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.
On the calendar today …
- MEETING: Delta Stewardship Council beginning at 9am. Agenda items include routine items and the Delta Lead Scientist report. Click here for the full agenda.
- MEETING: State Board of Food and Ag from 4pm to 5:30pm. Agenda items include CA Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) Staff Presentation on the pesticide application notification system design and modifications to proposed regulatory text; and Statewide Notification of Agricultural Use of Restricted Materials. Click here for the agenda and remote access instructions.
In California water news today …
Map shows where California ‘atmospheric thirst’ ramped up following historic July heat wave
“While California’s reservoirs are currently 116% of normal for this time of year, other signs of drought are quickly creeping in. The reason: July’s extreme heat. “We’ve supercharged our drying,” said John Abatzoglou, a climatologist at UC Merced. Over the past few weeks, the atmosphere has been extremely thirsty, Abatzoglou said, pulling out large amounts of moisture from live vegetation and dead fuels. The indicator points to increased fire risk, beyond grasslands into higher elevation forests.Scientists refer to this thirst as evaporative demand. The map above shows how anomalous the demand for atmospheric moisture was from June 20 to July 19, compared with the same period from 1979 to 2016. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
Map shows drought across US amid ‘dangerous’ heat
“A U.S. Drought Monitor map reveals the extent of drought’s grip on the country as millions of people swelter from a major heatwave. Huge swathes of California, Nevada, and the Northern Plains are being roasted by extreme and “dangerous” temperatures with Heat Advisories, Excessive Heat Warnings, and Red Flag Warning for wildfires being issued by the National Weather Service (NWS). The worst hit areas include towns surrounding Phoenix, Las Vegas, Lake Mead, and central and southern California, where temperatures are expected to soar above 110 degrees Fahrenheit. … ” Read more from Newsweek.
Tropical moisture mixes with California’s heat, driving storms, flood potential, fire risks
“California’s latest heat wave has drawn tropical moisture into the region, causing severe thunderstorms in some inland areas that forecasters warn could continue to cause flash flooding and dangerous lightning through at least Wednesday night. Some areas of Southern California, including the San Gabriel mountains and ranges across San Bernardino County, have the potential for strong, slow-moving storms to develop Wednesday afternoon. The storms “may produce heavy rainfall amounts and some flash flooding,” the National Weather Service warned. The Sierra Nevada and surrounding foothills also have a high risk for severe thunderstorms, with a chance for excessive rainfall causing flooding across much of eastern and southeastern California, according to the the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
In long-sought change, states must consider tribal rights when crafting water rules
“This May, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency issued a revision to the Clean Water Act that requires states to consider tribal treaty rights when crafting water quality regulations. The rule could protect resources such as wild rice, sturgeon, salmon and shellfish. While many tribes have issued pollution standards for waters within their own boundaries, the federal rule will cover off-reservation landscapes on which Native people still exercise hard-won rights to hunt, fish and gather. Such areas cover millions of acres mapped out in dozens of treaties, concentrated especially in the Great Lakes and Pacific Northwest. State regulators have long been tasked with setting water quality standards for those areas. Now, the new rule directs them to consider the treaty-protected aquatic species that depend on those waters. For instance, states may be forced to lower pollution thresholds in some waters to account for the fact that tribal members who practice subsistence lifestyles consume fish at higher rates than the general public. … ” Read the full story from Stateline.
Huge California dam removal project ahead of schedule — with historic return of wildlife to follow
“The nation’s largest dam-removal project is moving along faster than planned, with the demolition work on the Klamath River, near the California-Oregon border, due to wrap up as soon as next month – and salmon expected to make their long-awaited return soon after. Following months of blasting and drilling, three large hydroelectric dams slated for dismantling this year are close to being cleared out of the river channel while a smaller fourth dam was taken out last fall. Officials at the Klamath River Renewal Corp., which is managing the $500 million deconstruction effort about a six-hour drive from San Francisco, credit a combination of good weather and speedy crews for putting the bulk of the work on track to finish about a month and a half before their Oct. 15 deadline. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle.
SEE ALSO: Deconstructing dams and disease: predictions for salmon disease risk following Klamath River dam removals, from Frontiers
California’s newest state park is like a time machine
“Just a few hours north of here, in the Central Valley, is California’s first new state park in a decade. It just opened this summer, and it reimagines what a state park can be. The park is called Dos Rios, meaning two rivers, because the Tuolumne and San Joaquin Rivers merge here. And just upstream from that junction, at the crack of dawn, we meet two conservationists, Julie Rentner and Austin Stevenot, under a canopy of majestic oaks. … ” Continue reading or listen to podcast at Northern California Public Radio.
Flume Water selected by California DWR for pioneering indoor water use study
“Flume Water, a leader in smart water monitoring solutions, has been selected by the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) to study indoor residential water use in support of the state’s water conservation initiatives. This partnership aligns with the “Making Conservation a California Way of Life” legislation, which sets new water use objectives for urban water suppliers throughout California. “We are honored to be selected to work with the California Department of Water Resources on this vital project,” said Eric Adler, CEO of Flume. “Flume is uniquely positioned to perform this study based on our extensive statewide library of residential water use data and our unique capability to employ artificial intelligence and machine learning to analyze indoor and outdoor demand. Our goal is to provide valuable insights and data that will help shape the future of sustainable water management in California.” … ” Read more from Street Insider.
Solar canal project earns environmental award as construction begins
“Construction has begun on a pilot project to install solar panels above two sections of Central Valley canals. This innovative initiative, which studies significant power and water issues, has already garnered recognition. Project Nexus, a partnership between the Turlock Irrigation District (TID), the California Department of Water Resources (DWR), Bay Area development firm Solar AquaGrid, and UC Merced, received the Edmund G. “Pat” Brown Award from the California Council for Environmental and Economic Balance (CCEEB). CCEEB describes itself as a “nonprofit, nonpartisan coalition of business, labor, and public leaders, which advances balanced policies for a healthy environment and a strong economy.” The award named after Brown, who was governor when the CCEEB was founded in 1973 and was a longtime champion of economic growth alongside environmental measures, is designed to recognize an individual or organization whose activities exemplify the principles of environmental and economic balance. … ” Read more from UC Merced.
What it’s like to live in a Calif. tourist attraction being swallowed by the sea
“In a small California seaside community, rows of pastel homes sit just steps behind a sloping shoreline that’s packed all summer with beachgoers. The candy-colored hues stand out against a brilliant blue sky most days, beckoning visitors to snap yet another selfie in front of the rows of iconic houses. In many ways, this stretch of waterfront in Capitola paved the way for California’s beachfront communities — it claims to be the first and oldest oceanfront resort in California. The Venetian Court homes are still standing nearly 100 years after they were built, a longtime symbol of the picturesque California coast. But after strong storms battered the area for the second winter in a row, they’re also emblematic of the challenges communities along the shore will battle in the face of climate change. Originally the land of the Aptos, Casjataca and Uypi peoples, Capitola was popularized as a summer camp in 1869 for those looking to escape the worst of inland California’s summer heat. … ” Read more from SF Gate.
Invasive species are thriving thanks to climate change while worsening global heating
“From Burmese pythons and European starlings to zebra mussels and Great Lake lampreys, the United States is in the midst of an invasive species crisis, impacting local environments both on the land and in the water. There are a number of factors making this problem worse, but foremost among them is climate change. Dr. Robert C. Venette, a research biologist working for the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service Northern Research Station, is paying close attention to multiple invasive species, including “several bark beetles, emerald ash borer, spotted lanternfly, hemlock wooly adelgid, oak wilt, Palmer amaranth and Japanese knotweed, among others.” But figuring out exactly how much damage they will do — and what that means for the future of the environment — isn’t an easy task. … ” Read more from Salon.
In commentary today …
When it comes to Calif.’s water, the numbers do lie
Bill Hammonds, an attorney and chairman of Firebaugh-based Hammonds Ranch, writes, “Years ago, I wrote a tongue in cheek essay dedicated to the authors of “How to Lie with Statistics”, which proved beyond any doubt that rainfall caused mental illness. There is, by the way, significant statistical evidence to back this up, but it may well be confusing coincidence with causation. That said, there is an anomaly in how the State of California reports rainfall records. Simultaneously, the state is using this data to allocate water to farmers in the Central Valley, and year after year, there are more emergencies, and the farms get less water. The state tracks rainfall in the Sierra in three different regions, the Northern Sierra 8 Station Average, the Tulare Basin and the San Joaquin stations. In the southern San Joaquin Valley the water we use comes mostly from the Northern Sierra. … ” Read more from the San Joaquin Valley Sun.
Managing California’s water requires improved transparency
Allison Febbo, general manager of the Westlands Water District, writes, “California is experiencing whiplash between boom-and-bust cycles of prolonged drought and atmospheric rivers. The unpredictable nature of our climate makes management of California’s water system extraordinarily challenging. But as the lifeblood for every Californian and a key ingredient for our agricultural communities, it is critical we have water management and distribution systems in place that work during both dry and wet years. This year’s water allocations from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and the Department of Water Resources were at the very least frustrating and demonstrate the need for improvements. For background, Westlands Water District (District) receives water from the Central Valley Project and distributes that water to farmers and communities on the Westside of Fresno and Kings counties. Water allows farmers in Westlands to produce more than 50 crops annually and play a critical role in meeting California’s — and the nation’s — food supply and food security needs. … ” Read more from The Business Journal.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
City of Clearlake lawsuit against Highlands Mutual Water Co. set to go to trial
“The city of Clearlake’s action to file a lawsuit against Highlands Mutual Water Co. will culminate in a trial set to take place this week. The growing tensions between the city of Clearlake and water companies that serve city residents led to the city filing the lawsuit in June. In filing the lawsuit, the city argued that the action was necessary to obtain records and get a new election of district board members. The suit names Highlands Mutual Water Co. and each of its five board members, citing concerns “about the ability of Highlands to provide reliable drinking water and fire flow protection.” … ” Read more from the Lake County News.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Not Twain’s Tahoe: Raw sewage, microplastics and lead telecom lines litter Lake Tahoe
“On July 19, North Tahoe Public Utility District estimated that 125,000 gallons of untreated sewage were “discharged” from a break in a sewer line, of which only 40,000 gallons were recovered. An estimated 85,000 gallons of raw sewage seeped into the lake from the shore of Carnelian Bay West Beach. The contaminated water samples have been collected and sent to be tested, but the current levels still need to be determined. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, raw sewage in bodies of water “has the potential to impair water quality, adversely affect aquatic environments and increase risks to human health…the impacts may be especially problematic in marinas, slow-moving rivers, lakes and other bodies of water with low-flushing rates.” At the time when Mark Twain spoke in prose of the “noble sheet of Blue Water lifted six thousand three hundred feet above the level of the sea,” today’s Tahoe is not Twain’s Tahoe while he was reporting from the foothills of Virginia City, Nevada. … ” Read more from the Nevada Globe.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Wheatland OKs regional wastewater agreements
“The Wheatland City Council approved wastewater operations and capacity agreements with the Olivehurst Public Utility District (OPUD) on Tuesday, outlining the service parameters for a regional wastewater treatment project currently in the works. For the past three years, OPUD and Wheatland officials have been working together to facilitate the Regional Wastewater Treatment and Transmission Facilities Project in south Yuba County. This would effectively merge two wastewater systems and replace them with a modernized, regional treatment facility and transmission system. Upon completion, the upgrade will eliminate Wheatland’s aging, secondary-level wastewater treatment plant. According to the Yuba Water Agency, a partner in this project, Wheatland’s wastewater plant discharges into infiltration basins along the Bear River, posing risks to both source and groundwater quality. … ” Read more from the Appeal Democrat.
BAY AREA
Sizing up progress on Nature-Based Infrastructure in the Bay Area
“It wasn’t the appearance of a flashy, high-ranking California official at the podium, or the review of 35 years of efforts to protect the Bay’s watershed at the beginning of the May 2024 State of the Estuary conference that made me sit up in my red velvet auditorium seat. It was an awards ceremony for outstanding projects. Usually a rather dull procedural item in my experience of half a dozen such conferences, this one’s message was nothing anyone said or put up on the screen. There to receive each small plaque from Friends of the Estuary were long lines of “collaborators.” As they snaked on and off the stage for a photo and handshake, the line of folk who had helped complete this or that project — from mapping the range of the salt marsh harvest mouse to involving students and teachers in watershed restoration — got longer and longer. In these humble lines of changemakers, no one was taking selfies or fist-pumping or even expecting to hear their own name spoken into the mike. These are just the folks quietly going about saving the planet — year after year. It was heartening to see such unity compared to the daily news headlines. … ” Read more from Knee Deep Times.
Memo distills joint approach to flood protection
“With the region facing projected costs of at least $110 billion to protect its shores against rising waters, the failure to coordinate efforts on regional funding proposals can have serious consequences—an issue that was showcased recently when two local agencies both applied for the same multi-million-dollar federal grant program. “This Federal agency only wanted one applicant from each region of the country,” says Allison Brooks of the Bay Area Regional Collaborative. “That’s the kind of miscommunication that can cost literally millions, where we end up not accessing the big dollars that we need.” Avoiding similar snafus is one goal of a new Memorandum of Understanding approved on July 19 by seven regional and state agencies, committing them to work together to identify, prioritize and deliver high-priority, multi-benefit projects to reduce flood risks along the shoreline. … ” Read more from Knee Deep Times.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
River Island water treatment plant operational but will take a few months to phase in
“The water treatment plant that has been considered a major needed piece in providing those in the River Island-Springville area reliable water is finally operational, but it will still take months for the operation to be phased in. Del Oro Water Company which oversees water services for the River Island area district, announced on Tuesday afternoon it has been given permission to deliver water from the treatment plant. The plant’s operation was approved when staff from State Water Resources Control Board-Department of Drinking Water gave the go-ahead after a visit to the facility on Tuesday. “This state of the art facility represents a significant advancement in our community’s infrastructure, ensuring cleaner water and a healthier environment for all,” Del Oro stated. … ” Read more from the Porterville Recorder.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Public can review Topanga Lagoon Restoration Project (FEIR)
“On Monday, July 22, the city of Malibu posted on its website that members of the community can review the proposed Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for the Topanga Lagoon Restoration Project from July 15 through August 13. The proposed FEIR identifies the range of closely related alternatives considered for the project, as well as the preferred alternative. The Topanga Lagoon Restoration Project is a multiagency cooperative effort by California State Parks, CalTrans, County of Los Angeles Department of Beaches and Harbors and the Resource Conservation District of the Santa Monica Mountains to restore the Topanga Lagoon ecosystem. It is one of the last coastal wetlands in Southern California. … ” Read more from The Canyon.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
The Salton Sea lithium rush
“There’s a lithium bonanza happening at the Salton Sea. CBS News likened the scene of companies lining up to mine lithium from under the Southern California lake to the 1849 Gold Rush. To Gov. Gavin Newsom, the area is “the Saudi Arabia of lithium.” The boom started when one of the world’s largest supplies of lithium was discovered one mile below the dying lake. The metal is required to produce electric car batteries and is essential to reducing carbon emissions. Yet lost in the excitement about the money and new jobs that the mining projects could bring are the concerns of the people who live there. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
Along the Colorado River …
A plan to replenish the Colorado River could mean dry alfalfa fields. And many farmers are for it
“A plan to help shore up the depleted Colorado River by cutting off water to alfalfa fields in California’s crop-rich Imperial Valley is finding support from the farmers who grow it. The Imperial Irrigation District — the biggest user of water from the 1,450-mile (2,334-kilometer) river — has offered to pay farmers to shut off irrigation to forage crops including alfalfa for up to 60 days during the peak of the sweltering summer. While farmers often balk at the idea of letting fields lie fallow, at least 80% of properties eligible for the new program have been signed up to participate, said Tina Shields, the district’s water department manager. “We don’t like to do fallowing down here,” Shields said. “They’re making business decisions.” … ” Read more from ABC News.
‘Essential’ water bill passes House; here’s how Laughlin, Las Vegas could benefit
“A routine reauthorization of federal funds may give Nevada’s water infrastructure a needed boost. Every other year since 2014, Congress has considered the Water Resource Development Act, taking stock of what is working and what needs to change when it comes to developing a stable water supply for the future. It allows lawmakers to advocate for more money on behalf of their state — and two Nevada congresswomen have done just that now that the House of Representatives passed the bill Monday on a vote of 359 to 13. Next, it’ll need to go through the U.S. Senate and then to the president. Reps. Susie Lee and Dina Titus, D-Nev., separately pushed amendments through with Nevada in mind. … ” Read more from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Tribal leaders urge Congress to pass water rights settlement
“Leaders of three northern Arizona tribes advocated for a comprehensive water rights settlement this week in Washington D.C. It comes two months after they unanimously approved the deal that’s been in negotiations for decades. Navajo President Buu Nygren and Hopi Vice Chairman Craig Andrews testified Tuesday before the House Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries on behalf of a bipartisan bill to finalize the Northeastern Arizona Indian Water Rights Settlement Agreement. … ” Read more from KNAU.
Historic Yavapai-Apache Nation water settlement benefits Arizona, water and wildlife
“The Nature Conservancy in Arizona (TNC) is proud to support the Yavapai-Apache Nation’s landmark water rights settlement that will protect the Verde River on the tribe’s ancestral homelands and keep the river flowing as one of Arizona’s few remaining perennial waterways. The Verde River is the life-source for an incredible diversity of fish, birds, mammals and native vegetation. It is also a critical source of water for drinking, agriculture and recreation for the Verde Valley and Phoenix Metro Area’s nearly 5 million residents. The settlement underscores the remarkable power of collaboration: It involved a huge confluence of stakeholders, including the Nation, the State of Arizona, federal government, Salt River Project and Verde Valley communities. TNC lent its support through scientific research and promoting community dialogue. … ” Read more from The Nature Conservancy.
Utah: The battle against invasive species doesn’t take time off
“As record temperatures sweep across Utah, you will find residents flocking to the state’s many reservoirs, lakes and streams looking to beat the heat and enjoy some of our many recreational activities. Joining them last week were scientists from Reclamation’s Water Quality Group, not on any well-earned vacation, but to collect water samples and other water quality data related to Reclamation’s Aquatic Invasive Species early detection and monitoring program. The program is a joint effort between Reclamation and Utah’s Department of Natural Resources. The AIS program is designed to limit the spread of invasive species, most notably quagga and zebra mussels, here in Utah. The monitoring program tracks the spread of invasive species, with the goal of detecting the early stages of an infestation. Currently, all sampled reservoirs in Utah (except for Lake Powell) are free of quagga and zebra mussels. The monitoring program confirms that reservoirs remain mussel-free. Along with monitoring, the state of Utah conducts outreach efforts to inform the public and operates inspection and decontamination stations. … ” Read more from the Bureau of Reclamation.
Colorado River officials vote to explore water conservation “credits” to protect against worst drought years
“Four states in the drought-stricken Colorado River Basin, including Colorado, want credit for conserving water, but water users and officials have big questions about how to make it happen. Last year, taxpayers paid farmers and ranchers $16 million to cut their water use in the Colorado River Basin, but the water saved on one farm simply reentered streams, where it could be used by anyone downstream. For years, officials in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming have been considering ways to get credit for that conserved water — to track it, store it in a reservoir, and save it to help the states in the future. Representatives from the four states voted in June to develop a proposal exploring the idea by mid-August. … ” Read more from the Colorado Sun.
Lake Powell levels up 20% thanks to lucky weather, water conservation efforts
“Lake Powell, one of the Southwest’s largest reservoirs, is at its highest level in more than three years. This even though 2024 runoff will be below average. The lake is now 42% full, nearly 20% higher than it was last spring, and out of danger of falling so low it would hit a so-called dead pool and not be able to generate electricity at Glen Canyon Dam. Longtime Arizona environmental reporter Tony Davis is covering the story for the Arizona Daily Star, and he joined The Show to talk more about it. … ” Read transcript or listen at KJZZ.
In national water news today …
Nationwide flood models poorly reflect risks to households and properties, study finds
“Government agencies, insurance companies and disaster planners rely on national flood risk models from the private sector that aren’t reliable at smaller levels such as neighborhoods and individual properties, according to researchers at the University of California, Irvine. In a paper published recently in the journal Earth’s Future, experts in UC Irvine’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering caution that relatively new, nation-scale flood data provides an inadequate representation of local topography and infrastructure, factors known to control the spread of floods in urban areas. … ” Read more from PhysOrg.
Earth saw its hottest day on record two days in a row
“Monday marked Earth’s hottest day in recorded history — breaking a record only set the day before, according to data from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service. Earth saw a record-high average daily temperature of 62.87 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday, the EU climate monitor said, breaking the previous record of 62.76 degrees Fahrenheit set just the day before. Copernicus’s data on average global temperatures goes back to 1940. “What is truly staggering is how large the difference is between the temperature of the last 13 months and the previous temperature records,” Copernicus director Carlo Buontempo said in a statement. “We are now in truly uncharted territory and as the climate keeps warming, we are bound to see new records being broken in future months and years.” … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
Also on Maven’s Notebook today …
NOTICE: Invitation to discuss the Integrated Report with program staff
NOTICE: Curtailments Issued for Water Rights in the Scott River Watershed
