A wrap-up of posts published on Maven’s Notebook this week …
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In California water news this week …
La Niña is arriving in California later than previously forecasted. Here’s why
“La Niña is expected to develop this fall, with a 66% chance of emerging from September to November, according to an update Thursday by the Climate Prediction Center. La Niña is a global climate pattern defined by unusually cool waters in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific, typically leading to drier weather in Southern California. While sea surface temperatures in the region have been dropping in recent months, they are still near normal. When conditions are not in La Niña or El Niño, they are referred to as being in the “neutral” phase of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). The Climate Prediction Center announced a 74% chance that La Niña conditions will continue into the winter. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle (gift article).
SEE ALSO: La Niña is set to arrive later than expected: Here’s when, from News 10
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.
NOTEBOOK EXPLAINER: Reclamation’s draft EIS for potential changes to operation of the Central Valley Project: What is this document?
The Bureau of Reclamation has prepared an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the long-term operation of the Central Valley Project (CVP) and the State Water Project (SWP) and is taking comments from the public through Sept. 9, 2024. The draft document considers revised operations of dams, powerplants, and related facilities of the Central Valley Project and Delta facilities of the State Water Project. An EIS is a federal document prepared under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and is similar to an Environmental Impact Report prepared under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). But what exactly is this document? As is usually the case in California water, it’s a long and litigious history that brings us to these documents. I will try to piece it together as simply as I can. … ” Continue reading from Maven’s Notebook.
Tribes and community organizations urge delay in Delta Conveyance Project hearings
“Yesterday, the Delta Tribal Environmental Coalition (DTEC), represented by the Environmental Justice Law and Advocacy Clinic at Yale Law School, and partner environmental organizations submitted a comprehensive pre-hearing conference statement expressing significant concerns with the proposed schedule and process for the Delta Conveyance Project (DCP) hearings. The State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) announced a public hearing for the Delta Conveyance Project on January 16, 2025, with an initial pre-hearing conference on August 13, 2024. This hearing marks a significant step in evaluating the Department of Water Resources’ controversial project. The statement, submitted by a coalition of Tribes and environmental advocacy organizations, including the Buena Vista Rancheria of Me-Wuk Indians, Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians, Winnemem Wintu Tribe, Little Manila Rising, Restore the Delta, San Francisco Baykeeper, California Indian Environmental Alliance, and Golden State Salmon Association, highlights several key issues with the public hearing schedule. … ” Continue reading this press release from Restore the Delta.
The Park Fire is tearing through some of California’s last wild habitat for threatened salmon
“The devastation caused by wildfires extends far beyond human homes. Northern California’s Park Fire has burned through some of the Central Valley’s last wild salmon habitat, dealing a blow to an already struggling iconic fish species. It’s unclear how much damage the fire has done to the Mill and Deer creek watersheds. But scientists fear that spring-run Chinook salmon, a once abundant California fish, could take another step toward extinction amid dangerous levels of population decline. Last year California’s Department of Fish and Wildlife counted only 167 of the fish in the Central Valley’s Sacramento and San Joaquin river systems that were home to tens of thousands of them as recently as the early 2000s. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee. | Read via Yahoo News.
SEE ALSO: The Park Fire created its own weather. Stunning visuals show how it happened, from the San Francisco Chronicle
How have California’s water issues changed in the past thirty years?
“Back in 1994, Ace of Base and Boys II Men were chart-topping artists, “The Lion King” was the year’s most popular movie…and the Public Policy Institute of California drew its first breath. A lot has changed in California since then, so we sat down with key PPIC Water Policy Center staff to discuss what’s changed—and what hasn’t—in the California water world since the year the White House launched its first webpage. How did PPIC work on water issues in the beginning? Ellen Hanak: PPIC was founded at the end of a drought that spanned 1987–92. That drought was really formative for California’s cities. There was trauma. Jeffrey Mount: We were months away from water rationing in 1991, which is a nightmare for anyone in the water business. … ” Read more from the PPIC.
Arrowhead water bottler ordered to stop operations in San Bernardino Mountains
“The federal government has backed up California state regulators in ordering the company that bottles Arrowhead water to stop drawing from the San Bernardino Mountains. Though BlueTriton Brands draws from springs in the mountains that have been used for bottled water since 1906, environmental activists have claimed the removal of that water is harming wildlife, particularly Strawberry Creek. About a year ago, California’s Water Resources Control Board ordered BlueTriton to stop using the water, which flows through public lands like the San Bernardino National Forest. On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Times reported that the U.S. Forest Service has denied BlueTriton’s permit to extract water from San Bernardino Mountains springs. While environmental activists are cheering, BlueTriton released a statement to the Times decrying the decision and claiming it’s “unsupported by facts.” … ” Read more from KTLA.
Direct Potable Reuse regulations approved
“On August 6, 2024, the Office of Administrative Law (OAL) approved the direct potable reuse (DPR) regulations that were previously adopted by the State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) on December 19, 2023. The approved regulations – which go into effect on October 1, 2024 – will allow public water systems and other agencies in California to obtain permits to develop DPR projects. DPR is when purified recycled water is placed directly into a public water system or into a “raw” (untreated) water supply immediately upstream of a drinking water treatment plant. The extensive DPR regulations require an exceptionally high level of treatment, reflecting the recommendations of independent expert review panels and advisory groups convened by the State Water Board to ensure the DPR regulations will protect public health. … ” Read more from Nossaman.
RELATED: Direct Potable Reuse Regulations Approved, notice and FAQ from the State Water Board
CAL MATTERS: Dangerous herbicide used on California crops banned
“A dangerous herbicide banned immediately by the US Environmental Protection Agency has been sprayed on crops in many California counties and has contaminated groundwater in low concentrations in the Salinas Valley and Santa Barbara County. The weed-killing chemical, known as DCPA or Dacthal, can harm the developing brains of babies in the womb, and can remain in fields for weeks, EPA officials said. The greatest threat is to pregnant farmworkers and people living near fields. The chemical, which has been in use in the United States for almost 70 years, was so dangerous that “it needs to be removed from the market immediately,” EPA announced Tuesday. The agency issued an emergency order suspending all use immediately — a first for the EPA in almost 40 years. “It’s EPA’s job to protect people from exposure to dangerous chemicals. In this case, pregnant women who may never even know they were exposed could give birth to babies that experience irreversible lifelong health problems,” Assistant Administrator for the Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention Michal Freedhoff said in a statement Tuesday. … ” Read more from Cal Matters.
Deadline looms for California airports to stop using PFAS firefighting foams
“A majority of California airports known to be contaminated with toxic PFAS chemicals are continuing to rely on PFAS-laden foams for firefighting, despite a looming state deadline to phase out the foams due to the risks they pose to human and environmental health. Only four out of 30 contaminated airports in the state have confirmed that they have stopped using foams containing per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – also known as “forever chemicals” – and moved to a PFAS-free alternative. The majority are still struggling to transition, The New Lede has learned. Though there is some indecision by state officials over the deadline for compliance, the airports could potentially face civil action against continued use of the PFAS-containing foams after September. … ” Read more from the New Lede.
NOTEBOOK FEATURE: Toxic treads: Unveiling the environmental impact of tire wear and chemical cocktails
Researchers are just beginning to unveil the hazardous mix of chemicals, microplastics, and heavy metals concealed within car and truck tires. Experts warn that emissions from these tires significantly contribute to air and water pollution, posing a serious threat to both human health and wildlife. As tires wear, they release pollutants through atmospheric, aquatic, and terrestrial pathways, and evidence shows that wear and tear on tires and brakes now generate more particle pollution by mass than car exhaust systems in various real-world and test scenarios. The US Environmental Protection Agency recently held a webinar on the emerging impacts of tire wear particles. The presentation was given by Dr. Paul Mayer, a research ecologist with the EPA’s Office of Research and Development in the Center for Public Health and Environmental Assessment. In his presentation, Dr. Mayer discussed the fate and transport of tire pollutants, the potential risks to human health and the environment, how the potential risks can be remediated, and some EPA-supported research on tires and tire-related pollution. … ” Continue reading at Maven’s Notebook.
Tracking the restorative effects of good fire
“A few miles south of Yosemite’s famed Glacier Point, ringed by striking granite domes, lies the Illilouette Basin. This small stretch of the Sierra Nevada Mountains has become a sort of fire laboratory, a place where natural wildfires have been allowed to burn since 1972. In contrast with the long-supported program of fire suppression that has dominated American forests since the late 19th century, resulting in dense and unhealthy forests, the Illilouette Basin’s story is about the benefits that natural fire can bring to the landscape. DRI’s Gabrielle Boisramé, an ecohydrologist and environmental engineer, has been studying the area for more than a decade. The project began during her Ph.D., when a fire ecologist noticed wetland plants growing in the footprint of a burnt forest. He turned to hydrologists to help uncover how wildfire changed the way water moved through the area, and Boisramé soon had her dissertation project. She knew that the work had larger implications than understanding how fires alter the plant life growing in burnt forests, as the Sierra Nevada Mountains serve as one of the nation’s most important sources of freshwater. “This project is really important because the Sierra Nevada supplies most of California’s water, which allows the state to grow many foods for around the world,” Boisramé says. “Reducing fire size protects water quality.” … ” Continue reading from the Desert Research Institute.
In commentary this week …
What’s happened to the Delta co-equal goals? Disappearing delta smelt and indefensible water policy decisions, that’s what’s happened
Dennis D. Murphy writes, “The Delta Reform Act of 2009 embraced “co-equal goals” as guideposts for resource management in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Resource managers and conservation planners are encouraged to implement an agenda “securing a reliable water supply for California and protecting, restoring, and enhancing the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta ecosystem and the fish, wildlife, and recreation it supports.” With that language came high hopes that the California’s decision-makers would recognize the essential contribution of Delta waters to one of the world’s largest economies and at the same time give imperiled fishes that reside in and migrate through the upper San Francisco Estuary the elevated attention that they so desperately need. A decade and a half and over a billion dollars in conservation actions and scientific investigations later, those hopes have been dashed — on both fronts, responsible water management and effective species protection. Why you ask? State and federal resource agencies lack capacity and are plagued by cognitive biases that inhibit the ability of administrators and staff to respond in real time to the drought-and-deluge ecological dynamics of the Delta and its natural resources. … ” Read more from the Center for California Water Resources Policy and Management.
Essay: Achieving water abundance: A new approach based on positive, common sense ideas
Edward Ring, California Policy Center, and Steve Hilton, Founder of Golden Together, write, “Californians today are living with water scarcity, and the water we do have access to is threatened. For example, millions of Southern Californians depend on water pumped out of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta into southbound aqueducts. One big earthquake could collapse some of the over 1,000 miles of aging levees that protect the Delta’s below-sea-level islands, and salt water from the San Francisco Bay would pour into the Delta. If that happens, it would be years, if ever, before the fresh water status of the Delta would be restored. While an earthquake that destroyed levees in the Delta would be a terrifying disaster, for most of the 21st century, Californians have not had enough water. Not only have we outgrown the infrastructure we rely upon to supply water to our farms and cities, but we now face a new threat. Climate change. Longer droughts. Hotter summers. Less rainfall. Extreme weather. … ” Read more from the California Policy Center.
Jay Famiglietti: Will we have to pump the Great Lakes to California to feed the nation?
Jay Famiglietti writes, “Driving north through California’s Tejon Pass on Interstate 5, you spill down out of the mountains onto a breathtaking expanse of farm fields like few others in the world. Rows of almond, pistachio and citrus trees stretch as far as the eye can see, dotted by fields of grapes. Truckloads of produce zoom by, heading for markets around the country. The Central Valley of California supplies a quarter of the food on the nation’s dinner tables. But beneath this image of plenty and abundance, a crisis is brewing — an invisible one, under our feet — and it is not limited to California. Coast to coast, our food producing regions, especially those stretching from the southern Great Plains across the sunny, dry Southwest, rely heavily and sometimes exclusively on groundwater for irrigation. And it’s disappearing — fast. What happens to the nation’s food production if the groundwater runs out altogether? … ” Read more from the New York Times (gift article).
Megafires are California’s future, as we learn to live with climate change
Robin Epley writes, “Northern California is no stranger to explosive fires. Butte County’s recent history in particular, with the 2018 Camp Fire, remains one of the state’s most destructive and deadliest wildfires to date, killing 85 people and causing more than $16.5 billion in damage. At its height, the Camp Fire moved at a clip of about 80 football fields per minute, burning more than 153,000 acres overall. But within mere days, 2024’s Park Fire — blazing through roughly the same geographical area — has blown past the Camp Fire’s records and become the state’s fourth-largest wildfire in recorded history and the largest-ever allegedly caused by arson. And it’s not over yet. … ” Read more from the Sacramento Bee.
In regional water news this week …
Removal of dams on the Klamath River nears completion
“A new landscape and river are emerging in the Klamath Basin. Iron Gate dam is disappearing. One of three barriers being removed from the Klamath River in far Northern California and Southern Oregon this summer, the dam once stood 173 feet tall. Now it’s about a third of its original height. On a Friday in late July, a dozen bright yellow machines crawled across what was left of the dam. An excavator bit into a pile of brown earth, then hovered its claw over a waiting 40-yard dump truck; three giant scoops and the truck was full. The driver beeped twice, and the truck chugged away, only to be replaced by another one. From an overlook southwest of the dam, the machines looked like Tonka toys in a sandbox. … ” Read more from Jefferson Public Radio.
Teams and technology trace Klamath River Recovery by tracking new salmon returns
“The removal of four dams on the Klamath River will reopen more habitat to Pacific salmon than all previous dam removals in the West combined. Now it will have a monitoring program to match—designed by top salmon scientists to track when and how many fish of different species return and where they go. “The world’s eyes are on the Klamath Basin right now,” said Damon Goodman, Mount Shasta-Klamath Regional Director of CalTrout, who helped develop the monitoring program with other fish scientists, tribes, and state and federal agencies. “It’s our responsibility to have credible, transparent, and solid data that tells us—how is this working for the fish?” The monitoring program will employ the latest technology to answer three key questions … ” Read more from NOAA Fisheries.
Miles of lead cables lie at the bottom of Lake Tahoe. Why are they still there?
“Emerald Bay, punctuated by a wooded island on Lake Tahoe’s western edge, is probably the lake’s most recognizable feature. But beneath the water’s azure surface lies an issue few have set eyes on: about 6 miles worth of defunct century-old telephone cables that contain toxic lead. The cables, made of copper wires sheathed in lead, were discovered by scuba divers 12 years ago resting on the sandy lake bottom and, in places, bent around rocks. One long segment spans the West Shore from Baldwin Beach across the mouth of Emerald Bay up to Rubicon Bay — including through shallow areas where people swim and boat — and there’s a separate strand inside the bay. Three years ago, AT&T, which acquired the company believed to have installed the cables, entered into a consent decree to pay $1.5 million to remove them — an agreement lake lovers viewed as a victory and hoped wouldn’t take more than a season or two to complete. … ” Read more from the San Francisco Chronicle (gift article).
Complexities of managing sewage in the Tahoe basin
“Tahoe’s clarity report card just came out, yet two sewage spills occurring within less than two weeks of each other have minds on murkier matters. A private contractor working for Caltrans on Highway 28 near Gar Woods struck a North Tahoe Public Utility District’s main sewer export pipeline the morning of July 18. This sent an estimated 85,000 gallons of raw sewage into Carnelian Bay. The spill closed beaches and a myriad of health advisories ensued, warning of elevated water bacteria counts. All advisories finally lifted on July 31. “It was not a case of infrastructure failure in any way,” NTPUD Public Information Officer Justin Broglio said, explaining it was 100% human caused and upgrades would not have helped in this situation. While upgrades would not have avoided the north lake spill, a corroded valve caused a spill just 11 days later and many miles south. … ” Continue reading from the Tahoe Daily Tribune.
Small mussel, big threat: What Tahoe water managers are doing to keep out invasive species
“Beneath the aquamarine surface of Lake Tahoe is a battle that few people see. It’s a struggle between invasive species, transported to the lake by humans, and native species. It’s not a fair fight — which is why water managers are attempting to intervene and control the infestations of non-native plants and animals. The lake is now home to nearly a dozen invasive species. They originate from around the world and include Asian clams, New Zealand mudsnails and bullfrogs native to the Eastern United States. Domestic invasive species also affect the lake, such as the goldfish people dump into Big Blue that eventually grow into aquatic behemoths. The invasive species in Lake Tahoe vary greatly but have some similar characteristics, said Kevin Netcher, aquatic invasive species coordinator for the Nevada Department of Wildlife (NDOW). They’re typically able to reproduce quickly. They are highly predatory. And they’re hard, if not impossible, to eradicate once established. … ” Read more from the Nevada Independent.
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.
Rural communities hit hard by state water regulations
“Communities in Fresno and Tulare counties must significantly scale back water consumption by 2040 under the state’s new water conservation regulation. On July 3, 2024, the State Water Resources Board (Board) announced the regulation, which impacts 405 cities and urban water suppliers that provide roughly 95% of water to California. The regulation is expected to be in effect by Jan. 1, 2025. The Board mandated 2040 as the year for the 10 water regions – North Lahontan, South Lahontan, Tulare Lake, Colorado River, San Joaquin River, Sacramento River, South Coast, Central Coast, North Coast, San Francisco Bay – to comply with the regulation. The regulation does not impact all regions equally. For example, the San Francisco Bay region must cut back water consumption by 3%. The Tulare Lake region, which serves Reedley, Dinuba, Sanger and other cities, must reduce consumption by 2040 by 24%. … ” Read more from the Sun-Gazette.
Fresno picks up $230mil in settlement over contaminated water wells
“The City of Fresno nabbed nearly a quarter billion dollars in a legal settlement with Dow Chemical Company and Shell Oil over contamination of wells. The two companies used contaminated wells with a chemical they hid in pesticides designed to kill nematodes. The backstory: For decades, the city alleged, Dow and Shell put 1,2,3-Trichloropropane (TCP) into nematocides, which the companies admitted could seep into water supplies, despite the fact it was largely useless to kill nematodes. … ” Read more from the San Joaquin Valley Sun.
Indian Wells Valley Water District welcomes court decision moving basin adjudication trial forward
“The Indian Wells Valley Water District (District) is pleased to announce that the Court has ruled that Phase Two of the Basin Adjudication will occur in the coming months. This phase will focus on presenting scientific evidence regarding the safe yield of the basin, following Phase One, which will address Federal Reserved Rights. This development is significant for the District and the entire region, as it will allow the Water District and other stakeholders to present their extensive research and data on the basin’s safe yield. The court will thoroughly examine these scientific findings, ensuring that decisions are based on robust and accurate information. The court’s review of this information underscores the District’s commitment to responsible water management and the sustainability of our water resources. … ” Read more from the Ridgecrest Independent.
Orange County Water District achieves record year of groundwater recharge
“The Orange County Water District (OCWD) proudly announces a record-breaking accomplishment in groundwater recharge for the fiscal year 2023-24: more than 90 billion gallons of water have been put back into the ground to further increase Orange County’s drinking water supply. “Achieving this milestone is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our entire staff, particularly our recharge operators in Anaheim,” said OCWD President Cathy Green. “Their commitment and expertise have been instrumental in maintaining our mission of providing a reliable water supply for our communities.” Fulfilled during July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024, this record year reflects the highest volume of water replenished into the District’s recharge basins in Anaheim and Orange since record keeping began in the 1940s. It is a result of OCWD’s comprehensive approach to managing the groundwater basin, which includes using diverse sources of water such as the Santa Ana River, stormwater capture, and recycled water from the Groundwater Replenishment System (GWRS), the world’s largest water reuse facility, to refill the groundwater basin. … ” Read more from the Orange County Water District.
Announcements, notices, and funding opportunities …
NOTICE of Document Availability and Staff Workshop: Delta Mercury Control Program Review Staff Report for Scientific Peer Review
NOTICE of Certification for the Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Report for the Pulse Flows Component of the Water Storage Investment Program Groundwater Projects
NOTICE of Preparation for the Sunset Weir and Pumps Fish Passage Project Supplemental Environmental Impact Report
