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 …
- WEBINAR: Discharge Requirements for Winery Process Water – North Coast from 10am to 11:30am. State Water Resources Control Board and regional water quality control board staff will hold public webinars on the implementation of the General Waste Discharge Requirements for Winery Process Water, Order No. WQ 2021-0002-DWQ (Winery Order). These webinars will focus on providing the regulated community (e.g., winery owners or operators) and related wine industry professionals information on Winery Order enrollment, technical requirements, specific implementation considerations, and role of the local regional boards. Each webinar will include information presented by the State Water Board and regional board staff. Time will also be included for live questions and answers (Q&A). Read the full notice here. CLICK TO JOIN
- WEBINAR: PFAS: A Forever Problem and Navigating the New Regulatory Landscape from 10am to 10:30am. Join BBK attorneys for a comprehensive webinar series focused on the latest legal developments concerning per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). During each monthly webinar, presenters will provide insight and guidance on the significant PFAS issues that both public and private sectors will likely encounter, including remediation strategies, real estate transactions, insurance considerations, biosolids management, water quality and more. Register for the series and gain access to the on-demand recordings.
- EPA WEBINAR: Drinking Water System Resilience from 11am to 12:30pm. Presentation topics: America’s Water Infrastructure Act Section 2013; and Water Laboratory Alliance’s Resources to Improve Contamination Incident Resilience. Click here to register.
In California water news today …
A surprising byproduct of wildfires: Contaminated drinking water
“Over the weekend, the Park Fire grew to more than 360,000 acres, prompting evacuation orders and warnings around Chico, California in Butte, Plumas, Shasta and Tehama counties. In the days ahead, Cal Fire will seek to contain the blaze to reduce harm to people, structures and the environment. However, months from now when the rains come and the fires are extinguished, a hidden threat could put communities at risk once again. … Around 60 to 65 percent of the United States’ drinking water comes from forested areas. As fires burn in these areas, they increase the risk of cancer-causing and toxic substances entering water supplies. An estimated 53.3 million U.S. residents who live in areas with significant wildfire risk may face damaged drinking water infrastructure from those flames. … ” Read more from the Washington Post (gift article).
SEE ALSO: Massive California Wildfire Signals Grim Outlook for 2024, from BNN Bloomberg
Charging California farmers for groundwater use could yield massive conservation gains, researchers find
“California farmers are willing to cut back on groundwater usage when their local governments start charging for this formerly free resource, new research has found. Historically, Golden State farmers have kept their crops irrigated amid extreme heat and drought by tapping into groundwater beneath their properties — at no charge, other than the costs of pumping. That practice has fueled concerns about the depletion of the state’s available water sources as climate change drives worse and more frequent drought. Some local agencies, seeking to address those concerns, have begun to change their operating strategies in recent years, following the passage of a significant revamp to statewide groundwater regulations, according to the authors of a new working paper, published by the University of Chicago’s Energy Policy Institute. … ” Read more from The Hill.
Bold moves needed for California agriculture: UC report details farming’s needs for climate resilience
“California should take urgent and bold measures to adapt its $59 billion agriculture sector to climate change as the amount of water available for crops declines, according to a collaborative report by University of California faculty from four campuses. Published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the report provides a roadmap for more water capture, storage, and distribution systems that are in harmony with climate projections and ecosystems. It further considers how runoff and groundwater can be used repeatedly as it flows generally from mountainsides to coastal lands. “The availability of water for consumption is decreasing because of climate change, partly due to increased evaporation and transpiration but also because we don’t have the system set up to capture and use the larger and more variable flows that are now the norm,” said Kurt Schwabe, a public policy professor at UC Riverside and co-author of the report. … ” Read more from UC Davis.
Climate whiplash and hydropower: challenges and solutions in California’s Sierra Nevada Basins
“The area under study consists of four major basins in the central part of the Sierra Nevada in California: the Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Merced and Upper San Joaquin river basins, which contribute the most to the San Joaquin River flow. They host various hydropower projects, including the expansive Big Creek hydropower system which is ranked among the world’s largest complexes of its kind. Collectively these projects generate approximately 25% of California’s hydroelectric energy, with a total generation capacity of over 2700MW. In addition to the largest climate variability in the US, the Mediterranean climate regime found in California gives the state a more extreme mismatch in water availability and demands. Electricity and especially agricultural water needs are greater during California’s hot, dry summers, while most of the precipitation arrives primarily as a few atmospheric river events in the northern part of the state, in particular in the Coast and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges during the winter. … ” Read more from International Water & Power.
Bay-Delta longfin smelt wins Endangered Species Act protections
“The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officially listed the San Francisco Bay-Delta population segment of the longfin smelt as an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act Monday morning. The longfin smelt was already listed as a threatened species under California’s Endangered Species Act, prohibiting the unpermitted possession, purchase, sale or take of the species. The service’s decision will now provide consistency between state and federal endangered species regulations, eliminating separate requirements from the state and federal levels. The fish is 3.5 to 4.3 inches long with a translucent silver appearance on its sides and gut, while its back has an olive to iridescent pinkish hue. It lives about two to three years in bays and estuaries along the West Coast from Northern California to Alaska. The Bay-Delta longfin smelt occupies only the San Francisco Bay estuary and some areas of the Pacific Ocean. … ” Read more from the Courthouse News Service.
SEE ALSO:
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Lists Bay-Delta Longfin Smelt as Endangered, press release from the USFWS
- Tiny inhabitant of San Francisco Bay gets federal protection after decades of lobbying, from the SF Chronicle
- Bay-Delta Longfin Smelt Joins Growing List Of Endangered Fish In San Francisco Bay Estuary, from SF Gate
New report released on Delta Drought Response Pilot Program
“The Delta Conservancy has released a final report on outcomes of the 2023 Delta Drought Response Pilot Program, an experimental program that was launched in order to test drought-resistant field management practices in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta Watershed. Delta growers participating in the program received financial incentives to carry out a variety of water conservation practices as well as beneficial bird habitat practices on their fields. Specific practices included shifting crops, reducing irrigation, delaying harvest to protect nesting cover for birds, and intentional flooding of croplands for bird habitat. A total of 61 projects, encompassing 18,450 acres, were successfully enrolled in 2023. … ” Continue reading from the Delta Conservancy.
Increasing river, Delta, and bay summer freshwater flows proves viable action
Tom Cannon writes, “In Above Normal water year 2024, an increase in summer freshwater flows released from reservoirs to the Bay-Delta estuary has proven a viable action to reduce threats to Central Valley fishes. Water management actions in early July heat waves alleviated extreme water temperatures that threaten the native fishes in rivers and the Bay-Delta. These actions can be described as adaptive management experiments to test their potential performance for the update of the State Board’s Bay-Delta Plan. … ” Read more from the California Fisheries Blog.
Proposition 4, paradigm shifts and our planet – climate resiliency questions with State Senator Ben Allen
“Santa Monica’s State Senator Ben Allen recently successfully authored Proposition 4, a climate resiliency bond measure that will be on California’s November 2024 statewide ballot. A 1996 graduate of Santa Monica High School and a former Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Board member (2008-2014), Allen has made a mark in the State Senate pursuing big picture legislation. I asked him about Proposition 4 and why he is committed to paradigm-shifting work. QUESTION: What would your bill SB 867/Proposition 4 do — the “Safe Drinking Water, Wildfire Prevention, Drought Preparedness, and Clean Air Bond Act of 2024” — and why is it necessary? SENATOR ALLEN: California is facing massive challenges relating to climate change, from our water infrastructure to wildfire prevention. With our 40 million people and drought challenges growing, our clean water supplies are going to be increasingly threatened. Investing in groundwater recharge and water recycling is critical to the long-term resiliency of our system. … ” Read more from the Santa Monica Daily Press.
California Court affirms strict proportionality requirement for water rates under Proposition 218
“On July 15, 2024, a California Court of Appeal issued a ruling in Coziahr v. Otay Water District, ___Cal.Rptr.3d___ (2024 WL 3408627) (“Otay”). The Court affirmed that water service rates subject to Proposition 218 (Cal. Const., art. XIII D, § 6, subd. (b)(3).) (“Prop 218”) must strictly adhere to the proportionality requirement in developing and adopting water rate structures, including tiered structures. The Otay decision underscores the necessity for water agencies subject to the limitations of Prop. 218 to base their rates on the actual cost of providing service to each parcel, rather than utilizing conservation goals or other non-cost-based factors as part of setting water rate structures. Mark Coziahr, a customer of Otay Water District (“OWD”), challenged OWD’s adoption and use of a tiered water rate structure for residential customers on grounds that the rate structure violated Prop 218, specifically, its requirement that a property-related fee or charge “shall not exceed the proportional cost of the service attributable to the parcel.” … ” Read more from AALRR.
The American West’s last quarter-century ranks as the driest in 1,200 years, research shows
“Three years ago, climate researchers shocked drought-weary Californians when they revealed that the American West was experiencing its driest 22-year period in 1,200 years, and that this severe megadrought was being intensified by global warming. Now, a UCLA climate scientist has reexamined the data and found that, even after two wet winters, the last 25 years are still likely the driest quarter-century since the year 800. ”The dryness still wins out over the wetness, big time,” said UCLA professor Park Williams. The latest climate data show that the years since 2000 in western North America — from Montana to California to northern Mexico — have been slightly drier on average than a similar megadrought in the late 1500s. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
California a botanical and climate change hot spot
“From coastal redwoods and Joshua trees to golden poppies and sagebrush, California is a global botanical hotspot. It’s also a place confronted with extreme heat, wildfires and crumbling coastlines. The state’s natural beauty and history of pioneering conservation efforts make it a test bed for protecting biodiversity in the face of current and future climate change, argues a study led by the University of California, Davis. Published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study, “Climate Change and California’s Terrestrial Biodiversity,” is part of a special PNAS issue on California sustainability. The article concludes that California’s 30 x 30 Initiative to preserve 30% of its lands and coastal waters by 2030, along with efforts to harmonize biodiversity conservation and renewable energy, is a promising step. It also highlights the need for California to shift away from its decades-long fire suppression policies and adopt fire strategies reflective of new fire regimes. … ” Read more from UC Davis.
SEE ALSO: Climate change and green energy will test California’s biodiversity, from Courthouse News Service
In regional water news and commentary today …
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
PG&E repairs powerhouse, flows resume to water agencies in Nevada, Placer counties
“Water is again flowing to water agencies in Nevada and Placer counties following repairs to one of two water discharge liners at PG&E’s Spaulding 1 powerhouse near Lake Spaulding. After several days of testing and inspection, the powerhouse is back in partial service and ahead of the scheduled date of July 30. The repairs to the first discharge pipe allow the unit to pass flow of about 450 cubic feet per second (cfs). Flows out of the powerhouse empty into the Drum Canal, which feeds the Nevada Irrigation District’s (NID) Rollins Reservoir. Placer County Water Agency (PCWA) also draws water from Rollins Reservoir. … ” Read more from Yuba Net.
SEE ALSO: PG&E powerhouse fixed at Nevada County lake as California wildfires delay South Yuba Pipe repairs, from CBS Sacramento
Lake Tahoe clarity report shows highs and lows of 2023
“The clarity of Lake Tahoe’s famed blue waters in 2023 continued its years-long trend of improving during the winter and deteriorating during the summer. The annual clarity report, released today by the University of California, Davis – Tahoe Environmental Research Center, found that winter lake conditions were the clearest observed since 1983 and the 10th best on record, with visibility of 91.8 feet under the surface, compared with 72.2 feet in 2022. Summer months tell a different story, marking the fifth murkiest on record with an average of 53.5 feet, compared with 68.9 feet in 2022. Overall, the annual average for lake clarity dropped to 68.2 feet from its 2022 value of 71.9 feet. … ” Read more from UC Davis.
Tahoe Regional Planning Agency looking to combat aquatic invasive species in multiple ways
“There’s a lot of work that goes into keeping Lake Tahoe the clear and beautiful lake that attracts millions of people every year. Combatting aquatic invasive species is one of the top priorities for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency. “Aquatic invasive species have pretty devastating impacts especially on a place like Lake Tahoe where its famed water clarity and water quality, and a five billion recreation based economy,” said Dennis Zabaglo, Aquatic Invasive Species Program Manager, TRPA. That program is putting in a lot of effort to prevent or control those species once they’re in the water. It has many projects in place going to help. … ” Read more from KTNV.
Sewage spill at Fallen Leaf Lake contained after early morning incident
“A broken valve at one of South Tahoe Public Utility District’s sewer pump stations resulted in five to ten gallons of sewage spilling into Fallen Leaf Lake early Sunday morning. South Tahoe Public Utility District said in a statement that the valve has been repaired, the site cleaned up and spill signs placed around the affected area. The incident began when an alarm went off at 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, notifying staff of higher-than normal sewage levels at a pump station on Fallen Leaf Lake Road. Upon inspection, they determined there was a broken valve and multiple crews were called in to assist. … ” Read more from Channel 4.
Forest thinning projects under way at Lake Tahoe
“Tahoe Fire & Fuels Team forest thinning projects are underway in the Lake Tahoe Basin. These projects are expected to continue for the next several weeks with some projects continuing through the fall, conditions and weather permitting. For project details, including the lead agency, start date and expected duration, view the Forest Thinning Projects Map at Tahoe Living With Fire which highlights current and upcoming projects. After decades of fire suppression, Tahoe Basin’s forests are overstocked and highly vulnerable to insects, disease and catastrophic wildfire. Forest thinning projects are a vital forest management tool used by land managers to help protect communities by removing excess vegetation (fuels) on public lands that can feed unwanted wildfires. These projects complement defensible space and home hardening efforts on private property in neighborhoods and communities. Forest thinning also contributes to improved forest health, wildlife habitat and watershed and forest resilience in the face of climate change. … ” Read more from the Mountain Democrat.
BAY AREA
Marin City slated to receive portable flood pumps
“The Marin County Public Works Department hopes to complete a $2.5 million project by mid-winter that will ease, but not eradicate, the flooding problem in Marin City. The project calls for the purchase of two portable pumps and the installation of 1,400 feet of pipes to transport rainwater more quickly to Marin City Pond, a 3-acre detention basin next to the Gateway Shopping Center. “The pumps won’t solve the problem;” said Rosemarie Gaglione, the county’s public works director, “but they’re going to improve it very much.” … ” Read more from the Marin Independent Journal.
Harbor dredging to begin next spring
“The San Mateo County Harbor District received the final permit from the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary to begin the Pillar Point Harbor dredging and Surfers Beach sand replenishment projects in spring 2025. The dredging project encountered delays after the discovery of an endangered species of eelgrass necessitated further study and mitigation plans before the project could be approved. At the July 18 meeting of the Harbor Commission, General Manager Jim Pruett said that the project is now greenlit all the way across and the project can commence in spring 2025. … ” Read more from the Half Moon Bay Review.
CENTRAL COAST
Local nonprofit receives $71 million grant to address climate change impacts
“Cal State Monterey Bay will benefit from the Biden Administration’s Climate Resilience Regional Challenge, a $575 million program aimed to ensure the coast is able to withstand various impacts of climate change. As part of the Inflation Reduction Act, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration led a nationwide grant competition to award the funds. The California Marine Sanctuary Foundation secured $71.1 million to address the effects of flooding and wildfires in the Monterey Bay area. The grant is one of the largest in state history. One of the focuses of the foundation’s effort is workforce development. CSUMB was chosen to receive $2 million to fund 45 paid internships for undergraduate students, six professional internships, teacher assistant positions as well as some scholarships. Hartnell College and UC Santa Cruz will also participate in the program. … ” Read more from the Monterey Herald.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
City, water district, expected back in court Aug. 23 for case management conference in Sage Ranch approval dispute
“On July 23, five weeks after he ruled on a dispute between two local agencies, Sacramento County Superior Court Judge Stephen Acquisto set Aug. 23 for a case management conference. The dispute dates from September 2021, when the Tehachapi-Cummings County Water District challenged the adequacy of environmental review and related matters prior to the city of Tehachapi’s approval of the Sage Ranch subdivision earlier that month. Acquisto ruled in favor of the water district on the first three causes of action of the lawsuit on June 18. He said the city had not met the standards of the California Environmental Quality Act in preparing the environmental impact report for the 995-unit residential project. … ” Read more from the Tehachapi News.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
New conservation strategy to protect montane forests in Southern California
“The Southern Montane Forest Project has unveiled its Climate-Adapted Conservation Strategy for Southern California montane forests. This initiative aims to bolster the resilience of montane — or higher-elevation forests — with climate-informed actions. The strategy offers land managers a comprehensive guide to enhancing forest and community health with collaborations across different landscapes. Southern California’s montane forests are vital to both humans and wildlife. These forests protect the upper watersheds of major rivers and supply about 40% of the water used downstream for drinking and agriculture. They also support Indigenous communities with food, fiber, and medicine and provide recreational opportunities to over 24 million people. Montane forests even capture carbon, prevent soil erosion, and serve as critical habitats for threatened and endangered wildlife. … ” Read more from the US Forest Service.
SAN DIEGO
We’re about to drink toilet water. Why that’s a good and safe thing to do.
“Try driving up Morena Boulevard in Mission Valley, or north through Bay Park and Clairemont, and chances are you’ll be bottlenecked by an army of orange traffic cones demarking a huge construction project that will consume northern San Diego for years to come. The city of San Diego is currently building a massive wastewater-to-drinking water recycling system – but it must tear up the streets to do it. The new pipe route tunnels from Morena Pump Station near the San Diego International Airport, then 10 miles north to University City and then another 8 miles to Miramar Reservoir, the final stop for all our transformed toilet water. … ” Read more from the Voice of San Diego.
Imperial Beach one of the most polluted beaches in the nation
“California is home to one of the most polluted beaches in the country, according to a new study. When he visits the beaches at Imperial Beach, Acxel Herrera-Ibarra has traded in his swimsuit for layers of protective gear. A stretch of surf in Imperial Beach is so toxic many San Diego County officials have made repeated calls for a state of emergency because of pollution from the Tijuana River Watershed flowing into the ocean. “This beach has been closed for, I want to say, close to two years now,” Herrera-Ibarra said. Herrera-Ibarra is part of the Blue Water Task Force, a community volunteer-run monitoring program by Surfrider Foundation. … ” Read more from Spectrum 1.
Rosarito desal plant could finally get off the ground
“As water shortages loom in Baja California, the state’s plans for a desalination plant are back on track after years of delay. An undeveloped 50-acre plot next to a power plant in northern Rosarito Beach – envisioned as the site of the proposed desalination facility – is now in Mexican government hands. By the end of the year, the state of Baja California expects to invite prospective developers to submit bids. Supporters say it’s not a moment too soon. Global warming threatens to reduce future deliveries from the Colorado River, the state’s main water supply. Like San Diego, Baja California’s coastal regions are largely dependent on the Colorado River for water, and authorities face growing pressure to find alternate sources. … ” Read more from the Voice of San Diego.
Along the Colorado River …
Is desalination a solution to increase Arizona’s water supply?
“Jeremy Crutchfield twists a silver tap attached to a pipe and places a cup underneath it as the water starts to flow. “All right,” he says, “Pacific on tap.” He takes a drink of clear, clean, fresh water that, until an hour ago, had surfers carving through it. “We’re right by the largest reservoir in the world,” Crutchfield says, surrounded by tanks, pipes and heavy machinery. … The Carlsbad Desalination Plant capitalizes on its position next to that “reservoir”, the Pacific Ocean, to treat billions of gallons of seawater and turn it into usable, drinkable water. So if San Diego can make desalination work for them, could it also work for Arizona? … ” Read more from Channel 12.
In national water news today …
Landsat is vital to American agriculture, forests
“A recent national report finds Landsat satellites to be a vital source of data to support U.S. agriculture and forest activities in the United States. The 2023 Earth Observation Assessment (EOA) Report-Agriculture & Forestry also supports the continuation of the Landsat Satellite Program as essential to Americans in terms of the value and benefits Landsat delivers every year. The 2023 EOA report evaluates the benefits of 1,000 Earth observation data sources used by the federal government. With its 50-plus years of monitoring and archiving land changes, the Landsat data ranks in the top 4 sources in the report for agriculture and forestry on a list that encompasses data from space sensors, airborne sources, field work and other reference data. … ” Read more from the USGS.
As wildfire season approaches, phytoplankton take on fires’ trickiest emissions
“Just last year wildfires generated over 2.1 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions around the globe. That’s the equivalent of driving 500 million gas-powered cars around for a year, according to the EPA. … In a satellite view of the planet, pockets of the ocean appear a bit murkier than the blue waters around them. Those spirals are full of microscopic plant life known as phytoplankton that produce much of the oxygen we breathe. Tiny phytoplankton thrive on the surface of oceans, estuaries and rivers across the globe. They’re first on the menu for zooplankton and small fish. But aside from supporting the food chain, these nearly invisible organisms also take on a major mission: carbon dioxide sequestration that boosts the oceanic carbon sink effect. … ” Read the full story from Inside Climate News.
Why a century-old beach building program could last ‘forever’
“How many times can a public beach vanish? As many times as Congress pays to rebuild it — over a very long time. A century after the federal government began bringing beaches back to life after they disappeared during storms, the U.S. finds itself at a crossroads with climate change. Rising seas, storm surges and king tides are eroding popular tourist beaches and local economies on America’s coasts at a faster pace than ever. That’s costing taxpayers billions of dollars to pump sand onto beaches — only to see it disappear again. … ” Read more from E&E News.
