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On the calendar today …
- WEBINAR: Delta Research Award Seminar Series from 10:30am to 12:00pm. The seminar series features the recipients of the 2020-2021 Research Awards, which totaled over $10 million in combined funds from the Delta Science Program, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and State Water Contractors. This week: Assessing Sea Level Rise and Flooding Changes in the Sacramento/San Joaquin Delta Using Historical Water-Level Records; Suisun Landscapes: Science to understand historical changes and plan a resilient future that reflects community priorities. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
NOTEBOOK FEATURE: Are farm fields a hidden source of microplastics?
Alastair Bland writes, “I first tuned in to murmurs about plastic pollution in the late 1980s, when my mom would send me and my siblings to school with lunches packed in brown paper bags and wax-based sandwich wrappers. Compostable was in, and plastic bags out. I embraced her disdain, and for decades to come I would use whatever means possible to avoid plastic produce bags while shopping. By carrying home dinner in a canvas bag or even my bike helmet, I cultivated the illusion that I had cleared a plastic-free pathway from farm to table. But I’d overlooked the farm itself, and as it turns out the fields that grow our food are filthy with plastic waste — the direct result of modern farming’s increasing reliance on the signature material of the Anthropocene. Whether incidentally littered onsite or directly diffused into the soil via polymer-coated chemical pellets, plastic is now embedded both in agricultural practices and the tilled earth itself. It leaks into waterways, might be poisoning our food, and is virtually unregulated. Nobody knows what to do about it. … ” Read more from Maven’s Notebook.
Improved water efficiency paramount to future of California farmers, officials say
“It is difficult to overstate how important California is to United States agriculture. According to the 2023 Feeding the Economy report, nearly 13 percent – $1.1 trillion (€1.0 trillion) – of the United States’ agricultural output comes from California. The Golden State is the largest agricultural producer in the U.S. by a wide margin. Texas and New York, second and third, combine to produce as much agricultural output as California. The state is also responsible for virtually all U.S. olive oil production, with the California Olive Oil Council, a trade association, estimating that the Golden State produces between two and four million gallons (7.5 to 15 million liters) each year. … ” Read more from the Olive Oil Times.
Press release: Real-time conditions show Sites Reservoir would be 100% full at close of 23-24 wet season
“The Sites Project Authority (Authority) announced that at the close of this storm season, Sites Reservoir could have captured in excess of 1.5 million acre-feet of water from early 2023 through April 2024. Based on an analysis of 2023 flows and significant storms this year, it is estimated that Sites Reservoir would be at full capacity today. “We’re seeing that Sites would perform as expected during these wet years, saving us much needed new water supply for the dry years,” said Fritz Durst, Chair of the Sites Project Authority Board of Directors. “If Sites were operational today, the project beneficiaries would be heading into summer with additional stored water that they could manage and use when they need it. Having that extra savings account can make a huge difference during dry years that we know are coming.” … ” Read more from the Sites Project.
Watch: California’s runoff flows down the drain. Can more be captured?
Researchers say if California could collect and treat more stormwater in cities, it could provide enough water to supply a quarter of the state’s urban population.
California’s first heat wave of year is coming. These areas could see extreme temperatures
“California is about to heat up in a big way, with the hottest weather so far this year expected for next week. Medium-range weather models have come to a consensus on a strong area of high pressure developing over the western U.S. by the middle of next week, bringing a multiday heat wave to large swaths of California. Parts of the Central Valley will easily reach the triple digits, which is about 10 to 15 degrees above normal for early June. After a brief cooldown this weekend, a strong ridge of high pressure takes hold over the southwest U.S. early next week. Temperatures will push higher as the week progresses, with California’s peak heat likely occurring from Wednesday through Friday. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
State of the Estuary Conference dives into climate restoration challenges for Bay-Delta
“A long history of land engineering is to blame for the poor ecological health of the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Estuary, and it is engineering that is expected to repair it. On Tuesday, questions of how to design and fund local restoration projects in the era of climate change were brought together in the 2024 State of the Estuary Conference, which runs through Wednesday at the Scottish Rite Center in Oakland. The conference is sponsored by the San Francisco Estuary Partnership, one of 28 National Estuary Programs created by the federal Environmental Protection Agency and Congress in 1987 to protect and restore estuaries of national significance. Each National Estuary program develops and implements comprehensive plans that identify distinct challenges and priorities based on input from local, city, state, federal, private and nonprofit stakeholders. The number of stakeholders is mind-boggling, but the national program enables them to self-organize like bees around local projects. … ” Read more from Local News Matters.
How Bay Area scientists and environmentalists are prepping for future harmful algal blooms
“Every two years, scientists, legislators, and community members meet to discuss the health and future of our beloved San Francisco Bay. At this year’s State of the Estuary Conference, which is taking place this week at the Oakland Scottish Rite Center across from Lake Merritt, harmful algae blooms, wetland restoration, and emerging contaminants are a few of the items up for conversation. According to event organizers, the conference will serve as a hub for in-depth, timely conversations about the concerns, interests, and hopes of those “who are impacted by and working to improve, conserve, and monitor the health of the estuary.” The event is organized by the San Francisco Estuary Partnership. It’s part of the National Estuary Program, which was created by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in 1987 to protect and restore environmentally significant estuaries across the country. The San Francisco Estuary is one of 28 estuaries covered by the program. … ” Read more from Oaklandside.
Harvesting innovation: rediscovering the importance of small businesses in California
“As this month comes to a close, we reflect on Governor Gavin Newsom’s proclamation designating May as Small Business Month in California. Spring is not only a time of blooming flowers and warmer weather, but also a time to recognize and appreciate that small businesses are the backbone of our economy and communities. This recognition brings a well-deserved spotlight to the myriad of small businesses that drive California’s economy—both in urban and rural areas—and is a healthy reminder about the importance of our water resources to support these small businesses. When we talk about small businesses, we often envision local shops, boutiques, or tech startups that play crucial roles in our state and communities. However, in rural areas, the agricultural sector is equally important. It features a diverse array of small farming operations and businesses that support farming and ranching, enhancing productivity while also supporting communities, preserving our open spaces and pastoral settings, and benefiting fish and wildlife. … ” Read more from the Northern California Water Association.
Preparing for urban floods with an eye toward equity
“Rising seas and extreme storms fueled by climate change are combining to generate more frequent and severe floods in cities along rivers and coasts, and aging infrastructure is poorly equipped for the new reality. But when governments and planners try to prepare communities for worsening flood risks by improving infrastructure, the benefits are often unfairly distributed. A new modeling approach from Stanford University and University of Florida researchers offers a solution: an easy way for planners to simulate future flood risks at the neighborhood level under conditions expected to become commonplace with climate change, such as extreme rainstorms that coincide with high tides elevated by rising sea levels. The approach, described May 28 in Environmental Research Letters, reveals places where elevated risk is invisible with conventional modeling methods designed to assess future risks based on data from a single past flood event. … ” Read more from Stanford News.
NIDIS: Emerging climate trends make monitoring drought more complex
“Drought management in the U.S. hinges on the quality of our drought monitoring, which is a challenge in a changing climate. The United States Drought Monitor (USDM), a key tool for identifying and categorizing droughts since 2000, uses different categories to describe the intensity of droughts, such as “moderate,” “severe,” or “extreme.” These categories help decision-makers understand how bad a drought is and what actions might be needed. In a new study by Dartmouth College, published in AGU Advances, scientists examined whether the USDM is keeping up with changes in climate, as expressed in precipitation and soil moisture patterns. It is crucial to understand whether and how drought monitoring reflects long-term climate trends, because the classification of drought shapes our response to its impacts on agriculture, water management, and longer-term emergency planning. … ” Continue reading from NIDIS.
In commentary today …
The Abundance Mindset
Edward Ring writes, “If energy powers modern civilization, then water gives it life. And in California, for at least the last 20 years, with escalating severity, life has been tough. There isn’t enough water to go around. Water scarcity is not being forced upon Californians by climate change. Like so many other fundamental challenges Californians must endure – energy scarcity, catastrophic wildfires, and unaffordable housing — the problem is mismanagement. Investment in water and energy infrastructure would increase the supply and lower the cost for energy and water. Investment in the timber industry would restore health to California’s forests at the same time as it would increase the supply and lower the cost for lumber. If all of this happened, the consequence would be lower costs for three of the most essential variables affecting the price of home construction. … ” Read more from What’s Current.
Securing sustainable water supplies requires taking action now
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
The great dam reversal: A redirect of the Klamath River’s water aims to return salmon to waters they could not reach for decades
“Down along the lands that used to lie beneath Copco Lake, thickets of California poppies flicker orange in the breeze. The waters that covered this place for more than a century have receded to the old channel of the Klamath River, a waterway that travels hundreds of kilometres from southern Oregon to northern California. Over the past few months, the breaching of four dams has set it free to once again run unimpeded along much of its length. If the project is successful, salmon will soon begin swimming through waters they could not reach for decades. Bringing back the river holds the tantalizing prospect of undoing past mistakes, but has also raised searching new questions about the viability of restoring natural environments that have been shaped and inhabited by humans. … ” Read more from the Globe and Mail.
BAY AREA
Amid long and costly legal battles, SF urged to update wastewater system, fix sewage discharges
“It’s a clear, sunny day on Mission Creek. Kayakers are paddling by, and people are walking their dogs past the houseboats that line the banks near Oracle Park. But longtime resident Peter Snider said that, especially after heavy rains, some pretty nasty things go floating downstream. “Condoms,” Snider said. “Turds, actual turds, come down. Dead fish.” San Francisco discharges nearly 2 billion gallons of combined stormwater and raw sewage each year into Mission Creek and other points around the shoreline. And this has been an issue for decades. “When I first moved down here,” Snider said, “it used to be called s**t creek.” … ” Read more from KQED.
Supreme Court to hear SF challenge to EPA’s ‘vague’ water rules
“In a case that could further diminish the power of the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to consider San Francisco’s claim that EPA requirements under the Clean Water Act are vague and make any attempts by The City to comply “impossible.” The high court said it would review a 2023 decision by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals not to review San Francisco’s wastewater-discharge permit, which effectively upheld EPA limits on how much pollution The City releases into the Pacific Ocean. Lawyers for The City alleged that the permit issued by the EPA fails to adequately specify limits on the discharging of acceptable pollutants. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Examiner.
New tool informs flooding and sea level rise solutions for the San Francisco Bay Area
“With the potential for flooding during present-day winter storms and sea level rise continually inching up on San Francisco Bay Area communities, a team of scientists and engineers have created a new computer model that can inform key decision-making and guide flood prevention efforts both now and in the future. The model can be accessed free-of-charge on the San Francisco Bay-Delta Community website. The computer model synthesizes the complex dynamics that make up the San Francisco Bay-Delta’s environment, including the hydrology, sediment transport, water quality and the many ecosystems that span the region. “Agencies can now work collaboratively to gather insights and assess the impact of flood events and understand how effective mitigation measures such as levees, salt pond restoration projects and other proposed measures might affect different jurisdictions across the Bay and Delta,” said Hank Ackerman, flood control program manager with the Alameda County Public Works Agency. … ” Read more from the USGS.
CENTRAL COAST
Water works: $17M in state grants to fund several Ventura County water projects
“Mike Barber is board president of the Garden Acres Mutual Water Company serving the unincorporated community of Nyeland Acres next to the 101 Freeway. He is probably better known, however, as the person who rescued a huge Santa Claus statue slated for demolition in Carpinteria, moving it to its new home on water district property near Oxnard in 2003. He’s also the founder of the Santa to the Sea Half Marathon. On Friday, May 17, Barber’s tiny utility serving around half the homes in Nyeland Acres hosted a news conference detailing how $17.6 million in state funding will be spent on several projects across Ventura County, while also honoring the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) grant funding recipients. … ” Read more from the Ventura County Reporter.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Few farmers opted for excess river water to reduce well pumping east of Modesto area. Why?
“Above-average storms have allowed the Modesto Irrigation District to offer Tuolumne River water to nearby farmers who normally tap wells. It is getting few takers. The program is designed to boost the stressed aquifer generally east of Waterford, just outside MID boundaries. The district board on Tuesday debated whether to drop the price to spur interest, but a majority voted to leave it unchanged. The discussion came amid a state mandate to make groundwater use sustainable by about 2040. MID does not have a major problem within its territory, which stretches west to the San Joaquin River. But it is part of a regional effort to comply with the 2014 law. … ” Read more from the Modesto Bee. | Read via Yahoo News.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
LADWP among recipients awarded federal funding aimed at supporting local water supply projects
“The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), the nation’s largest municipal water and electric utility, was among three recipients to receive federal funding from the Bureau of Reclamation to advance sustainable water projects across Southern California. LADWP was awarded $30 million, for the Los Angeles Groundwater Replenishment (LAGWR) Project; one of multiple projects expected to dramatically reduce the City of Los Angeles’ dependence on purchased, imported water. The announcement was made at a press conference held at the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California’s (MWD) Grace F. Napolitano Pure Water Southern California Innovation Center in Carson. LADWP’s Chief Executive Officer & Chief Engineer, Janisse Quiñones was joined by Commissioner Touton of the Bureau of Reclamation, United States Senator Alex Padilla, U.S. Representatives Grace Napolitano and Nanette Barragan, State and local water officials, MWD, and other water agencies that were also awarded federal funds. … ” Read more from LADWP.
Los Angeles water recycling project gets $99M in funding, building on SNWA collaboration
“In a major step toward sustainable solutions to the water shortage in the West, the Biden administration on Tuesday announced funding for large-scale water recycling in Los Angeles. Nearly $100 million will go to support a project that began as a partnership between water officials in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. The Pure Water Southern California facility will produce enough water to serve about 386,000 households, according to a news release from U.S. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto. The U.S. Department of the Interior’s largest-scale water recycling program was created and passed with Masto’s support as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. … ” Read more from KLAS.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
A drying Salton Sea pollutes neighboring communities
“When desert winds stir up dust from the Salton Sea’s exposed lakebed, nearby communities suffer from increased air pollution. The deterioration coincides with reduced flows into California’s largest lake, a new research paper in the American Journal of Agricultural Economics finds. Disadvantaged communities have been affected more than others in the areas near the Salton Sea, which has been shrinking for years, said the paper’s co-leading author Eric Edwards. He is an assistant professor of agricultural economics at University of California, Davis, who did the research while at North Carolina State University. “We have a dusty area, and any time there is wind, it’s going to pick up dust and move it around,” Edwards said. “We think this new dust is increasing the amount of pollution faced by disadvantaged communities in the region surrounding the lake.” … ” Read more from UC Davis.
SEE ALSO: Drying Salton Sea has caused dangerous pollution, health problems for nearby communities, study finds, from the Courthouse News Service
Along the Colorado River …
Projection says 0% chance Lake Mead falls below 1K feet before 2028
“Lake Mead’s five-year outlook is slightly better after two wet winters, according to projections released May 29 by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. The five-year projections, released three times a year, account for a vast range of scenarios that could result in different cuts in water use depending on how low reservoirs actually go. However, they come with a wide margin of error, providing little clarity on what’s actually to come. They’re also much more uncertain as 2007 Colorado River interim guidelines are set to expire in 2026 and two groups of Colorado River states squabble over how to address the water scarcity crisis, including how reservoir releases operate. … ” Read more from PhysOrg.
Arizona’s summer monsoons: it can get wild and wooly, so let’s all be aware
“Monsoon Awareness Week – the annual effort by state, local and federal agencies to prepare the public for these awesome, often dangerously powerful storm patterns – is nearly upon us. As for the monsoon storms themselves? Well, they will arrive. Eventually. Maybe later than usual this year. But, nevertheless, the message remains: Be prepared. Oh, sure, they make some fun of our appropriation of the term “monsoon” in India where rainfall at the peak of the summer monsoon season in June and July averages 16-20 inches and where one uniquely situated village averages 107 inches in July alone. But the often fierce winds driving moisture from the Mexican tropics into our arid Sonoran Desert region have a character and power of their own. … ” Read more from the Arizona Department of Water Resources.
Using less of the Colorado River takes a willing farmer and $45 million in federal funds
” … The Colorado River basin has endured decades of drier-than-normal conditions, and steady demand. That imbalance is draining its largest reservoirs, and making it nearly impossible for them to recover, putting the region’s water security in jeopardy. Reining in demand throughout the vast western watershed has become a drumbeat among policymakers at both the state and federal level. Hagenstein’s ranch is an example of what that intentional reduction in water use looks like. In Sublette County, Hagenstein said it’s rare for people to make a living solely on raising livestock and growing hay anymore. In addition to ranching, she worked as a nurse practitioner for more than 40 years before retiring. And when she looked at her bank accounts, she realized she needed a better way to meet expenses if she was going to keep the ranch afloat in the future. Hagenstein said it was a no-brainer. She signed up for the System Conservation Pilot Program (SCPP) in 2023. Through the federally funded program, she was able to make 13 times more than she would have by leasing it out to grow hay. Since its inception as a mass experiment in water use reduction, the program has divided farmers and ranchers. … ” Read more from the Colorado Sun.
Winter snowpack recedes earlier than usual in southern Colorado after rare, sudden and large melt
“Southwestern Colorado is left with 6% of its peak snowpack earlier than usual this season in part because of a rare, sudden and large melt in late April. Snow that gathers in Colorado’s mountains is a key water source for the state, and a fast, early spring runoff can mean less water for farmers, ranchers, ecosystems and others in late summer. While the snow in northern Colorado is just starting to melt, southern river basins saw their largest, early snowpack drop-off this season, compared to historical data. For Ken Curtis, the only reason irrigators in Dolores and Montezuma counties haven’t been short on water for their farms and ranches is because the area’s reservoir, McPhee Reservoir, had water supplies left over from the above-average year in 2023. … ” Read more from the Colorado Sun.
In national water news today …
EPA announces final rule to improve drinking water quality awareness
“On May 15, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a final rule to make annual drinking water quality reports more understandable and accessible to the public. The agency said the reports are an important tool that drinking water systems use to inform residents about water quality and any contaminants that have been found in the water. Starting in 2027, this final rule will ensure that these reports are easier to read and support access to translations in appropriate languages while enhancing information about lead in drinking water. EPA said it is also taking steps to streamline the delivery of reports by encouraging electronic methods. “EPA is taking [this action] to help ensure that the American public has improved access to information about the drinking water in their communities by strengthening requirements for annual drinking water quality reports,” said acting Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Water Bruno Pigott. “[This] announcement will ensure these reports are easier to understand, and easier to access in additional languages to provide all people with the information they want and need about their water.” … ” Read more from Water Finance & Management.
‘Grey infrastructure’ can’t meet future water storage needs
“As demand for food and energy grows, water will only become more precious. A new Stanford-led study provides a first-of-its-kind global overview of the role dams and reservoirs play in providing water storage, revealing so-called grey infrastructure won’t be enough to meet future demands for hydropower and agricultural irrigation. The analysis, published this week in Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, underscores the necessity of exploring demand- and supply-side alternatives, such as other renewable energy sources and nature-based approaches for water storage. “Water storage is a critical and globally limited resource,” said study lead author Rafael Schmitt, a lead scientist at the Stanford-based Natural Capital Project. “Our study shows that the solutions of the past are insufficient, and can be damaging to already overstretched freshwater ecosystems.” … ” Read more from the Stanford Report.
How one weather extreme can make the next one even more dangerous
“Last year was the hottest year humans have ever recorded. That heat fueled a number of events — heat waves, downpours, fires — reaching unprecedented scales. And their effects are still reverberating. Canada’s record-breaking fires last year continued to smolder over the winter and have begun to regain strength. Hurricane activity in the Atlantic Ocean is likely to be well above normal due in part to the extraordinary amount of heat the ocean absorbed last year. Heat waves and warm winters in many parts of the world are laying the foundations for even more severe heat this year, raising the possibility that this year may be even hotter than the last one. Already places like Finland, Mexico, and India are experiencing heat waves well ahead of their respective summers. … ” Read more from Vox.
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
NOTICE: DWR’s EIR for the Long-Term Operation of the State Water Project in the Delta, Suisun Marsh, and Suisun Bay Now Available for Public Review and Comment
YOUR INPUT WANTED: Draft Grand Challenges to Delta Science
NOTICE: Water Right Petition for Long-Term Transfer by Yuba County Water Agency
NOTICE: Friant Water Authority Announces Public Scoping Meeting for the Friant-Kern Canal Pump-Back Project
FUNDING OPPORTUNITY: Fiscal Year 2024 Building Partner Capacity and Promoting Resiliency and Equity under Clean Water Act
