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In California water news today …
Like water sloshing in a giant bathtub, El Niño begins an inevitable retreat
“A few weeks ago, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology declared that the Pacific Ocean is no longer in an El Niño state and has returned to “neutral.” American scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have been more hesitant, but they estimate that there is an 85% chance that the Pacific will enter a neutral state in the next two months and a 60% chance that a La Niña event will begin by August. After an El Niño that was one of the three strongest in the last 40 years and that brought a wet winter to the U.S. — and California, in particular — this transition could mean a dramatic shift in weather as we enter the summer. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via AOL News.
SEE ALSO: La Nina to return by late summer, from the Western Farm Press
Lights, sound…bubbles! New virtual barrier deters baby salmon from Delta death trap
“If you visit the Delta town of Walnut Grove during winter or spring, look for a surprise in the Sacramento River just before it meets Georgiana Slough. A steady stream of bubbles rises from the river bottom, accompanied by flashes of bright yellow strobe lights and low whooshing sounds. It looks like an art installation, especially at night. But this barrage of light, noise and bubbles is actually there to protect imperiled baby salmon. Formally called a bioacoustic fish fence and dubbed a bubble barrier, the system was installed in 2023 to keep the little fish from going the wrong way in the Delta. “It’s working great,” says bubble barrier project manager Shahid Anwar, an engineer at the state Department of Water Resources. … ” Read more from Maven’s Notebook.
Wildfire season is fast approaching – what’s the outlook?
“Summer sun, dry grass, and the time for wildfires is fast approaching; and North Bay State Senator Mike McGuire has something to say about it. The wet winter has been welcome for many, erasing drought throughout the state. That’s some good news, said McGuire. “The vast majority of California’s reservoirs, our lakes, They are at or very near capacity,” McGuire said. But the winter rains yield some consequences, he said. “What we also know is big rain means big growth in vegetation, and despite this wet winter and despite the snow pack that we may see in the year now, wildfire season is here to stay,” McGuire said. “It’s knocking on our door, and that is why we need you to get prepared tonight.” … ” Read more from Northern California Public Radio.
Book Review: Seek Higher Ground
Dr. Peter Moyle writes, “Flooding is a natural phenomenon that we humans keep assuming can be controlled with enough effort and engineering. But this simply is not possible, as floods across the globe repeatedly demonstrate. People continue to be surprised when landscapes become waterscapes. This brings loss of life and enormous costs of repairing damaged infrastructure and constructing bigger levees and dams for flood control. As Tim Palmer says in his new book (2024) local to global failures of current flood management practices: “The age of denial is over. The time has come to take a different path (p 140)”. Palmer is the right person to explore new pathways. He is an independent writer and photographer who has spent a lifetime exploring the rivers and watersheds of North America, but especially those in California (Palmer 2010). … ” Read more from the California Water Blog.
In commentary today …
Californians love the state’s parks. We just don’t know they’re state parks
“When Dos Rios Ranch opens to visitors next month in the San Joaquin Valley, California will have 280 state parks — making it one of the nation’s largest systems, as well as one of its most popular, with about 70 million visitors a year. Who knew? The short answer is: hardly anyone. Over the past 20 years I’ve asked several thousand Californians to name five state parks. Fewer than 5% can do so. And most of these baffled respondents are outdoorsy folks — the kind of people I meet on the trail or at my talks about hiking. This lack of awareness is more than surprising right now. It’s dangerous. If Californians can’t name a handful of state parks, they won’t recognize the threat when Sacramento defers investment in the system or — as is inevitably happening again — attempts to cut funding. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
As demolition begins on one of the last Klamath River dams, attention turns to recovery
“Work has now begun on removing the third of four dams that nearly destroyed salmon populations on the Klamath River in Oregon and California and caused some of the nation’s largest-ever fish kills. Karuk elder Leaf Hillman and his wife, Lisa, were on hand this month to see the first shovelful of dirt scraped from the top of the earthen dam. They and other tribal fish and water protectors had fought for years to demolish the dams that nearly made one of their cultural touchpoints and primary food sources extinct. “We sweep all the bad things off the downriver edge of the world and off the upriver edge of the world,” said Hillman. “We make this place all new again in service of all the spirit people that exist on this earth, both human and non-human ancestors and relations.” … ” Read more from the USA Today.
Saving farms and salmon: The faces of conservation
“Some of the most iconic landscapes on the Pacific coast are found along Humboldt Bay in California. One of the largest bays along the Pacific Flyway, thousands and thousands of birds seek refuge and nesting on and near its waters. However, this area is perhaps best known for its towering redwoods, fern, and moss covered grounds, and the crystal clear streams that meander through these ancient forests. Endangered Pacific salmon return to these meandering streams to spawning, while young salmon mature in the streams and estuaries before swimming to the ocean. Salmon serve as a foundation for these ecosystems — providing nutrients for plants and other wildlife. Salmon are also important to local communities by supporting a $3 billion industry in this region and beyond, according to the Wild Salmon Center. … ” Read more from the US Fish & Wildlife Service.
NAPA/SONOMA
Editorial: Judge’s ruling muddies North Coast water future
The Santa Rosa Press Democrat editorial board writes, “A federal judge just added yet another layer to planning a sustainable future for the region’s water resources. U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley ruled that the Army Corps of Engineers violates the Endangered Species Act with water released from Coyote Valley Dam into the Russian River. Because of the way the 66-year-old dam is designed, a lot of sediment gets mixed with the water and clouds the Russian River. Salmon and other fish are accustomed to some natural turbidity in the water, as the clouding is called, but not that much. The good news is that the Corps of Engineers has a few months to come up with at least a temporary plan to address the judge’s concerns. … A long-term solution might prove more elusive and expensive, though. … ” Read more from the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
BAY AREA
Nearly completed Anderson Reservoir tunnel will protect South Bay during droughts, earthquakes
“The multi-billion dollar Anderson Dam Seismic retrofit project is approaching a major milestone. The tunnel that will reduce flood risk and allow for water to be diverted out and around the dam is nearly complete – 80 % overall. And we got a look at what the tunnel looks like from the inside. It’s part of the bigger upgrade to make Santa Clara County’s biggest reservoir safer and more efficient. “It’s a much larger amount of water that we are able to release, that we would only have to do in an emergency — such as an earthquake or another flood event or something like that — where we could quickly lower the reservoir if needed,” said Valley Water Project Manager Ryan McCarter. … ” Read more from Channel 7.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Los Angeles County captured 96 billion gallons of water during storm season
“After a historic amount of rainfall fell in Los Angeles County from late 2023 through early spring, officials say there was a benefit for the region. L.A. County’s reservoirs captured and stored a little more than 96.3 billion gallons of water since October of last year when storm season began, which is enough to supply an estimated 2.4 million people for a year. The water that is captured by the reservoirs is sent to spreading grounds for the recharge of the county’s aquifers. “Water is our most precious natural resource, especially as cycles of drought, wildfire, and flood threaten our region’s water supply,” said Lindsey P. Horvath., Chair of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. “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 KTLA.
SEE ALSO: In wet winter, LA stored enough stormwater to supply one in four residents, from Yale e360
SAN DIEGO
Congressional reps pushing CDC to investigate South Bay sewage health impacts
“San Diego’s congressional delegation is calling on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to launch an investigation into the public health impacts of the Tijuana River sewage crisis. The delegation joined California Sens. Laphonza Butler and Alex Padilla in a joint letter to the CDC director on Friday requesting an immediate examination of the contaminants in the “water, soil, and air” of San Diego County’s southernmost communities. “The overburdened wastewater infrastructure in Tijuana, Mexico frequently results in raw sewage being released into the Tijuana River and off the coast of Baja California, ultimately contaminating waters off of southern San Diego,” the letter read. … ” Read more from Fox 5.
Along the Colorado River …
‘Don’t squander this moment’: Nevada may expand cash-for-water rights programs for imperiled regions
“The Las Vegas Valley gets almost all its water from the Colorado River. But in the rest of the state, thousands of homes rely on groundwater wells, relying on a resource they have a right to use —but may soon not exist. Nevada’s limited network of groundwater is found in 256 basins. In about half of them, residents, farmers and corporations hold rights to pump more water than is returned by melted snowpack and rain every year, according to The Nature Conservancy. “Imagine you have a bathtub full of water, and every 10 years, one drop comes out of the faucet, but every day you take a bucket out,” said Rhett Larson, an Arizona State University professor who studies water law. “At the end of the week, you’re going to have an empty bathtub and you’re not going to be able to get a bucket out of it again for a couple of centuries. That’s how an aquifer works.” … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Lingering drought effects are stealing the runoff thunder from Utah’s snowpack
“Runoff from mountain snowpack is particularly precious in Utah. It provides 95% of the state’s water supply. In recent years, however, getting above-average snowpack hasn’t necessarily led to above-average runoff. Historically, water managers could count on those numbers to more-or-less match, said Colorado River Authority of Utah Chair Gene Shawcroft. This discrepancy — and the uncertainty it brings — makes the already tricky job of managing water in the West even harder, he said. “That’s part of the challenge we have with everything we do in the water world. Not only are we pressured to make sure there’s water for the future. We’re also wrestling with, ‘What happens if our water supply is less than what we’ve anticipated?’” … ” Read more from KUER.
This pioneering study tells us how snow disappears into thin air
“A team of researchers has been hard at work in the Rocky Mountains to solve a mystery. Snow is vanishing into thin air. Now, for the first time, a new study explains how much is getting lost , and when, exactly, it’s disappearing . Their findings have to do with snow sublimation, a process that happens when snow evaporates before it has a chance to melt. Perhaps most critical in the new findings is the fact that most snow evaporation happen s in the spring, after snow totals have reached their peak. This could help water managers around the West know when to make changes to the amount of water they take from rivers and reservoirs. “This lets us make much better decisions and understand processes that there was not data available to understand before,” said Jessica Lundquist, the study’s author. “These data are absolutely critical.” … ” Read more from KUNM.
More news and commentary in the weekend edition …
In California water news this weekend …
Federal study shows vast amount of forest lost in California after wildfires, drought- Climatologists expect La Nina to return before summer ends
- As Lake Oroville nears capacity, DWR says no need to fear spill overs
- Chinese community located on Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta maintains its charm
- Rice farming in the Delta with Jerred Dixon & Delta ag updates
- The numbers are in: 2023 Water Year was fantastic
- Peak water: Do we have enough groundwater to meet future need?
- Big cuts, no new taxes: Gov. Newsom’s plan to fix California’s budget deficit
- A blueprint for fire prevention: Lake County California puts federal support to local action
- Lake Tahoe expected to fill for the first time in years
- Photos: Tour of the 1,732-foot-long tunnel at the Anderson Dam project
- Kern agencies prepare to submit third groundwater plan in hopes it’s the charm that wards off state pumping takeover
- Is it time to stop wasting waste?
- And more …
Click here for the weekend digest.
