ” Continue reading from What’s Current.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Klamath Basin refuges flooded for first time since 2020
“In March, over 20,000 acre-feet of much-needed water was delivered to Lower Klamath and Tule Lake National Wildlife Refuges (NWR). Ducks Unlimited (DU) partnered with the Tulelake Irrigation District (TID) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to activate Pumping Plant D for the first time in four years to help flood wetlands that have been dry for years. The pumps housed at D-Plant transport water from Tule Lake NWR to the east side of Lower Klamath NWR through a tunnel in Sheepy Ridge. Tule Lake achieved full pool capacity in Sump 1a and 1b, flooding over 1,300 acres of wetlands. D-Plant water flooded 1,808 acres at Lower Klamath. Ady Canal, which delivers water from the Klamath River to the west side of the refuge, was also used to flood 2,265 acres of wetlands before the water supply was shut off in early April. The Klamath Drainage District helped cap the effort by re-using winter farm field flood water onto refuge wetlands. … ” Read more from Ducks Unlimited.
Klamath River dam removal: Where restoration stands after initial drawdown phase
“It’s the largest salmon restoration project in the world and its happening in our backyard. In the past few months, four dams on the Klamath River have been disabled and the river is flowing freely for the first time in more than a century. In January, a tunnel was blasted through the JC Boyle Dam near Keno, Oregon, and the reservoir behind the dam was released. “Step one was draining all the water held back by the dam. We initiated drawdown at this dam on January 16. This reservoir was pretty small compared to the others, so it drained pretty quickly — in about 17 hours, which is what was expected,” said Ren Brownell, Klamath River Renewal Corporation Public Information Officer. “We immediately got to work disassembling associated infrastructure and habitat restoration got underway.” … ” Read more from Central Oregon Daily News
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Lake Tahoe expected fill for first time since 2019
“For the first time in nearly five years, Lake Tahoe is expected to fill this spring. Although the water year continues through September, The Natural Resources Conservation Service is already confident about this year’s positive outlook. “It is a already a safe bet to pencil in a win on this year’s report card, especially for northern Nevada,” their report says. This is good news since once full, Lake Tahoe can typically provide enough water to meet demand for three years, even if consecutive snowpacks are below normal, according to their statement. The service expects most key reservoirs in northern Nevada and eastern Sierra will fill this spring as well. … ” Read more from the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
PG&E answers to NID Board question re Spaulding
“NID updated their webpage listing their Directors’ questions to PG&E at their last board meeting with answers provided by the utility corporation. A new development appears to be the permanent repair only on the South Yuba pipe, damaged by a rockslide in early February. “PG&E is no longer pursuing the temporary repair on the South Yuba pipe after receiving guidance from NID staff.” Some of the answers provided are falling under the confidentiality clause in the joint operating agreement between the two entities and are not being made available to the public. … ” Read more from YubaNet.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Research and monitoring increases understanding of harmful algal blooms
“Despite the prevailing dry conditions in warmer months, the Sacramento Valley and the north Delta have remained free of harmful algal bloom (HAB) detections—a testament to our proactive monitoring and mitigation efforts. As we continue to closely watch over these waterways and utilize the latest technology, we’re committed to keeping our communities safe and our ecosystems thriving. With warmer temperatures and summer recreation at California freshwater lakes and rivers on the horizon, it is time for Californians to be vigilant about the dangers posed by freshwater Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs). According to the California Department of Water Resources (DRW), algal blooms can release toxins into the water which have the potential to significantly harm both people and pets. It can also create hypoxia which impacts fish populations. … ” Read more from the Northern California Water Association.
CENTRAL COAST
Flood control district secures grant to develop sediment management program
“The Santa Barbara County Flood Control District has been approved for a grant up to $1.2 million to develop the Beach Sediment Management and Resilience Tactics (Beach SMART) Project. This project – funded by a California State Coastal Conservancy grant – will explore reusing sediment for beach nourishment projects to protect the coastline against rising sea levels and erosion. The project is supported by the Santa Barbara County Community Services Department Sustainability Division, the Planning and Development Long Range Planning Division, and the Beach Erosion Authority for Clean Oceans and Nourishment (BEACON). … ” Read more from the Santa Barbara Independent.
Ventura project to connect with state water supply gets $5M grant from feds
“A Ventura project to build a pipeline that connects the city to the Calleguas Municipal Water District — a supplier of state water — has received $5 million in federal funding. On Monday, the Department of the Interior announced $147.6 million in funding from President Joe Biden’s Investing in America agenda, including the Ventura effort. The money will support a total of 42 projects in 10 Western states aimed at increasing reliability of water supplies amid drought and other challenges. The Ventura City Council approved the pipeline connection project in 2019. It is expected to go out to bid soon, with construction likely starting next year. … ” Read more from the Ventura County Star.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Los Angeles County captures 96.3 billion gallons of stormwater
“More than 96.3 billion gallons of stormwater were captured and stored within LA County’s reservoirs and delivered to spreading grounds for recharge of groundwater aquifers since Oct. 2023 when the storm season began. During that period, LA County harvested enough water to meet the needs of more than 2.4 million people for a year, about 24 percent of the region’s annual demand. The announcement comes during California’s Water Awareness Month, May 1-31. “Water is our most precious natural resource, especially as cycles of drought, wildfire, and flood threaten our region’s water supply,” said Chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Lindsey P. Horvath. “The more water we capture and store locally, the more we are able to reduce our reliance on imported supplies and ensure the entire region has access to safe, clean, and reliable water.” … ” Read more from SCV News.
Burbank reduces conservation worries and reliance on imported water
“In 1970, a drive through a typical Burbank neighborhood would reveal homes with lush green lawns, sprinklers spritzing away. Like most places in California, water seemed to be in endless supply. But in 2000 the drought years came. Since then, California has been in a drought 76% of the time — with increasing strength and frequency. City officials realized if they wanted to ensure a reliable, affordable water supply for residents and businesses, they needed to implement new conservation measures and a sustainable water management plan. That same drive today would look very different. Many lawns were replaced by drought-resistant landscapes or artificial turf. Automated water sprinkling is restricted to certain days, as is the length of watering. A series of messaging and ordinances focused on horticulture management, recycling water, native plants, low-flow irrigation, and a community receptive to water management reduced water usage to nearly half of its 1970 level. … ” Read more from the League of California Cities.
People and pets urged to avoid San Bernardino lake due to toxic algal bloom
“California water officials are urging people and their pets to avoid Silverwood Lake in San Bernardino County after a toxic algal bloom was detected in the reservoir. The Department of Water Resources has issued a caution advisory warning residents to avoid parts of the popular recreation spot until further notice due to the presence of harmful cyanobacteria, or blue-green algae, in the water. Blue-green algae are a natural part of many ecosystems, but can grow, or “bloom,” rapidly under certain conditions including warmer water temperatures. Experts say the issue is getting worse as climate change, aging water infrastructure and human activities converge in water bodies across the state. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via AOL News.
SAN DIEGO
Hundreds sue city over floods, say it ‘failed’ on stormwater
“After yearslong battles with the city of San Diego over crumbling stormwater infrastructure in their southeastern San Diego neighborhoods, hundreds of people whose homes and businesses were damaged by flash flood waters in January are now suing the city. The $100 million mass tort lawsuit has nearly 300 plaintiffs — homeowners and renters as well as business owners in the communities of Southcrest, Logan Heights and others along the Chollas Creek watershed. The lawsuit contends that city leaders have known for years that the creek and stormwater infrastructure around it are in urgent need of attention. “The city of San Diego failed in its duty to protect communities from flooding,” reads the complaint, filed Monday in San Diego Superior Court. … ” Read more from the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Along the Colorado River …
Climate change may help the Colorado River, new study says
“A new study found that the Colorado River may experience a rebound after two decades of decreased flows due to drought and global warming. “Importantly, we find climate change will likely increase precipitation in the Colorado headwaters,” Professor Martin Hoerling, the study’s lead author, wrote to The Salt Lake Tribune in an email. “This will compensate some if not most of the depleting effects of further warming.” Recently published in the Journal of Climate, the study by researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder’s Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Science used data from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. … ” Read more from the Salt Lake Tribune.
New Colorado River guidelines are only the beginning
“Much attention is focused right now on rewriting Colorado River operating rules, to replace the soon-to-expire 2007 reservoir operating guidelines. But there is a growing frustration that the struggle to solve that relatively narrow problem “mass balance” problem (how much water, and where?) leaves out a range of incredibly important issues … ” Continue reading at the Inkstain blog.
In national water news today …
The science behind why the world is getting wetter
“Deadly dam bursts in Kenya and Brazil, a highway sliding down a mountainside in southern China, desert airport runways underwater in Dubai, mining pits flooded in Australia: Large parts of the world are awash. Extreme rainfall and killer floods that have struck around the globe in recent weeks have been unexpected both in their location and power. Combined with infrastructure unprepared for such deluges, the intense rains have caused death, destruction and mass evacuations on several continents. The powerful downpours are the result of natural weather patterns being supercharged by a record-breaking year for global temperatures. As the globe gets hotter, it is getting wetter too. Simply put, the warmer the air, the more water it can hold. Scientists still don’t know whether this yearlong record global heat—and the downpours that accompany it—amounts to a statistical blip, or requires a recalibration to a warmer, wetter future that will test national infrastructure, raise insurance premiums and complicate global food production. … ” Read more from the Wall Street Journal (gift article).
There are concerns about the future of hydropower in the U.S. Here’s why
“The ongoing drought across the western United States has led to concerns about the future of hydropower. As reservoirs see water levels drop, officials worry about electricity generation being reduced, as well. This is an issue Syris Valentine has written about. Valentine is the climate solutions fellow with Grist Magazine. He joined The Show to talk about what he’s learned.” Listen or read transcript at KJZZ.
