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. Shaded items are open articles posted on Maven’s Notebook. For more open access California water news articles, explore the main page at MavensNotebook.com.
On the calendar today …
- WEBINAR: Squeezing the Last Drop: Using Enhanced-Recovery Reverse Osmosis to Improve Water Production from 12pm to 1pm. Maximizing water extraction efficiency is vital for water-stressed regions like southern California. Reverse osmosis (RO), a key process in potable reuse and brackish water treatment since the 1970s, typically leaves 15-20% of the feed flow as concentrate. This concentrate is a potential water source that advanced high-recovery RO technologies can tap into. In this webinar, discover high-recovery RO pilot studies by the Orange County Water District and the city of Santa Monica; Santa Monica’s pioneering full-scale flow-reversal RO installation; and how these technologies can significantly increase water recovery and address regional water scarcity. Explore cutting-edge solutions for enhancing water production. Register now to secure your spot.
- PUBLIC MEETING: EIS for the Long-Term Operation of the Central Valley Project and State Water Project (Los Banos) from 6pm to 8pm. Reclamation released the public draft EIS for the Long-Term Operation of the CVP and SWP. This is the first of six meetings and will be held at the Los Banos Community Center Grand Room, 645 7th Street, Los Banos. Access the documents and other information on this page.
In California water news today …
Water operations long-term plan could limit supply
“State and federal agencies face a challenge to balance the beneficial uses of water needed by farmers with needs of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta ecosystem, as water officials plan for climate change impacts. In seeking to coordinate long-term operation of the federal Central Valley Project and State Water Project, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation released a draft environmental impact statement, or EIS, for the public to review by Sept. 9. The EIS seeks to influence operations for California’s two primary water-delivery systems, which guide pumping of water through the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, sending water south to tens of millions of people and to millions of acres of farmland. The document was drafted in response to a 2021 executive order by President Joe Biden that called for a review of 2019 biological opinions under then-President Donald Trump related to coordinated long-term operation of the state and federal water projects. … ” Read more from Ag Alert.
C-WIN PRESS RELEASE: Bureau of Reclamation analysis shows some benefits of restoring California’s rivers but opts for status quo on groundwater
“A recently released draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation on the operation of a massive federal water project contains an alternative that would restore fish populations and reduce greenhouse gas emissions but fails to account for the requirements of the state’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA), an omission that could make the higher river flows needed by native fish infeasible. Max Gomberg, a water policy expert and Board Member for the California Water Impact Network, notes the DEIS is required to assess “reasonably foreseeable” impacts from laws and regulations. SGMA was adopted in 2014, and some overdrafted groundwater basins will soon be subject to state-mandated plans for reducing pumping. “Despite the well documented SGMA process, Reclamation used a groundwater model that does not include any pumping restrictions,” stated Gomberg. “As a result, the DEIS claims that agricultural users will pump massive volumes of groundwater to replace reductions in surface water deliveries.” … ” Continue reading this press release.
State of the Agriculture Industry: California farmers face uncertainty, diminishing profitability
“California farmers help feed the nation. The state produces around half of the country’s fresh produce. But right now, they’re faced with a number of challenges from increased production costs to changing demand and diminishing profitability. The topics were discussed with the California State Board of Food and Agriculture Tuesday at a state of the industry panel discussion. “There’s a lot of uncertainty in agriculture in California,” said Don Cameron, president of the California Food and Agriculture Board. “The consumption of wine has dropped worldwide and so we’re seeing a lot of vineyards being removed. We’re seeing a lot of almond orchards being removed because of the low price and the constraints on water availability throughout California.” … ” Read more from Channel 10.
Balance between farms, fish needs to be found for food production
“California is the produce basket of the United States. More than a third of the fresh vegetables sold in the United States and almost three-quarters of the fresh fruit and nuts originate in California. Without proper water allotments to keep farms functioning, the rest of the U.S. could face a significant food shortage in the near- and long-terms. In late June the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation announced an update to water allocations for portions of the Central Valley from 40 percent of normal to 50 percent. The water allocations for the region are also shared with fish which receive a guaranteed 800,000-acre feet of water without interruption. Some contract-holding water users in the region received none of their water allotment for the year, including some of those on the south side of the delta with “Class 2” contracts. The north-south movement of water was hampered, in part, by a large number of Delta Smelt being present this spring. The endangered species curtailed the pumping of water from northern reservoirs south. … ” Continue reading from the Pacific Research Institute.
Extreme, prolonged heat is straining drinking water wells throughout the San Joaquin Valley
“Despite back-to-back good water years, domestic wells are still drying up all across the valley as record breaking heat waves pummel the region. The state saw slightly above average runoff for the 2023-2024 water year with significant precipitation and major reservoirs largely above average levels. That’s on top of an epic 2022-2023 water year. The effect was that groundwater levels rebounded in many areas. Then this summer’s brutal heat set in, drying up at-risk wells across the valley. The nonprofit group Self-Help Enterprises has seen the influx firsthand. Before June, staff were getting about five dry well calls a month. As temperatures escalated in June, calls skyrocketed to 15 a week. In the past three months, Self-Help has set up water tanks for about 55 households. “We’re seeing something different that we haven’t seen before,” said Tami McVay, director of emergency services for Self-Help. “It’s later in the year with the increase of numbers.” … ” Continue reading from SJV Water.
UC BERKELEY: Planning for climate resilience in California’s freshwater ecosystems
“California’s unique geomorphology and Mediterranean-type climate have largely shaped the state’s freshwater lakes, streams, rivers, and wetlands. Now, however, freshwater ecosystems are stressed by water diversion, land use changes, non-native species, sedimentation, and nutrient loading, which are compounded by increases in water temperatures and changes in snowmelt and runoff patterns driven by anthropogenic climate change. A new perspective published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences calls on California leaders to do more to recover degraded freshwater ecosystems and protect the resilience, health, and viability of existing ecosystems. The analysis emphasizes the urgent need for a deeper understanding of how climate and non-climate stressors affect vital ecosystem processes governing their hydrology and the ecology of organisms that depend on them. … ” Read more from UC Berkeley.
‘Current’ Events: NASA and USGS find a new way to measure river flows
The River Observing System (RiOS) tracking the motion of water surface features from above a section of the Sacramento River in Northern California in 2023. Credits: NASA/USGS/Joe Adams and Chris Gazoorian
“A team of scientists and engineers at NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collaborated to see if a small piloted drone, equipped with a specialized payload, could help create detailed maps of how fast water is flowing. Rivers supply fresh water to our communities and farms, provide homes for a variety of creatures, transport people and goods, and generate electricity. But river flows can also carry pollutants downstream or suddenly surge, posing dangers to people, wildlife, and property. As NASA continues its ongoing commitment to better understand our home planet, researchers are working to answer the question of how do we stay in-the-know about where and how quickly river flows change? NASA and USGS scientists have teamed up to create an instrument package – about the size of a gallon of milk – called the River Observing System (RiOS). … ” Read more from NASA.
Preparing California’s agricultural lands for climate change
“Two UC Santa Cruz researchers have won funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture as part of an $8.1 million effort through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to support research that helps create sustainable “agroecosystems” in response to climate change and other increased environmental pressures. UC Santa Cruz was one of only 10 universities across the country that won grants through the program and is the lone recipient representing the agricultural needs of California, a state that has been the country’s top agricultural producer and exporter for the past 50 years. The winning UC Santa Cruz projects include one to address water scarcity and quality along California’s Central Coast, where agricultural communities face the dual challenges of increasingly uncertain and limited irrigation-water supplies—alongside ongoing groundwater-quality degradation from nitrate leaching that has polluted drinking water for nearly one million residents. … ” Read more from UC Santa Cruz.
New study documents growing dangers of climate change and emerging opportunities
“The Pacific Institute, Livelihoods Knowledge Exchange Network (LiKEN), and Rural Community Assistance Partnership Incorporated (RCAP) today released new research outlining how climate change impacts are leading to devastating consequences for water and wastewater systems in rural communities across the United States. The report also introduces an innovative community-centered framework to assist leaders in rural communities to build equitable water and wastewater systems that will be resilient to climate change in the future. The framework can inform policies and can be adapted and scaled to be used in different rural areas. The report, “Water and Climate Equity in Rural Water Systems in the United States,” highlights these issues in the Southwest and Central Appalachian regions, where a concentration of homes lack access to water and sanitation services. … ” Continue reading from the Pacific Institute.
Park Fire: New threat to salmon
“Wildfires like the Park Fire are creating new challenges for the already threatened salmon populations in local creeks and rivers. In the Butte, Mill and Deer Creek the Chinook salmon have been suffering, and especially with the Park Fire activities recently, it has made things a lot worse. “And it’s just getting more and more difficult for these fish to survive in the summer,” Allen Harthorn, Executive Director of Friends of Butte Creek, said. Harthorn said persistent heat waves and impacts from large wildfires, especially the Park Fire, are making it difficult for Chinook salmon to survive. … ” Read more from Action News Now.
Federal infrastructure funding is fueling a push to remove dams and restore river habitat
“On the whooshing Watauga River, excavators claw at the remains of Shulls Mill Dam, pulling concrete apart piece by piece and gradually opening a waterway kept in check for nearly two centuries. … Demolition of Shulls Mill Dam is part of a national trend to return rivers to their natural state by removing aging, sometimes derelict structures that once powered mills, irrigated farmland or impounded water. Aimed at boosting biodiversity, improving water quality and strengthening flood protection amid worsening storms, the campaign to demolish dams dates back several decades but has intensified with a once-in-a-generation funding infusion from the $1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill. More than $2 billion is going to federal agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and Federal Emergency Management Agency, for maintaining, repairing and removing dams, culverts and other barriers. Of that, $920 million has already been spent on 544 projects. … ” Read more from the Associated Press.
Monitor heat and drought with new tools on Drought.gov
“New interactive maps on Drought.gov can help users better prepare for heat and drought in their communities, with data from NOAA’s National Weather Service. Drought.gov now displays customizable maps showing National Weather Service heat advisories, warnings, and watches, as well as 3–7 and 8–14 day heat hazard outlooks. These maps can be overlaid with the U.S. Drought Monitor to monitor areas where extreme heat may worsen existing drought conditions. These maps provide information about drought and heat at a local level, which in turn can help users prepare for the possible impacts of heat and drought. These impacts can include increased chances of wildfire starts, more severe wildfires, poor air quality, damage to crops and yards, and harm to human health. … ” Read more from NIDIS.
‘Fire clouds’ from super-hot wildfires are on the rise as Earth warms
“The monstrous fires that are now charring vast areas of western North America aren’t just colossal and fast-moving, they have also created their own thunderstorms — an example of exotic fire behaviour that scientists say is becoming more common as the climate changes. Both the Park Fire, which has burnt more than 160,000 hectares in northern California, and the Jasper Fire, which has destroyed around one-third of the resort town of Jasper in Canada, have spawned ‘pyrocumulonimbus’ clouds, towering formations that can spit lightning, potentially starting more fires. Reports of such clouds were relatively uncommon in years gone by. Before 2023, the global record was 102 spotted in a single year, 50 of them in Canada, says Mike Flannigan, who studies wildfires at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, Canada. During last year’s extremely active fire season, 140 were reported in Canada alone. A higher-than-normal number have also been reported so far this year. “We can expect more of these in the future unless we change our ways,” Flannigan says. … ” Read more from Nature.
In regional water news and commentary today …
NORTH COAST
Humboldt County river-goers urged to watch out for harmful algae blooms
“It’s icky, scummy and floats in the water. It’s cyanobacteria season. Humboldt County’s Environmental Health issued a reminder last week for residents to keep their eyes peeled for algae on rivers and lakes that can produce harmful compounds. Growths of algae generally pick up in late July and August, as water slows down and heats up, situating Humboldt County at the start of the season. “They’re most likely to occur later in the summer when the river flows are low,” said Ben Dolf, a supervising environmental health specialist for Humboldt County. Water warms up to create conditions for algae blooms to be more likely in freshwater, he said, including the harmful kind. … ” Read more from the Eureka Times-Standard.
Redwood Valley’s water future: Board addresses consolidation and challenges
“All hands were on deck for the July Board meeting of the Redwood Valley County Water District, led by Board President Adam Gaska, and General Manager Jared Walker. The Board voted on several important agenda items that have long been under discussion. The integration of Redwood Valley and the City of Ukiah staff is on track to be completed by January 2025. Willow County Water District manages Redwood Valley, Calpella, Millview, Hopland, and River Estates County Water Districts, while only Redwood Valley and Willow opted to consolidate with Ukiah. Still to be determined is how the consolidation of Willow employees is going to work, in light of the fact that some districts managed by Willow will continue to operate without consolidating with Ukiah. … ” Read more from Mendo Fever.
MOUNTAIN COUNTIES
Biomass plant in Dobbins headed for construction with financing from Yuba Water Agency
“Construction of a 5-megawatt biomass plant near Dobbins in Yuba County can now move forward with the help of a $7 million grant and $8.3 million low-interest loan to the Camptonville Community Partnership approved today by Yuba Water Agency. The facility will process woody material from forest restoration projects in the Yuba River watershed, increasing the pace and scale of work to improve forest health and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire. “As we watch the destruction of the Park Fire in neighboring Butte County, we’re reminded of the very real threat of wildfire in our backyard and the importance of projects like this one to make our forests more resilient,” said Yuba Water General Manager Willie Whittlesey. Currently, projects within Yuba County and the greater North Yuba River watershed require contractors to truck removed woody material from the forest to existing biomass plants that are several hours away or secure permits to burn the material on site. Having a biomass plant in Dobbins will not only reduce the cost of implementation for regional projects but will also bolster the local community with new jobs and business opportunities. … ” Read more from Yuba Water.
Nevada Irrigation District: The legacy of local water
“This was common practice among foothill ranchers. Ranching in Nevada County was thriving at the dawn of the 20th Century. However, the region still had not secured a reliable, long-term irrigation water source. So, besides their local properties, many ranchers leased land in the mountains. They would winter livestock at the lower elevations and then drive the herds up into the mountains for cooler summer grazing. In 1917 “… Kate Church, astride her horse high on a mountain top, looked upon rushing, tumbling Sierran streams far below. It was not a new sight. For many years she and Bert Church, her husband, had driven their cattle to lush mountain meadows from parched unwatered pastures miles away. This day, she saw the wasted waters as if for the first time. Her mind envisioned a great irrigation system transporting life-giving water to dry, but fertile acres, bringing growth and prosperity. A dream was born. … ” Read more from YubaNet.
River City Waterway Alliance volunteers clean up South Lake Tahoe meadow
“The Johnson Meadow behind Grocery Outlet in South Lake Tahoe is often the spot where homeless encampments pop up with tents, chairs, sleeping bags, and trash intermingled among the willows, wildflowers, and river. In early June this year, part-time resident Randy Smith wandered into the meadow and was delighted to see the wildflowers. Those views were quickly replaced with abandoned camp debris. Often a volunteer with River City Waterway Alliance (RCWA) in the Sacramento area, he started to find out how volunteers could get the area cleaned up, especially since the meadow is the floodplain for the Upper Truckee River that flows into Lake Tahoe. … ” Read more from South Tahoe Now.
SACRAMENTO VALLEY
Removal of the Sunset Weir on the Feather River proposed
“The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) will prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Report (SEIR) for the removal of the Sutter Extension Water District’s Sunset Weir across the Feather River south of Paseo Road. The removal of the weir would be good for Chinook salmon, steelhead, green sturgeon and fish generally. It would also be good for canoers, kayakers and other boaters by allowing travel between Live Oak and Yuba City without requiring either a portage or some other means of crossing the weir. However, at this time the documents do not acknowledge that the entire Feather River, including its temporarily dry banks below ordinary high water marks, is subject to the public right to boat, fish, hunt and engage in other forms of recreation; nor do they acknowledge that the public has a right to fish on state-owned land (the Sutter Extension Water District parcel); and that agencies should not be interfering with public access to and use of the river if public access is feasible. … ” Read more from the Appeal Democrat.
California adopts new regulation for Making Conservation a California Way of Life
“California recently adopted a new rule to conserve water for the long term. This regulation establishes a water use budget for Roseville’s entire service area. The budget includes: How much water a person uses indoors each day; how much water residents and commercial, industrial and institutional customers use outside; and how much water is lost through leaks. Roseville must cut water use by about 10 percent by 2030, and water savings will need to continue over time. The city will continue supporting customers with water-wise rebates, infrastructure improvements, outdoor watering guidelines, turf replacement programs, and more. … ” Continue reading from the City of Roseville.
CENTRAL COAST
Dry La Niña conditions may be on the way to SLO County. Here’s what it could mean
“After two abnormally wet winters, San Luis Obispo County could be in for a more meager rain season this year. That’s because Central California will likely enter a La Niña pattern at the end of the summer, according to the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration’s Climate Prediction Center. This means SLO County will likely receive fewer storms this winter and spring. In fact, the Central Coast should brace itself for another drought, meteorologist John Lindsey said. “Say this upcoming rainfall season is really dry. It wouldn’t surprise me to see a large part of the state go into a drought condition,” Lindsey said. … ” Read more from the San Luis Obispo Tribune. | Read via Yahoo News.
SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY
Stanislaus National Forest OKs plan to further reduce wildfire risk. What it would do
“Since 2022, the Stanislaus National Forest has been reducing fuels on about half of its fire-prone acreage, thanks mainly to a $55 million federal grant. The forest now has approval for a detailed proposal to treat the other half. Both plans call for selective logging, prescribed fire and other methods in the overly dense trees and brush. Forest Supervisor Jason Kuiken signed off on the new plan on July 31. In a news release, he said it “will allow us to increase and expand the pace and scale of our work to foster resilient forests while reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfires to our communities.” … ” Read more from AOL News.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Stantec completes design of demonstration facility for Pure Water Antelope Valley
“Design is now complete on an advanced water treatment (AWT) demonstration facility for the Palmdale Water District’s (PWD) Pure Water Antelope Valley indirect potable reuse program. Stantec served as the lead designer for the facility, and construction is set to begin this summer following a groundbreaking that took place in June. The demonstration facility will serve as a place for public education, treatment evaluation, data collection, and regulatory approval. The information gathered from the demonstration facility over a 12-month period will inform the full-scale design of a 5 million gallon per day (MGD) AWT facility, which will be the cornerstone of Pure Water Antelope Valley. … ” Read more from Water Online.
Construction underway for new L.A. River park in Tarzana
“At a ceremony last week, construction commenced for a new park adjacent to the Los Angeles River channel in Tarzana. Caballero Creek Park, which will be located on a 1.5-acre site off of Lindley Avenue between Victory Boulevard and Erwin Street, is the result of a partnership between the City of Los Angeles, the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, and Los Angeles County. Los Angeles City Councilmember Bob Blumenfield help to secure funding from seven different sources for the project, which was announced in 2018. His office also announced that the project will serve as an outdoor partnership for Reseda High School. … ” Read more from Urbanize LA.
IMPERIAL/COACHELLA VALLEYS
Monsoon flooding devastates Mojave Desert town — but also reveals its heart
“When Mary Firestine woke up, she didn’t know it was going to rain. Weather forecasts for that mid-July Sunday in the rural desert city of Twentynine Palms showed just a slight chance. But that afternoon, the sky darkened and the wind howled. The clouds spit out quarter-sized hail. Water poured in through Firestine’s sliding back door. She tried to stanch the flow with blankets, sheets and pillows. But then the water seeped in through her walls. As she stuffed more linens around the baseboards, water flowed from beneath her kitchen cabinets and through her bathroom. She grabbed clothes from her closet and rolls of toilet paper in a desperate attempt to soak it up. In the midst of it all, she received a flash flood alert on her phone. The 61-year-old cosmetologist has weathered many monsoons, which typically hit the Mojave Desert from July to September. But this one came as a surprise — both for its intensity, and the fact that it flooded her neighborhood, which she described as a first in her 36 years there. … ” Read more from the LA Times.
The Salton Sea is now smelly all year long and making people’s asthma worse. The culprit? Bacteria
“Five years ago, Lisa Clark and her husband left her hometown of El Centro for Niland, a small town of 500, in search for more affordable housing. But now they’re paying a hidden cost for living just two miles southeast of the Salton Sea. “I’ve been having very bad asthma lately,” the 56-year-old manager of the Oasis Mobile Village RV Park said. Before, she’d need to use only one inhaler a year; since moving to Niland, she’s been using three. “It’s getting worse, and my husband’s been experiencing the same effect. Our health seems [to be] declining.” The air quality is notoriously bad near the Salton Sea. As California’s largest lake has continued to evaporate, it’s become saltier and dustier, causing breathing problems for locals like Clark. Alongside the health problems is what she describes as a “putrid dead smell” emanating constantly from the water. … ” Read more from the LA Times. | Read via PhysOrg.
SAN DIEGO
Water districts sue City of San Diego over Lake Hodges dam maintenance
“Two local water districts have filed a lawsuit in North County court alleging the city of San Diego failed for years to maintain the Lake Hodges Dam. The water districts allege they have lost $21 million due to the release of water from Lake Hodges in recent months. In the lawsuit, the Santa Fe Irrigation District and the San Dieguito Water District blame the city of San Diego for not maintaining Lake Hodges Dam since at least 2008. The California Division of Safety of Dams ordered the water lowered on Lake Hodges because of safety concerns, leading to the release of 11 billion gallons of water since last year. … ” Read more from Channel 8.
California to send 200 litres of water per second to Mexico amid shortage
“he San Diego County Water Authority will supply the Mexican state of Baja California with 200 liters of water per second to support Tijuana residents during the summer. This water will be delivered through an international pipeline connecting San Diego, California, to Tijuana. “There is a greater demand when it gets hot,” said Carlos Alberto Machado Parra, director for Baja’s Public Service and Planning Commission (CESPT) in Tijuana, according to Border Report. “We always maintain this binational connection so we can supply neighborhoods that may be short on supply. ” He said the water would be stored in the Carrizo Dam, a reservoir south of the town of Tecate. … ” Continue reading at Newsweek.
Along the Colorado River …
Radioactive tailings near the Colorado River close to full removal
“Sixteen million tons of radioactive uranium tailings once sat near the banks of the Colorado River, putting the waterway in peril of contamination on the outskirts of Moab. Removal began in 2009 and was halted for a time due to lack of funding for the U.S. Department of Energy cleanup project, but work is continuing at a steady clip — with nearly 15 million tons shipped by rail to a disposal cell about 30 miles away at Crescent Junction. At this rate, the tailings removal may be completed by next year, but much work remains to be done afterward for full remediation of the area in which the uranium mill operated for nearly three decades. … ” Read more from Deseret News.
